I grew up in places like that where one didn't bother locking a front door, and the worst that would happen in a neighborhood would be some kids papering a tree on someone's house. However, things do change. Meth is a problem nationwide, and can cause perfectly rational people to have very poor lapses in judgement. People move in, and with a population increase come the predators and scavengers.
The trick with security is to be just one notch above everyone in the vicinity (but without going overboard, because too much security will attract the types that want in just out of spite), then if someone does succeed in theft, that is what insurance is for. Another item is unobtrusiveness. With a pickup and a bumper pull, you use a bed cap with windows so the generator can run out of sight.