Well, here in central Illinois, many people don't bother to lock their doors. We can buy a house for less than $100K. Way less, if you want a smaller home. So we have safety and affordability down.

As for entertainment, well, what do you want to do? There's plenty of outdoor stuff. I live near the Illinois River, so you can boat etc. if you can afford it. I'm about 2.5 hours from Chicago. I can walk to several bars/restaurants close to my house.

My husband is Dutch. He likes it here.

It's true there's no dancing. But I never dance, regardless of where I am. I don't understand dancing.