A good illustration why Western Mass isn't a typical rural backwater. It's now getting train service from NYC:
https://boston.curbed.com/2019/6/12/...rak-pittsfield
Rural areas connected to nearby metropolitan centers are kind of a different typology. They may be green and sparse, but they have remote workers living part-time, sustainable restaurants, high culture and the like. The Berkshires have Tanglewood, MassMoca, Williams and other heavyweights.