With a booming economy and a diverse atmosphere, Houston is the biggest city in the state of Texas, with over 7.1 million people calling the HTX home. If you’re considering buying a piece of Houston real estate and are still deciding on where to live, here are some of the 5 best suburbs of Houston.
The Woodlands
Best For: Families + Business Professionals
Settled about 30 miles north of Houston, The Woodlands is a city, or township, with about 115,000 people. The Woodlands is consistently ranked as the #1 suburb in the country as the entire city was master planned and developed to the fullest over a 40-year span and is popular for people of all ages. The Woodlands also has a big golfing community, boasting seven championship golf courses. It’s also a popular tennis community with 76 tennis courts across the city. The schools in the Woodlands are highly-rated and feed into Conroe Independent School District.
The Woodlands encompasses around 28K acres, with 7,600 of those being preserved. The rest is divided into nine villages, each with its own shopping and dining amenities, including an anchor grocery store, so no matter where you live in The Woodlands real estate, you’re never far from everything you need. The Woodlands is unique because there are no HOA fees here. Instead, every resident pays an annual fee to the township, which gives them access to all the local amenities like parks, pools, recreational facilities, etc.
Most homes for sale in The Woodlands are single-family detached homes with three to four bedrooms, though low-rise condos and townhomes are available too. The median home price in The Woodlands is around $595K. Townhomes for sale in the Woodlands often include an attached garage and are well-maintained. Some of the older townhomes start around $250K, but there are also newer and more luxurious townhomes that top out at almost $1.5M. Condos for sale in the Woodlands can be found for around $150K to $165K. The real estate market in The Woodlands is competitive, with homes available for about 4 to 6 days before they go pending and typically selling about 3% to 8% over the list price.
Cypress
Best For: Families + Outdoor Living
Situated about 24 miles northwest of Houston is the city of Cypress, with a population of nearly 200K residents. Cypress is attractive to people in all stages of life, but is probably most appealing to families of all sizes. The school system in Cypress is huge, with 12 high schools in the local district, and 9 of them hold an A+ rating. Cypress also has a couple of lakes and several golf courses the locals love to enjoy.
Nearly all of Cypress real estate for sale is single-family homes and include several neighborhoods with their own style and atmosphere. Older neighborhoods like Longwood with brick homes built in the ‘80s to ‘90s are usually found starting at the $300K price point. There are also a lot of new construction homes in Cypress. A couple of communities with newer homes are:
- Towne Lake – A community surrounding a lake with exclusive access and an upscale boardwalk boasting several shops, restaurants, and other businesses.
- Bridgeland – A master-planned neighborhood with the same developers who developed The Woodlands, TX. Bridgeland has beautiful parks with grand playgrounds and luxurious, resort-style pools.
Nearly all of the homes for sale in Cypress are single-family homes, primarily constructed in the early 2000s till now, with three to four bedrooms. There are a few homes built from the ‘70s to ‘90s, though. You’ll also find some new and upscale condos in Cypress ranging from $280K to $480K. The median price of homes in Cypress is around $450K, though you can easily find homes around $200K and several in the $1M+ range. Cypress is in a seller’s market with homes for sale for about 39 days selling about 2.4% over the list price.
Katy
Best For: Families
Located 30 miles west of Houston, Katy is a popular city for families with master-planned communities and is home to the #1 school district in the Houston area. Though Katy is a suburb of Houston with 29,000 people, it’s a self-sustaining city in its own right with amenities like shops and restaurants at Katy Mills Mall and LaCenterra and more.
Eight master-planned communities, including Cinco Ranch and Cane Island, make up most of the Katy real estate market. Nearly all of the homes for sale in Katy were constructed since the ‘70s and are single-family detached homes with three to four bedrooms, though there are a few condos and townhomes. About 79% of Katy residents own their homes.
There are homes for sale in Katy at nearly every price point. You can find starter homes around $150K to mansions hovering in the $2.5M price range. The condos for sale in Katy range from $250K to $510K, while townhomes for sale in Katy can be found between $200K for older homes and up to $465K for newer ones. New construction in Katy is also common as there’s plenty of lands to build out. The Katy real estate market is very competitive with homes lasting about 5 days on the market and selling for about 3% to 8% over the list price.
Conroe
Best For: Families + professionals + outdoor enthusiasts
About 49 miles north of Houston and around 11 miles north of The Woodlands is Conroe, TX, one of the top fastest-growing cities in the United States, with over 88,000 people. Conroe exudes southern charm and a booming lake atmosphere with a revitalizing downtown square and is home to one of the only three major lakes in the entire Houston area, Lake Conroe.
The heavily wooded Conroe real estate has become popular in recent years for its great school district, lake life amenities, Deison Technology Park, and a plethora of shopping and dining amenities along I-45 and Hwy 105. Conroe has several outdoor activities like boating, fishing, skateboarding, golfing, and more! Some of the most popular parks in Conroe include:
- Cashmere Ski Park
- Candy Cane Park
- Montgomery County Veterans Memorial Park
Over half of the homes for sale in Conroe were built since the early 2000s, with two to four bedrooms, though several of them were constructed from the ‘70s to ‘90s. About 54% of Conroe real estate are single-family detached homes, while you’ll find condos and townhomes too, especially in lakefront communities. Though most of the lakefront has been developed, there are still several new construction homes for sale in Conroe. The median home price is $365K, while condos for sale in Conroe average $250K and older townhomes start out at $150K to newer ones at $485K. Some of the most popular neighborhoods in Conroe are:
- Tanglewood – An older neighborhood with ranch-style homes ranging from $250K to $350K.
- Graystone Hills – A newer neighborhood of primarily 2-story brick homes ranging from $300K to $550K.
- April Sound – A gated community with a golf course and a mixture of townhomes & single-family homes.
Montgomery
Best For: Rural living + Families
Around 55 miles north of Houston and 16 miles west of Conroe is the classy southern town of Montgomery, TX, with a population of 2,200. Since its establishment in 1837, Montgomery has been the epitome of a Texas town. It’s also one of the oldest towns in the Lone Star State, and it’s the birthplace of the Texas flag! People are drawn to Montgomery for its lively, small-town atmosphere with festive Christmas parades, fundraising cookie walks, ranches, wineries, and highly-rated school district.
Montgomery real estate has a variety of housing options to choose from. About 57% of homes for sale in Montgomery are single-family homes of all sizes. Detached starter homes start in the $100K range, and luxurious mansions top out at around $5.6M. Condos for sale in Montgomery can be found around $100K, but depending on location (like waterfront on Lake Conroe), condos can be priced around $400K. The same goes for townhomes ranging from $200K to $850K, with some including an attached garage. New construction homes in Montgomery are also common, especially custom homes built on your own lot or tract of land.
Best Suburbs of Houston – A conclusion
If you’re still deciding on whether you should move to the Houston area, you might consider checking out some of the best suburbs of Dallas. The DFW area has comparable surrounding cities and amenities but in a different atmosphere. Be sure to contact a local real estate agent to help you with your home search.
