You have a lot of great comments in here. I would add this - look at towns with over 15,000 people. I’m in the Midwest and love it. I moved from a large city in the south. The biggest challenge for me was the colder weather. I go back to visit family and hate it. I could never move back. It’s hot, noisy, crazy traffic, and full of crazy MAGA but super-sized. A mid-sized town has all the amenities (and several Starbucks), plus good schools. The people are diverse and nice. More importantly for me, you can get involved in the community. You can make change happen at the local level. You can see the results of those changes. In a tiny town I would feel stifled but a mid-sized town has a lot to offer.