Local cost of living, is it possible to get ahead?

Why is a similar house 75 miles away four times the price? We discuss the difference in cost of living between areas in the United States. For example a similar house in Rockford Illinois prices $150,000 would probably be around $450,000 in Niles Illinois. Even worse is in silicon valley where that house might be near a million dollars. What are some of the causes of these extreme differences, and what can you do to get ahead, if even just in little steps?