It's arbitrage. Earn tech wages, live in a low-cost area. Engage in the local community, which is higher trust and lower transmission risk than a major metro. If anything, rural communities have higher human contact right now. (Source: I live in a small town, work in Seattle.)
Yup, exactly right. After I got married and had two kids, the cost-benefit of city life didn't pencil out. But for my friends who are still single, it's the right place to be!