My entire family hails from the rural South, and I went to school in areas that straddled rural and suburban. You’d be shocked at how they can flip their empathy on for each other, and then flip it off for anyone they decide they don’t like because of their religion or ethnicity or sexuality. And yes, study after study has found that living in diverse areas like (small) cities tends to increase your capacity for empathy and understanding--which isn't always measured effectively by whether or not someone stops to help you with a flat tire.