I lived in Durango for a year and a half, and really loved it. It has a small liberal arts college, Ft. Lewis, where I went my freshman year. Had a season pass to Purgatory (25-30 minutes away). Durango is in the "banana belt". Overnight snow tended to melt off by the middle of the day. There are great streams to fish, hiking trails, golf courses, bars, restaurants, City Market grocery stores, etc.
Mesa Verde is over in Cortez, you have Silverton and Ouray to the north with hundreds of miles of jeep trails, public land to hunt, with thousands of elk coming downslope to the Animas river valley in winter. You will have professors from the college, to meet, for intellectual conversations and a place to go to concerts. There would be likeminded musicians, if you wanted to start up a band.
I'm not sure about the healthcare, but MoJames should know because he lives there and is a physician. There are direct flights into Dallas, or Houston from La Plata County Airport. Jump on a connecting flight, and you are back in Austin.
CHIEF