Beyond the philosophy of science "correlation/causation" question, consider how ill-defined your view is.

I moved 800 miles away for graduate school. it's been one of the most difficult experiences of my life. I constantly wonder whether I would have been better off staying in my hometown or home state and simply working up the ranks. I miss my close friends, family, girlfriend, etc. terribly. When you say people are "doing better" as adults, you're not defining that very well. Isn't there something to be said about the people who live closer to their family and friends who are loyal and amazing and would take a freaking bullet for you if you needed? Isn't that a beautiful asset to have as an adult? a community that truly loves you and knows you? Are my parents better off because they left their home in their early 20s and came to this country? I see them struggle every day because the "friends" they've made in the last 40 years are mostly professional connections (which tend to be relatively shallow) and religious communities (which are basically "friends with preconditions" because they're your friends as long as you fall in line behind their ideological views). Is that "doing better" at adulthood just because my dad got an amazing job, and his kids have an opportunity to get Masters and PhD degrees and pursue incredible opportunities (professionally and intellectually) that they never got to? Am I better because I choose to pursue those opportunities rather than staying closer to home and holding on to my incredible opportunity to cultivate my childhood relationships--an opportunity that my parents really never had in their adulthood? It's not so clear to me.