This post was contributed by Tali Wee of Zillow
From the River Walk to the Alamo, San Antonio has a variety of activities for tourists to explore. However, the city has more to offer than attractions. In addition to culture, art, music, entertainment and restaurants, San Antonio is a practical place to live for those looking for affordable housing and good schools.
Here are four reasons why relocating to San Antonio is a good option.
Strong Home Buying Market
The average asking price for a home in San Antonio is $165,000. Comparatively, average list prices in nearby Austin are much higher at $291,000. Houston and Dallas’ median list prices are elevated at $204,500 and $250,000, respectively. Of these four major cities in the Texas Triangle, San Antonio is the most economical option for relocating.
While San Antonio’s asking prices are the lowest of those four major Texas cities, the market is still on the rise. List prices have increased significantly throughout the past year by 10.7 percent. Assuming the market maintains its momentum, purchasing a home now which appreciates should lead to a profit at resale.
Affordable Rental Properties
Average Rent (Zillow.com)
Rent prices in San Antonio that average $900 per month reflect a 3.9 percent decrease since 2012.
In comparison, the average rent price in Austin is $1,180, illustrating a 7.3 percent increase since 2012 in the region. Similarly to Austin, Dallas also averages higher rent prices at $1,190 per month and Houston’s average rent is $1,340.
Since a leased property isn’t an investment for the renter, the lower monthly price point in San Antonio saves a prospective resident more money.
School Rankings
San Antonio has 438 primary and secondary schools. Out of those, the city has a total of 56 schools that earn a GreatSchools rating of eight or higher, 10 being the highest possible score.
To compare, Dallas has 385 schools, yet only 13 of those have a GreatSchools rating of eight or above. Out of Houston’s 657 primary and secondary schools, there are 33 schools that rank eight or higher. Only 5 percent of Houston’s schools obtained these high rankings, compared to San Antonio’s impressive 12.7 percent. Although Austin is significantly smaller, the city only has six schools ranking eight or higher, narrowing options for potential movers with school-aged children.
The top three elementary schools in San Antonio are Encino Park, Hardy Oak and Roan Forest Elementary, all with a GreatSchools rating of 10. Jose M. Lopez Middle School, Bush Middle School and Frank Tejeda Middle School all rank the highest in grades six through eight. Travis Early College High School, the Young Women’s Leadership Academy and the School of Science and Technology are all top high school facilities in San Antonio. Test scores, community ratings, reviews and student demographics for K-12 public, private or charter schools can be found on Zillow’s school information database.
Low Commute Time
Compared to the major metropolitan areas in the Texas Triangle, San Antonio ranks number two for lowest average commute time at just 25 minutes.
Austin outranks San Antonio by one minute, with an average commute time of 24 minutes. However, the population in Austin is far lower, which explains why accessibility is somewhat easier. Austin is comprised of about 773,906 people while San Antonio’s population is more than 1.3 million. Dallas has a smaller population than San Antonio (1.2 million), yet a higher commute time of 28 minutes. The largest city in the Texas Triangle is Houston, made up of more than 2 million people, with a much higher commute time averaging 29 minutes.
While any major metro city in Texas is going to have its drawbacks and benefits, affordability and the emphasis on education distinguish San Antonio as an ideal relocation city.
