Where to move - US

I'm currently on an expat assignment overseas with my wife and toddler. We have sold our home in the US and just beginning to brainstorm ideas of where we might move to when we return. We are still 3.5 years out, but curious if anyone had recommendations on towns/cities. We would plan to stay for about 10 years (at least) and we are likely to both find remote jobs, so state/region won't necessarily be a limiting factor.

Some of the criteria we have (no expectation of meeting all of them):

-Reasonable cost of living
-Smaller than a major city (with preference for micro-city)
-Decent schools (ideally public; do not need "blue ribbon")
-Good sized airport within an hours drive
-Opportunities for outdoor recreation (eg mountains, lake)
-Access to reasonably fast internet (for taking on remote job)
-Community feel with middle/upper-middle class demographics
-Weather/climate without the extremes (no insane snow/cold or constant humidity)

After living in NOLA for most of our lives, we are drawn to the West as sort of an opposites thing, but I can't rule out staying South. Welcome any recommendations the MT may have.

TL;DR - where would you move in the US with a small family if job wasn't a restriction?