If you're a young person making a certain amount of money I'm certain you can plan to save up money over time. Especially if you're a dual-income couple, you could save money before you plan to buy a house or have a kid. A 2 bedroom is affordable on two 100k salaries in the Bay area. but even then the entire area is very large, not everyone lives in SF or wants to, or would need to commute there as there are jobs elsewhere.