Sorry if it's a stereotype. I have lived in the south and always felt "different." It was somewhat similar in Phoenix, when I first lived there, too. So it's based entirely on my own perceptions and experience. That said, of course, there's always like minded people in most places, but I guess the fact that I've lived 2 places where my view of the world was definitely the minority view, I did make a conscious decision to live in a place where that wasn't true.
I think it's a question of living among people who have been exposed to lots of different cultures and religions; where I find it interesting, others see it as threatening to their way of life. I got tired of explaining why I didn't do certain things or celebrate certain holidays and then getting a blank stare and a cold shoulder.
Hope I didn't offend anyone.