How about the Inland Empire? Northern Idaho was a welcome relief from the soggy liberal Seattle climate. Land is cheap, still, but things are startingto boom here.
I was thinking the same thing. I went to grad school in Pullman and would consider Boise or Spokane (right now I'm in libbie NoCal) if only there was family near-by, but there isn't. So NoCal, CT, or New Mexico are my only options with that important restriction.