I think people get in a rut and think "there must be something better than this". So they spend their life unhappy.
Upward mobility is relative. At some point you can only move up so far, in a mom and pop outfit this isn't very far at all. In a big multibillion dollar corporation this can be very far.
If I had to choose between a location and a job, I'd pick the location. I'd rather do my job for less pay in a desirable location than do my job for my current pay where I am at.
A lot of people bitch about quality of life. There has to be a balance. Quality of life for a single guy with no kids, is going to be different than quality of life for someone that has a big family.
I'd rather make $100,000 a year in a midsized town near hunting and fishing, than make $65,000 in a town with a OTC elk tags in the back yard.
The little OTC elk town isn't going to have but a shit hospital, schools are probably going to suck, and the groceries are going to be twice as expesnive. That and all the California Republican boomers are going to be $800,000 for a 2 bedroom on 3 acres.