The Highlands, Porter: A Buyer's Guide to Homes, Golf and Schools
A master-planned golf community on 2,300 acres off the Grand Parkway in Porter, Texas
The Highlands is one of the fastest growing master-planned communities in the Porter and Lake Houston corridor, built by Caldwell Communities on 2,300 wooded acres off the Grand Parkway. This buyer’s guide covers what living there is really like, the amenities, the schools, the taxes, and how to plan your purchase if you have a home to sell first.
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Living in The Highlands
The Highlands sits in Porter, Texas, just east of The Woodlands and north of the Lake Houston area, wrapped around a golf course and a chain of lakes and ponds. Caldwell Communities, the developer, has planned roughly 4,000 homes across 2,300 acres, so this is a large community that will keep growing and adding amenities for years to come.
What sets it apart from most Porter neighborhoods is the amount packed inside the gates: an 18-hole golf course, a resort-style amenity complex, more than 30 miles of trails, and a 200-acre nature preserve. Homes come from more than a dozen builders and start from the $350s, which puts newer construction with big-community amenities within reach of many Lake Houston area buyers. If you want to see what is on the market right now, the current homes for sale in The Highlands are worth a look before you tour.
Because so much of the community is still being built out, buyers here are usually choosing between brand new construction and early resales. Both have a place, and the right answer depends on your timeline, your budget, and whether you have a house to sell first. That last point matters more than most buyers expect, so it has its own section below.
The Highlands at a Glance
What Makes The Highlands Different
Caldwell Communities master plan
The Highlands is developed by Caldwell Communities, a Houston builder-developer with more than 35 years of experience. A single master developer usually means consistent standards, funded amenities, and a long-term plan rather than a patchwork of small tracts.
An 18-hole golf course at the center
The community is organized around a full 18-hole golf course with a clubhouse and driving range. Golf-course frontage is limited, so those lots tend to hold value well and move faster when they come up for resale.
The Discovery Cove amenity complex
The resort-style amenity center includes a pool, a waterpark with a lazy river, a fitness center, and a demonstration kitchen for community events. This is the kind of amenity package usually found in far pricier Woodlands and Cypress communities.
Lakes, trails, and a nature preserve
Mirror Lake and Phillips Lake anchor the community, and a 200-acre preserve plus more than 30 miles of trails run through it. If wooded, walkable, and outdoorsy matters to you, few Porter neighborhoods compete.
New Caney ISD schools, some on site
The Highlands feeds New Caney ISD, and Highlands Elementary opened inside the community in Fall 2025. A second on-site campus, Highlands Middle School, is planned to open in 2027, which is a real convenience for families with young children.
A 55-plus section within the community
Fairway Pines is an age-restricted, 55-plus enclave with its own clubhouse, The Hideaway, plus pickleball and bocce. Buyers who want a lock-and-leave, low-maintenance lifestyle can get it without leaving the wider community.
Grand Parkway access to jobs
The community sits off Texas Highway 99, the Grand Parkway, which puts The Woodlands employment corridor and George Bush Intercontinental Airport roughly 20 to 25 minutes away and downtown Houston in the 35 to 45 minute range in normal traffic.
More than a dozen builders to choose from
Perry Homes, Highland Homes, David Weekley, Coventry, Lennar, Beazer, Chesmar, Drees, and several others build here. That range lets you compare floor plans, price points, and warranties inside one community rather than driving all over the county.
Amenities Inside the Community
Golf and clubhouse
An 18-hole course with driving range and clubhouse sits at the heart of the community, with a limited number of golf-frontage homesites.
Discovery Cove
Resort pool, waterpark with a lazy river, fitness center, and a demonstration kitchen used for community programming and events.
Trails and preserve
More than 30 miles of hiking and biking trails wind through a 200-acre natural preserve, so green space is built into daily life here.
Lakes and The Overlook
Mirror Lake and Phillips Lake offer fishing docks and a sandy beach area at The Overlook, a rare feature for an inland Porter community.
Fairway Pines 55-plus
A gated, age-restricted section with its own clubhouse, pickleball, and bocce for buyers who want a lower-maintenance chapter.
Courts and parks
Tennis and pickleball courts plus several neighborhood parks and playgrounds are spread across the community for everyday recreation.
Schools: New Caney ISD
The Highlands is zoned to New Caney ISD, and one of the community’s biggest draws for families is that Highlands Elementary opened on site in Fall 2025, with a second on-site campus planned for 2027. Older students currently attend nearby New Caney ISD middle and high schools, including Porter High School. Because a growing community re-zones campuses over time, confirm the exact assignment for any address before you write an offer.
For the full picture, read the New Caney ISD schools and real estate guide and the wider greater Houston school districts overview to compare ratings and boundaries across the area.
Selling a Home Before You Buy in The Highlands
Most people buying in The Highlands are not first-time buyers. They are moving up, moving over from The Woodlands or the Lake Houston area, or right-sizing into a new build, which means there is usually a current home that has to sell first. Getting that timing right is the single biggest thing that keeps a Highlands purchase on track.
Before you fall for a specific homesite, it helps to know what your existing home is worth in today’s market. A quick, no-pressure home value estimate gives you a realistic number to plan around, and if you need something more precise for a decision or a negotiation, a broker opinion of value goes deeper than an automated estimate. Line the sale and the purchase up correctly and you avoid carrying two mortgages or scrambling for a rent-back.
Stacy works both sides of these moves every week, so she can map out the sell-then-buy sequence, including new-construction contracts that need a home-sale contingency. If you are early in the process, start with the value question and the rest gets much easier to plan.
Know Your Number Before You Tour
A quick home value estimate, or a deeper broker opinion of value, tells you what your current home is worth so you can line up the sale and the new purchase without carrying two.
Get a Free Home ValuationNew Construction vs Resale in The Highlands
Honest Trade-offs to Weigh
No community is perfect, and being honest about the trade-offs is how you buy with your eyes open. The first is taxes. Like most newer master-planned communities, The Highlands has a municipal utility district, and the total estimated tax rate has run near 3.1 percent, meaningfully higher than older Kingwood villages where the district debt is closer to being paid off. Budget for the full rate, not just the mortgage.
The second is the stage of development. Because the community is still building out, you may live near active construction for a while, and some planned amenities and the second on-site school are still on the way. The upside is that early buyers get first pick of lots and often the best pricing.
The third is commute. The Grand Parkway makes The Woodlands and the airport easy, but a daily downtown commute is a real drive. If most of your week points toward the medical center or downtown, weigh that honestly. If you would rather compare a nearer-in option, the Woodridge Forest guide in Porter and the Tavola guide in New Caney are useful side-by-side reads.
Explore Nearby Communities and Guides
Comparing The Highlands with other Porter and New Caney communities? These neighborhood buyer’s guides and the East Montgomery County real estate overview help you weigh your options.
The Highlands: Frequently Asked Questions
Where exactly is The Highlands?
The Highlands is in Porter, Texas, ZIP 77365, off Texas Highway 99, the Grand Parkway, east of The Woodlands and north of the Lake Houston area. It is developed by Caldwell Communities on about 2,300 acres.
What school district is The Highlands in?
The Highlands is served by New Caney ISD. Highlands Elementary opened inside the community in Fall 2025, and a second on-site campus is planned. Campus assignments can change with growth, so always confirm the exact schools for a specific address. You can start with the New Caney ISD schools guide and the greater Houston school districts overview linked on this page.
How much do homes in The Highlands cost?
New construction generally starts in the $350s and rises well into the luxury range depending on builder, size, and lot, while resale prices vary by section. For a current, accurate figure, ask Stacy for a live look at active listings and recent sales rather than relying on a stale online number.
Does The Highlands have a golf course?
Yes. The community is built around a full 18-hole golf course with a clubhouse and driving range. Golf-frontage homesites are limited, so they tend to hold value and sell quickly on resale.
Is there a section for older adults?
Yes. Fairway Pines is a gated 55-plus section inside The Highlands, with its own clubhouse called The Hideaway plus pickleball and bocce, for buyers who want a lower-maintenance lifestyle.
Are the property taxes high in The Highlands?
They are on the higher side for the area. The community has a municipal utility district, and the total estimated tax rate has run near 3.1 percent. That is common in newer master-planned communities and something to budget for from the start.
I need to sell my current home first. Can you help with both?
Yes, that is the common case here and Stacy handles both sides of the move. Start with a home value estimate so you have a realistic number, then she can sequence the sale and the new purchase, including a home-sale contingency on a builder contract when it makes sense.