I can offer some perspective on the teacher situation as I’m somebody that hires them. As a group, you have to think of them as degreed professionals that like the same types of amenities that other degreed professionals like. They are no more likely to want to live in a town with few entertainment options than anybody else.
Another major point for older, married teachers is that they are likely to not be the breadwinner in their household. They are married to another professional that would have limited job prospects in a smaller town.
Teachers that are unhappy with their job are mostly likely to decide to quit the profession or move to a new school or district in the same metro area. When I was a teacher, I moved districts in the Austin area. It never once crossed my mind to move to a small town. In fact, I have been interviewing more teachers interested in moving from a small town to the city. Why? Because they are degreed professionals that like the same things that other degreed professionals like.
Finally, culture matters and smaller cities/towns have a reputation problem. Whether it is true or not, they are perceived as backwards and not that interested in education. They aren’t very diverse and have a reputation of being intolerant to outsiders. It’s possible to fix that, but would the current residents allow it? Doubtful.