Longtime residents of the Cy-Fair area have likely heard the term “unincorporated area” at some point, due in part to the fact that large portions of what is considered Houston are actually outside the city limits, including the vast majority of Cy-Fair itself.

Outside Loop 610, the spaces between downtown Houston and surrounding suburban cities, such as Jersey Village, fall into the county jurisdiction. That means water, sewer, road maintenance, police and other basic services are handled at the county level by a court of local commissioners.

Residents should consider key differences if they decide to move from a city to an unincorporated area, or vice versa.

For example, homeowners living in unincorporated Harris County would not pay city taxes, but they will likely pay money to an emergency services district and a hospital district that is managed by the county to ensure residents in the area will have access to police, fire, ambulance and health services.