I live in the township outside a small town called Richmond Indiana. We are about 7 miles from the highway exit in the middle of town. I like it here, because even if you were in town, it is quiet and relatively safe when compared to larger cities. The cost of living is probably half of where you are. There is engineering, manufacturing, healthcare and some tech work in this region as well. You could also look at the suburbs around Indianapolis, Cincinnati Ohio, Dayton Ohio etc. Heck, take some little trips around anywhere in the midwest and poke around.