In article the basic reasons of low level of social well-being of the Russian province are established. Social well-being – a basic integration indicator of a way of life of people. Assessment of social well-being of inhabitants of a country town was carried out on the example of Penza by a set of criteria: basic values of inhabitants, economic situation, the most significant problems of the region, international relations, zdorovyesberegatelny behavior. Contradictions between specific preindustrial values and modern conditions of social development promote formation of institutional traps which are understood as the inefficient institute having the self-supporting character. The institutional trap is the special condition of system leading her to degradation. Institutional traps, in turn, are the reason of deterioration in the general emotional background of social well-being. The institutional trap is shown that, the region education system is more qualitative, and the possibility of self-realization at youth is lower and labor market is poorer, the level of outflow of the population from the area to other regions of the country is higher. This assessment at inhabitants of country towns of the central Russia as the proximity of the capital and more developed in economic and social the plan of the cities leads to outflow of the population is especially important.