I see articles in the newspaper from time to time about the whole nine yards of demographics, so that information is accessable. Housing prices are public record and available by looking at real estate listings for an area, which are also online.

Having lived in SoCali since 1980, I'll just throw out a few general stats:
Real Estate in Orange or LA County is still high. The largest concentration of retirees is in planned senior communities such as the several Leisure World locales. Plus a whole slew of "55 & Better" housing complexes just about everywhere. If you go inland past Riverside and towards the desert, senior communities proliferate. Some of the newer ones are not as pricey BUT -- you think Alaska is too cold? -- well, the desert is pretty bleeping hot.

Wherever you might be considering moving, a week's vacation is a good investment. Alaska mid-winter or SoCali in August will tell you if you can stand the worst of the climate. Plus hotel rates are relatively cheap then.