Hi Dee,

I don't know if you have considered the Southwestern US (Arizona), but there are some great advantages to living here if you can deal with the heat :-)
- the cost of living is very low compared to most areas of the country
- crime is very low here in Arizona, compared to almost every other place I've lived, and very family friendly
- lots of outdoors activities, and mild winters (great hiking, camping, golfing, off-road recreation)
- the only downside is the hot/dry summers, but not so bad if you have a pool where you live, as so many people do here.

My daughter is attending the University of Arizona in Tucson which has some one of the best biomedical programs in the country.
We don't have an abundance of top-notch universities here as compared to the East Coast, though.

--Jim