To put this into perspective, and I hope I don't offend anyone with this, my wife has essentially moved to an area that could be compared to Detroit as far as crime and unemployment are concerned. We were living in an area comparable to say North Dakota (from what I hear it has one of the best economies in the US) as far as the economy and job prospects. It makes no sense at all for her to live where she is other than that is where her parents are.
Scorp, forgive me, I'm not totally up on your sich, but don't underestimate the stabilizing value of the grandparents. If they are involved with your kids lives in a positive way, that's a huge bonus and possibly worth the move alone.
Also, another thought is that as the grandparents grow older, your W will spend more time caring for them, and if they live near W, that will be less time away for her and less stress on the whole family.
I live 800 miles away from my parents and I have these things on my mind. Moving back to that town isn't an option for me, but I can see the appeal.
