I tend to agree with the nice and kind part of Midwest, with exception that it seems like we're becoming more hard-line against things people call woke or alternate life styles.
I'm using a universal 'we' since, and I think you're right - there's a difference between urban city thinking and rural community thinking.
I have a whole theory about the city thinking and rural thinking having to due with ownership or property, but that's a whole other thing...