Rents are 8% below what Katy's 10-year trend predicts — a better deal than its own history suggests.
Rent by unit size
These are HUD Fair Market Rents, the payment standard for a Housing Choice Voucher (Section 8). They often differ from the $1,939 market median above, and that is expected: FMR is the 40th percentile of standard-quality units and counts gross rent, so it includes essential utilities such as electricity, water, gas, sewer, and trash. The market median is asking rent, which usually excludes utilities. HUD sets FMR once a year; market rent here updates monthly.
Source: HUD Small Area Fair Market Rents. Read the methodology →
12-month history
Last updated: October 17, 2026
What the numbers show
January. Asking rents in Katy usually run 0.6% below trend in January and 0.6% above it in August, about $23 a month apart at today's median. Based on 11 years of data.
Rent in Katy is 1.9% below its high of $1,976 in March 2025, at $1,939 as of September 2026.
Rent in Katy changed -1.0% over the year to September 2026. Across the 224 Texas cities Zillow tracks, the typical change was +1.0%.
From 2019 to 2024, rent in Katy rose 30.6% while median household income rose 38.3% ($83,091 to $114,912). Income kept ahead of rent.
Rent in Katy is 26.7% higher than in March 2020. Across the US, rent is up 37.3% over the same stretch.
Rent rose in 4 of the last 12 months.
30% of the median household income ($114,912) is $2,873 a month. That covers HUD's Fair Market Rent for up to a 3-bedroom ($2,713); a 4-bedroom is $3,418.
The priciest of 4 ZIP codes in Katy, 77493 ($2,197/mo), costs 25% more than the cheapest, 77450 ($1,763/mo).
Pecan Grove, 12 miles away, rents for 26% less ($1,440/mo), about $6,000 a year in savings.
From Zillow's monthly rent index (ZORI) for Katy. The seasonal pattern compares Zillow’s seasonally adjusted and unadjusted series. Income is the Census median household income (5-year estimates). Fair Market Rents are HUD’s, which include utilities.
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Who lives here
Katy, TX is majority owner-occupied, has a large share of families with children, has a median income above the national average, 48.8% of residents hold a bachelor's degree or higher.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 2024 5-Year Estimates
How Katy, TX has changed in 5 years
The median rent in Katy, TX stood at $1,626 in 2021 and currently runs about $1,939, reflecting a 19.2% increase over the period. Median household income slipped from $115,250 to $114,912 between 2021 and 2024, a 0.3% shift. That spread, with rent up faster than earnings, points to a tougher affordability environment than five years ago. The population has grown by 14.9% since 2021, moving from about 21,926 residents to roughly 25,184. Renters now make up 19.3% of households, compared with 17.8% five years ago. College-educated residents now make up 48.8% of adults here, versus 46.7% in 2021. Taken together, the five-year picture in Katy, TX reflects how housing costs and the people paying them have evolved through a stretch that included a pandemic, a hot rental market, and a recent cooling phase.
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Can you afford rent in Katy on your salary?
At $1,939/mo, how Katy rent compares to typical pay (30% rule).
Katy rent by bedroom count
Median rent for each apartment size in Katy. Click any size for full breakdown.
Tips for renters in Katy
Last updated: October 17, 2026
The median rent in Katy is $1,939/mo as of October 2026. A studio apartment averages $1,633/mo while a 2-bedroom runs $2,035/mo. One-bedroom apartments average $1,703/mo and 3-bedroom units go for $2,713/mo.
At 20% of local median household income ($114,912/yr), Katy ranks as affordable compared to the national benchmark of 30%. Rents have decreased 1.0% over the past year.
Frequently asked questions
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Which nearby cities are cheaper to rent in than Katy?
At $1,939/mo, rent takes ~20% of Katy's median household income ($114,912/yr). The standard benchmark is 30%.
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Estimated from ZIP-level data
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