Yep, just under half is normal in my 89 22re with the toyota 190 stat. In fact, I recently installed a 180 toyota stat and still sit just under 1/2... guess it's not that sensitive.

If you crank the heater in a cold day, you might notice the heat go a tad above 1/2 briefly, then cycle up and down slightly. This is normal with the stock T-stat which does not have a bypass for the coolant coming back from the heater core a bit cooler and closes slightly to compensate.

I'm moving to San Diego from Seattle in 2 weeks. Looking forward to some sun!! Even installed a sunroof last week... $8 from a pull-a-part here, like new. Guess they're not in much demand up here in the Pacific Northwest!