<p>I lived in Houston for 12 years and frequently went to Rice and the Texas Medical Center on business. I can tell you with absolutely no hesitation that Houston's traffic is way, way worse that Austin's. The traffic around Rice isn't so bad during certain times of the day but it's getting there or going away that you'll spend all your time. There are plenty of reasons why I wouldn't want my Son to go to Rice but mostly because he can't stand the place. Also, their engineering programs don't hold a candle to UT's. The humidity is something you'll never really get used to unless you were born and raised in the area.</p>