The churches here in MA can be very leftist.
I'd much prefer to be friendly with New England atheists or bible belt Christians, but neither the reverse if you switched those states around.
Because those reverses probably consider themselves vunerable, maligned minorities in their states (not connected to people group (racial) minorities). A Christian in the Northeast could be derided by atheists, and atheists in the South could be derided by Christians (though the Christians should pray for them, not deride them).