Katy

Katy is a city in the U.S. state of Texas within the Greater Katy area, itself forming the western part of the Greater Houston metropolitan area. The city of Katy is approximately centered at the tripoint of Harris, Fort Bend, and Waller counties. The name "Katy" was derived from the MKT Railroad Company, which was commonly referred to as "the K-T" (also its stock exchange symbol) Today, Katy lies at the center of a broader area known as Greater Katy, which has become heavily urbanized. While largely subsumed into Greater Houston, Katy is still notable for Katy Mills Mall, the Katy Independent School District, and its historic town square along the former right-of-way of theMKT railroad. The Katy area has won national accolades for growth and sustainability, including the Gadberry Group naming Katy as one of the most notable high-growth areas in the United States. In the early 1800s Katy was known as "Cane Island", named for the creek that runs through the area, a branch of Buffalo Bayou. The town's early efforts were swept clean by the Great Galveston Hurricane of 1900. All but two of the original Katy homes were lost in the storm. The population was 9,866 in 1988, 8,005 in 1990, 11,775 in 2000, and 15,591 in 2014. Currently, Katy has grown to a population of well over 16,000 residents and almost 270,000 in the GreaterKaty area.

History

Katy is the primary city name, but also Fulshear, Park Row are acceptable city names or spellings. The official name is Katy, Texas. Katy was known as "Cane Island", named for the creek that runs through the area, a branch of Buffalo Bayou. The name "Katy" was derived from the MKT Railroad Company, which was commonly referred to as "the K-T" (also its stock exchange symbol) In 1945 the city of Katy was incorporated as a municipality. The population was 9,866 in 1988, 8,005 in 1990, 11,775 in 2000, and 15,591 in 2014. Currently, Katy has grown to a population of well over 16,000 residents and almost 270,000 in the Greater Katy area. Katy has won national accolades for growth and sustainability, including the Gadberry Group naming Katy as one of "9 from 2009" most notable high-growth areas in the United States. The town's early efforts were swept clean by the Great Galveston Hurricane of 1900, the deadliest hurricane in U.S. history. All but two of the original Katy homes were lost in the storm. Katy later became known for rice farming; the first concrete rice driers in the state of Texas were built here in 1944 and still stand as landmarks. The construction and opening of Interstate 10 in 1966 allowed for rapid development of the area as Houston expanded westward. This section was widened in 2008 to an average of 26 lanes, and in some areas 30 lanes total including 6 feeder and 4 HOV lanes for roughly 22 miles, making it the widest freeway in the world.

Geography

The city of Katy is located at the three-border intersection of Harris, Fort Bend, and Waller counties, along Interstate 10. It is 29 miles (47 km) west of downtown Houston and 22 miles (35 km) east of Sealy. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 11.3 square miles (29.3 km²) The city of Houston's extraterritorial jurisdiction stretches well west of Katy. This means that a few unincorporated lands in the Katy area could be annexed by Houston at some time in the future. The climate in this area is characterized by hot, humid summers and generally mild to cool winters. Katy has a humid subtropical climate, abbreviated "Cfa" on climate maps. The city's government has placed a large focus on the downtown redevelopment plan which included the new city hall building and an upcoming downtown green space. It also encompasses suburban developments from the 1970s and 1980s, such as Memorial Parkway, Kelliwood and Nottingham Country. The Katy Independent School District's Legacy Football Stadium, Rhodes Stadium, Momentum Indoor Climbing Center, REI Climb Store and the YMCA at Katy Main Street are all located in the city. Katy is often further defined as either "Old Towne Katy" or "Greater Katy". Old TowneKaty refers to the proper of Katy, which was incorporated in 1945. Greater Katy includes communities such as Cinco Ranch, Green Trails, Grayson Lakes, Seven Meadows, Silver Ranch Firethorne and Grand Lakes.

Demographics

As of the 2020 U.S. census, there were 21,894 people, 6,495 households, and 5,283 families residing in the city. At the 2019 American Community Survey, Katy had an estimated population of 21,729, up from 14,102 at the 2010 United States census. There were 6,651 households in 2019, with an average of 3.01 persons per household from 2015-2019. The city of Katy had a median rent of $1,030 at the 2019American Community Survey and a median household income of $83,091. The per capita income for Katy was $37,207 and 3.7% of its population lived at or below the poverty line. The racial and ethnic makeup of the city was 58.6% non-Hispanic white, 6. 6% Black and African American, 0.4% American Indian and Alaska Native, 4.3% Asian, 1.4%. two or more races, and 29.4. Hispanic and Latin American of any race. The first church established in Katy was First Baptist Church in 1898. In 2007 it moved to Pin Oak Road due to growth, and in 2016 it had 4,000 worshippers. The modern city has been served by the St. Bartholomew Catholic Church; the church offers Mass in English, Spanish, Vietnamese, and English. It has also been the modern city's Catholic population group from the Czech Republic and the modern Catholic Church from the modern Czech Republic.

Economy

Several corporations are headquartered in areas surrounding Katy. Amazon constructed a 1 million-square-foot distribution center near the intersection of Highway 90 and Woods Road. The Katy Area Economic Development Council serves as the economic development organization for the area. In September 2018, Katy Asian Town was established. This multicultural dining, shopping and residential area is anchored by Asian grocer, HMart and Japanese book retailer Kinokuniya. It is also home to the Andretti Indoor Karting and Games facility, featuring kart racing, video gaming, virtual reality attractions and dining. Since its inception, the Katy Area EDC has grown to over 210 members, has a budget of $900,000 and has assisted in the creation of over 16,200 jobs and more than $2.5 billion in capital investment. In 2021, it was estimated that new development projects were near completion to stimulate the local economy. The major retail growth is taking place along Katy Fort Bend Road near the east entrance to the Katy Mills shopping mall. In August 2010, H-E-B Food & Drug opened a new UP format store at I-10 and Pin Oak. In July 2013, Costco announced that it would open a store at the southwest corner of Grand Parkway and I- 10 in 2014. The new store was planned for completion by early spring 2014 and would be Costco's fourth Houston-area location. The area's largest employer is BP America, with 5,500 employees on its Westlake campus as of 2009. BP's Katy operations include engineering and business support for much of BP's onshore operations.

Government and infrastructure

Katy is a home-rule city, chartered in 1945. Residents within the city limits pay city taxes and receive municipal police, fire, EMS, and public works service. The city is split into two wards; two council members are elected from each ward, and one council member and the mayor are elected at-large. Residents in unincorporated Harris, Fort Bend and Waller counties are governed by those counties. The county residents elect representative county commissioners who represent them on the county courts of each county. Each county has its own representative governments, presided over by the county judge of the county. Harris Health System (Harris County's hospital district) operates the Danny Jackson Health Center in the Bear Hunter Plaza in a nearby area of Harris County. OakBend Medical Center serves as the county's charity hospital which the county contracts with. Fort Bend County does not have a hospital district. Harris County Precinct Three, headed by Tom Ramsey as of 2021, serves the Harris County portion of Katy. The Fort Bend counties have a greater influence on area outside the incorporated city limits. The cities of Houston and Austin are the largest cities in Texas, with a combined population of more than 1.2 million. The population of Houston is 1.7 million, while the population of Fort Bend is about 1.4 million, and the county has a population of 1.3 million. Houston is the largest city in Texas by population, with an estimated population of 2.1 million, according to the 2010 census.

Education

People who live in Katy are zoned to schools in the Katy Independent School District. While multiple Katy ISD schools have "Katy, Texas" postal addresses, only a portion are located in and/or serve the Katy city limits. Katy High School, the oldest high school, is located nearest to the center city. The Bible Seminary offers non-denominational college-level Bible study and ministry training, including a variety of graduate-level master's programs. HCC Northwest College operates the Katy Campus in an unincorporated section of Harris County. The Katy Branch of the Harris County Public Library (HCPL) at 5414 Franz Road is a partnership between HCPL and the City of Katy. The University of Houston purchased the Verde Park Development site, with plans to break ground on a Katy Campus at I10 and 99. The current branch building opened for regular business in Monday April 28, 2003, with its grand opening ceremony on the previous day. The city joined the county library system in 1921. The first Katy branch opened in 1940. The Friends of the Katy Library began in 1972. The construction of the current 15,000-square-foot (1,400 m2) branch began in 2002. Katy is served by the Houston Community College System (HCC) The city is also served by several private schools, including Mira Academy, a gifted-and-talented-friendly private school which allows for students to be placed in classes according to ability.

Parks and recreation

Harris County operates the Mary Jo Peckham Community Center at 5597 Gardenia Lane, Katy, Texas 77493. The City of Katy Dog Park is located at 5414 Franz Road. The annual Katy Rice Harvest Festival is two days of continuous live entertainment, craft and food booths, carnival and more. The Katy Rice Festival is held every year on the first weekend in October. The festival is free and open to the public. It is held at the Katy Rice Park in Katy, which is located on the banks of the Katy River.

Transportation

Metropolitan Transit Authority of Harris County (METRO) operates the Kingsland Park and Ride (Route 221) east of Katy at 21669 Kingsland Boulevard. Greyhound Bus Lines operates the Katy Station at Millers Exxon. Megabus.com stops at Katy Mills en route between Austin, San Antonio, and Houston. Area airports with commercial airline service include George Bush Intercontinental Airport and William P. Hobby Airport, both of which are in Houston.Privately owned airports for fixed-wing aircraft for public use located near Katy include: Sack-O-Grande Acroport (also known as Harbican Airport) in unincorporated Harris County and West Houston Airport. The Katy Mills area is home to one of the world's busiest airports, Houston's George Bush International Airport, which opened in 1988. The airport is located on the Gulf of Mexico coast and is a hub for Houston-Galveston International Airport. It is also home to Houston's main international airport, Houston-George Bush International, which was built in the early 20th century. The Houston International Airport is a major hub for the Houston area and is the largest U.S. hub for international air travel, with more than 1,000 flights a day. It opened in the late 1950s and is located in the heart of the Houston metropolitan area. It was the first international airport in the United States, opening in 1961. It has since become a major international hub for air travel and has served as a hub since the early 1980s.

Air Quality, Water Quality, Superfund Sites & UV Index

The Air Quality index is in Katy, Fort Bend County, Texas = 15.8. These Air Quality index is based on annual reports from the EPA. Higher values are better (100=best). The number of ozone alert days is used as an indicator of air quality, as are the amounts of seven pollutants including particulates, carbon monoxide, sulfur dioxide, lead, and volatile organic chemicals. The Water Quality Index is 37. A measure of the quality of an area’s water supply as rated by the EPA. Higher values are better (100=best). The EPA has a complex method of measuring the watershed quality, using 15 indicators such as pollutants, turbidity, sediments, and toxic discharges. The Superfund Sites Index is 11. Higher is better (100=best). Based upon the number and impact of EPA Superfund pollution sites in the county, including spending on the cleanup efforts. The UV Index in Katy = 6.1 and is a measure of an area's exposure to the sun's ultraviolet rays. This is most often a combination of sunny weather, altitude, and latitude. The UV Index has been defined by the WHO (www.who.int/news-room/questions-and-answers/item/radiation-the-ultraviolet-(uv)-index) and is uniform worldwide.

Employed

The most recent city population of 2,598 individuals with a median age of 33.5 age the population grows by 23.11% in Katy, Fort Bend County, Texas population since 2000 and are distributed over a density of 1,494.02 residents per square mile of area (576.84/km²). There are average 2.94 people per household in the 4,894 households with an average household income of $55,648 a year. The unemployment rate in Alabama is of the available work force and has dropped -2.52% over the most recent 12-month period and the projected change in job supply over the next decade based on migration patterns, economic growth, and other factors will increase by 26.56%. The number of physicians in Katy per 100,000 population = 213.7.

Weather

The annual rainfall in Katy = 41.9 inches and the annual snowfall = 0.1 inches. The annual number of days with measurable precipitation (over .01 inch) = 83. The average number of days per year that are predominantly sunny = 208. 95 degrees Fahrenheit is the average daily high temperature for the month of July and 42.3 degrees Fahrenheit is the average daily low temperature for the month of January. The Comfort Index (higher=better) is 23, where higher values mean a more pleasant climate. The Comfort Index measure recognizes that humidity by itself isn't the problem. (Have you noticed nobody ever complains about the weather being 'cold and humid?) It's in the summertime that we notice the humidity the most, when it's hot and muggy. Our Comfort Index uses a combination of afternoon summer temperature and humidity to closely predict the effect that the humidity will have on people.

Median Home Cost

The percentage of housing units in Katy, Fort Bend County, Texas which are owned by the occupant = 63.96%. A housing unit is a house, apartment, mobile home, or room occupied as separate living quarters. The average age of homes = 19 years with median home cost = $135,530 and home appreciation of -9.53%. This is the value of the years most recent home sales data. Its important to note that this is not the average (or arithmetic mean). The median home price is the middle value when you arrange all the sales prices of homes from lowest to highest. This is a better indicator than the average, because the median is not changed as much by a few unusually high or low values. The property tax rate of $20.09 shown here is the rate per $1,000 of home value. If for simplification for example the tax rate is $14.00 and the home value is $250,000, the property tax would be $14.00 x ($250,000/1000), or $3500. This is the 'effective' tax rate.

Study

The local school district spends $4,503 per student. There are 15.3 students for each teacher in the school, 595 students for each Librarian and 551 students for each Counselor. 5.91% of the area’s population over the age of 25 with an Associate Degree or other 2-year college degree, 16.15% with a master’s degree, Ph.D. or other advanced college degree and 6.50% with high school diplomas or high school equivalency degrees (GEDs).