Communities
Living in Katy, TX.
What is the Katy market doing in 2026?
HAR reports a single-family median active listing price of $370,000 in September 2026 , down 5.13% year over year, with 3,198 active listings, up 11.04% . Median active-listing days on market were 41. Year-over-year changes are calculated from HAR's September 2025 and September 2026 rows.
HAR's September 2026 single-family active inventory in Katy was up 11.04% year over year. Realtor.com's June 2026 snapshot reported homes selling at 98% of asking. You have room to compare and negotiate.
Buyers are paying, but patience is required: HAR's median days on market for single-family homes sold in August 2026 was 28, up 16.67% year over year. Pricing to recent comparable sales is what keeps you on the short side of that median.
HAR's single-family $370,000 median active list price in September 2026 and $349,990 median sold price in August 2026 describe different groups of homes and reporting periods. They do not measure a sale-to-list discount. Your subdivision's comparable sales are what a Lippincott Team pricing analysis measures.
Metro context: greater Houston's single-family median sale price was $330,000 in August 2026 with sales down 11.5% (HAR). Katy's August single-family sold median of $349,990 was above it.
What does your budget buy in Katy?
Katy runs from the upper $200s in established pockets to $650,000 in Grand Lakes. Entry-level neighborhoods trade between $270,000 and $400,000; the premium communities along Cinco Ranch start near $450,000 (Realtor.com, June 2026).
Bars scale to Grand Lakes' $650,000 median (Realtor.com, June 2026). Community-level medians matter more than any city average: a three-bedroom in Brenwood and a lakeside lot in Grand Lakes are both "Katy", but they are different markets. We price against your specific community and school zone.
How good are the schools in Katy?
Most of Katy is zoned to Katy ISD, which holds an A+ overall grade and the #1 spot among Houston-area districts on Niche for the fifth straight year , plus #10 statewide. Seven Lakes High School ranks #51 in Texas with a 98% graduation rate (U.S. News, 2026).
Katy ISD overall grade, ranked #1 of all Houston-area districts for the fifth consecutive year, #10 in Texas.
Seven Lakes High School's Texas ranking, with a 98% graduation rate.
Students across 73 campuses, the largest district on Houston's west side.
| High school | Texas rank · U.S. News 2026 | Graduation rate |
|---|---|---|
| Seven Lakes | #51 | 98% |
| Tompkins | #73 | 98% |
| Cinco Ranch | #139 | 95% |
| Taylor | #181 | 93% |
| Katy | #213 | 93% |
U.S. News ranks all 9 high schools in the district ; the five above serve most Katy neighborhoods, from Cinco Ranch to the newest communities on the Grand Parkway.
School zoning is the first filter most relocating families apply, and it moves prices street by street. Katy's zone map crosses three counties, so a mailing address that says "Katy" does not guarantee a Katy ISD campus. Before you tour, we map your shortlist to exact attendance zones, including the newer campuses opening along the Grand Parkway.
Which part of Katy fits you?
Elyson is the newest master-planned community, still building out on the Grand Parkway; historic Old Katy keeps the original railroad-town center; and the whole area sits 30 miles from downtown Houston on I-10.
Elyson Lakes, trails and new neighborhoods still being built on SH-99 Explore Elyson → 
Historic Old Katy Railroad Park, the heritage museum and the original town center Established streets near I-10 Downtown Houston 30 miles east via I-10, with the Energy Corridor closer still Commute guide below Each community has its own HOA structure, tax rate and school zoning. We compare all three before you commit.
What is there to do in Katy?
Daily life centers on community amenities: Katy Mills for shopping, Typhoon Texas in the summer, LaCenterra at Cinco Ranch for dining, and a park and trail network that runs from Mary Jo Peckham Park to George Bush Park on the east side.
- Mary Jo Peckham Park — fishing, trails and the community center
- George Bush Park — 7,800 acres on the Barker Reservoir edge
- Mason Creek Hike and Bike Trail along the bayou
- Typhoon Texas — the local waterpark
- Katy Heritage Park and the Railroad Park museum
- Community pools, splash pads and sports leagues in every community
- Katy Mills — outlet shopping and entertainment
- LaCenterra at Cinco Ranch — dining and events
- Katy Asian Town and the Grand Parkway restaurant corridor
You do not drive into Houston for a good weekend: most residents' routines stay inside their neighborhood, with pools, trails, sports leagues and community events.
How far is Katy from Houston?
Katy sits about 30 miles west of downtown Houston , with I-10 and the Grand Parkway (SH-99) as the two main corridors. The Energy Corridor starts on Katy's eastern edge, which makes it the most direct commute in the area.
The daily spine east to the Energy Corridor , Memorial City and downtown Houston .
The outer belt: Cypress and US-290 north, Sugar Land and the Fort Bend job centers south.
The eastbound alternative toward the Galleria , Bellaire and the 610 Loop.
Rush hour on I-10 is the trade most residents accept for the schools and space, and the average Katy commute runs 31.3 minutes (U.S. Census, 2024). If commute time is your top constraint, tell us your workplace first: we shortlist neighborhoods by drive time before we shortlist by floor plan.
Is Katy expensive?
Overall living costs run about 4% above the national average , while household incomes run well above it. The variable costs are property taxes and HOA dues, which differ by neighborhood.
Before you make an offer, we run the full monthly picture for your shortlist: mortgage, taxes, HOA dues and utilities, not just the sticker price.
What are the downsides of Katy?
The honest cons are I-10 rush-hour traffic, flood risk in reservoir-adjacent pockets, and ongoing construction in the newest communities. Most residents judge the schools and the Energy Corridor access worth the trade.
- I-10 congestion at peak commute hours
- Flood exposure near Barker Reservoir and Buffalo Bayou
- Construction traffic in neighborhoods still being built
- Car-dependent daily life outside your neighborhood
- The A+ district ranked #1 in the Houston area five years running
- The shortest Energy Corridor commute of any NW Houston suburb
- Established and new communities at every price point
- Community calendars that stay full across every neighborhood
Katy's east side borders Barker Reservoir, and about 14,000 homes sit inside the Addicks and Barker flood pools — 5,138 of them flooded during Harvey (Texas Tribune). Newer communities are built with modern detention and drainage, but risk is real in specific pockets. We pull flood history and elevation data on any home you tour, so you know a property’s record before you commit to it.
Katy or Cypress — which fits your move?
Katy prices lower and sits closer to the Energy Corridor; Cypress leans newer with larger amenity packages and a strong northwest school story of its own. Choose Katy for commute and district ranking, Cypress for community scale.
| HAR · Sep 2026 (older rows dated) | Katy | Cypress |
|---|---|---|
| Median single-family list price | $370,000 | $450,000 |
| Active single-family listings | 3,198 | 1,669 |
| Median active-listing days | 41 | 42 |
| School district | Katy ISD, A+, #1 in the Houston area (Niche) | Cy-Fair ISD, A-rated, #2 in Harris County |
| Main corridors | I-10 and Grand Parkway | US-290 and Grand Parkway |
| Character | Established west-side neighborhoods plus new communities, closest to the Energy Corridor | Newer master-planned scale: Bridgeland, Towne Lake, Dunham Pointe |
Single-family active-listing median prices, counts and median days are HAR.com September 2026 city data for Katy and Cypress . Active-listing days measure listing age, not time to a completed sale. Both are strong relocation markets and the Lippincott Team sells in both: the right answer is your commute and your school list, and we will show you the same comparable-sales data for each.
The record
Trusted in Katy since before it was a boomtown.
Katy, answered.
Is Katy, TX a good place to live?
Yes for most families: A+-rated Katy ISD schools, a direct Energy Corridor commute, and costs about 4% above the national average. I-10 traffic and flood-zone diligence are the honest trade-offs.
How much is a home in Katy, TX in 2026?
The Katy single-family median active listing price was $370,000 in September 2026 (HAR.com). Entry communities like Autumn Run start near $272,500; Grand Lakes tops the ladder at $650,000 (Realtor.com, June 2026).
Is Katy a buyer's market in 2026?
Realtor.com's June 2026 snapshot reported homes selling at 98% of asking. HAR's September 2026 single-family data shows 3,198 active listings, up 11.04% year over year, with 41 median active-listing days. These figures describe Katy, not every neighborhood or school attendance zone.
How long does it take to sell a home in Katy?
HAR reports 28 median days on market for Katy single-family homes sold in August 2026. Accurate pricing is the deciding factor.
What school district serves Katy, TX?
Katy ISD, rated A+ and ranked #1 in the Houston area for the fifth straight year (Niche, 2026). Seven Lakes High ranks #51 in Texas (U.S. News). Some Katy mailing addresses fall outside the district, so verify zoning per address.
How far is Katy from downtown Houston?
About 30 miles west via I-10 (Travelmath), with the Energy Corridor starting on Katy's eastern edge. The average commute runs 31.3 minutes (U.S. Census, 2024).
Does Katy, TX flood?
Risk is concentrated near Barker Reservoir and Buffalo Bayou; 5,138 homes inside the Addicks and Barker flood pools flooded during Harvey (Texas Tribune). Newer communities have modern drainage. Check flood history per address before buying; we do this for every client.
What is Katy, TX known for?
Katy ISD schools, master-planned communities like Cinco Ranch and Elyson, Katy Mills shopping, Typhoon Texas waterpark, and its railroad-town heritage at Railroad Park.
See Katy with the team that sells it.
1,463+ homes sold across Northwest Houston. A consultation costs nothing and commits you to nothing.