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Katy vs Houston

Next-door neighbors. The biggest differences: trails (67.7× in Houston) and size (92.4× in Houston).

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Katy, TXKnown for its schoolsTexas · 25,184 people
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Houston, TXA history townTexas · 2,328,253 people
Swap order
Where each one shines

Two towns, two different strengths

What each town does better than most of its state (not better than each other). Tap one to see the page behind it.

KatyKnown for its schools
Schools#53 for schools in TXof 583 towns Work28,202 jobsbased in Katy, a regional job hub HealthHealthier than 89%of U.S. towns on CDC estimates All about Katy →
HoustonA history town
HistorySettled in 1836294 places on the National Register College town20 collegesUniversity of Houston Outdoors#56 most conserved land in TX440 miles of trails across 306 parks and preserves All about Houston →
The biggest differences

Where they part ways

The rows below where the towns are furthest apart, beyond the Census margin of error. The full table is further down.

Trails67.7×
Houston has more miles of trail
Houston 440.3 miKaty 6.5 mi
Size92.4×
Houston is the bigger place
Houston 2,328,253Katy 25,184
Growth since 2010+45.5 pts
Katy has grown faster since 2010
Katy +55.3%Houston +9.8%
Work in town+51.6 pts
More of Houston’s workers stay in town
Houston 64.7%Katy 13.1%
Household income+77%
Households in Katy earn more
Katy $114,912Houston $64,813
Homeowners+38.6 pts renters
Houston has more renters
Katy 80.7%Houston 42.1%
★ What stands out · Report cards

Katy places higher on 13 of 23 TX lists

Our letter grades for safety, schools and health, then every Texas ranking list both towns are on. A grade is one measure; read the page behind it.

Safety
C−KatySafer than 17% of U.S. towns D−HoustonSafer than 2% of U.S. towns
Schools
AKatyBetter than 88% of districts in the state C−HoustonBetter than 16% of districts in the state
Health
AKatyHealthier than 89% of U.S. towns C+HoustonHealthier than 38% of U.S. towns
13Katy
9Houston

Lists won, of 23 where both are ranked. Ties go to nobody.

Most conserved landOutdoors · 572 towns #408#56 Best schoolsSchools · 583 towns #53#384 Highest graduation rateSchools · 584 towns #271#577 Fewest uninsuredHealth · 652 towns #153#452 Lowest obesityHealth · 652 towns #83#363 Highest incomeIncome · 653 towns #107#368 HealthiestHealth · 651 towns #65#306 Fastest growingGrowth · 640 towns #60#294

Left end = #1 in Texas. Showing the lists where the towns are furthest apart. All of Katy’s rankings →

Monthly cost

A typical home costs $530 more a month in Katy

A typical home in each town, bought with 20% down at 6.3% for 30 years, plus property tax at the town’s own rate and insurance. Change the numbers to fit you.

Katy$2,240/mo
Typical home $332K (Zillow) · tax rate 1.79% · or rent about $1,602/mo · Housing →
Houston$1,700/mo
Typical home $262K (Zillow) · tax rate 1.51% · or rent about $1,361/mo · Housing →

The difference: $530 a month, about $6,400 a year, between Katy and Houston.

Estimates, not a quote: your price, rate, tax bill and insurance will differ. Tax rate = the Census median tax bill over the median home value.

Where they are

Katy and Houston share a border

And the people who already live in one and work in the other.

KatyHoustonKatyHouston
Katy ↔ Houston27 miles apart · They share a border
Who commutes between them
4,948 Katy residents work in Houston (48.5% of its workers)
Work & commute in Katy →
Life in each

What daily life feels like in each

The weather, the land, the history and the people, row by row. None of it is a grade: more snow is a plus to a skier.

Seasons
KatyHouston
Snow a year0″0″
Hazard risk (U.S. pctl)57th80th
Outdoors & history
KatyHouston
Trails7 mi440 mi
Conserved land1%10.5%
Settled19451836
National Register places2294
Archive photos—6
Famous people born here—26
Community
KatyHouston
Library hours a week47 hrs44 hrs
Colleges in town—20
Posts this month00
Neighbors joined00

A dot marks the most on each row. Climate: NOAA 1991–2020 normals at the nearest station. Hazard risk: FEMA National Risk Index, expected yearly damage vs U.S. towns.

Everything, side by side

What matters to you?

Pick a few. Those rows jump to the top and the best fit on each is marked. There’s no overall score: what matters is up to you.

KatyHouston
People
Population 25,184Lowest 2,328,253Highest
Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census +55.3%Highest TX: +15.9% +9.8%Lowest TX: +15.9%
Median age 37.6±2Highest 6% above TX 34.4±0.2Lowest 3% below TX
Kids under 18 28.4%±3.5Highest TX: 25% 23.4%±0.3Lowest TX: 25%
Age 65+ 11.1%±1.8Lowest TX: 13.4% 12.3%±0.2Highest TX: 13.4%
Houston and Katy are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ 48.8%Highest TX: 33.8% 36.6%Lowest TX: 33.8%
Enrolled in collegeshare of residents 5.9%±1.6Lowest TX: 6.2% 6.5%±0.2Highest TX: 6.2%
Houston and Katy are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Cost of living
Household incomemedian $114,912±$16kHighest 46% above TX $64,813±$822Lowest 17% below TX
Home valuemedian, owner-occupied $401,700±$23kHighest 42% above TX $277,800±$3kLowest about the TX average
Rentmedian gross, monthly $1,602±$210Highest 14% above TX $1,361±$8Lowest about the TX average
Property taxmedian, yearly $7,207Highest 70% above TX $4,198Lowest about the TX average
Renters paying 30%+of income on rent 63.6%±11.9Highest TX: 51.7% 54.1%±0.9Lowest TX: 51.7%
Katy and Houston are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Below poverty line 8.1%Lowest TX: 13.8% 19.9%Highest TX: 13.8%
Housing
Homeownersof occupied homes 80.7%Highest TX: 62.6% 42.1%Lowest TX: 62.6%
Typical home builtmedian year 2003Highest 11 yrs newer than TX 1982Lowest 10 yrs older than TX
Getting to work
Average commuteone way 31 minHighest 17% above TX 27 minLowest about the TX average
Work from home 18%±3.7Highest TX: 14.4% 13%±0.3Lowest TX: 14.4%
Work in townworking residents 13.1%Lowest 64.7%Highest
Typical commute distancemedian, straight-line 18.8 miHighest 10.3 miLowest
Jobs per working residentover 1.5 = a job hub 2.77Highest 2.00Lowest
Top workplaceoutside town Houston (49%)Sugar Land (2%)
Between these townsresidents who work in the others 49% work in HoustonFew work in Katy
Outdoors
Conserved landshare of the town 1%Lowest 10.5%Highest
Trailsmapped miles 6.5 miLowest 440.3 miHighest
Trail densitymiles per sq mi 0.4 miLowest 0.7 miHighest
Parks & preservesnamed on the map 7Lowest 306Highest
Street connectivityintersections per sq mi, a walkability measure 75.9Lowest 91.8Highest
Schools
Public school scoresrank in state, math + reading #53 of 583 in TX#384 of 583 in TX
School district ARISTOI CLASSICAL ACADEMY · KATY ISDTEXANS CAN ACADEMIES · RAUL YZAGUIRRE SCHOOLS FOR SUCCESS
High school in town Katy H SElsik H S
Students per teacherat that high school 15.4Lowest 17.8Highest
Texas average“±” Census margin of errorACS 2020–2024
Deciding?

Ask the people who live there

The numbers stop at the town line. Neighbors can tell you about the commute at 7am, the schools, the winters and the feel of the place.

Katy neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Katy’s Town Square.

Houston neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Houston’s Town Square.

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Sources: U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2010 & 2020 censuses, LEHD commute flows; Zillow Home Value Index; NCES Common Core of Data; FBI crime reporting; CDC PLACES; FEMA National Risk Index; NOAA U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020; USGS PAD-US and OpenStreetMap. “±” is the Census margin of error; differences inside it are never called. Property tax is top-coded by the Census at $10,000+. There is no overall score: which town is better depends on what matters to you.

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