I have spent time in Dallas and San Antonio but nowhere is home like Houston. Better theater (Hobby Center for Performing Arts), better food and plenty of employment opportunities if you are looking. The suburbs of Houston are affordable with strong schools as well. Traffic does suck though, and it is so spread out it can take awhile to get to work (especially if you bounce around like I do as a construction superintendent)...
As far as run down, parts of every city are shitty.