If we weren't talking America I'd tell you rural is better in every single way when compared to suburban, suburban living is a hellscape that has no right to exist imo. It's just that rural in America means you are actually disconnected from society at large. You aren't outliers surrounding and supporting a large city, not a tight knit community, but a single person or family living far away from anything or anyone with delusions of true independence. It fosters incredibly anti social attitudes, where anything that is different is bad.
The only replacement for the society they are missing out on for most people out here is whatever hick church they go to. And that feeds into many of the awful aspects of life out here.