It's a great place to raise a family. Great size town, small but large enough where you have everything you might want to live. Salem is also one of the fastest growing in the country right now for small business. It is less than an hour away from the beach, the mountains, and the nearby larger city. It rains a little bit much, but that's just something to put up with for all the benefits.
If there is something you need to do that is technical and you can learn it in college, then by all means you should if you want, but you do not have to. Vin learned a lot of his skills on the job and because he was passionate about it, he did well. So much learning content is available online, you can learn anything. Clients do not care where you got your education, as long as you can get the work done.