Where in Texas do you live?
I have though about Texas on more than one occasion and was sad to discover that Austin is the pinko capital of Texas.
What other parts of TX do you suggest? I prefer to be about an hour away from a major metro area.
North Central Texas. Suggested cities Cedar Hill, Duncanville, De Soto, Lancaster. All about 30 minutes from Downtown Dallas. Very green, lots of trees, lakes, shopping with beautiful housing at good prices.
Only within the City Limit of Austin do you see environmental wackos, socialists of all stripes, and what not.
The Democrats, with a few exceptions, outside of Austin are fairly conservative and decent folks. You can argue with them and retain your sanity.
I live in Cedar Park, just outside NW of Austin, and it is heavily Republican!
New Braunfels, TX. 32 mi from San Antonio, most beautiful park and river in the world (IMHO, calling it my childhood hometown).
Try Waxahachie Texas...Close to Dallas and or Arlington. Lots of real estate available. Victorian homes are plentiful. Area's growing but not crowded like areas north of Dallas.
The south Texas coast, near Corpus Christi, isn't too shabby. There are a lot of small towns just north of Corpus that allow you the convenience of being about 45 minutes from that city. Rockport, Fulton, and Lamar come to mind. Fantastic bay views, no hurricanes (this year anyway), access clean Gulf beaches, shorebirds, art galleries, windswept oak trees, rich history, etc etc. I could go on forever but I'm starting to sound like a retiree! And, it's Bush Country. Home values & property taxes have steadily increased in the last decade but otherwise the cost of living is reasonable.
Denton, TX fills that order.
Magnolia or Tomball. Not too far from Houston, but far enough.
I have never been to Austin as I have only lived in Texas for a couple of years, but yes, it is the liberal center of the state. The Dallas-Ft. Worth area is about your best bet if you want to live near a major metropolitan area and like relatively cool seasonal weather to temper the brutal heat of Summer.
You may wish to consider San Antonio too, but I do not know much about the place. Much of South Texas is Hispanic as you can probably imagine. Hill Country is the garden spot of the state, just west of Austin. Many Texans go there to enjoy the beautiful scenery.
The best part about Texas is the spirit of Texans. They are strong, proud, fiercely independent people with a good sense of history and pride in the men who made Texas what it is today. Texans will welcome you with open arms as long as you agree to integrate into their society and leave your own behind. You need to learn the basics... the proper pronunciation of the word Pecan, what real barbecue is, the fact that all soft drinks are called Coke here, and it's "y'all", not "you guys". Visit the Alamo and learn Texas history. It will make you proud to be an American living in this great state.