Where ever you decide to go, rent for a year first! That way, if you find you don't like where you are, you can pick up and leave when the lease is up.
That's what we did when we moved to SC. I love it here, and have become involved with several guilds and charities. I feel like I have more friends here than I had in my 'home' state, but I think that is because between work and family, I never had time for a personal social life.
None of my kids live near our home in NJ (DH can't part with it - he has a hard time parting with a lot of things),so that was not a factor when we chose to live in SC. My sister rents the upstairs of the house for a low rent - just enough to pay taxes - or I would have insisted that it be sold.
For many people, the cost of living is an important factor when choosing a retirement home. Property taxes are low in SC. We pay about 1/8th of what we pay in NJ. However, sales tax is higher and we pay taxes annually on cars, boats, etc, that we didn't pay in NJ. I don't think it's equal to the property taxes in NJ, though.
If you have any significant health issues, if you relocate, make sure you move to an area that has access to all the medical DR and facilities that you need to manage your health.
Good luck to you!