If jobs for your skillset exist in a lower COL area, I think it’s smart to start out there and build up, but that’s not always possible/feasible.
Obviously, the Army dictates where our son lives, but he was fortunate to be posted to Georgia out of the academy where his cohort was advised to buy houses as soon as possible as they were all slated to spend their full commitments at that post (all of Army Cyber is in that one location). This was just before the crazy run-up. He was fortunate to be able to buy a beautiful house that was almost as nice as the one he grew up in due to prices in that area at the time. I posted an example on the Recent Grads/Younger Folk Affording Rent or Buying a House thread of the type of house available there on an Army salary. Certainly, luck/timing/Army benefits had a lot to do with how he is positioned now, but his experience has shown us the cost differential between various parts of the U.S. If starting out in a lower COL city is an option, it can make a lot of financial sense to do so.