Conroe vs The Woodlands: retirement compared
Conroe and The Woodlands sit a short distance apart in the Houston, The Woodlands & Northwest region, and both sit largely in Montgomery County, so households often compare them. They are structured very differently. Conroe is the Montgomery County seat, an incorporated city with its own tax rate, its own city services and a 332-bed hospital in town. The Woodlands is an unincorporated township that the Census Bureau's place file classifies as a census designated place in Harris and Montgomery counties, run by a township board rather than a city council, with two large hospital campuses and a village structure of deed restrictions and design review.
Last reviewed
Conroe and The Woodlands at a glance
Figures come from each place page and name their own period; sources are listed on those pages.
| Measure | Conroe | The Woodlands |
|---|---|---|
| Population (ACS 2019-2023 5-year estimate) | 96,976 | 116,916 |
| Residents aged 65 and over (ACS 2019-2023 5-year estimate) | 13.3% | 14.5% |
| Median age (ACS 2019-2023 5-year estimate) | 32.8 | 40.5 |
| Median home value (owner-occupied) (ACS 2019-2023 5-year estimate) | $283,100 | $479,400 |
| Median gross rent (ACS 2019-2023 5-year estimate) | $1,350 per month | $1,792 per month |
| Median household income (ACS 2019-2023 5-year estimate) | $75,245 | $141,353 |
| Property tax context (tax year 2026) | 2026 rates per hundred dollars of taxable value: City of Conroe 0.4272; Montgomery County 0.3860; Conroe ISD 0.9471 (units overlap; exemptions differ, so the rates are not simply added) | 2026 rates, Montgomery County table: The Woodlands Township 0.1694; Montgomery County 0.3860; County Hospital District 0.0458; Lone Star College 0.1058; Conroe ISD 0.9471 or Magnolia ISD 0.9325 by address (rates are not added) |
| Hospital access (hospital system page read October 2026) | HCA Houston Healthcare Conroe, a 332-bed acute-care hospital at 504 Medical Center Blvd. in the city | Memorial Hermann The Woodlands Medical Center, at 9250 Pinecroft Drive, describes 457 beds and a Level II trauma center and is in town; the record also names Houston Methodist The Woodlands Hospital in town |
| Airport access | Not in our data | Houston Airports operates George Bush Intercontinental Airport (IAH) and William P. Hobby Airport (HOU), the commercial airports named for the area (airport system page read October 2026) |
| 55+ communities in our research | 0 | 0 |
Conroe vs The Woodlands: the short answer
Conroe and The Woodlands sit a short distance apart in the Houston, The Woodlands & Northwest region, and both sit largely in Montgomery County, so households often compare them. They are structured very differently. Conroe is the Montgomery County seat, an incorporated city with its own tax rate, its own city services and a 332-bed hospital in town. The Woodlands is an unincorporated township that the Census Bureau's place file classifies as a census designated place in Harris and Montgomery counties, run by a township board rather than a city council, with two large hospital campuses and a village structure of deed restrictions and design review.
Two cautions apply throughout. First, the property-tax figures are shown to explain how each place is taxed, not to predict a bill. Most come from the Montgomery County Tax Office's table for 2026, which covers both places on the same basis, but the Harris County portion of The Woodlands is published in a separate table for tax year 2025 and is not like-for-like with the 2026 Montgomery figures. Second, neither place carries a single flood or storm label. Exposure varies by parcel, so each section ends with what a buyer should check. For the statewide rules, see property taxes and appraisal districts and homestead and age-65 exemptions.
Full profiles: Conroe and The Woodlands.
Which one fits you
Choose Conroe if
- You want an incorporated city with a published city rate, a county-seat setting and a hospital inside city limits.
- You prefer a lower median home value, since the 2019-2023 survey estimates $283,100 for Conroe against $479,400 for The Woodlands.
- You want Lake Conroe recreation and a lake that also supplements the county's drinking water, and are willing to check lakefront parcels against the flowage easement.
- You are comfortable confirming whether an address with a Conroe mailing address is actually inside the city limits.
Choose The Woodlands if
- You want two large hospital campuses and a deep specialist base inside one planned township.
- You value a single township that handles parks, covenant administration, commuter bus and trolley service and senior transportation.
- You accept a higher-cost market and a more complicated tax picture, with two appraisal districts and two county tax offices depending on the parcel.
- You are comfortable with village-level design review and deed restrictions as part of owning a home.
Conroe and The Woodlands: best for, and think twice if
Conroe
Best for
- Buyers who want lake recreation with an inpatient hospital in the city: Lake Conroe covers 21,000 acres, and HCA Houston Healthcare Conroe is a 332-bed acute-care hospital and Level II trauma center.
- If you want to compare lower housing costs: the median owner-occupied value is $283,100, which the sources calls notably less costly than The Woodlands.
- Buyers 65 or older who want a tax ceiling: the county's 2026 table marks both the City of Conroe and Conroe ISD as offering a ceiling, and the city row prints a 20% homestead figure.
Think twice if
- Think twice about lakefront lots: Lake Conroe peaked at 206.24 feet on August 28, 2017 against a 201-foot conservation level, with a flowage easement at 207 feet, so check lots against it and the flood map.
- Buyers should check for district taxes: the county table lists utility districts such as Montgomery County MUD 153 at 1.4500 per $100, and many Conroe-area subdivisions sit in separate districts.
- Think twice if you want a retiree-heavy city or a 55+ community inside it: 13.3 percent of residents are 65 or older, the median age is 32.8, and Conroe itself has no 55+ community in this set.
The Woodlands
Best for
- Buyers who want two large hospital campuses inside the community: Memorial Hermann The Woodlands Medical Center (457 beds, Level II trauma center) and Houston Methodist The Woodlands Hospital are both in The Woodlands.
- If shared services and managed neighborhoods appeal: the Township runs parks, pathways, a commuter bus, trolleys, ADA paratransit and senior transportation, and deed restrictions with village-level design review are central.
Think twice if
- Think twice if you want a single city government: there is none, and the Township tax (0.1694 for 2026) sits on top of county, school and water-district taxes, with Montgomery County district rates listed from 0.1600 to 1.4500.
- Flood and hurricane exposure is parcel-specific: Harris County Flood Control says a major flood occurs somewhere in Harris County about every two years, and two appraisal districts value parcels depending on the county side.
- New retirement-oriented construction is mostly outside the township, in Del Webb in Chambers Creek and Del Webb Bridgeland, and only 14.5% of residents are 65 or older.
Each point restates facts from that place's own page and sources. It is not a rating.
Conroe and The Woodlands side by side
| Dimension | Conroe | The Woodlands |
|---|---|---|
| Who taxes the address, and the 2026 table they share | Conroe is an incorporated city, so its tax statement carries a city line. The Montgomery County Tax Office's 2026 table lists the City of Conroe at 0.4272 per $100 of taxable value, Montgomery County at 0.3860, Conroe ISD at 0.9471, the Montgomery County Hospital District at 0.0458 and Lone Star College at 0.1058. The City's finance page confirms $0.4272 and says taxes are billed in October and become delinquent after January 31. An address with a Conroe mailing address is not necessarily inside the city limits, in which case the city line would not apply. | The Woodlands has no city, so there is no city rate. The same 2026 table lists The Woodlands Township at 0.1694, with the same county, hospital district and college lines as Conroe, and lists Conroe ISD at 0.9471 and Magnolia ISD at 0.9325, so the school district depends on the parcel. Because the county and school lines overlap, the main difference between the two on the Montgomery side is the city line versus the township line. What a buyer should check: which school district and which special districts appear on the exact parcel's statement. |
| How the city rate and the township rate have moved | The Montgomery County notice for 2026 lists a no-new-revenue rate of $0.3706 and a voter-approval rate of $0.4136 for the county. The 2026 table splits the City of Conroe's 0.4272 into 0.3022 for maintenance and operations and 0.1250 for debt service, so roughly three-tenths of the city rate repays bonds. Year-over-year changes for the City should be read from its own budget pages, since the table shows one year. | The Township publishes a short series. Its tax page says the board adopted a 2024 rate of $0.174 per $100 of taxable value on September 5, 2024. Its budget page says the 2026 budget is based on a 2025 rate of $0.1714, and its home page says the board adopted a 2026 rate of $0.1694 on September 3, 2026. Its notice states that the rate will effectively be raised by 1.79 percent for maintenance and operations purposes, so a lower nominal rate does not by itself mean a lower Township bill for every owner. |
| Over-65 exemptions and tax-ceiling marks | The Texas Comptroller states that Tax Code Section 11.13(b) requires school districts to provide a $140,000 residence homestead exemption and Section 11.13(c) an additional $60,000 for homeowners 65 or older or disabled. In the Montgomery County table for 2026 the City of Conroe row prints 20% for the homestead heading and 40,000 in each of the next two columns, and carries a Yes in the tax ceiling column. Conroe ISD prints 140,000, 65,000 and 60,000 with a Yes in the same column. Confirm the amounts with the appraisal district before relying on them. | The same table prints 3%, 50,000 and 50,000 on the Township row under its homestead, over-65 and disability headings, with no Yes in the ceiling column, while Conroe ISD and Magnolia ISD are marked as offering a ceiling. The Montgomery County Tax Office explains that when a home qualifies for the over-65 or disabled exemption, the school taxes on that home will not increase while the exemption is in place. That is a school-tax ceiling on a homestead, not a freeze on all property taxes at 65, and local ceilings are optional for each unit. |
| Appraisal districts and county tax offices | A Conroe address is appraised by Montgomery Central Appraisal District, whose office is at 109 Gladstell in Conroe, and billed through the Montgomery County Tax Office. The tax office explains that an owner 65 or older may defer paying taxes on a homestead by filing an affidavit, with 5% interest accruing each year, so deferral postpones the tax and does not cancel it. | The Woodlands straddles the county line, so two appraisal districts may be involved: Montgomery Central Appraisal District and Harris Central Appraisal District, which lists an office at 13013 Northwest Freeway in Houston. The Township's tax page says its tax appears as an additional line on either the Montgomery County or the Harris County bill depending on where the property sits. For tax year 2025 the Harris County table lists Harris County at 0.3809600 and the Harris County Hospital District at 0.1876100. Those are 2025 figures from another county and are not like-for-like with the 2026 Montgomery table. |
| Water, utility and road districts on the bill | The 2026 Montgomery table lists many municipal utility districts, including Montgomery County UD 3 at 0.1600 and Montgomery County MUD 153 at 1.4500, which shows how wide the range is within the county. The Texas Commission on Environmental Quality explains that a district with voter-approved unlimited tax bonds must levy an annual property tax sufficient to cover its debt, on all property in the district by appraised value. Whether a Conroe-area home sits inside one shows on the tax statement and in the seller's notice to purchaser. | The Township's utilities menu lists Montgomery County MUD 386, Woodlands Water and the San Jacinto River Authority, and the 2026 table lists Woodlands Road District 1 at 0.0400. Whether any of those lines apply to a particular Woodlands address cannot be assumed. TCEQ's guide says the notice to purchaser states the district's authorized and issued bonds and its current tax rate, so ask for it early. What a buyer should check: every district line on the parcel statement, in both places. |
| Hospitals inside each place | HCA Houston Healthcare Conroe, at 504 Medical Center Blvd., describes itself as a full-service 332-bed acute-care hospital and tertiary referral center with a Level II trauma center and a Comprehensive Stroke Center certification. Network status can change, so confirm it before relying on a plan. | The Woodlands has two campuses inside the township. Memorial Hermann The Woodlands Medical Center, at 9250 Pinecroft Drive, describes a main hospital with 457 beds and a designated Level II trauma center. Houston Methodist The Woodlands Hospital, at 17201 Interstate 45 S., describes a full-service acute care hospital with a cancer center and heart and vascular services. The Texas Medical Center in Houston remains the separate destination for specialty care from either place; no drive time is given because it varies by hour and route. |
| Lake, creek and floodplain exposure | Conroe's flood questions are tied to Lake Conroe and the county's creeks. The San Jacinto River Authority lists a normal conservation level of 201 feet above mean sea level, a flowage easement at 207 feet and a highest level on record of 206.24 feet on August 28, 2017. Montgomery County's Floodplain Administration office, at 501 North Thompson in Conroe, maintains an interactive floodplain map. What a buyer should check: lakefront and creekside parcels against the flowage easement and the current flood map. | The Woodlands has two sets of public flood information. The Montgomery County office covers the Montgomery side, while the Harris County Flood Control District, which covers the Harris side, says a major flood occurs somewhere in Harris County about every two years and that most flooding is in areas developed before current regulations restricted construction in flood-prone areas. FEMA states that floods do not follow city limits or property lines and that flood insurance is a separate policy from homeowners insurance. Check the specific parcel's map and which county's tools apply. |
| Wind and hurricane insurance rules | The Texas Windstorm Insurance Association's eligibility page lists the 14 first-tier coastal counties and parts of Harris County east of Highway 146 as its designated area. Montgomery County is not among the counties listed, so most Conroe homes are insured through the private market for wind and hail. Inland wind and rain from a tropical system can still affect the county. Premiums are not quoted here. | The same eligibility rule applies to the Montgomery side of The Woodlands. Because the township also reaches into Harris County, a buyer should confirm where a Harris-side parcel falls relative to the area the association describes, instead of assuming. The National Weather Service Houston/Galveston office publishes a hurricane guide that applies to both. Premiums vary by insurer, roof, claims history and address. |
| Housing cost and who lives there | The Census Bureau's 2019-2023 survey estimates Conroe city at 96,976 residents with a median age of 32.8 and 13.3 percent aged 65 and over, a median household income of $75,245, and a median owner-occupied home value of $283,100. It estimates a median gross rent of $1,350 and a 55.2 percent owner-occupied share. These are survey estimates with margins of error. | The same survey estimates The Woodlands CDP at 116,916 residents with a median age of 40.5 and 14.5 percent aged 65 and over, a median household income of $141,353 and a median owner-occupied value of $479,400. It estimates a median gross rent of $1,792 and a 71.7 percent owner-occupied share. The two areas use different geographic definitions, a city and a census designated place, so compare the direction of the gap and not the decimal. |
| Local government, services and sales tax | Conroe's website lists parks and recreation, a fire department, a cultural district and a downtown development plan among city services, with 20 parks. The city has also announced the purchase of a water and wastewater system. Lake Conroe is run by the San Jacinto River Authority, which regulates marinas, docks and bulkheads, not the city. | The Township's site lists parks and recreation, a fire department, covenant administration, commuter bus and trolley service and senior transportation, and describes a board of directors elected by residents. Its tax page states a sales and use tax rate of 8.25 percent in the Township, of which the State receives 6.25 percent, 1.0 percent goes to the Township and 1.0 percent to the Township's Economic Development Zone. Village-level Residential Design Review Committees make deed restrictions and design approval part of ownership. |
| Retirement communities nearby | Conroe itself has no 55+ community among those written up for this site. The nearest is Del Webb in Chambers Creek, in Willis, which Del Webb's page describes as having direct access to Lake Conroe and a full-time Lifestyle Director. | The Woodlands is likewise a planned all-age township and not a 55+ community. New retirement-oriented construction in this part of the region sits mostly outside the township, including the Willis community above, so the choice between the two places is mostly about the surrounding services and tax structure and not about a 55+ neighborhood inside either one. |
Time-sensitive details
- As of October 8, 2026 HCA Houston Healthcare's page carried an alert that HCA Healthcare hospitals are not in network with Cigna Texas. (as of October 8, 2026; valid through November 22, 2026). Confirm before relying on it.
Sources and review date
Last reviewed . Facts on this page come from the sources below; where a rule or figure can change, check the linked source before relying on it.
- 2026 Tax Rates - 2026 Exemptions (entities collected by the Montgomery County Tax Office) — Montgomery County Tax Office (accessed 2026-10-08)
- Exemptions / Tax Deferral, Montgomery County Tax Office — Montgomery County Tax Office (accessed 2026-10-08)
- Notice About 2026 Tax Rates, Montgomery County — Montgomery County, Texas (accessed 2026-10-08)
- Montgomery Central Appraisal District — Montgomery Central Appraisal District (accessed 2026-10-08)
- Property Tax Exemptions — Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts (accessed 2026-10-08)
- Texas Water Districts: A General Guide (GI-043) — Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (accessed 2026-10-08)
- Property Tax, City of Conroe — City of Conroe (accessed 2026-10-08)
- City of Conroe — City of Conroe (accessed 2026-10-08)
- The Woodlands Township home page — The Woodlands Township (accessed 2026-10-08)
- Taxes, The Woodlands Township — The Woodlands Township (accessed 2026-10-08)
- Budget, The Woodlands Township — The Woodlands Township (accessed 2026-10-08)
- Tax Rate Information by jurisdiction — Harris County Tax Assessor-Collector (accessed 2026-10-08)
- Harris Central Appraisal District — Harris Central Appraisal District (accessed 2026-10-08)
- Flooding and Floodplains — Harris County Flood Control District (accessed 2026-10-08)
- History of Lake Conroe — San Jacinto River Authority (accessed 2026-10-08)
- Lake Conroe Division — San Jacinto River Authority (accessed 2026-10-08)
- Floodplain Administration, Montgomery County — Montgomery County, Texas (accessed 2026-10-08)
- Flood Maps — Federal Emergency Management Agency (accessed 2026-10-08)
- Coverage and Eligibility — Texas Windstorm Insurance Association (accessed 2026-10-08)
- NWS Houston/Galveston — National Weather Service (accessed 2026-10-08)
- HCA Houston Healthcare Conroe — HCA Houston Healthcare (accessed 2026-10-08)
- Memorial Hermann The Woodlands Medical Center — Memorial Hermann Health System (accessed 2026-10-08)
- Houston Methodist The Woodlands Hospital — Houston Methodist (accessed 2026-10-08)
- Del Webb in Chambers Creek, Willis, Texas — Del Webb (PulteGroup) (accessed 2026-10-08)
- American Community Survey 2019-2023 DP03 Selected Economic Characteristics, Conroe city, Texas — U.S. Census Bureau (accessed 2026-10-08)
- American Community Survey 2019-2023 DP04 Selected Housing Characteristics, Conroe city, Texas — U.S. Census Bureau (accessed 2026-10-08)
- American Community Survey 2019-2023 DP05 Demographic and Housing Estimates, Conroe city, Texas — U.S. Census Bureau (accessed 2026-10-08)
- American Community Survey 2019-2023 DP03 Selected Economic Characteristics, The Woodlands CDP, Texas — U.S. Census Bureau (accessed 2026-10-08)
- American Community Survey 2019-2023 DP04 Selected Housing Characteristics, The Woodlands CDP, Texas — U.S. Census Bureau (accessed 2026-10-08)
- American Community Survey 2019-2023 DP05 Demographic and Housing Estimates, The Woodlands CDP, Texas — U.S. Census Bureau (accessed 2026-10-08)
- 2020 Census Texas place codes and counties — U.S. Census Bureau (accessed 2026-10-08)
- Conroe, TX, Handbook of Texas Online — Texas State Historical Association (accessed 2026-10-09)