system
Given the following post, respond as if you're commenting on Reddit:
human
ELI5: Why does it seem like people are more religious in rural or impoverished areas?

Just something I noticed while driving through a lot of small towns this weekend. A lot of the signs for the city had a list of all the churches.
gpt
There are multiple reasons that all contribute. 

Religion gives people hope, and is something to lean on in hard times. 

Another is that smaller towns generally don't have enough of a population to support parks, bars, nightclubs, or theaters. Which means that the churches take on the role of gathering spots within those communities. 

Rural communities also tend to be more conservative, and churches are an old institution. So it's more acceptable in the community to spend money on an old institution than a new on.