I wouldn’t choose to live in a big city but Boston is nice. Although I don’t like their winters. I did live in Houston three years as a child and I’ve been back a couple of times for conventions. I live part of the time in a nice suburb and part of the time at our little hobby farm. I rarely go into town (KCMO). I would never want to live there.
It is the cheapest city to live in of the twenty largest cities in the nation.
I’ve lived in urban New England and would not consider acceptable living.
Around Houston, you can afford enough land to live with cows and horses and still drive in for work.