I like Austin because it is green year-round, the weather is decent (not great when you've lived in CA most of your life..kind of hard to beat CA), the schools are much better where I'm at than what we had in CA. The cost of living in Austin is very high for TX, but cheap compared to what I'm used to. I don't know where you are in AZ, but I think it is cheaper here than in Phoenix, but I have no idea how it compares pricewise to the rest of AZ and property taxes are a significant concern.
I think the best thing about Austin is the lifestyle. This town is very friendly and not as "Texan" as the rest of the state. Because of the tech industry and the Universities (we have several, but UT is the biggest campus in the country with 55K students), the population is more diverse, and more laid back, than the rest of the state. I also like that I can be in an urban area, and choose a lifestyle from downtown (downtown Austin is surprisingly pricey) to suburban (my style) to country-sized lots, to true farm or hill country. You can find it all and not be more than 15 minutes from downtown.
Austin is also very clean and very safe. There is only one really crummy part of town and even that's being cleaned up and seems better than what I have seen in larger cities. There is very little poverty here.
I like the people and the fact there is so much to do. You would have to be very lazy to be bored here. We have the most active live music scene in the country. Outdoor sports, like biking, hiking, running and sportsmanship are all very big here. This city is so open. They closed Congress Street and had a huge, free block party and a parade when Lance Armstrong won the Tour de France. Next week there is a citywide free cowboy breakfast (pancakes, eggs, bacon, sausage) to celebrate the rodeo is in town. There may be a hundred different clubs you can join to meet people with similar interests (and tyydyy and I just started another). We also have hills - a scarce thing in TX.
It is also less "christian" and much less republican than much of the state. This is still the bible belt and most folks take church "downright seriously." I've encoutered a little ignorance and intolerance here (not used to any coming from CA) but not much, and probably far less than out in the sticks.
The downsides - it's still a medium-sized city so a lot of the really big cultural events, like broadway shows and concerts, bypass us in favor of the three larger cities - Dallas, Houston, and San Antonio (also a very beautiful city but different personality than Austin). We are getting some, but not like the bigger cities. The upside on that is that all three of those cities are not to far to drive if you have a good reason (SA - 1 hour, H - 3 or more depending on what part, D - 2 1/2 hours). Property taxes are also high, at least higher than what I'm used to. They vary considerably depending on the municipal district you are in and the school district. Mine are near the top of the heap at just over 3%. I just have to take a deep breath and remember that I couldn't have bought this house in CA, and if I did, the property taxes would be even higher because of the price.
Houston is very urban and very large and has all the perks of an international city. Traffic can be a nightmare and it takes an hour to get from one side to the other when traffic is good. Crime in parts of Houston is very bad. Of course you do not have to be a far drive to be past all that and out in the country. Houston has a lot of nice bedroom communities and it's cheaper than here. I have no idea how the schools compare but that is available on the net.
I would explore the job market in the field you are interested in very carefully. It seems the tech market here is getting better, but it is more of a creep, then a roaring return and wages vary wildly. 2 people could hold the same job, and have the same duties at two different companies and one could be making $9 hr, and another $22. On the upside, they seem to put a new Home Depot in here every few weeks and there is still a ton of construction happening.
As far as I know, the only place in the country where tech jobs are in abundance right now is in the Washington DC/ Reston VA area, but the cost of living there is one of the highest in the nation.
I hope that helps a little. I've definitely not lived in Houston, and really like it best when I'm driving through it on the way to New Orleans.
