I think this story is, mostly, comforting lies that liberals want to believe. Having lived in a high-cost city (Seattle) and many not, I can tell you this is false. And the numbers do, too.

Monthly median housing costs in Houston in 2016 (the most recent year data was available) were $1,379, nearly $400 less than New York City. However, median transportation costs were $1,152, a figure 38 percent higher than for New Yorkers. In total, the study found, living in Houston was only $79 cheaper each month than New York.

Ha. No. What this is missing is that living in Houston increases your optionality — this is why people do it. This pat little lib-comforting analysis proves two things: jack and shit. Because in Houston, you can get a bigger (much, much bigger) house and far better car than the options available to you for the same price or at all in NYC. People don’t move to Houston because they are delusional and clueless about their own lives; they move there because it visibly and demonstrably improves them.

Of course, the “analysis” in the article comports perfectly with modern algae-slurping, concrete-box-living mode of progressive thought, which is why it exists.

Progressives just have to get away from the idea that those who don’t have the same preferences as they do are stupid. It has consequences. See one Trump, Donald, for a prominent example.

In addition, it’s not clear what the article means by “median housing costs” in NYC, but as of 2018, a one-bedroom apartment in NYC goes for $3,070, not the $1,7000 cited for NYC in the article.

Just read the comments on the article to show how bogus is the analysis. Here’s one quoted in full:

I live in a nice suburb about a 30 minute drive from downtown Houston with great schools. I make well under six figures, and I have a brand new car plus another one that’s a 2012. I also live in a very nice 1,000 sqft one bedroom apartment. I know Doctors and software engineers in NY. When they visit they cannot believe my lifestyle on 1/3 their salary. They live in shoeboxes (in some cases w/multiple roommates) and take puplic transportation. Granted I only have a high school diploma, but something isn’t adding up. The median cost may be similar (so they say) but what you get for that cost isn’t even close.

The Texas Monthly article is comparing apples to cherry pits and concluding, well, they’re about the same. Because math! But it’s just objectively garbage, the stats are wrong, the comparisons are atrocious and it’s basically propaganda.