Communities
Living in Grand Lakes.
What is the Grand Lakes market doing in 2026?
Realtor.com's Grand Lakes neighborhood page held the median list price at $650,000 in August 2026 — flat since June — with a median 39 days on market and about 43 homes for sale community-wide on HAR. Grand Lakes is a built-out, 2,771-home community at the Grand Parkway and Fry Road, so the market is resale-driven with no builder pipeline.
Grand Lakes trades at the top of the Katy ladder — flat at $650,000 since June — for a built-out community with 27 stocked lakes and its own recreation package. Tight inventory (about 43 listings for 2,771 homes) means the good lake-front lots go fast; know your number before you tour.
This is a resale-only market with no builder competition, and buyers pay for the amenity package: HAR's median appraised value runs $467,730 in the core. Price against recent Grand Lakes closings — not the Katy citywide median of $388,619 — because that is the number that matters.
Realtor.com tracks Grand Lakes at $650,000 against a Katy citywide median of $388,619 (August 2026), because the community's newer, larger homes sit well above the city average. Your specific phase and lot determine the number, not the city average.
Figures above are Realtor.com neighborhood data (August 2026) and HAR community data . Realtor.com's neighborhood boundary shows little active inventory; HAR's community-wide count is the practical read.
How good are the schools in Grand Lakes?
Grand Lakes is zoned to Katy ISD, which holds an A+ grade and ranks #1 in the Houston area for the fifth straight year on Niche . The community's serving campuses run from Roosevelt Alexander, Sue Creech and Joe Hubenak elementaries to Beck and Beckendorff junior highs, with Seven Lakes (#51 in Texas, 98% graduation) and Cinco Ranch (#139, 95%) high schools on the U.S. News district list.
Katy ISD overall grade —
Seven Lakes High School's Texas ranking, with a 98% graduation rate.
Cinco Ranch High School's Texas ranking, with a 95% graduation rate.
| High school | Texas rank · U.S. News 2026 | Graduation rate |
|---|---|---|
| Seven Lakes | #51 | 98% |
| Tompkins | #73 | 98% |
| Cinco Ranch | #139 | 95% |
| Taylor | #181 | 93% |
U.S. News ranks all nine Katy ISD high schools . Grand Lakes addresses feed Seven Lakes or Cinco Ranch depending on the phase; we confirm the exact zone for every address.
Grand Lakes spans two counties and three attendance zones: the core (77494) feeds one campus set while the Phase Two and Three sections (77450) feed another. Before you tour, we map your shortlist to exact Katy ISD zoning, including which elementary and junior high applies to each address.
What is there to do in Grand Lakes?
The amenity package is the community's calling card: 27 stocked fishing and kayak lakes, four pools, a splash pad, full-size tennis courts, a dog park, themed playgrounds and a fitness center across 1,253 acres — with 116 acres of fishing lakes and 200 acres of village greens.
- 27 stocked fishing and kayak lakes — the most per acre in Katy
- Fishing piers and paddle craft throughout the community
- Four pools plus a splash pad and spray park
- Full-size tennis courts, dog park and themed playgrounds
- Fitness center, pavilions, gazebos and putting greens
- I-10 and Grand Parkway retail within minutes
- LaCenterra at Cinco Ranch for dining and events
- Katy Mills and Typhoon Texas a short drive
Amenities above are documented on HAR's Grand Lakes community profile . Grand Lakes has putting greens, not a golf course — golfers drive to the nearby clubs.
How far is Grand Lakes from Houston?
Grand Lakes sits at the Grand Parkway (SH-99) and Fry Road, just south of I-10, with Katy itself about 30 miles west of downtown Houston . The mean commute runs 31.2 minutes for 77450 and 33.3 minutes for 77494 (U.S. Census ACS).
The primary route east to the Energy Corridor , downtown Houston and the Galleria.
The outer belt at the community's edge: north toward Cypress and US-290 , south toward Fort Bend .
The community's local spine, connecting the Grand Parkway to I-10 and Katy's retail corridors.
Distance and commute figures are travelmath's Katy-to-Houston distance and the ACS mean commute for the 77450 and 77494 ZIPs . If drive time is your top constraint, tell us your workplace first.
Is Grand Lakes expensive?
Grand Lakes carries a combined tax rate of about 2.1% — light by Katy master-planned standards — with Katy ISD at $1.1171 and a single community MUD on top of the county base.
The combined rate includes Katy ISD (1.1171%), Fort Bend County and Grand Lakes MUD 4 ( HAR tax table ); the 77450 phases run about 2.15% with Grand Lakes MUD 1. Before you make an offer we run the full monthly picture: mortgage, taxes, HOA dues and utilities.
What are the downsides of Grand Lakes?
The honest cons are the top-of-ladder pricing, tight inventory, and the I-10 rush-hour commute. Most residents judge the lakes, the A+ district and the built-out streets worth the trade.
- Premium pricing — the top tier of the Katy ladder at $650,000
- Tight inventory — about 43 homes for sale in a 2,771-home community
- I-10 congestion at rush hour, like all of Katy
- No golf course on site — putting greens only
- 27 stocked lakes with fishing and kayaking
- Katy ISD, A+ and
- Built-out community with mature landscaping and no builder noise
- Light tax load — about 2.1% combined
Katy's documented Harvey flooding concentrated in the Addicks and Barker reservoir pools east of the Grand Parkway ( Texas Tribune reservoir map ), not in Grand Lakes proper — but engineered drainage is not a guarantee. We pull flood history and elevation data on any home you tour — the check happens before a showing turns into a shortlist.
Which Grand Lakes phase fits you?
Grand Lakes built out in phases, and they price like different communities: the Phase Two and Four sections carry the largest floor plans and the highest appraised values, while the core and Phase Three hold the volume.
Bars scale to Phase Four's $797,582 median appraised value ( HAR, 2025 facts ); figures are HAR median appraised values per section, not list medians. We price against your specific phase and lot type.
Grand Lakes in the Katy market.
Grand Lakes anchors the premium tier of the Katy ladder, sharing the top with the golf-course communities.
| Realtor.com · Aug 2026 | Median list | Days on market |
|---|---|---|
| Grand Lakes | $650,000 | 39 |
| Cinco Ranch West | $629,500 | 62 |
| Cane Island | $552,000 | 42 |
| Seven Meadows | $545,000 | 36 |
All figures are Realtor.com neighborhood data, August 2026 . The right answer is your budget and how you will actually use the amenities — we show you the same comparable-sales data for each.
The record
Trusted in Grand Lakes since the first lakes.
Grand Lakes, answered.
Is Grand Lakes a good place to live?
Yes for buyers who want a built-out, lake-rich community at the top of the Katy market: 27 stocked lakes, four pools, and Katy ISD, A+ and #1 in the Houston area (Niche). The honest trade-offs are the premium pricing and I-10 rush-hour traffic.
How much is a home in Grand Lakes in 2026?
The median list price was $650,000 in August 2026 with about 43 homes for sale (Realtor.com neighborhood data; HAR community count). Phase-level median appraised values run from $467,730 in the core to $797,582 in Phase Four.
What school district serves Grand Lakes?
Katy ISD, rated A+ and #1 in the Houston area (Niche, 2026). Serving campuses include Roosevelt Alexander, Sue Creech and Joe Hubenak elementaries, Beck and Beckendorff junior highs, and Seven Lakes (#51) and Cinco Ranch (#139) high schools on the U.S. News district list.
Does Grand Lakes flood?
Katy's documented Harvey flooding concentrated in the Addicks and Barker reservoir pools east of the Grand Parkway, not in Grand Lakes proper. We still pull flood history and elevation data on any home you tour.
What are property taxes like in Grand Lakes?
Combined rates run about 2.1% to 2.15% depending on the phase (HAR tax table), including Katy ISD and Grand Lakes MUD 4 or MUD 1.
Compare nearby communities.
See Grand Lakes with the team that sells it.
1,463+ homes sold across Northwest Houston. A consultation costs nothing and commits you to nothing.