We moved from SoCA to Dallas, oh about 3.5 years ago. Neither of us had even visited the area before we decided to move, it was a work thing. We decided to stay because of COL, easy to build the stache, and life is easier here on many fronts.
What surprised us was how much greenery there is/was everywhere. While there are no oceans nearby there are tons of lakes. RAIN surprised us! Back home we were in about year 3 or 4 of the drought. All the mountains where turning brown, fires, and no streams or waterfalls either. Over here there is water everywhere!
Biggest differences were no state tax, lower sales tax, but higher property taxes. Also liquor laws are w-e-i-r-d, but apparently not unheard of in other states. Having 4 seasons was a big change. There are less days of wearing shorts and a t-shirt in winter. People are a lot nicer here too.
The things that didn't change are traffic, there's less here, but it's been getting worse. The rise in the cost of housing is crazy town here. In the short time we've been here, we've seen rents go way up as well as RE prices. Although at least here they build more apartments and homes while in SoCA it's way less common. There is still the suburban sprawl and as such, more traffic.
One thing I would caution is the importance of family and friends. If your wife or you have strong family ties, I would not discount that in the name of saving money. It can be hard when the only time you see family is after a plane ride. And as people get older, this can only get worse. Good luck.