Speaking as someone who has moved to new cities and states constantly (every couple of years pretty much my entire life), I would argue that the local neighborhood is vastly more important than the city or region of the country. You want to be in a neighborhood that is A) walkable, B) has public gathering areas (parks, outdoor markets, rec center, etc), and C) safe so you can enjoy the prior two amenities. The good news is that these pockets can be found pretty much in any city. Even small towns can be surprisingly social and provide plenty of activities to do, along with significantly lower COL versus cities or suburbs. So I would talk with your family about where in the country you hope to end up, and then start scouting the neighborhoods there.
One of the reasons why I quit my current job is because, while I have the first and third criteria, the second is pretty much lacking. (I'm basically living/working in semirural strip mall neighborhood hell.) While I could move to a more community-oriented neighborhood in the same city, then I would have to commute to work, where now I can just walk. So, since I don't love the job anyway, I decided it was time to move on, and I am.