I went through this about four years ago, but started looking about 5 years ago. I had an approximate retirement time frame so started looking around early.
Criteria: smaller town, not appreciably growing or shrinking, reasonable services available - medical, shopping, eat out, big stuff in the next town but at least 50 miles away. No places infested with california or new york, no stupid politics. Somewhere in flyover country, four seasons, winters and summers not too severe.
Kansas. I figured out “Nobody is moving to Kansas” and I have some time and family out here.
Looked at housing in several towns. Lots of foreclosures was bad juju, don’t want to live in that kind of town. Scratched a half-dozen places.
Stay away from the big towns - Wichita, Kansas City have the typical big-city crime etc problems, Topeka not so bad but too big for me. Also stay away from Lawrence - college town, horribly liberal. Baby sister in Topeka says they’re not ready for me yet.
I settled in Hutchinson. Population has been pretty steady at 40K for over 20 years. It’s a bit of a compromise since I had to consider wife wants. I would have preferred something smaller but doing fine here. Also, Amazon and Walmart deliver.
The big city - Wichita - is somewhere around forty-five miles from my driveway. almost far enough. A big shopping district - Dante’s Hell - is on the west side so don’t have to descend into the bowels of the city.
Politics - State house is solid conservative. We have a democrat governor - no idea how that happened - who gets slapped down when she tries something stupid.
Constitutional carry, CCW available if needed. I got one for travel, easy enough. It also eliminates the waiting period for firearm purchase.
I moved from Nevada to Kansas in the middle of the china flu panic - a rant for another day /grin.
Good Luck to ya.
What else can you tell me about Hutchinson?
Thanks for your help.