Katy Apartments and Rentals

The city of Katy, Texas, is a suburban, family-friendly environment with easy access to the cultural diversity and economic opportunities of Houston, the fourth largest city in the United States, which is only about a half-hour away.

Katy apartments for rent carve out a space for themselves amid subdivisions, large estate homes and startup companies. Katy is especially attractive to entrepreneurs looking to reap the benefits associated with being in the Houston Metropolitan Area without having to deal with the expense of being located in Houston proper.

Before it was settled in 1872, the area that now makes up modern-day Katy was used as a hunting ground by the Karankawa Indians that populated the area. It was identified as a good place to settle because of its abundance of farmland, and the town site of Katy was laid out and plotted in 1895, although the city was not formally incorporated until 1945.

In addition to its arable land, Katy was also an attractive place to settle because it was easy to get to, as the Missouri, Kansas and Texas (MKT) Railroad ran right through it. In fact, the city was named after the railroad. In Katy's early days, cotton, peanut and rice farms were commonplace, and farming remained the area's bread and butter until a nearby gas field was discovered in 1934. Wells were dug, a refining plant was built and Katy duly grew.

Today, the gas field remains one of the largest in the country, and has contributed immensely to Katy's expansion and development. As of 2011, the 11.26-square-mile city was home to more than 15,000 people.

Many Katy residents commute back and forth to Houston, but the area has a number of viable employers in its own right. Among them are the Katy Independent School District (KISD), a number of petrochemical companies (including BP America, ExxonMobil and Shell Oil), the Katy Mills Mall and Christus St. Catherine Hospital.

KISD, which employs more than 6,000 people and spans 181 square miles, serves more than 62,000 students and encompasses 53 schools - including six four-year high schools. The school district is a deciding factor in many families' decisions to move to Katy, as the nearby Houston Independent School District is much less well-funded and more overcrowded.

In terms of further education, Strayer University has a Katy campus, as does Houston Community College.

According to City-Data.com's March 2012 cost of living index, the cost of living in Katy is 92.4 - below the national average of 100. U.S. Census Bureau data indicates that the median gross rent for Katy apartments is $1,001.

Because Houston is so close, many people who live in Katy flock to the bright lights of the big city for events, attractions and entertainment. Probably the most popular attraction in Katy itself is the 1.3 million-square-foot Katy Mills Mall, which houses more than 200 retail establishments, plus a 20-screen movie theater and numerous eateries.

In terms of events, Katy is home to one of the largest school rodeos in the state - the three-day Katy ISD FFA Livestock Show and Rodeo, which is held every February in conjunction with KISD's annual livestock show. The following month features the Pin Oak Charity Horse Show, one of the region's oldest and most prestigious. Other events held throughout the year include the Folk Life Festival in April, the Katy Heritage Festival in May and the Katy Rice Harvest Festival in October.

If you are looking for an apartment for rent or a house rental in Katy, TX, search for rental properties at Rent.com®.