I have often been wondering the same, though my experience is much more limited. The answer must depend to where one is, to a certain degree, but the difference is great at some places, huge at others.
A polarisation seems to be materialising: professional (or expensive otherwise) on the one hand, with turboprops and impressive stacks of electronics and what not, grass-roots flying on the other hand, developing into LSA's that are today superior in every respect to their PPL equivalents of 50 years ago. Even Cessna have realised as much, gallantly trying to supersede the venerable 152.
Left out in the middle between two chairs are a handfull of IFR holders who enjoy travelling far afield, they are illegal or VERY unpractical at grass-roots fields, but neither are they really welcome at (semi-)professional aerodromes with the very high fees that business fliers can afford.