Neighborhood Guide

Living in Anniston, Katy TX: A Local REALTOR's Guide

If you've been priced out of the Katy you pictured—the one with the mature trees and the $500,000 resale—Anniston is worth a serious look. It's one of northwest Katy's newest master-planned communities, it's built almost entirely by Lennar, and it does one thing very well: it puts a brand-new home in a good school district within reach of a real family budget. I've walked buyers through this pocket of Katy off FM 529, and the honest pitch is simple—you're trading a longer commute and a still-growing neighborhood for a price that's hard to find anywhere else in Katy. Here's exactly how it lives, the good and the trade-offs.

Why people are buying in Anniston

Anniston has caught on for one reason above all others: value inside Katy. As prices climbed across the more established parts of Katy, a lot of buyers who wanted a new home and a Katy ISD address found themselves shut out. Anniston reopened that door. It's an attainable, new-construction community where the sticker prices start meaningfully lower than the resale market a few miles east—and where the home you're touring is brand new, under warranty, and never lived in.

The other draw is momentum. This is one of the fastest-selling corners of Katy, and homes here have been moving quickly—low inventory, short days on market, streets filling in fast. That energy cuts both ways (more on that below), but it tells you the value proposition is landing with real buyers, not just marketing.

Where Anniston is

Anniston sits in northwest Katy, on the south side of FM 529 (Freeman Road), roughly between Pitts Road and Katy Hockley Cut Off Road, in the 77493 zip code and Harris County. It's about two miles west of the Grand Parkway (SH 99), which is your main artery in and out—south to I-10 or north to US-290.

This is the growing edge of Katy, and it looks the part: newer roads, young trees, and construction still underway on nearby communities. FM 529 itself is being widened in this stretch, which is the county's way of catching infrastructure up to how fast the area is filling in. If you like being early to a neighborhood before it's fully settled, this is that—just go in clear-eyed about it.

The homes & builders

Anniston is, for all practical purposes, a Lennar community—built by Lennar and its Village Builders brand across several collections and more than a dozen floor plans. That single-builder setup is part of the value story. Lennar builds on its “Everything's Included” model, which bundles features that other builders sell as upgrades—appliances, blinds, and a smart-home package—into the base price. For a first-time buyer, that predictability is genuinely useful: fewer design-center surprises, fewer line items ballooning your final number.

On size and price, here's the honest 2026 picture. Homes range from roughly 1,084 square feet up to about 3,200 or more, and base prices generally run from the high $200s to low $300s on the low end up to roughly $460,000–$510,000 at the top, depending on collection, size, and lot. You'll see the “from the $300s” framing in marketing, but in practice some plans start below that—so ask for the current entry point. The typical Anniston home is a single-story, three-bedroom, two-bath layout with a two-car garage on a compact lot; the large majority of homes here are one-story. There are also multigenerational options—Lennar's Next Gen® plans include a private suite with its own entrance, living area, bedroom, and bath, which is a real feature if you're housing a parent or an adult child.

Cost of ownership: HOA & taxes

Where that number comes from, verified. The largest single component is the school district: Katy ISD adopted $1.1171 per $100 for 2025 and has now held that rate for two consecutive years. County, college and emergency-service districts add roughly $0.60–$0.80 more depending on whether the home sits in Harris, Fort Bend or Waller County. Everything left over is your MUD, which is set district by district and typically runs anywhere from about $0.25 to $1.40 — highest in new communities still paying off construction bonds, lowest in older districts that have retired theirs. Because the MUD is the only real variable, the rate that matters is the one attached to your specific address, not the community average. Ask me and I will pull it.

Two numbers matter here beyond the price tag. The HOA runs around $183 a month (confirm the current figure), which covers the community's shared upkeep and amenities. The bigger one to understand is the property tax rate, estimated at roughly 3.24%. That's on the higher side, and it's not a red flag so much as a fact of new Katy communities: much of it is a MUD (Municipal Utility District) rate, where bonds pay for the brand-new roads, water, and drainage the neighborhood needed to exist. Over time, as a MUD's bonds get paid down, those rates can ease—but you should budget for today's rate, not tomorrow's hoped-for one. I always run the full monthly picture—principal, interest, taxes, insurance, and HOA—so the payment doesn't surprise you after closing.

One more practical note: most of Anniston is reported to sit in Flood Zone X, the lower-risk designation, but northwest Katy broadly has drainage considerations, so I always verify the flood status of the specific lot rather than assuming based on the community.

Amenities & lifestyle

Here's where I'll be straight with you: Anniston is new, and its amenities are still coming. Walking and nature trails are further along, but the headline features—a lake for fishing and kayaking, a recreation center with a pool, pickleball courts, and additional parks and playgrounds—are largely planned or under construction as of 2026. That's completely normal for a community this young, but it matters for your decision: if you want to walk out your door to a finished resort pool this summer, ask for the construction timeline first. If you're comfortable watching the neighborhood grow into itself over a couple of years, you're buying at the right moment—often at the best prices a community will ever offer.

Day-to-day life in Anniston is quiet, brand-new suburban Katy: young families, new streets, and landscaping that hasn't filled in yet. There's no walkable retail on-site, so everyday shopping, dining, and groceries mean a short drive down the FM 529 / SH 99 corridor. The wider Katy area—Katy Mills, LaCenterra at Cinco Ranch, H-E-B and Kroger—is all reachable, just not around the corner.

Schools

Anniston is zoned to Katy ISD, which is a big part of why buyers seek it out—even at the affordable end, you're inside one of the region's most respected districts. The community is served by newer northwest Katy campuses, several of which opened in just the last few years and are still building their track records. Confirmed assignments include Freeman High School and Nelson Junior High. The elementary assignment is the one to watch: sources and sections disagree on which campus serves which street. This is exactly the kind of thing I never let a client guess on—we confirm the exact elementary, junior high, and high school for your specific address using Katy ISD's Find My School tool before you're under contract.

Commute & getting around

The trade-off for Anniston's price is its position on the map. Sitting farther northwest than “central” Katy, your commute runs a bit longer than it would from a community right off I-10. Plan on roughly 30–40 minutes to the Energy Corridor and about 45–55 minutes or more to Downtown Houston at peak times. Your access point is the Grand Parkway (SH 99), about two miles east, which connects you south to I-10 and north to US-290; the Westpark Tollway is reachable to the south as well, and the FM 529 widening is improving the east-west drive. As always, my advice is to drive your real route at the hour you'd actually leave before you commit—a map estimate and a Tuesday-at-8 a.m. reality can be two different things.

Who Anniston is best for

• First-time buyers who want into Katy ISD with a brand-new home at an attainable price.
• Value-focused buyers priced out of central Katy's resale market.
• New-construction seekers who prefer builder warranties and “Everything's Included” simplicity over negotiating upgrades.
• Multigenerational households that need a Next Gen® suite for a parent or adult child.
• Buyers who are fine trading a longer commute and a still-developing area for a lower price and a new home.

Who should probably look elsewhere? If you need a short Energy Corridor commute, want fully finished amenities on day one, or are set on a large lot and mature, established streets, a more central or older Katy community will fit you better—and I'm happy to point you there.

Buying new construction here

The single most important thing I tell Anniston buyers: bring your own agent to a new-construction purchase. The friendly person in the model home works for the builder. I work for you—at no cost to you—and that changes how the deal goes. I read the builder contract (which is written to protect the builder), press on incentives and lot premiums, line up an independent home inspection even on a new build, and compare what you're being quoted against what's genuinely closing nearby. In a fast-moving, single-builder community, that outside perspective is where buyers protect themselves and keep money in their pocket. Want the wider picture first? Start with our complete guide to moving to Katy, or the buying overview.

Frequently asked questions

Is Anniston a good place to live?

Yes, for the right buyer—it's one of northwest Katy's newest communities and a strong pick if you want a new home in Katy ISD at an attainable price, and you're comfortable with a longer commute and a still-developing area.

Who builds homes in Anniston and how much do they cost?

It's effectively an all-Lennar community (including Village Builders) on the “Everything's Included” model. In 2026, base prices generally run from the high $200s / low $300s up to roughly $460,000–$510,000, across homes from about 1,084 to 3,200-plus square feet. Confirm current pricing, since it changes often.

What schools serve Anniston?

Katy ISD—confirmed Freeman High School and Nelson Junior High, with the elementary assignment varying by section. Always confirm the exact zoning for a specific address via Katy ISD's Find My School.

Are the amenities finished?

Not entirely. Trails are further along, but the lake, recreation center, pool, and pickleball courts are planned or under construction as of 2026. Ask for current timelines.

What are the HOA and taxes?

The HOA is around $183/month, and the estimated total tax rate is roughly 3.24%, largely from the MUD that funded the community's new infrastructure. Confirm both per section and lot.

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