Cy-Fair Property Management

Ready to Buy a Property in Cy Fair Texas? Here's What You Need to Know

Cy Fair, Texas is a stretch of unincorporated area that sits between Fairbanks, Texas, and Cypress. The Cypress-Fairbanks school district encompasses both these cities and the areas between them, so it has been colloquially shortened to Cy Fair, and now represents a strong real estate market in the greater Houston TX area.

Location

Of the two constituent cities, Fairbanks is closer to Houston TX. It sits northwest of the big city by about 14 miles. Cypress lies another 14 miles northwest of Fairbanks.

Depending on where you live within the district, that can put you at a 15-to-45-minute drive from Houston TX proper. The area comprises about 186 square miles, and includes the small city of Jersey Village.

Cy Fair is located next to U.S. Highway 290 and State Highway 249, and it also has access to the Sam Houston Tollway.

Area History

Cypress can't boast of as much history as some of the neighboring areas, though recent archaeological finds suggest the area was inhabited as early as 7500 BC. The area played a marginal role in the Texas Revolutionary War: it temporarily hosted Sam Houston and his Texas Army before the pivotal Battle of San Jacinto in 1836.

However, Cypress remained a pretty sparsely populated and rural area until it became host to several master-planned communities.

Fairbanks has a slightly longer history that stretches back to July 1895, when the city was founded by John Joseph Fairbanks. The population peaked at 75 residents but dwindled back down to about 25 throughout the 1920s and 1930s.

The population of Fairbanks fluctuated up and down for some time, until the city was annexed by Houston TX in the 1950s. Because each of these neighboring towns was relatively small, it made sense to combine them, and consider them a part of the same collaborative area.

Now that the population of the entire area has increased significantly, however, each city has a respectable pool of residents on its own.

Demographics and Income

Because the Cy-Fair area is so large, it's difficult to define it precisely in terms of demographics and income. Cypress, specifically, counts a population of more than 138,000 (though there are nearly 750,000 people in the general Cy-Fair area).

The median household income in Cypress is $101,000, which is nearly twice the national median, and only 5.2 percent of the population currently lives below the poverty line. Manufacturing, education, and retail are the highest-employing industries in the region, with health care, professional/technical services, and construction not far behind.

About 57 percent of the population is Caucasian, with 10.5 percent African Americans, 8.3 percent Asian Americans, and 22 percent identifying as being of Hispanic or Latino origin. This makes Cypress fairly racially diverse compared to other suburbs of the Houston TX metropolitan area.

The Education System

The Cy-Fair school district is one of the biggest in the Houston TX area; it covers some parts of Houston TX, Cypress, Fairbanks, and Jersey City. Overall, it includes 54 elementary schools, 18 middle schools, 12 high schools, and 4 special program facilities.

The school district has received a general 6 out of 10 rating on GreatSchools.org, which puts it slightly above average. Cy-Fair is also part of the Lone Star College System.

Things to Do

In the Cy-Fair area, these are among the top attractions:

• Vintage Park. Vintage Park is an enormous shopping center in the Cy-Fair area. It's home to a variety of shops, restaurants, bars, and sources of entertainment, including a movie theater. It also hosts several businesses and health centers.
• StageWorks Theater. StageWorks Theater produces several theater productions every year and is locally supported by the culturally involved community.
• The Cy-Fair area is served by the Harris County parks system and has access to a variety of public parks.
• Golf courses. Thanks to the spread-out character of the Cy-Fair area, there are tons of excellent golf courses to choose from, including Jersey Meadow Golf Course, Longwood Golf Club, Houston Oaks Country Club & Family Sports Retreat, BlackHorse Golf Club, and Cypress Lakes Golf Club.
• The Berry Center. The Berry Center is a 65-acre site and a secondary athletic center. It's available for corporate and organizational events and is often used for staff development functions and graduations as well.

The Housing Market

Between 2000 and 2010, the population of the Cy-Fair area exploded by more than 50 percent, to nearly 750,000 people in total. If it were a stand-alone city, it would now be one of the 20 biggest cities in the United States.

Fairbanks is noteworthy for having one of the highest renting populations in the U.S.: fully 94 percent of its residents are renting rather than own their home. The median real estate price in Fairbanks is $142,264, and the average rent is $845, which is lower than 80 percent of all Texas neighborhoods (and part of the reason the city is so friendly to renters).

Small-to-medium-sized apartment complexes are the norm here. Many buildings were constructed between 1970 and 1999, though most of Cypress's homes were built during the boom of the 1990s. However, there has also been an influx of new buildings dating from the 2000s.

In Cypress, crime rates are relatively low, with only 2 violent crimes per 1,000 people per year, compared to the Texas average of 4.1, and the national median of 3.8. This may play a role in driving home prices slightly higher.

Is Cy-Fair Right for You?

So, could Cy-Fair area be your top choice in the Houston TX area?

• You're looking for a low-vacancy apartment building. Remember, Fairbanks has one of the highest renter populations in the nation. If you're thinking of buying an apartment building, you won't find a much better locale than Fairbanks. Rents are fair, renters are happy, and vacancies are super low, so now would be a smart time to jump.
• You want in on a young suburban area. Cypress and other regions in the Cy-Fair area are still very young, since the oldest population boom unfolded in the 1990s. That means the houses are newer and in less need of maintenance, and the neighborhood still has plenty of room to grow. Property prices are likely to rise as Cy-Fair attracts even more attention.
• You want low density and high diversity. The great thing about the area is that it spreads out over several different cities and regions. That means you'll never run out of locations to wander into and through in your own neighborhood; and on top of that, the diverse population makes it more culturally enriched.

The Cy-Fair area is still young, and this is your chance to become a part of it. If you're ready to start searching this massive area, narrow down your search by using the Green Residential search tool.

With our tool, you can find precisely the type of property you're looking for.