The heat and humidity are there but Houston and Dallas aren't as conservative as you might imagine. I used to live in Dallas and have a ton of friends in Houston who are liberals or at least centrists. I would say give people a chance to show you their best side. I was in Texas only a couple of years but people there aren't any less kind than people in California. I'm not advocating leaving California but rather if Houston looks good to you, don't let some preconceived notion of what it is stop you from exploring the option farther. Go check it out. It has an AWESOME art district and actually quite a few good restaurants.