Yup - the midwest or 'upper midwest' as in the prior post. I'm in MN and was raised in South Dakota and my wife is from Iowa. I too had the opportunity just lately to look at a new job and was able to work it out so we could stay in MN but when I was looking, one given was to stay away from the coast or the south.

We're looking at retirement in about ten years and may consider the southwest - but Wyoming is still the top choice. with your criteria, most of the small town or rural midwestern states will fill the bill. If you are looking for more urban environment resources (job is high tech or whatever) try the smaller cities like Minneapolis, Des Moines etc. Sioux Falls South Dakota has a really large health care and financial business culture as an example. Good luck on your search.