Safety concern about Houston's west suburb (Katy, Cinco Ranch: homes, neighborhood, to live in)

[dreadful]

Different websites give different ranking. One lists Sugar Land as one the safest cities, and another shows Katy has crime index 2 (meaning safer than 2% cities in US. From people's posts, this is ridiculous, right?)

[TexasCatherine]

Originally Posted by dreadful

...another shows Katy has crime index 2 (meaning safer than 2% cities in US). From people's posts, this is ridiculous, right?

Yes, I'd say that's definitely ridiculous. There is no way Katy is safer than only 2% of cities in this country. I wonder what criteria they were using. By far, the most common crime in our part of Katy (Cinco SW, Seven Meadows, Grand Lakes area) is burglary of cars. However, according to the Deputy who patrols our area, 90% of the time the owners have left their cars unlocked in driveways with valuables in plain sight. Go figure.

[tmc300]

We are also looking to buy a house in Katy (like in Cinco Ranch). About safety issue, if your kids (around 6 yrs old) are playing in front of the house and you are inside the house, do you worry that your kids may get kidnapped?

How about Silver Ranch and Firethorne, are they just as safe as Cinco Ranch if your kids are playing in front of the house?

[dreadful]

It is not a problem here in my community in NW of Chicago. I always watch my kids, but my neighbors do let their kids play outside without parents. We do not have such worries as being kidnapped.

Can I expect the same in Katy, Cinco Ranch, Sugar Land and anywhere in South and West suburbs of Houston, although actually I will still keep watching them playing outside?

[texas7]

Even in an extremely safe neighborhood - I probably would watch my kids very closely and would only let the little ones play out unsupervised in my fenced back yard. But that's just me.

[descovy]

Originally Posted by dreadful

It is not a problem here in my community in NW of Chicago. I always watch my kids, but my neighbors do let their kids play outside without parents. We do not have such worries as being kidnapped.

Can I expect the same in Katy, Cinco Ranch, Sugar Land and anywhere in South and West suburbs of Houston, although actually I will still keep watching them playing outside?

I have school aged kids and they can walk/ride a bike to a friend's house a block away

[chicagomama]

dreadful- where are you from in the NW suburbs? I am very familiar with the Chicago area and can probably give you an "equivalent" in the Houston area.

For example, we live in Sugar Land, which is pretty much the Naperville of Houston. I know, there will be people on here that will give you differences, but more or less it is similar.

Are you in the Mount Prospect/Arlington Heights/Palatine area? Or closer in? (or farther out)? Are you just looking for safety/schools? What is your price range?

I can tell you that our garage door broke a couple of weeks ago (thankfully it is now fixed) and was stuck halfway down for 2 nights- filled with bikes, a lawn mower, haha- a snow blower!, etc, and no one bothered it. I wouldn't do it on purpose, but it was nice that nothing was taken. Although who would want some kids bikes and a snow blower?

[dreadful]

chicagomama, thanks for your comments.

I am from area within Buffalo Grove - Long Grove. I am looking for a safe city with good schools (you know school district 103 here is very good, all elementary, junior and senior high). Can I expect a similar district (or SLIGHTLY less satisfying) in west/South of Houston (close to Katy, Cinco Ranch and sugar land, etc)?

The housing price can be as much as $300K or a little more, but we do not want pay too much for property tax (better less than $8k a year). I am not sure if my expectation is reasonable. Any idea?

Again, I found some schools ranked high in News Week, but not that great in Great School, such as WestSide, Memorial, and Bellaire, so I am confused. I want to get opinion from local people, such as you.

Thanks

[cheryjohns]

Originally Posted by chicagomama

I can tell you that our garage door broke a couple of weeks ago (thankfully it is now fixed) and was stuck halfway down for 2 nights- filled with bikes, a lawn mower, haha- a snow blower!, etc, and no one bothered it. I wouldn't do it on purpose, but it was nice that nothing was taken. Although who would want some kids bikes and a snow blower?

Chicagomama, you should have sold that in a garage sale before you moved down. If you tried to sell it here, no one would even know what it was. LOL. Could it sub in for a leaf blower?

[chicagomama]

I know- can you believe that we moved it down here!? I lived in IL a year while my husband commuted to Houston M-F since we could NOT sell our house. Then all of a sudden we sold it and had to move quickly.

Buffalo Grove is such a nice area!!! (OP) Really good schools too. Is that Stevenson HS? I used to work in District 211, and we lived in 214. But I have subbed at Stevenson- that place is like a college campus!!!! I am not sure what high school here would be equivalent.. but looking at your other requests, you should check out Sugar Land. I think it is generally safe, and is very family-oriented. (you mentioned SW area, but if you were looking at the north The Woodlands is great, in the west, Katy is great).

In Sugar Land, why don't you look at Colony Bend Elem/Fort Settlement MS/Clements HS- this is only one of several combinations that have your kids going to exemplary schools from K-12. CLements is listed as only recognized on har.com, but I heard through the grapevine it just got bumped up to Exemplary.

Now all that being said, I was a high school teachers for years at d. 211 which would not have been categorized as exemplary but I still thought that school was fantastic. Test scores only show a portion of a school's success- but many people are obsessed with them.

About safety- there is random crime here that worries me. I know what you mean about letting the kid going out to play. I don't do that here but I do when we go home to visit family (Naperville, Elmhurst, Plainfield.. but not so much in Chicago). I think it might be bc I"ve only lived here a year and I'm not 100% comfortable yet?