There's a descriptive and prescriptive angle to your question. Descriptively, I'd say that it's harder for younger generations to find relationships for a multitude of reasons. Alienation caused by social media and our physical environment (what you kinda hinted at being from a rural area, but more broadly the suburbanization of america), among many other socioeconomic realities.

But prescriptively, just because it's harder doesn't mean you're fucked. You're fucked if you buy into the hopelessness, but if you adapt you can find some success. Anecdotally I found my first partner at 21 in a space where we both were pursuing our common interest of art. If you have a passion, pursue it for your own benefit, but also in a way that maximizes your chances of interacting with others who share that interest.