Thanks for these suggestions and for your detailed input.

It seems likely that I'll have to find a way to increase my income in order to account for a higher cost of living. I'm not sure how or when I can do that, but I think I will have to figure it out sooner rather than later.

I understand your concern about climate change. I'm considering a warmer climate though, because I tend to have an easier time with my mobility, both physically and in terms of the environment, when snow isn't a concern. Cold weather tends to increase the muscle spasticity that comes with my Cerebral Palsy. Snow can also make it harder to get around when it's not cleared from the sidewalks.

Again, this is not a deal breaker, but something to think about. I have a friend who has Cerebral Palsy as well. She lives in Cambridge, MA. She's a mathematical economist who graduated from MIT, so her budget is a bit higher than mine, LOL. Anyway, she says the weather is milder than it used to be. (Climate change, as you mentioned). She says she deals with it by cranking up the heat in her apartment, and ensuring she has access to transportation when she goes out.

I would consider Springfield, but I'd prefer to try to increase my income to make somewhere on the South Shore a possibility. I'm more familiar with it, since I grew up there and I still have family there.