Everything is relative. In areas where the housing costs are astronomical, salaries are equally high. It is the same in the Washington, DC area where there are a lot of job opportunities - our housing and rental costs are very expensive. Or, you can have cheap housing in the MidWest, live in the middle of nowhere, and face very limited job options. Such are the dilemmas in life...:) I've never been to the Adirondacks. Not sure why, as it is not so far from me. Maybe it can be a summer trip with my family next year. :)