He has the impression that people in his neck of the woods are not as egotistical as city/suburbia folks.
" Someone who is egotistic or egotistical behaves selfishly and thinks they are more important than other people."
" characterized by egotism : having, showing, or arising from an exaggerated sense of self-importance."
I lived in Michigan's Upper Peninsula for quite a while (never long enough to shed the "south of the bridge troll label") and it is probably similar to rural Maine. People's priorities and standards are different there. They value uncrowded, relaxed commuting. A large wood pile is a status symbol. Life generally moves slower. They tend to be better connected to real life. His impression is that people are less self absorbed in these very rural areas - thus, they check their egos at the town line, insinuating that the garbage man, doctor, and businessman treat each other as equals.
These areas are not automatically Shangri la. They have their cons also. Everyone knows your business. Locals can be clannish. Income tends to be low, so lawn decorations around tar papered homes can often be snowmobiles, junk vehicles, etc.. ATV's tearing up everything. Vandalism. Gunshots late into the evening. Yee haw!
I've navigated life in both rural and semi-rural areas, but never the big city. My experience is that you can find decent people just about anywhere. Whew -sorry!