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In Magnolia, Kresston is expected to bring over 3,500 homes over the next decade, said Steven Barrera, vice president and general manager at Johnson Development. Price points will range from the low $300,000s to over $800,000, with homes targeting a broad range of buyers, he said.
“The terrain is very attractive ... with the natural forests and trees that exist on the property,” Barrera said.
Barrera said the area’s proximity to major roadways such as Hwy. 249 and FM 1486, plus demand for a “country feel,” has made it an ideal spot for growth.
Meanwhile, Ellerden and Amira, two single-family communities near Cypress Rosehill Road in Tomball, are anticipated to comprise over 1,900 homes at full build-out. City officials are taking a long-range approach to growth, Mayor Lori Klein Quinn said.
“We’re strategically placing [homes] according to our future land use map and to keep Tomball’s small town feel,” Quinn said.
Magnolia paused new water connections through a development moratorium enacted in 2022, which officials said has helped the city catch up.
“We now are having regular conversations to understand what the developer’s needs are and then working backwards,” Magnolia Mayor Matthew Dantzer said.
Communities such as Audubon, High Meadow West and Emory Glen are continuing to build out across the area, contributing to a steady reshaping of the suburban landscape.
View the map of developments around the Tomball and Magnolia area. This map is not comprehensive.
Diving in deeper
Tomball finalized its updated land use map in June as part of the city’s comprehensive plan, and infrastructure planning in Magnolia is accelerating as the city prepares to lift its moratorium later this year, as previously reported.
Magnolia City Administrator Chris Whittaker said future growth will be guided by the city’s new comprehensive plan, which will have community participation during its process.
“We want to make sure we’re developer-friendly—but also clear on what we want,” Whittaker said.
Dantzer said Magnolia leaders are now coordinating with developers to ensure infrastructure improvements align with population projections.
“When roads go through, ... rooftops are going to come,” he said.
However, some developers are taking infrastructure into their own hands rather than relying on city capacity. Barrera said Kresston will have its own water well rather than using city infrastructure.
“We are in design of our own water well,” Barrera said. “Our community will be self-serving here in the near future.”
The Tomball-area ZIP code with the most growth in the region is 77375, with a 34.88% population increase from 2018-23, per the U.S. Census Bureau. Meanwhile, the Magnolia-area ZIP code with the most growth in the region is 77362, with a 25.4% population increase from 2018-23.
However, local Magnolia area residents are speaking out about the pace and scale of development. Sarah Pitre is a founding member of the Magnolia Preservation Society, which aims to ensure the voices of longtime Magnolia residents are heard during the city’s development process.
“We do ask for responsible growth,” she said. “We are not anti-growth, ... but we can do it in a way that is respectful.”
Pitre said flooding and clear-cutting, or the removal of trees, to allow development and smaller lot sizes are among her top concerns.
Developers said sales and infrastructure upgrades point to continued momentum.
“We’re excited to continue to see the growth,” Barrera said.
According to a Community Impact analysis, an estimated 36,449 new homes will be added to communities across Tomball and Magnolia as projects progress through 2037.
