I would choose any small town with a medium-sized college. college towns have food and culture and stimulating conversation. typically they're very good schools and libraries. typically also relatively cheap.
Ithaca New York and Bellingham Washington are very fun cities for this type of layout. there are a lot of them that fit this criteria though
This is like asking "What's the best food to eat?" You need to give some criteria that are important to you.
You might want to look at states that don't have an income tax, to start. That can save some money, assuming saving money on taxes is one of your criteria.
If you Google for "best US cities" you'll find all kinds of lists with descriptions of various cities and why they're the best. Maybe start there.
Ithaca New York and Bellingham Washington are very fun cities for this type of layout. there are a lot of them that fit this criteria though