Living in the small town area that I reside in and being a part of this still taboo minority can be rough sometimes but have no bearing on my social setting or comfort of the setting.  I have noticed it depends on the people you are around and the atheist vs. theist ratio, you won't hear a lone christian argue with a room full of atheist for very long and (depending on the atheist) vice versa.  But this isn't about argumentative bickering over who has the best idea, or just perhaps it never was to me.  It is about social interaction and setting between a theist and non-theist.

I occasionally find myself at parties,  I had found myself in a room full of fellow non-believers.  Another man was in the room he never mentioned his position on theism but I could tell he was uncomfortable.  I've been on the opposite setting of this many times.  I'm all for standing up for what you believe in or don't but sometimes I find that a little or sometimes a lot of tact will save you a bad afternoon.  Also very recently I met a person who identified themselves as not religious but later had said you still shouldn't piss off god.  He was flippantly racist person and made it very clear so I had decided not to argue with this individual there is no convincing with this sort.  Shrugging things off is a good tactic with some but others you may have to stand up for yourself.

Your personal perspective on your own beliefs is a massive factor I recognize evolution as fact,  I do not believe it that puts it in religions court.  I have met many atheist who do not see evolution as fact.  Which brings me to Gnosticism and Agnosticism,  I am an Agnostic Atheist,  although I do not know for a fact that a god does not exist I am fairly confident one does not.  I can not prove empirically that a god does not exist only logically and conceptually.  As Carl Sagan said "An Atheist knows a lot more than I do".  I feel this would be directed to a Gnostic Atheist, one who claims to know with 100% confidence.  

Having religious friends is unavoidable here.  I just prefer to agree to disagree and have a good time.  These are just my thoughts on the subject I don't expect to alter anyone's view. I'm just giving my account.