re: Other U.S. towns that are sort of like Key West?

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As I'm looking at those SC and NC (and the GA) towns on a map, I'm asking myself what are the differences in those towns and say, Key West?

Laws, cultures, size, weather? How do they compare, in general?

Do the inland waters stay salty enough to support salt water fishing?

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Differences: Key West is compact. It's 1.2 miles from Mallory Square to the south side and 1.3 from the fort to White Street. There is lot to do in that area. It's very walkable and they have the free circulator bus that works that area. I don't know of any other place that is similar except maybe Cape May, NJ. The other places, such as St. Simons has a walkable restaurant area but it is only a few blocks. There are restaurants other places on the island but too far to walk.

Most places on the outer banks are spread out and not very walkable. There are not a lot of sidewalks. They are long skinny islands. People go there for the beaches; and they are not especially great beaches IMO. But you can rent a house right on the water, or for less $ a few blocks off the water, and sit on the beach for hours. And then drive to a restaurant for supper. There are some areas that have multiple restaurants within walking distance of each other but not like KW.

Manteo is a town on Roanoke Island, location of the Lost Colony, and it has a walkable restaurant area but it's much smaller than KW.

I would think most other areas are more conservative than KW. Provincetown, MA on Cape Cod probably isn't but these southern coastal towns are.

Any place north of Jacksonville, FL will get cold. Our one trip to St. Augustine was not fun cause it was a blustery March weekend and we didn't see or do much.

I'm not a fisherman but all these places have salt water fishing and salt marshes inland. Wanchese is another town on Roanoke Island and one, or maybe more, of the boats on the TV show Wicked Tuna sail out of there. Just one example.

The reason I thought I might like to move there is because it is so different from anywhere else. Everyone we encountered, visitor and locals alike, just seemed to be enjoying the place - although some of the workers said it is expensive to live there.

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This is the OBX just north of Kitty Hawk; taken from the Hilton Garden Inn.

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Jekyll Island.

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Myrtle Beach, SC; for comparison.

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Mallery St, St. Simons Island. Lot of restaurants here.

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Wild horses north of Corolla, NC. The paved road ends but there are houses there also. You need 4 wheel drive to get there.

My recommendation would be to take a two week road trip; start in St. Augustine and go north. Stay a couple of nights in the places you are interested in. Talk to the locals about the fishing. Google earth is very helpful in scouting places.