Consider a nice homeless camp under a bridge. I would definitely fish upstream if you’re going to eat the fish though.

But I hear you. I’m 67 and I’ll have to stay working until I can’t. Didn’t plan well for my future… trapped beaver instead!

You don’t ever see anyone from the South wanting to move up North. We like to visit, but we ain’t moving, lol. Come on down to Gods Country!

Lets see....Thailand, Philippines, Cambodia, Vietnam, apartment/house $250-$500 furnished. Health care can be paid out of pocket if you have a few grand on hand.
food so cheap you hardly spend $5 dollars on a meal. Nice weather, beaches, and women.

maybe look into being a park ranger

my cousins did that for 3-4 seasons now , they were in Big Bend in TX for a few winters , then out to a national park in CA for last winter.

you could also look at being a campground host in a state park the summer.

then spending the winter working your way south.

if you are a bit handy , you can buy a used mobile home and lot rent isn't too bad

as a single guy , with a truck and trailer and willing to do some work , finding a farm that would let you live there and have electric , a hose and be around to keep an eye on things and drive a tractor or something.
you might be able to live on the real cheap.

my parents went to a mail service as they travel a bit in their retirement and USPS was about useless in their town.
the mailbox place is their address now they sort out the junk and send what they need weekly
if they have any questions the lady texts my dad a picture of it to let him decide send or toss.

I would want a boat doesn't need to be a large one but shore fishing really limits access in a lot of areas.
heck if I had to 2-3 boats old 14 foot aluminum I could toss a 9.9 on and leave the boat with someone summer and winter locations you can get them for 500 dollars on a trailer often.

a sweet setup would be some sort of a cargo trailer insulated , small kitchen way up front , build a bunk that folds up against the wall and have it to be able to use a winch to pull small boat trailer with boat up in the back and a truck that will pull it.

my neighbors have a 12 foot cargo trailer they pull with an F150 , he as a small 8 or 10 foot jon boat and she has a kayak. they have some benches in it for storage and the plywood and mattress lay down on the benches they put screens in it has a few windows
when they are traveling the mattress gets tipped up against the wall and the jon boat and kayak go in across the benches
that might be a little small for full time living but toss in a wall tent or popup and you might be set.

The 25 Cheapest Places to Live: U.S. Cities Edition

https://www.kiplinger.com/real-estate/places-to-live/601488/25-cheapest-us-cities-to-live-in

10 Cheapest Small Towns to Live In

https://www.kiplinger.com/real-estate/602609/cheapest-small-towns-in-america-2021

25 Safest and Most Affordable Places To Retire Across America

https://www.nasdaq.com/articles/25-safest-and-most-affordable-places-to-retire-across-america

America's poorest white town: abandoned by coal, swallowed by drugs

https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2015/nov/12/beattyville-kentucky-and-americas-poorest-towns

If you do not own, taxes are not a issue
Taxes are in WA and Ne

I bought in AZ, Dunkererk NY and IA

You can buy older used mobile homes at a decent price, rent a lot, then buy one when you can. A buddy's dad did that for a deer camp, switched all the electrical to 12 V, jug water till you can sink a well, Out house, wood heat. Go for it!

How much stuff do you have, any wife and or girlfriend coming along? Buy a camper, camp host at campgrounds, free just have to work a little and talk to people, yell at drunks after quiet hours. Buy into a camping membership like thousand trails. Travel around to campgrounds, they are normally near fishing spots.

A 16 foot horse trailer is plenty for a single guy, some bottled water, camp stove and a bunk, store your groceries under the bunk, a small porta potti rounds things up. Sorta like tent camping but drier , lol

That list of ten small towns didnt have a single small town. All cities. Rural west OK rural west KS Rural east CO, towns with 300 people or less you can still rent a house for 2-300 bucks.

Born and raised in Louisiana, I left there 34 years ago, moved north to Alaska and then to Wyoming. I like to go back south to visit, but I ain't moving back down there, lol.

^^^Always gotta be somebody bucking the trend, swimming against the current. LOL

life in a camper would be rough for a 70 year old

Lots of lower cost options to rent in small towns

How long do you think you can keep working even part time?

I would buy a cheap piece of land in unorganized territory (cheap taxes).Set up a camper and live there while building a small.camp style home.

This don't help you any but is interesting.