To person looking for northern relocation: I have lots

Didn't want my reply to get buried below.  I have a lifetime of experience with Alaska, western Canada (Alberta, BC), and the Pacific Northwest (WA, OR, ID) - and youth spent in the midwest (MO, KS).

There's one thing you definitely need to consider right off the bat that has to do with climate indirectly, and it affects a lot of people very negatively - which is the more extreme differences in daylight hours between summer and winter as you move further north.  You don't have to go to Alaska to experience this.  Even in northern Oregon and Washington, the daylight hours in winter become noticeably shorter in winter, and by the same token you can find yourself trying to go to sleep while it's still light out even at 10 p.m. in the summer.  In the winter you might find yourself going to work in the dark or early dawn and coming home in the dark or dusk, which for some people is really devastating to their psychological well-being.

Okay - with that aside, here's my thumbnail advice:

1.  Forget Alaska for reasons too numerous to enter into here, but listen to Auntie Mame and forget it.

2.  I would focus on the Pacific Northwest, BUT there are no "blanket" statements about a whole state (or province) with regard to climate, cost of living, amenities, political/educational inclinations, etc. that hold true for that whole region.  For instance, in Washington alone you can find every type of climate in the world and every type of ecosystem - from high desert to mountain to rain forest (yes!) to coastal to flat agricultural regions that would remind you of Kansas.  There are areas where the average summer temperatures easily hit the 90s, and others where they hover in the low 80s.  And no, it does NOT rain all the time in Seattle by a long shot. 

Similarly, you can find places where the cost of living is very high, and others where it is much more moderate.  You can find large cities and you can find places where you have to drive a day and a half to visit your nearest neighbor.

I know this doesn't seem very helpful, but in fact it IS helpful for me to tell you that if you don't want to find yourself relocating to an area that isn't all that different from the midwest, or an area where the cost of living turns out to be much higher than you expected, you will need to get much more granular in your search than looking at a particular state.

I will point you toward the I-5 corridor north of Seattle - especially from around Arlington up to Bellingham.  The climate is very temperate and just about anything you might want is within easy reach.  One of the big bonuses (IMHO) is the proximity of Vancouver, Banff, Whistler, Victoria, etc.   Bellingham is definitely worth a look - it's been named a number of times as one of the top retirement areas because of the temperate climate, the availability of healthcare, the university, etc.

Hope this helps!