Tyler, Texas

Tyler (population 96,500) is located on the eastern edge of Texas, 1.5 hours from Dallas, and is a very pretty city that gardeners in particular may want to consider as place to call home.  Nicknamed the "Rose Capital of America," the city boasts the largest municipal rose garden  in the U.S. (40,000 bushes and 500 varieties) and hosts the renowned Texas Rose Festival every fall.  The city is racially diverse and very conservative with a cost of living roughly 15% below the national average.   The median home price is $140,000, and housing is varied.