Mostly it's two words: Quality of life. I live in Lexington, a small city. I have a son. He is living an idyllic small city childhood.
I own a house in a funky downtown neighborhood, on a cul-de-sac, with a big backyard and I pay $600/month to live there. My neighbors are a committed lesbian couple on one side and a musician on the other. A grandma lives across the street.
My son goes to an excellent public school where he learns a second language and is taught by native speakers of that language. There are good public school options for middle and high school.
Why Kentucky? My son's father's family is from here and I have relatives here too. I came for the family connection. I stayed because it's not too expensive or annoying to live here. There are rednecks here but I can avoid them mostly. I also avoid the rabid artsier-than-thou/new restaurant opening/handwoven peruvian sandals activist types.
Both kinds of people annoy me. The blue types are often more annoying because at least the redneck, traditional family values folks know how to cook a good meal.
I don't live in, say, Boston or New York precisely because of the attitude that nothing interesting ever happens anywhere else. I moved around a lot growing up but I enjoy the manners of the south, of the slow pace of life (i just ignore the hummer drivers), the friendliness and neighborliness. I'm selective in my use of it and i do keep to myself and my small circle. But there are interesting and cool people who live in my town and live in my state.
Blue staters with their "how could you live there"...? They earn my contempt as they show their ignorance. That type of attitude is what lost power for progressives. No one wants to be condescended to. You can keep your save the children and your fuel cells if you can't be more polite about it.
I live in Kentucky, I drive a jeep, i'm in graduate school in mathematics, and I listen to one of the four or so excellent independent radio stations or read our Pulitzer-Prize-winning editorial cartoonist, Joel Pett. I'm not a moron. I live here by choice and I'm happy here.