I don't know if you want to consider them a startup, but Dribbble[http://dribbble.com] is located in Salem, MA.

Portland, Maine has a killer scene. If you are early stage you have everything you need here and can easily branch out if you get big enough.

Really? I live in the area and wouldn't mind connecting with some folks.

What part?

Portland area.

Your UN is dark

In the literal sense, or the Spinal Tap reference?

I work at Bellhops in Chattanooga, TN. We were able to raise seed locally, and Series A and B from Bay Area and NYC investors while sizably growing market share. It definitely depends on what industry you're trying to start a company in but it's worked out pretty well for us.

I visited the area not long ago and it was very nice. The tech hub there is wonderful. Planning on visiting again soon.

Is Seattle considered an unusual location for a startup?

I'm not well-versed in the west-coast startup scene, but from my point of view, no, it's fairly usual.

IIRC Wufoo from YC (which got acquired) was headquartered in Florida and had a remote team.