[jmpate]

Enjoyed the comparisons b/w AZ and The Villages and couldn't agree more. My husband and I lived in New Mexico (Albuquerque) for 19 years following military retirement. I laughing said when we moved to NM from San Diego, "my next move is in a pine box" so it was a HUGH step to move from NM. We loved everything about NM until about 2018 and decided the political climate was no longer tolerable and looked to other places to live. The East coast was preferable over AZ due to many of the reasons you cited PLUS the environment of the Villages, and happy people.
We sold our home in NM and were gone in <60 days once we made the decision to get the "hell out of Dodge," and haven't looked back. I too, appreciate the more conservative climate in Florida, value systems that reasonate with ours and the ease of living. Thanks for sharing your thoughts as many feel the same in this land of enchantment!