Greater Houston home comparisons
Choose among Pearland, Sugar Land and Katy by the homes within your budget and the trip you will actually make. I am Eddie Weir, REALTOR® with REMAX Signature. The tables below compare the same dates and home-type rules, so a different reporting month does not masquerade as a price advantage.
Updated October 1, 2026. Historical market capture: September 24, 2026.
Which choice fits the move you are making?
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| Choice | Choose it if… | What I would verify first |
|---|---|---|
| Pearland | Choose it when a south-side home and a tested route to your workplace fit your budget and schedule. | A Pearland mailing address does not establish Pearland ISD; the saved listings include several district labels. |
| Sugar Land | Choose it when the specific home, condition and southwest-side route offer the tradeoff you want. | Compare established resale and any available newer home individually; check the actual district and taxing entities. |
| Katy | Choose it when a west-side home and a tested I-10-area trip work for you. | The Katy postal area is broad. Compare the exact subdivision, district, tolls and ownership costs, not just the city label. |
How do the same-date market samples compare?
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| Measure | Pearland | Sugar Land | Katy |
|---|---|---|---|
| Active listings, Sep 24 | 424 | 632 | 2,637 |
| Median asking price | $410,000 | $479,000 | $369,000 |
| Middle 50% of asking prices | $340,000–$481,000 | $348,000–$685,000 | $300,000–$500,000 |
| Median approximate age of active homes | 21 years 421 known build years | 28 years 631 known build years | 7 years 2626 known build years |
| Closed sales, Jun 1–Aug 31 | 393 | 382 | 1,680 |
| Median closed price | $385,000 | $465,000 | $350,000 |
| Median days to offer, closed cohort | 19 days 386 reported values | 21 days 375 reported values | 25 days 1636 reported values |
Exact MLS city labels with county gates. Single-family homes, townhouses and condos are combined on all three sides; these are broad postal/city search cohorts, not matched houses or municipal-boundary polygons.
Active capture: September 24, 2026, Coming Soon excluded. Closings: June 1–August 31, 2026, using actual closing dates. MLS-number duplicates and invalid prices are excluded. Prices round to $1,000; middle 50% means the 25th–75th percentile. Home age is 2026 minus reported build year; missing or future build years are omitted. Days to offer is the MLS daysOnMarket field, not time through closing. Active and closed samples contain different homes: their price gap is not appreciation, a discount or a negotiation target. These are historical samples, not current availability or an appraisal.
What should I compare about the commute?
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| Origin reference | Texas Medical Center | Energy Corridor | Downtown |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pearland Pearland City Hall, Liberty Dr, Pearland, TX 77581 | 24–40 min via Sam Houston Tollway W and State Hwy 288 Express | Not captured | 30–50 min via State Hwy 288 Express |
| Sugar Land City of Sugar Land, 2700 Town Center Blvd N, Sugar Land, TX 77479 | 30–45 min via Sam Houston Tollway S | 26–55 min via Hwy 6 N | 35–55 min via I-69 |
| Katy Katy City Hall, 901 Avenue C, Katy, TX 77493 | Not captured | 24–50 min via I-10 E | 45–80 min via I-10 E |
Historical planning sample: Google Maps typical-traffic driving ranges, checked September 24, 2026, for arrival at 8:00 AM on Tuesday, September 29, 2026. First-listed route; tolls and highways were not avoided. These are estimates from the resolved reference points shown, not measured trips or a current traffic forecast. Recheck the exact home, work entrance and shift; allow separately for parking, walking and any shuttle.
Destinations: Google’s main TMC place; Eldridge Houston at 757 N Eldridge Parkway near I-10; Downtown at Texas Avenue and Main Street. Tollways or express lanes in the route may add cost. Reference points do not represent every home or employer entrance.
How do I check the schools?
A real-estate community, city or market-area label does not guarantee district or campus assignment. The district references below cover the community sources or district labels returned in the saved area sample. MLS labels can be wrong: verify the address, grade and intended school year with the district before relying on an assignment.
District ratings and official lookup references
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| District | TEA report | Address verification |
|---|---|---|
| Pearland Independent School District | 2026: A (91/100) | Official assignment starting point |
| Alvin Independent School District | 2026: B (86/100) | Official assignment starting point |
| Fort Bend Independent School District | 2026: B (82/100) | Official assignment starting point |
| Pasadena Independent School District | 2026: B (84/100) | Confirm the address and grade directly with the district. |
| Clear Creek Independent School District | 2026: B (89/100) | Confirm the address and grade directly with the district. |
| Lamar Consolidated Independent School District | 2026: B (87/100) | Official assignment starting point |
| Stafford Municipal School District | 2026: B (85/100) | Confirm the address and grade directly with the district. |
| Katy Independent School District | 2026: B (88/100) | Official assignment starting point |
| Cypress-Fairbanks Independent School District | 2026: B (86/100) | Official assignment starting point |
| Royal Independent School District | 2026: D (64/100) | Confirm the address and grade directly with the district. |
Ratings describe one reporting year and do not predict an individual student’s experience. Boundary changes and choice-program rules require separate confirmation.
Which costs and property facts need an address-level check?
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| Check | What to obtain |
|---|---|
| HOA and other association obligations | Current dues, assessment frequency, special assessments, transfer fees, reserves, insurance responsibilities and governing documents. |
| MUD and property taxes | The actual taxing entities, adopted rates, exemptions and estimated taxable value. For a new home, budget using the completed property value rather than assuming a land-only bill continues. |
| Lot and usable outdoor space | The survey and legal description, then confirm units, easements, setbacks and what space you actually control. A listing-style label does not establish ownership boundaries. |
| FEMA designation and flood history | Read the mapped zone for the address; separately review available flood history, seller disclosures and an insurance quote. A community or home-type label is not a flood-risk percentage. |
Start with the MUD guide, property-tax guide and flood-zone-by-address tool. The CFPB home-cost checklist also explains why the loan payment alone does not describe the ownership budget.
My take
I would avoid selecting a city from one median. The broad Katy sample contains more listings than the other two, but size, age, home type and location still affect what your money buys. Shortlist comparable properties first, then test the trip and price their carrying costs before choosing.
Build a shortlist from actual homes
Explore Pearland guide · Sugar Land guide · Katy guide · Cinco Ranch guide.
For a wider relocation decision, read Moving to Houston and where to live when relocating. Bring your work address, timing and candidate homes to a 30-minute call.
Book a 30-minute call with EddieRelated guides already on the site
- About Eddie Weir, REALTOR®, ABR, LUXE
- Compare Houston ZIP-code factors
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- Published Houston-area ranking context
- Houston Buyer Guide
- Insurance, Lending, and Disclosure for Houston Buyers — Without the Doom
- Houston School Districts — A Buyer’s Guide to HISD, KISD, FBISD, and Cy-Fair
- Houston ZIP Code Map
- Published Katy ranking context
- Published Pearland ranking context
- Published Sugar Land ranking context
- The New $140,000 Texas Homestead Exemption: What Houston Homeowners Actually Save
Eddie Weir, REALTOR® · REMAX Signature · TREC #560899 · Equal Housing Opportunity.
