I live in Dallas and love it. Great economy, great weather, easy to travel to all parts of the country and Mexico, no state income tax and the list goes on. I actually grew up in Chicago where most of my family is but have been in Dallas now for 16 years (since college). You are a little late to the party as a lot of CA transplants (as well as all other parts of the country) have been moving here for years--but better late than never. I have friends in Manhattan Beach and Hermosa Beach and they love Austin and Dallas. Depending on what you are looking for all of the big cities in TX are different--Dallas is more cosmopolitan, Austin more liberal and great live music scene, Houston I've never really been able to figure out. If you are in Medical Sales and are traveling a lot Dallas obviously has a lot more flights than Austin. The reason I like Dallas is Austin is only 3 hours away and great for weekend trips. Dallas has professional sports teams. Austin's professional team is obviously UT. Since you are from the Bay Area I would think Austin would be a great fit but you really have to visit the other cities to compare. As far as weather it is a little more humid in Austin than in Dallas--but nothing like Houston obviously.

Any other questions please feel free to hammer away.