Katy, Texas....Should We Relocate?

My brother works for BP and had to relocate to Katy about 2 years ago. I think he actually works in Houston but his home is in katy. he loves it but his wife does not. she wants to move back here to naperville

Sorry - I'm going to be the party buster here.....I've lived in 5 states and over 20 cities and Houston is one of the worst places I have ever lived.

It really depends on how much you can handle pollution, traffic and the heat & humidity. Houston is a miserable place to live due to the weather, traffic and the population. I'm sure there are good schools, but the gangs are rampant. I lived there for 5 years and hated every minute of it...

However - it is cheap, cheap, cheap to live in Texas! There are no state taxes. Real estate is very cheap compared to the rest of the country (go to realtor.com to look for properties in the area you want to live). And, supposedly there are jobs in Houston.

I'm sure others will say it is great...but for me, it sucked! I just thought you should get more than the 'it's a great place to live' point of view.

I'm not sure about other states, but IL is the only place I know of that has "park districts." I'm from NC and have visited TX and HATED it. It was soooo.... otherworldly.. for lack of a better word. Everyone seemed really spiteful and mean, and I was a southerner in their midst- I can't imagine how they would be with a different accent. Traffic laws are crazy crazy crazy and they are very ticket-happy. Traffic itself was miserable and the humidity was unbearable. Not for me. :( I have been amazed at the opportunities that have opened up here in IL for me in comparison to the south.

Great area, great schools, cheap compared to the rest of the country it seems. The humidity, lived here all my life, never notice it anymore. Katy seems like it is more out of the pollution area, compared to say Pasadena, (East of Houston). And the traffic, well, I see that in any 'downtown' area I've been through. Katy being a suburb of Houston, does not have as bad of traffic as 'downtown' Houston, for sure!

FYI - I just know this cause I recently asked a very similar question about Austin.....you have to change your location in order for it to be sent to people in the area....yes, even though it asks you at the bottom of the page what area you are asking about. Makes no sense.

Also, it is funny you are the second Mom in the area in the last couple days i have seen post about moving to TX.....where we are also relocating too. Seems all the people IL has crushed are going to the Lone Star State!

I have a cousin who lives in Katy and another friend who lives in the Houston area if you want I can send them your email. We are going to Austin, which I have heard no end of good things about....and I have been able to find alot of info on the internet but there might not be as much about Katy since it's a smaller town.

Katy is a very family oriented suburb of Houston and seems like it is still growing! We live just south of there in another suburb of Houston. Katy ISD (the school distsrict) is highly rated and there are numerous parks and walking trails and a great Y! Pretty much everything you mentioned they've got. Cinco Ranch is the big master-planned housing development there but there are lots of other other neighborhoods with new home building in many of them. I would suggest contacting the city or chamber to ask for more info. on the stats you are looking for. I've lived in Texas most of my life and from reading or watching t.v., it is a pretty affordable place to live compared to other parts of the country. Good luck with your search!

I live in Hosuton. Katy is a great area! The schools are fantastic! Housing is inexpensive. Heck of a lot cheaper that Illinois! Property taxes can be high and vary from subdivison to subdivison. So watch that on the housing lists. Also, HOA's. Most neighborhoods have them. Read the bylaws very carefully. Most will tell you how high you yard can grow, can you park your cars in your driveway overnight, what color to paint your house etc. and those can vary from neighborhood to neighborhood. You can get online and find out most of this information.

We moved here in 2005 from Kentucky. I live in Spring which is North of Houston next to The Woodlands. We love it here. Houston has a lot to offer. Herman Park, Memorial Park. We have a zoo. Not fair from the Gulf of Mexico, Galveston is a blast. I don't know what ages your kids are but most houses have pools in the backyard or the neighborhood has several pools for their residents. Welcome!!!

My step sister in law lives there and her kids. They like living there and the schools are good. Good luck on your move.

ok i just moved to katy 6 months ago. i am going to give you pros and cons to expect for unexpected expenses you will have to be prepared for. if you want city life go to katy if you want almost country life go to old katy. this is where i live. now katy mills mall is cheaper than the thrift stores on clothes.
be prepared to get a texas liscense within 2 weeks of hitting katy and you have to have texas tags before you cn get a texas liscense.

stay off the toll roads without a pass or the fine the tar out of you. that was the first warning i got before i even hit the roads in texas. katy schools are some of the best rated in the state. i checked into several preschools and if you move here i will give you a number to an inhome day care with a carriculum that i love. she is also trained for kids with a disability if that applies to you. i have been told texas childrens memorial is the best hospital for kids and its right in middle of katy. I cant answer about sports teams and i dont know what age bracket your looking at. there is a housing addition not to far from me called firethorn everyone that lives there loves it. its like a brand new subdivision. houses run from $800-$1200 month and it is cheaper to buy a brand new house than a used house.firethorn has a pool and a work out room in the subdivision.

if you hit around fry road you will have everything with in a short distance wal mart 2 grocery stores target shoe stores dollar general and kohls office depot bout anything you want. pet restricitons are hard here if you have a pit or rot you will have a hard time finding a division to let you bring them. some have weight restrictions also. pm me if you decide you want the daycare i am using i love this girl. taxes i have no idea on. I 10 isnt to bad unless there is something major going on like a wreck or fire or etc seldom is it real bad if it is i just use the feeder its quicker. if you want to know more just ask if i forgot to tell you. welcome to texas

I grew up in the Houston area - not near Katy, so I can't speak to that. But, I can tell you that the cost of living is MUCH MUCH lower. No state income taxes and schools are really good in most of the suburbs.