Houston is the largest city in Texas and the fourth largest city in the U.S. I've never been there, but I know some people who have lived there. They complained about the same kind of things that people from other major cities complain about. Traffic, congestion, etc., etc.
While it does have heavy western influence, as Mike pointed out, it's a pretty cosmopolitan place. It has everything you'd ever want. You can easily find data online about cost of living comparisons.
I can say that Texas is one of the few states that has no state income tax. On the other hand, property taxes were higher than I expected.
I lived west of Fort Worth for a few years recently, and I found home prices to be very reasonable there, but every market is different. You reallly have to check it out for yourself.
Good luck on your interview.
Forums 
