[hestipod]

There is small town rural life within an hour of any big coastal city. You don't have to move to the homogeneous middle of the country for that. Suggesting people move from a popular place to middle America for a good quality of life is disingenuous in my view because its predicated entirely on the fact that it's "cheaper". Their lives aren't going to be "richer"...only their bank account for a time, but even that will fade as salary and opportunity are less as well. Yes some people enjoy being surrounded only by their race, religion, and politics so that outweighs the losses of accessibility, culture, and experience...and frankly most of the ones who have never experienced anything else don't even know what they are missing...getting away from that gave me the only good parts of my life personally. Once again...people don't put photos or postcards of Topeka or Little Rock or some town nobody knows of in the vast sameness of the Midwest on their dream walls. There is a reason for that.

[arrozconcosas]

There are nice places to live that aren't on a postcard

[selimthegrim]

I believe Branson, MO, Memphis and Nashville, TN, and Fayetteville, AR would like a word with you.

[squish78]

My life is incredibly rich, but I measure it more by my physical/mental health, my community, and time I get to spend with my family