Many of the tech giants already maintain decent-sized operations away from the coasts. Cloud computing firm Salesforce, which will move into the tallest building in San Francisco by early next year, also has expanded in Indianapolis since it acquired a local company there in 2013.

The company says it now has 1,600 workers in Indianapolis and will hire an additional 800 by 2021. It’s even launched a campaign to persuade its workers — even top talent — to move there from the Bay Area.

“Places like San Francisco, Santa Clara and Palo Alto, they are tapped out,” said Bob Stutz, the company’s chief analytics officer. “Even for us — with the new tower in San Francisco — we really have space problems, because we are growing so fast.”

Mark Muro, director of policy at the Metropolitan Policy Program at the Brookings Institution, said more companies should view cities in the Midwest and the South as attractive because employees can find an affordable home there and the local community will probably be welcoming. There are also top-notch universities and enough good talent, he said.

For Salesforce, Stutz said cheap housing in Indianapolis has been a major recruiting tool. Other tech firms have also set up operations in the city recently.