It's a great time to live in Katy, TX.

The population is growing spurred by movement away from the Houston city center and relocation into the region from other states.

As a result, there is a significant amount of new housing being developed. One such project in the Cinco Ranch Area, which will add nearly 5,000 homes to the area within the next five years. This area also boasts two widely visited shopping centers.  One of those centers is LaCenterra, a mixed-used development which now includes the site of former historic Katy sites, such as the Star Cinema Grill and Tumbleweed Tex-Mex.  

Another area of a new development is Sunterra, a planned unit development located near the intersection of I-10 and 99 in northwest Katy that will bring more than 2,000 homes to the area over the next twenty years. The Sunterra development is being spearheaded by Land Tejas, a company that also developed the Riverstone master planned community within Sugar Land. Both of these communities are examples of the growth occurring in the greater Houston metro area right now.

Existing communities are also expanding, with other developments that include Lake Pointe and Eagle Springs in the western part of Katy and Cross Creek Ranch and Canyon Gate West in the central region.

Currently there are over 150 acres of land planned for elementary schools along Fry Road, which will bring at least five new schools to the area. Additionally, the city is currently working on plans for a new high school and middle school.

The large number of people moving to Katy will put stress on the area's transportation system, which includes some of the most congested highways in Texas. Traffic on I-10 and Grand Parkway is expected to increase by nearly 200% over the next twenty years.

The Texas Department of Transportation has plans for expansion of major roads in the Katy area including some that are partially funded. These include State Highway 99, which is expected to be expanded from two to five lanes, State Highway 10 which will see expansion from two to six lanes and an interchange along Interstate 69.

The Katy Independent School District announced in May that it would be opening six new schools to accommodate for the growing population which is projected to reach an estimated 88,000 students within the next 10 years.