I grew up in Charlotte and a lot of my engineer friends have settled and started families in Raleigh. It's made me consider moving there when I finally burn out on the Bay Area scene.
I can personally attest that every place on that list is pretty damn nice except for Grand Rapids which is to damn cold! They all have low cost of living and a solid tech scene as well.
Charlotte itself has gotten quite popular among my white collar Atlanta friends who are looking for a smaller town feel. The job market is soft but the city is very nice.