This is a major life decision you should be gathering information on somewhere other than this forum....and your gonna screw up the local dynamics and politics anywhere you move...and your future wife and kids will hate you and leave you for doing it...just to echo some of the sentiments I've gotten from a similar thread about going the opposite direction your thinking.
I'm joking obviously.
I'm sure your doing your homework and have been for some time if you've gotten to the point of poking around the forums for input.
To start I will echo what's been said a few times here though; high cost of living, mainly real-estate prices are going to be an issue anywhere that's desirable. That's a national thing that's not going away anytime soon. If there are plentiful decent paying job opportunities and a remotely tolerable climate, it's not going to be cheap.
For reference, I'm in southwest Ohio. We are in a higher demand area but far from any place ritzy. 3 bed 2 bath move in ready with a yard of any kind around here is $350-500k+...want 3-5 acres? add couple hundred grand to that.
Bare ground around here $25-35k an acre or more if closer to desirable town/city.
Crappy flipper/rental houses in crappy locations, 2 or 3 bed 1 bath, tiny yard no garage needing rehab are $100-130k or more the closer you get to desirable locations.
It's a terrible time to buy a house if you don't have to and don't already have something to sell that you have positive equity in to offset the cost.
While I can appreciate the desire and benefits to keeping your partner a stay at home parent, it's going to tough financially if your not earning the equivalent of two modest salaries yourself. I don't know what your fiance does, maybe I skipped over that detail, but even though they've dried up a bit I'm the last year or so a remote position from home is still attainable in many computers based fields if you have the experience and go on the hunt. My wife did exactly that while raising our 2 boys. However we were fortunate to have her parents close by to help fill in the gaps with child care. We still paid them when they helped, but alot less than regular day care. This is a huge part to factor into your thinking.
Personally I'm leary of the impact looming advances in AI are going to have on those types of jobs though so you'll have to evaluate that on your own merits.
I genuinely feel for folks in your position and I don't have any real solution to offer short of work harder and smarter than the next guy and manage your finances diligently.
My family is 10-12 years further down the timeline than you are so it's hard for me to try to step into your shoes especially as much as things have changed in the last 5 years.
Going east/south from where your at the winters aren't going to be an issue temperature/length wise...but they can be dreary, soggy and depressing in their own ways in the mid west.
Summers? It's a roller coaster, but it's humid for the most part all year. Something I despise after working outside in it for over 20 years, but sone folks don't mind it. It can be a shock to the senses vs the dry air out west. 75 with 85-100% humidity feels worse to me by far than 90-100+ with half or less the humidity.
There have been alot of places mentioned here. I would definitely recommend starting to take some trips and explore a few that catch your attention or where you see amble job listings in your field. That in and of itself can is tough and expensive, but I think worthwhile investment if your really serious.
Hunting wise, the midwest/south east has whitetail, turkeys, waterfowl and a whole lot less public ground available to do it on. Just like out west private ground to hunt is harder to come by every year and it's getting monetized into hunting leases more and more, albeit without as heavy of a guide/outfitter presence as western states.
Certainly plenty of outdoor recreation options, but a whole lot more people to contend with.
I wish you luck on where ever you end up. Feel free to reach out if any questions about southwest Ohio, south east Indiana or norther KY areas...I've lived or worked in them all my whole life.
