I lived in San Diego in the 80’s, and while it is a nice area, it is very crowded and the freeways are a mess. If you live on the coast, while the weather is nice, you will get a lot of overcast days, especially in the early summer. They call it “June gloom.” haha
It is very expensive and yes, CA. is a beautiful state in general but I would suggest Northern CA. over Southern, and Oregon is another gorgeous state with no state taxes and less crowding, along with some amazingly beautiful scenery, beaches, mountains.
Why spend 5–600k on a basic, tract house when you could get so much more for your money in Northern CA. or Oregon?
If you are not dead set on a coastal community look into the area I live in, the Sierra Nevada foothills.
Nice weather, but the summers can be hot at times, beautiful outdoor recreation, 2 hours to the coast, one hour to Lake Tahoe, which nothing beats in the summers.
Occasional snow, but if you stay below the 3,000 foot level, it is only a few inches now and then.
It really depends on your retirement interests, whether you want to walk on the beach and golf all day or whether you wish to be in a more Alpine setting with plentiful lakes and rivers and a more Alpine feel and perhaps buy a home on acreage with extremely low crime, peace and space for an RV, boat, garden, etc.