The land is (re: was) cheap

A combination of inertia, the cost and difficulty of moving, and being lied to from birth about how amazing this country is and it's the best country in the world and everyone else has it bad and are jealous of us, propaganda reinforced by daily recitations of our pledge of allegiance in school for twelve plus years.

And that's not made up or exaggerated.

It's where my family and friends are.