We just moved from the Sierra Foothills in CA, as we got tired of the Bay area people moving in and then complaining that it was “too conservative”. We retired to Greenville SC. Cost of living here is about 1/5 of what it was in CA. Food prices are as high as other places, but careful shopping at outdoor markets offer great value. This is a beautiful little city with a lot to offer re culture/ outdoors etc. We love it here.
Re: Greenville
It’s east coast, too, which is nice... As long as it’s out of reach of most tropical weather. I’ll check out the outlying areas.
Minus the crime, Greenville is a very good choice.