I can’t disagree with your generalization more. I know people people who spent decades going nowhere in ruchnius in NYC and never got into anything and when they moved to a small town they had more access to the rov and more involved in their shule and grew spiritually by leaps and bounds. This is especially true for BTs.
Also for the children of the rov and the more frum people of a small town, they play more of a role and grow in ruchnius where in Brooklyn they disappear into the background.