Point taken. I imagine much depends on the domain and deliverable, as to what that ratio might look like. As someone stated above, not every company is doing ground breaking work which needs the "best and brightest". But some companies might, at least in niche areas as you mentioned.

However, I know from attempting to hire even entry level engineers in sub-250k population areas, it can be very tough to even find a bare minimum candidate. I would jump at the chance to hire a rock-solid developer in a nearby city, state, or even country.