People lie about where they are from. They claim whatever place makes them look best.
Every detail has to have at least two, but preferably, three levels of meaning. The material, the mental, and the middle. Also, every detail must convey as much of the story as possible. For example, the dust storm that begins the Grapes of Wrath is a metaphorical summary of the whole story. All of the details move the story forward through forshadowing. Thus, it is good exposition. If instead JS had told us about the housing market in Oklahoma, or 20 pages about the history of the State of Oklahoma, then the opening would have sucked. But the setting tells you the whole story, and thus it is Art. It was a huge risk; he was going to look brilliant or stupid, and I think all good writing happens on that edge. Most falls on the short-edge.
But the main point is: Don’t fuck around with scene settings at the beginning of the book until you are Old and can fight about such things with a clear conscience. The safe approach is to introduce drama first, and tell us about the texture of the dirt in Chapter 3. The reader is not in a hurry to learn all the wonderful things you have to tell them about your setting.