Where is a great town to raise a family in the South?

My boyfriend and I are really looking to settle down in a quaint, southern community. We are both still in college, but we're both early, paranoid planners! lol.. We just recently visited Kentucky and Tennesse around the Kentucky Lake area, and really enjoyed the scenery and the proximity to the lake and other natural areas. However, I did not enjoy the lack of resources in the towns. We are now in a town of about 10,000 people (our town does not have a whole lot in it, so we are used to not living in a city), and we would like to live in a smaller or similarly sized town. We do not necessarily have to live in KY or TN, but we would like the small town charm. We are open to living anywhere from Missouri to North Carolina to Arkansas to Georgia. We would also like really good schools for our future family, good cost of living, as well as a close proximity to shops.