Phoenix is an extreme example.  Very few cities depend so heavily on such distant water cources (although Las Vegas is close).  NYC uses water that flows downhill and has water pressure close to sea level by the time it gets there.  New Orleans also runs water downhill from the Mississippi River.

Rural areas & small towns will be hit by the problems of transportation in a less than total collapse society.  In that case (less than total collapse) New Orleans (and St. Louis, Memphis and other river & rail cities) will do well.  We have great rail connections (6 of 7 large North American railroads come to New Orleans), barge connections (Mississippi River & Intracoastal Canal) and  a seaport.  Compact and low oil use by original design.  Nearby seafood and land that could be farmed again.  Sugarcane that can grow without fertilizer, and remnant oil & gas production.

OTOH, living 40 miles from the nearest WalMart & General Supply store can be quite a handicap for many ranchers and farmers with high enough fuel costs.  Supplying electricity , telephone & fuel to dispersed rural communities will become more expensive. Perhaps technology (over the horizon cell phones with semi-broadband internet bandwidth) can solve the telecommunications problem.  Once a month trips to town may become more common.

My impression is that most rural & small town residents live on what my grandfather called "pet farms" and commute long distances to jobs elsewhere.