One place to look at is the state of Washington. They have no state income tax and housing prices are very reasonable depending, of course, on the neighborhood. If you live along the border with Oregon, you can do your major shopping there (no sales tax in Oregon) and get the best of both worlds. I believe the property taxes in WA are lower than in NC in general. On the coastal side there are lots of rainy and overcast days. On the western side of the Cascades the weather is totally different--hot summers and not very cold winters. Check out the Kennewick, WA, websites for more information.

Caveat: I know all this from internet searching, looking for my own retirement location. I have visited Seattle three times in the summer and it was stunningly beautiful.