Katy receives the higher standardized Area Score. That reflects AreaProfile's weighting, not a judgment about which place is better to live in.
Signals
Katy
Pearland
Opportunity
60 · Top 41%
vs64 · Top 34%
Growth
71 · Top 16%
vs25 · Bottom 12%
Climate
73 · Top 38%
vs79 · Top 19%
Physical resilience
41 · Bottom 32%
vs37 · Bottom 30%
Housing affordability
94 · Top 21%
vs98 · Top 12%
Schools
88 · Top 5%
vs79 · Top 15%
Access
94 · Top 41%
vs97 · Top 30%
Economic stability
65 · Top 41%
vs76 · Top 15%
Measured values
| Metric | Katy | Pearland | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 25,184 | 127,514 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $114,912 | $118,842 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $47,854 | $51,157 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 1,647/sq mi | 2,617/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $401,700 | $356,300 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $1,602 | $1,860 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 80.7% | 76.2% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment rate | 5.8% | 4.9% | June 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year) | -0.4% | -0.4% | June 2026 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 48.8% | 47.1% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 8.1% | 4.1% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Housing units permitted (12 months) | 134 | 0 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permits per 1,000 residents | 5.3 | 0.0 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permit change (year over year) | 16.5% | -100.0% | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Average July high | 95°F | 93°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Average January low | 45°F | 46°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Annual precipitation | 49.7" | 53.3" | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Distance to major airport | 16 mi | 10 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 34.6 min | 35.3 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 37.6 | 37.1 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Public schools | 49 | 33 | 2024-25 school year |
| Students per teacher | 14.93 | 16.38 | 2024-25 school year |
| Math proficiency | 64.7% | 57.4% | 2019-20 school year |
| Reading proficiency | 64.4% | 56.8% | 2019-20 school year |
| Free or reduced-price lunch eligibility | 34.8% | 36.0% | 2024-25 school year |
A bolded value is the more favorable of the two where the metric has a clear direction. Metrics like population and density have no inherent better or worse and are shown unweighted.
Physical risk tradeoff
Katy
Elevated or high exposure: hurricane.
Pearland
Elevated or high exposure: hurricane.
Full profiles: Katy, TX · Pearland, TX · How this is calculated: methodology