Houston is the 4th largest city in the country so it is very urban. Suburbs to the North are not bad look at the Woodlands or possibly Conroe. The metro area of Houston is very liberal but suburbs are conservative. I lived in Houston but hated the weather. Very humid think New Orleans or Miami.
I would consider looking at Austin or San Antonio. Both metro areas are yes liberal but both cities have a great quality of life. Willamson County to the North and Hays County to the South of Austin are very conservative and have plenty of JOBS. Don’t expect 3 seasons in any part of Texas South of Waco. We have two seasons here Hot & Dry and Hot & Wet.
I lived in San Antonio for 7 years and loved it, but missed living the small town life. Have family who lived in Austin and loved it. They now live in Keller, Tarrant County, and are happy there as well.
The humidity in Houston is not nearly as bad as Florida, much of the Southeast or even the midwest in the Summer. Nothing is as bad as D.C. in the Summer. There is a reason they call it “The Swamp”; mostly because it was built on a swamp.
What is surprising is how cold they keep restaurants in the summer. Lots of women take in sweaters or jackets to keep from freezing. In the winter, they don’t keep them nearly as cool. Our favorite country saloon where we dance is cool enough that lots of women wear some sort of jacket while not dancing. I love it that they keep it cool.
People who move here just need to realize that you simply go from an airconditioned building to an air-conditioned car and then back into another air-conditioned building.