I came from California, where I lived for 20 years before moving to Texas. Cost of living here is incrediably less than in CA. Home prices and car insurance are the most noticable... but also gasoline, food, and taxes are far, far below what I was used to in California. Don't get me wrong, California is a bit of a paradise with ocean, mountains, and desert all an hour or two drive away in any direction... but in my honest opinion, it costs way too much to live in CA. I bought my home here for $70K. My parents home in California (they just passed away) is going to go on the market there for $1.2 million. My home here is not quite as nice as theirs there, but it's at least half as good. There's a great example, IMHO. I moved my family here for a much better paying job and opportunity and other than my visits back to CA to visit family, you could not drag me back unless prices equaled out. I raised three kids here (been here 18 years now) and have never had an issue on the children's well being. In California, I was not happy with the elementary school ISD my first son was in (was too bilingual oriented - I'd receive notes home from the school in Spanish only, which I could not read...).
I don't care for Houston. Too humid and too much traffic. Other than that, the Woodlands is one of the better spots there. I have friends who live in the Woodlands (I live over near Austin).
California weather is FAR better than here (hot, as mentioned by others), and the Mexican food in (Southern) California blows our "Tex-Mex" away.
I think a lot may depend upon situations and specific areas, perhaps. I'm not doubting the other comments here, but I just have experienced the opposite is all.
DEFINITELY BE READY FOR THE HEAT! If your home air conditioning breaks down in summer, you'll trade your soul for a repair man to get there QUICK.
