By Tracy Dang
Times Managing Editor
Published:
Monday, January 19, 2009 9:23 AM CST
Even though the Houston area has seen a slowdown in recent commercial and residential growth, the greater Katy area is continuing to see growth,” said Dr. Pat Guseman, a demographer with Population and Survey Analysts.

Guseman presented the most recent study of growth and projections of the Katy Independent School District area during the Greater Katy Chamber of Commerce luncheon Wednesday.

“Katy ISD is one of the fastest growing large districts,” Guseman said. “It remains in to the top 20 statewide and is fourth in Houston.”

While Cy-Fair ISD has become a leader in percent-change enrollment during the last five years, Katy ISD follows closely behind.

“One of the characteristics is economically disadvantaged students in Katy have increased 10-20 percent,” Guseman said. “But on the same note, that’s a low proportion of your student population.”

Still, she said there are 11 new elementary schools and four new junior high schools planned for the next 10 years.

And Guseman projects that by 2012, the district will have at least 4,000 more students, filling the need for three new high schools.

“You folks in this room have high birth rates,” Guseman said. “But that’s changing a bit because there’s challenges as far as entry level households.”

But Katy continues to have a low unemployment rate, keeping the economy strong in the area.

Even though there are approximately 220 active subdivisions in the area, most of the residential growth has been in master-planned communities.

But as they start feeling the effects of the slowdown, there will be a rise in other housing options.

“Apartments are playing a more important role,” Guseman said. “Those apartments are going to add within the next five years about 4,800 additional housing units.”

However, apartments are only part of the projected 17,500 new households in the area, with 27 percent representing single-family homes.

“This area is in such demand because it’s a family-oriented area,” Guseman said. “School districts are so critical to determining where people live because school districts determine what are good investments.”

While the economy is expecting a two-year slowdown, Katy will continue to be spared from a lot of it.

“We’re going to see slower growth throughout the suburban areas, but keep in mind Katy will still be at a competitive advantage,” Guseman said.

A complete copy of the demographics study is available on Population and Survey Analysts’ Web site at
www.pasademographics.com.