6 years ago someone sent me a link to a 42 acre plot in Tennessee. Told the wife I was interested in it. She about blew a gasket and said no way in hell would she ever move there. We were living in Colorado Springs at the time and both of us HATED it. I slowly worked on the wife telling her the advantages of retiring in TN. About 6 months later she agreed to fly over with me and inspect the land. Before we finished walking half the property we both decided to buy it. We had a 1,000 sq ft workshop built then a house.
Trying to give you an idea of property taxes outside a city...................42 acres, custom brick home 2300 sq ft, 1 acre lake, 1,000 sq ft workshop...would estimate the value today at $450K for all of it. Our annual property tax bill is roughly $1300 a year. Our electricity costs from $85-150, usually higher in the summer due to AC. Natural gas runs $28-45. Water $30-45. We can access 75% of the population of the USA within a 1 days drive. Medical care is superb. UT one direction, Vanderbilt the other. Most neighbors are about as friendly as they can be and they dont get into your business.

No state income tax, but the big negative is sales tax which runs from 7.5 to 9.5%. In all fairness, if you dont make or spend a lot then you dont pay much in tax. Costs $29 a year to register any car or PU truck. No emission's testing or inspections required either. We do see snow a few times a year but its usually gone the next day. It can get hot in the summer but we live on the Cumberland Plateau so it helps cool us down a little.

We have no regrets about retiring here. Every new house that is being built within 5 miles of us belongs to people moving here from other states.

Get out and travel around. Everyone has their own idea of the "perfect place". One mans pleasure is another's poison.

My biggest fear is when I die my wife will sell my guns for what I told her they cost.