The internet makes it SO much easier to research these kind of things now. I remember when we were preparing to leave the Bay Area, we were contacting various chamber of commerces for information packets; looking at a lot of regional maps, weather information etc. Things we looked at included
-outdoor recreation: whitewater, mountains skiing
-overall climate
-proximity to National Forest
-school system
-overall cost of living/housing

The job was pretty much done, we just had several cities to consider. It came down to Boise v. Spokane.