Real Estate Investing in Katy, Texas (77494)

Everything the listing leaves out — vacancy, rent trend, cap rate, landlord climate. All free.

Fort Bend County • Population: 137,213 • Data updated: September 2026

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Should you buy in 77494 (Katy, TX)? Our answer, based on the numbers below.

🏠 For Homebuyers
GOOD FIT
Grade B (76/100)

Solid choice — stable market with a reasonable entry point and good rental backup if you ever need to move.

📈 For Investors
MIXED
3.0 / 5 (47/100)

A middle-of-the-road market. Workable, but the best opportunities may be nearby ZIPs rather than this one.

⚠️ Risks to Know
CLEAN

No major risk flags on the data we track.

What’s happening in Katy, TX (77494)?

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3.0/ 5

Investability

Overall investment appeal

2.0/ 5

Appreciation

Long-term value growth

3.0/ 5

Cashflow ROI

Rental yield potential

Avg Home Value $487,108
Avg Monthly Rent $1,976
1% Rule ✗ Does Not Meet
Median Income $144,444
% Renters 28.2%

Market Analysis: 77494 Katy

This part of Fort Bend County is not an easy win. The 77494 ZIP comes in at softness in key indicators, and the playbook that works in cleaner markets often stalls here.

From an investor standpoint, the numbers look inviting — $487K purchase price, 0.0% nominal cap — the work to hit that pro forma in 77494 is substantial and deserves full respect.

ZIP 77494's metrics run below Fort Bend County's averages on price growth and tenant stability. Investors who ignore that regional gap tend to relearn it the hard way.

Who lives in 77494 is part of why the ZIP is priced as it is. The demographic profile requires hands-on management, tight screening, and local knowledge.

New investors are better served looking at Katy's stable or hybrid ZIPs before stepping into 77494. The learning curve here is expensive when the lesson is wrong.

Explore the Data — Click a Tab Below
🏦 Current 30-yr Fixed Mortgage Rate: 6.76% as of Sep 10 Source: Freddie Mac PMMS

Here's what matters if you're considering buying a home in Katy:

B Good
Buy Confidence Score: 77/100
Affordability
20/25
Appreciation
18/25
Stability
14/20
Timing
10/15
Rental backup
15/15
Affordability
Moderate
Homes cost 3.4× the median income
Value Trend
Stable (+0.1%)
How home values changed in the past year
Rental Backup
Strong
Could rent for $1,976/mo if you need to move
Market Conditions
COOL
More inventory, negotiating room for buyers
Bottom Line: Mixed signals in this market. Research specific properties carefully and be prepared to negotiate.
❄️
COOL MARKET
Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land, TX Metro Area
More inventory, negotiating room for buyers
79 days
Average time to sell
Slow
9.2%
Listings with price cuts
Few Cuts
0.0%
Sale price vs asking
Below Ask
0.0%
Income needed for mortgage
Affordable
📅 Market conditions as of August 29, 2026 — updated weekly from Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land, TX metro data
🏠

Property Strategy for 77494

Which property type performs best in this market?

Best for Cash Flow
3BR
6.3% cap rate
Best for Appreciation
5BR
+8.3% 5yr CAGR
Best Overall Value
3BR
$120,596/bedroom
📊 Compare All Property Types →
Type Median Value Est. Rent Cap Rate 5yr CAGR $/Bedroom
2BR $353,854 $2,360 4.8% +6.6% $176,927
3BR $361,787 $3,170 6.3% +7.4% $120,596
4BR $485,745 $3,960 5.9% +8.0% $121,436
5BR $691,866 +8.3% $138,373

Market Trends

Home Value History (with trend line)

$517K$456K$395K$335K$274K$213KJul 2006Jul 2016Jul 2026

Rent History (with trend line)

$2,025$1,883$1,742$1,600$1,458$1,317Jul 2016Jul 2021Jul 2026

📊 How Does 77494 Compare?

Metric 77494 Katy Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land, TX Texas
Home Value $487,108 $370,831 N/A $297,000
5-Year CAGR 4.8% 3.9% N/A 5.4%
Avg Rent $1,976 $1,955 N/A -
Cap Rate 3.2% 4.3% - -
💡 Why Invest in 77494? Click to expand

With a 3/5 investability rating, this ZIP shows solid fundamentals for buy-and-hold investors.

📊 See where this ZIP ranks in our Best-of lists →
A great house in the wrong ZIP is still a bad deal — screen every market by cash flow & cap rate.
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Landlord Ground Truth

Real numbers from people who own or manage rentals in ZIP 77494 (Katy, TX). Anonymous, moderated, never written by AI.

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Investability
Good
Cap Rate
3.2%
Low
5yr Growth
+4.8%
Moderate

📊 Market Snapshot

Home Value $487,108
Monthly Rent $1,976
Price-to-Rent 20.5:1
1% Rule ✗ Fails

💰 Return Metrics

Gross Yield 4.9%
Cap Rate 3.2%
5-Year IRR 8.0%

📈 Home Appreciation

1-Year +0.1% ▲
3-Year CAGR +0.8% ▲
5-Year CAGR +4.8% ▲
10-Year CAGR +4.3% ▲

🏠 Rent Trends

1-Year +5.9% ▲
3-Year CAGR +2.0% ▲
5-Year CAGR +3.2% ▲
Negative Leverage — IRR / Tax Play Cap Rate: 3.2%  |  30yr Rate: 6.8%
Leverage reduces cash returns at current rates.

The current 30-yr mortgage rate (6.8%) exceeds the estimated cap rate (3.2%). Financing reduces your cash-on-cash return below the cap rate. Markets like this may still make sense as IRR plays — factoring in appreciation, depreciation, and a future refinance when rates drop.

Run an IRR Analysis →

⚠️ Risk Signals

Composite view of factors that can impact a ZIP's stability and your downside risk.

Vacancy
4.0%
Low risk
Landlord Climate
5.0/5
Friendly
Value Trend (5yr)
+4.8%
Stable
Eviction process: Fast Rent control: Favorable

Demographics in 77494

Population: 137,213

💰 Median Household Income
$144,444
This area
$144,444
State
$70,593
USA
$74,580
🏠 Renter Occupied
28.2%
This area
28.2%
State
29.5%
USA
34.0%
💼 Unemployment Rate
3.0%
This area
3.0%
State
-25.4%
USA
3.7%
🎓 College Educated
66.1%
This area
66.1%
State
-5.8%
USA
33.7%
👤 Median Age
37.7 years
This area
37.7 years
State
-3.7 years
USA
38.9 years
🏚️ Vacancy Rate
4.0%
This area
4.0%
State
18.3%
USA
10.5%
👥 Population by Ethnicity
White 49.2%
Asian 23.5%
Other/Mixed 19.9%
Hispanic/Latino 16.4%
Black/African American 7.5%
👶 Under 18
31.8%
This area
31.8%
USA
22.0%
👴 65 and Over
8.9%
This area
8.9%
USA
17.3%
📊 Poverty Rate
4.6%
This area
4.6%
USA
11.5%

Crime & Safety

🚧

Crime & Safety Data Coming Soon

We're integrating comprehensive crime statistics including violent crime rates, property crime, and safety scores to help you make informed investment decisions.

Expected: Q1 2025

🎓 Schools in 77494

B Avg School Grade
31 Schools
14.6:1 Avg Class Size
$14,388 Avg Per Pupil

Schools in This ZIP Code

A Very Good

CIMARRON EL

📚 Pre-K – 05 Elementary
👥
565 Students
👨‍🏫
11.4:1 Class Size
💰
$14,435 Per Student
A Very Good

URSULA STEPHENS EL

📚 Pre-K – 05 Elementary
👥
585 Students
👨‍🏫
10.4:1 Class Size
💰
$14,435 Per Student
A Very Good

GRIFFIN EL

📚 Pre-K – 05 Elementary
👥
778 Students
👨‍🏫
13.2:1 Class Size
💰
$14,435 Per Student
B+ Above Average

EDNA MAE FIELDER EL

📚 Pre-K – 05 Elementary
👥
923 Students
👨‍🏫
13.2:1 Class Size
💰
$14,435 Per Student
B+ Above Average

JOELLA EXLEY EL

📚 Pre-K – 05 Elementary
👥
944 Students
👨‍🏫
13.2:1 Class Size
💰
$14,435 Per Student
B+ Above Average

KEIKO DAVIDSON EL

📚 Pre-K – 05 Elementary
👥
995 Students
👨‍🏫
13.1:1 Class Size
💰
$14,435 Per Student
B+ Above Average

STANLEY C STANLEY EL

📚 Pre-K – 05 Elementary
👥
887 Students
👨‍🏫
14.0:1 Class Size
💰
$14,435 Per Student
B+ Above Average

FRED AND PATTI SHAFER EL

📚 Pre-K – 05 Elementary
👥
1,044 Students
👨‍🏫
13.8:1 Class Size
💰
$14,435 Per Student
B+ Above Average

JENKS EL

📚 Pre-K – 05 Elementary
👥
1,448 Students
👨‍🏫
13.5:1 Class Size
💰
$14,435 Per Student
B+ Above Average

ODESSA KILPATRICK EL

📚 Pre-K – 05 Elementary
👥
1,033 Students
👨‍🏫
14.1:1 Class Size
💰
$14,435 Per Student
B+ Above Average

RAY AND JAMIE WOLMAN EL

📚 Pre-K – 05 Elementary
👥
1,025 Students
👨‍🏫
14.4:1 Class Size
💰
$14,435 Per Student
B+ Above Average

ROBERTA WRIGHT RYLANDER EL

📚 Pre-K – 05 Elementary
👥
1,078 Students
👨‍🏫
13.1:1 Class Size
💰
$14,435 Per Student
B+ Above Average

ROOSEVELT ALEXANDER EL

📚 Pre-K – 05 Elementary
👥
1,020 Students
👨‍🏫
14.4:1 Class Size
💰
$14,435 Per Student
B+ Above Average

TOM WILSON EL

📚 Pre-K – 05 Elementary
👥
1,121 Students
👨‍🏫
14.1:1 Class Size
💰
$14,435 Per Student
B Good

CINCO RANCH J H

📚 06 – 08 Middle
👥
1,500 Students
👨‍🏫
15.2:1 Class Size
💰
$14,435 Per Student
B Good

TAYS J H

📚 06 – 08 Middle
👥
1,467 Students
👨‍🏫
16.2:1 Class Size
💰
$14,435 Per Student
B Good

WOODCREEK EL

📚 Pre-K – 05 Elementary
👥
1,324 Students
👨‍🏫
15.0:1 Class Size
💰
$14,435 Per Student
B Good

PROJECT TYKE

📚 Grade PK Elementary
👥
13 Students
👨‍🏫
1.0:1 Class Size
💰
$14,435 Per Student
B Good

BECKENDORFF J H

📚 06 – 08 Middle
👥
1,688 Students
👨‍🏫
16.4:1 Class Size
💰
$14,435 Per Student
B Good

SEVEN LAKES J H

📚 06 – 08 Middle
👥
1,607 Students
👨‍🏫
16.8:1 Class Size
💰
$14,435 Per Student
About Repit School Scores

Traditional school ratings rely heavily on standardized test scores, which often reflect family income more than school quality. Repit takes a different approach.

We evaluate schools based on factors that research shows actually impact educational outcomes:

  • Class Size — Smaller classes mean more individual attention
  • School Funding — Resources available for programs, staff, and facilities
  • Community Factors — Neighborhood characteristics that influence student success
  • School Environment — Size, type, and structure

Scores are updated annually using federal education data.

🎓 Nearby Colleges & Universities

5 Nearby
D
Fortis College
357 students · 10.5 mi
C+
Vogue International Academy
9 students · 11.0 mi
D
Denver College of Nursing-Houston
70 students · 13.2 mi
C
Texas Health School
186 students · 14.4 mi
B
Houston International College Cardiotech Ultrasound School
41 students · 14.6 mi

Frequently Asked Questions

How strong are rents in Katy, TX?

The typical rental in Katy, TX commands about $1,976/mo monthly. That rent profile consistent cash flow against the $487K purchase basis.

Is Katy, TX landlord-friendly?

TX law landlord-friendly for landlords, and Katy inherits those rules. Investors should still review local ordinances for rental licensing.

What kind of market is Katy, TX for investors?

Investors tracking Katy, TX will find a 3.0/5 rating supported by $487K median home values and $1,976/mo rents. That profile suits long-term holders targeting predictable returns.

What are vacancy rates like in Katy, TX?

Vacancy in Katy, TX is elevated, which keeps landlord downtime on reasonable timelines. Most properties lease within the standard window at $1,976/mo.

What real estate strategy is ideal for Katy, TX?

Katy, TX investors pursuing careful cash-flow rentals with hands-on management. The underlying economics ($487K prices, $1,976/mo rents) make it a reasonable choice.

You know 77494 now. You don’t know where it ranks.

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How 77494 ranks in Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land, TX

Every ZIP in this metro, ranked. Free.

Cash Flow → Appreciation → Affordable → 1% Rule →
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