Medication-assisted treatment (MAT) is a highly effective treatment method for substance use disorder (SUD) that combines regularly ingested medications with tailored behavioral and cognitive assistance to decrease withdrawal symptoms. Public stigma and personal attitudes can impact the proliferation and efficacy of MAT services. Therefore, understanding the content and prevalence of relevant social factors in rural communities is essential for improving the rural treatment landscape. The aims of this study are to (1) qualitatively examine the specific personal beliefs and attitudes (“belief factors”) present among rural residents that contribute to their support of or opposition to both MAT and government funding for MAT and (2) qualitatively examine the factors of rural social life that could influence those beliefs and attitudes. From May to July of 2025, surveys and interviews regarding personal and community perceptions of people with SUD were conducted with 25 residents of communities from 8 rural counties and 1 non-rural county in Vermont, Montana, New York, Massachusetts, New Jersey, and Kentucky. Surveys and interviews were transcribed and coded to identify the specific personal beliefs and dispositions recurring among the interviewees that influence their personal level of support for MAT. This study identifies eight core factors (generally categorizable as either empathy-related, political, or scientific beliefs) as influential for an individual’s level of support for MAT. Also identified are three core social factors of rural life that could influence an individual’s level of support for MAT. These results contain critical implications for future literature and MAT-related messaging campaigns predicated upon individual belief systems.