Katy vs Cypress: Which Fits Your Move?

Katy and Cypress were two of the three busiest of the 29 areas we track, and over the last 12 months they sold at different typical prices: about $346,000 in Katy and about $406,000 in Cypress. The choice usually comes down to the commute (I-10 and the Energy Corridor from Katy, US-290 and Bush Airport from Cypress), the school district, the county and MUD tax mix, and the flood maps, which depend on the county. Here is the side-by-side, with figures from closed MLS sales and published sources.

Katy neighborhood guide Cypress neighborhood guide

Homes and lots

Both areas are mostly master-planned communities at different stages. Katy's older ones, led by Cinco Ranch (a 5,000-acre plan that began in 1984), have 1990s and 2000s homes with mature trees; Elyson, Sunterra and Cane Island have new construction from several builders. Cypress has Bridgeland, 11,500 acres in five villages, and Towne Lake, built around a 300-acre lake, with homes from the 1980s to new construction and some acreage. Lots are set section by section, so ask for the lot width and depth and read the survey on a resale home rather than comparing square footage alone. Elyson alone lists nine builders and new homes from the $300s to more than $1 million. On new construction, the builder's on-site agent represents the builder and we represent buyers (see our new-construction buyer's guide).

12-month prices

Over the 12 months through September 2026, closed MLS sales with Katy addresses numbered 6,118 at a typical price near $346,000 and an average near $414,000. Cypress recorded 3,619 sales at a typical price near $406,000 and an average near $486,000, counting houses, townhomes and condos in both. Cypress's typical price ran about $59,000, or 17 percent, above Katy's, and Katy had about 1.7 times as many sales. For context, Fulshear ran near $450,000, Tomball near $379,000 and Richmond near $376,000. Figures follow the listing city, which reaches beyond the City of Katy's limits, so check sales in the specific community.

Property taxes

Published 2026 rates per $100 of taxable value, before exemptions and before MUD, emergency services district and college district taxes:

A Katy home in Fort Bend County pays a lower county layer, $0.417 against $0.6715 in Harris County, about $1,000 a year less on a $400,000 home. A MUD adds its own rate, most between $0.50 and $1.00 per $100 according to our tax guide. Each 10 cents is about $400 a year on a $400,000 home, and Texas Water Code section 49.452 requires the seller to give you a written district notice before you sign a binding contract. Confirm figures with a tax professional or lender.

Commute

Katy is on I-10, with the Westpark Tollway and the Grand Parkway nearby. Cypress is on US-290 and its express lanes, with the Grand Parkway and Beltway 8. Without traffic, the two are nearly level into town: Downtown is 29 miles and 37 minutes from Katy and 28 miles and 36 minutes from Cypress, and the Galleria is 25 miles and 33 minutes against 24 miles and 31 minutes. The gaps are at the edges. Katy is closer to the Energy Corridor (12 miles and 15 minutes against 16 miles and 29 minutes), and Cypress is closer to Bush Intercontinental Airport (29 miles and 48 minutes against 44 miles and 62 minutes). Rush hour takes longer, so test your route at the hour you will drive.

Schools

Katy ISD serves most Katy-address communities and Cy-Fair ISD most of Cypress, and TEA gave both an overall B for 2026. Of Katy ISD's 10 rated high schools, 6 earned an A and 4 a B; of Cy-Fair ISD's 12, 3 earned an A and 9 a B. Zoning varies by address and can change, so confirm with the district before you buy.

Flood information

Flood risk varies street by street in both areas. Katy sits beside the Addicks and Barker reservoirs, and homes inside their flood pools flooded in Hurricane Harvey in 2017. Cypress lies along Cypress Creek and its tributaries, where some neighborhoods flooded in the April 2016 Tax Day storm and in Harvey. Look up each address on FEMA's Flood Map Service Center, then on MAAPnext, the Harris County Flood Control District's draft maps (shared for information, not for insurance or regulatory decisions), and for the Fort Bend County part of Katy on the Drainage District floodplain map. Read the seller's disclosure notice, which asks about past flooding and floodplain status, ask whether an elevation certificate exists and get a flood insurance quote before your option period ends. See our flood explainer.

Parks and amenities

Near Katy, George Bush Park covers 7,800 acres inside the Barker Reservoir, with 11.36 miles of hike-and-bike trails. Shopping and dining center on LaCenterra at Cinco Ranch, Katy Mills along I-10 and Old Town Katy. Cypress builds green space into its communities: Bridgeland lists more than 75 parks and 250 miles of trails, and Towne Lake wraps around a 300-acre lake with 14 miles of shoreline and a public Boardwalk of shops and restaurants. Houston Premium Outlets is on US-290.

Which fits your move

• Choose Katy for the shorter drive to the Energy Corridor (12 miles), the lower typical price (about $346,000), the most sales of any area we track (6,118) and, in Fort Bend County, a lower county tax layer, accepting a longer drive to Bush Airport (44 miles).
• Choose Cypress for US-290 access, the shorter drive to Bush Airport (29 miles) and new construction in Bridgeland and Towne Lake, accepting a typical price about $59,000 higher and a Cy-Fair ISD rate that depends on the November 3, 2026 vote.
• If lot size decides it, compare sections, not cities: both have smaller-lot sections, larger-lot sections and acreage.
• Either way, get the MUD notice and the full tax rate for the exact address, check the flood maps and the seller's disclosure, and confirm the zoned schools with the district.

Questions buyers ask about Katy and Cypress

Sources

1. Compean Group analysis of closed MLS sales, October 2025 to September 2026, by listing city; typical price is the median of the 12 monthly medians, all property types. Checked October 30, 2026.
2. OSRM routing with OpenStreetMap data, without traffic, from central points in Katy (29.786, -95.824) and Cypress (29.969, -95.697) to City Hall, the Galleria, the Texas Medical Center, the Energy Corridor and Bush Intercontinental Airport. Checked October 30, 2026.
3. 2026 tax rates: Harris County Tax Office (county entities; Cy-Fair ISD 2025 rate) and Fort Bend County Truth in Taxation (county, drainage district, Katy ISD). Checked October 30, 2026.
4. Katy ISD, 2026-27 proposed tax rate; ABC13 and My Neighborhood News (August 11, 2026) on the Cy-Fair ISD election. Checked October 30, 2026.
5. Texas Education Agency, 2026 accountability ratings; district and campus names above link to their TEA reports. Checked October 30, 2026.
6. FEMA Flood Map Service Center; MAAPnext; Fort Bend County Drainage District floodplain map. Checked October 30, 2026.
7. Harris County Precinct 4, George Bush Park; Bridgeland; Elyson. Checked October 30, 2026.
8. Our Katy and Cypress neighborhood guides (October 2026) and What It Costs to Own a Home in Houston, for communities, amenities and the MUD range.
9. Texas Water Code section 49.452. Checked October 30, 2026.

Tour Katy and Cypress with us How buying a home works in Texas

Call or text (832) 777-3904, email evan@thecompeangroup.com or use the contact page. We speak English and Spanish, and our office is at 802 W. Patton St, Houston, TX 77009.

Updated October 30, 2026.