I'm not yet retired so I don't have any real-world application on being taxed in retirement with my Social Security income, but, as far as crime goes, I live in Alamogordo, NM. Crime is here in Alamogordo, but, if you're smart about locking up your car, or, better yet, if you have a garage to put your car in, you'll be fine.
This place is as close to Mayberry, RFD, that you can find. In fact, except for Albuquerque, New Mexico is a fairly safe state to live in. It is wide open with lots of empty spaces out in its country parts, too. I'd get out of Scottsdale and move over to New Mexico.
The only knock on this place is this: if you like to go to country or rock concerts, there's not much here for you. My wife and I attended a rock show that had some good musicians, but it wasn't the Eagles themselves. Of course, Glenn Frey is dead. Don Henley, Timothy B. Schmidt and Joe Walsh are still alive, however. The band was called Hotel California, and many of the players in that band are musicians and producers. They're good - when they were joined by this large bearded guy who played saxophone the crowd cheered loudly. The show was at a performing hall called The Flickinger Center. Clint Black played there in 2014, I believe the year was. John Conlee "Because a common man is what I'll be" just played there. "I'm a common man, drive a common van, my doggy got a Pedigree..."
But, if you decide to locate in Las Cruces or Alamogordo, you'll need ta be prepared to travel some long distances to see recording artists. One time my wife and I went to the Inn of the Mountain Gods in Mescalero, NM, to go see George Thorogood and his Delaware Destroyers. Wow - great show, and, what's more, my wife and I got in scot-free! No kidding, we waited in line and, when we got up to the conceirge desk, I said I wanted two tickets. The man behind the counter said "Here ya go," as he shoved the tickets along the counter toward me. I picked them up - indeed, two tickets to the show.
"What? You're giving us these?"
"Yeah. They were given away on a radio show and the people that won them didn't show up to pick 'em up."
"Wow, thank you!" Their retail value was $54 apiece for a total of $108. And believe me, George Thorogood rocks the house. No kidding. It was a great rock show.
No, New Mexico is a fantastic place ta live. Perhaps a retiree or two can chime in on the taxation of retirees and how it affects their pocketbook directly. I'm going to retire here and I'm not going to let that little fact stop me. Or keep me in the Valley of the Sun, Phoenix, AZ. Yikes.
And spikes.