What it's like to live in Katy
Katy is a small city in Texas with household incomes running above the national average, crime rates well below the national average, a highly educated workforce, and a population that has grown fast since 2020. Those factors carry real weight for anyone weighing where to move next.
The tradeoffs are worth naming plainly. Katy deals with commute times longer than most cities, air quality that falls short of national benchmarks, a rent burden that leaves many renters stretched thin, and hot summers.
The good
- Higher-than-average incomes
- Low crime rates
- Highly educated workforce
- Fast-growing population
- Low student-teacher ratio
The not so good
- Above-average commute times
- Air quality concerns
- High rent burden for renters
- Hot summers
- Above-average rainfall
How Katy compares
Median household income
Median rent (per month)
Median home value
What it takes to move to Katy
Based on Katy's median rent, home value and household income
To rent
$3,204
up front: first month plus a typical one-month deposit
- Income to keep rent under 30%: $64,080 a year
- 56% of Katy renters spend 30% or more of their income on rent
To buy
$80,340
a 20% down payment on the median home
- With 10% down: $40,170
- Homes cost 3.5× the typical local household income (US: 4.1×)
Moving costs, closing costs and taxes not included.
The details
Cost of living▲ 13% above US
$1,602/mo median rent
Rent is pretty middle of the road, at $1,602 a month median. Not a bargain, not a budget-buster. About typical for a city this size. Home prices run above average, with a median around $401,700. Buyers should expect to stretch their budget here.
Median home value $401,700 · 56% of renters cost-burdened
Job marketNear US average
4.6% unemployment
Unemployment here is 4.6%, close to the national average of 4.3%.
City-level (BLS)
Safety▼ 63% below US
123 violent crimes per 100k
Pretty safe, all things considered. Violent crime sits below the national average, nothing alarming, just ordinary city-life awareness.
Property crime 2967/100k · Katy Police Department · 2025 data
Getting around▲ 20% above US
31 min average commute
Traffic is a real factor here. The 31.3 minute average means plenty of commuters are pushing 45 to 60 minutes on a bad day. Proximity to work matters more here than it might elsewhere. 8 in 10 workers drive to work; 18% work from home.
How workers get to work
Climate
Summers are hot and humid, with highs regularly hitting 93°F, and winters are mild, with lows rarely dropping below 45°F. Rainfall is regular throughout the year.
Average month
30-year averages, 1991–2020
Healthcare
1 hospital
There's one Medicare-certified hospital inside city limits, rated 3.0 out of 5 by Medicare. Hospitals in neighboring towns aren't counted here.
Medicare-certified hospitals
Education & workforce▲ 36% above US
49% bachelor's degree or higher
The population is well-educated, with 49% holding college degrees. That points to a strong professional base and generally a healthy local economy.
Schools
16 public schools inside the boundary
There are 16 public schools inside the boundary and 3 private schools. The student-to-teacher ratio is 14:1, well below the national average of 16:1. Smaller class sizes are generally a positive sign for a district.
Parks & recreation
The nearest national park or historic site is El Camino Real de los Tejas National Historic Trail (92 miles away). There are 2 national parks and sites within a day's drive.
Bottom line
Katy's strongest points are household incomes running above the national average and crime rates well below the national average; the main tradeoffs are commute times longer than most cities and air quality that falls short of national benchmarks. A year of median rent ($1,602/mo) equals 17% of the median household income here, less than the 21% typical nationwide. It tends to suit anyone prioritizing low crime, remote workers (18% of workers here already work from home), and college-educated professionals.
Other places near Katy
All Texas guides →Not sure Katy is the one?
Put it side by side with another city.