Houston's HOT! but affordable

This time of year in Houston (and the Houston area), it's tempting to fall into the depths of despair. Oh, the heat, oh the humidity! Traffic! Roadwork!! Damn potholes!!! Mosquitoes, roaches!!! Look out, THE DANGER TRAIN'S A'COMIN' !!!!!!

But look at the Big Picture, and it's not so bad, really. In fact, you could even argue living in Houston (and the Houston area) is pretty darn good, economically speaking, if you will. You get a glimpse at the Big Picture courtesy of Forbes Magazine and its annual list of Most Overpriced Places to Live.

1. Seattle -- poor job growth; latte peer pressure out-of-control
2. New York City -- high cost of living, housing affordability; rats the size of cats
3. Portland, OR -- unemployment 7 percent; heroin on every street corner
4. Chicago -- income growth dropping; bratwurst obsessed
5. San Jose, CA -- job growth lagging; have to go to Oakland for Major League Baseball
6. Bergen-Passaic, NJ -- high housing, cost of living; annoying accents
7. San Francisco -- median home price $700K; 49ers, Giants in downward spiral
8. Middlesex, NJ -- high cost of living, housing; out-of-towners ridicule town's name
9. Denver -- income growth stagnant; hiking boots ad naseum
10. Los Angeles -- median home price $503K; homely people openly jeered.

Feel better now?
[forbes.com]