Based on my limited knowledge, but knowing a few people with yards like that. One is certainly something you are right about.

But also, least to my knowledge in this area, junk yards, scrap yards etc… are a pretty good distance away. So selling/getting rid of large, heavy junk costs more than the scrap is worth. Hence old washing machines etc… In rural areas a lot of people are scraping by on food stamps, barely keeping the power on etc… would have lost the house years ago if it weren’t paid off by the previous generation.

Obviously no HOA’s, no one worried about how the houses look, and it’s common enough that no one is really embarassed by it.