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Dear Savvy Senior,

What resources can you recommend for researching good places to retire in the U.S.? My husband and I are interested in relocating to a warmer climate when we retire next year.

—Looking to Relocate

Dear Looking,

Whether you’re considering seasonal escapes or a permanent change, there are a wide variety of digital resources that can help you find and research new locations. Here are some tips and tools to help you get started.

Where to retire?

Deciding where to relocate when you retire is a big decision. Consider things like cost of living, climate, taxes, healthcare, housing, crime, access to social and recreational activities, access to transportation and proximity to family and friends.

If you’re at the beginning of your search, a good starting point is BestPlaces.net. This website compiles demographic data from numerous reliable sources, updates it regularly and lets you easily compare cities using different criteria such as housing cost, climate, crime, religious practice, voting patterns and education level.

They even offer a 10-question quiz, which may suggest some locations you may never have thought of.

Publications like U.S. News & World Report, Forbes, WalletHub, Bankrate and The Motley Fool publish “best places to retire” ranking lists on their websites each year.

Once you identify a few good spots, here are some additional resources that can help you dig a little deeper.

Cost of living: Affordability is often the number-one factor when deciding where to relocate.

To research and compare the cost of living with your current home, use the previously mentioned BestPlaces.net, the Economic Policy Institute Family Budget Calculator (EPI.org/resources/budget) and/or Bankrate’s cost of living calculator (Bankrate.com/real-estate/cost-of-living-calculator).

And, because housing is a big expense, check real estate listings at Zillow.com and Realtor.com.

Taxes: Some states are more tax-friendly than others. To see how states treat retirees when it comes to income, sales, property and other taxes, see the tax guide at Kiplinger.com called “Taxes on Retirees: A State-by-State Guide.”

Crime rate: To evaluate how safe a community or area is, the FBI Crime Data Explorer (cde.ucr.cjis.gov) allows you to explore crime statistics at the national, state and local levels.

Climate: You can find U.S. climate and weather information at National Centers for Environmental Information at NCEI.noaa.gov. And to research climate-change factors and the risks of extreme temperatures, wildfires, floods, hurricanes, severe storms, earthquakes and drought in different locations, use ClimateCheck.com and FEMA (Hazards.fema.gov/nri).

Healthcare: If you’re enrolled or planning to enroll in original Medicare, check the coverage and availability of providers in your new location. Search by ZIP code for healthcare providers and facilities at Medicare.gov/care-compare.

Transportation: If you plan to travel much, or expect frequent visits from your kids or grandkids, convenient access to an airport or train station is a big advantage.

Once you have narrowed down your choices, spend a couple weeks in each location at different times of the year so you can get a feel for the seasonal weather changes, and so you can carefully weigh the pros and cons of living there. You may find that you like the area more as a vacation spot than as a year-round residence.

It’s also a good idea to rent for a year before buying a home or making a commitment to a retirement community.

Send your questions or comments to questions@savvysenior.org, or to Savvy Senior, P.O. Box 5443, Norman, OK 73070.