Below is the transcript for the video above.
Introduction
Have you ever gone on vacation and thought, "Wow, I could live here?" Well, today we're talking about San Antonio, one of the most popular tourist areas in all of Texas. Over 13 million people come to San Antonio every year just to see our iconic river walk area and the Alamo. In this video, we're going to share some of the most common questions we get asked by people moving to San Antonio. So make sure you watch till the end because this video is filled with home insider information that you won't find anywhere else. We are talking about living in San Antonio. You'll learn about affordability and the cost of living. We'll explore the schools and employment opportunities. We'll give you an insider's perspective on the lifestyle and local attractions, and we'll give you an update on what to expect in the real estate market. In this video, we'll share everything you need to know about San Antonio. So if you're thinking about moving to San Antonio or you just want to learn more, this video is for you.
I'm Pam Roberts, realtor and your local expert. Okay, let's jump right into it. San Antonio is located in south Texas in what we call the Texas Hill Country. Other popular large Texas cities just don't have this beautiful scenery and landscape that we have here in and around San Antonio. The closer you are to downtown, the older the homes. And you will find many historical homes in and around San Antonio proper. However, as you get further out into the suburbs, you'll see more modern communities.
Location
It's easy to navigate San Antonio once you know your way around. There are three loops that surround the city. Loop 410 is the innermost loop. Next, you have Loop 1604 and beyond that, the outer loop is comprised of a couple different highways that connect the outermost suburbs. The San Antonio International Airport is just 12 minutes from downtown. It is expanding. It will be offering nonstop flights to Europe this year. San Antonio is also relatively close to Austin. It's only about an hour and a half drive. If you're new to my channel, you may not know that I'm a native Texan, and in my opinion, I think that San Antonio has some of the most beautiful scenery of all the big cities in Texas. So whether you're an outdoor enthusiast or you just want lots of entertainment options or you just like to enjoy the Texas big sky like we do, you won't be disappointed with San Antonio. One of the big reasons people are moving to Texas is the climate. We have between 250 and 300 days of sunshine every year. Located within its borders, you'll find over 150 miles of citywide trails. There are many parks like Brackenridge, Phil Hardberger, and McAllister, just to name a few, and we also have Guadalupe State Park and Government Canyon State Natural Area, Canyon Lake, and Medina Lake, and the list goes on. Many people enjoy floating the rivers nearby during the summer months.
If you are planning a trip to San Antonio and you need some ideas for places to visit or restaurants, just drop a comment down below and I'll get back to you with that information. Did you know that San Antonio has the only UNESCO World Heritage Site in Texas? The San Antonio missions were established between 1718 and 1731. As a matter of fact, there are only 25 of these UNESCO historical areas in the United States, and we are very fortunate to be able to share and preserve these beautiful buildings. You can listen to free audio tours of each site, and I will share a link in the description for you so you can find them.
Core Job Industries
San Antonio has identified six core targeted industries for business. These include aerospace, bioscience, cybersecurity, financial services, manufacturing, and technology. The San Antonio Business Journal confirms a new manufacturing plant is coming to the San Antonio area, bringing 1500 jobs, and it expects to have over 30 billion in revenue. So there's lots of growth in San Antonio and job opportunities continue to expand. I will give you this word of caution. If you are planning to relocate to San Antonio, your salary might be a little bit lower than where you are currently. However, with the offset of the cost of living, you should come out ahead.
Cost of Living
Now, let's dig into the cost of living. Overall, San Antonio is 8% less than the national average as shown by this chart from payscale.com. You'll find that utilities cost you 11% less on average. Savings on groceries is also a double-digit 11%. Your biggest saving will be housing, which is 20% less. People are moving to San Antonio, Texas for many reasons. Climate, politics, military moves and cost of living are just some of the reasons that people are moving here in droves. U-Haul just came out with their latest stats. This is the most updated annual migration information by them. As the largest company for self movers, they have all the data of where their trucks are going. Texas was the number one state that people are moving to. And here you can see at the bottom of the list where people are moving from to get to Texas.
Schools in San Antonio
Okay, next, let's carry on to schools. There are many different school districts in and around the San Antonio area, so I encourage you to do your own homework when you're looking at the school systems. This chart by txschools.gov shows all the schools that are rated A or B within the city. As you can see, there are a lot of options that are above average, and you also have many private school options available. San Antonio has a lot of options when it comes to higher education. You have public schools, you also have private schools, and then you also have the San Antonio Community College District.
Lifestyle and Local Attractions
There's so many things to choose from when it comes to lifestyle and local attractions. I'm going to narrow it down to the most important things that you need to know about to see and do in San Antonio once you move here. First on the list is the Pearl District. You don't want to miss the Stern Worth Bar at the Emma Hotel. This building used to be the Pearl Brewery and they kept a lot of the industrial style. And on the weekends, this area has open markets on Saturdays and Sundays. It's also dog friendly. Next is the Go Rio River Cruises and water taxis. The Go Rio is a 35 minutes San Antonio Riverwalk boat tour that connects you to the city's culture, history, architecture, and the timeless charm. You can also get from one place to the other using these water taxis. The San Antonio Zoo is a 50 plus acre zoo that's home to over 750 species, some of which are endangered or extinct in the wild. The zoo was named 2023 Best Zoo in Texas again by the Texas Travel Awards. There are two major local events that you don't want to miss. Fiesta, which is San Antonio's biggest party of the year with activities and parades all over the city. You'll also not want to miss the stock show and rodeo. There's nothing more Texan than a rodeo with music headliners, barbecue, cowboys, bull riding, and roping. You are in for a treat if you're interested in caves because there's multiple caves all over the San Antonio area for those that are spelunking adventurers. The Bracken Cave is a summer home for more than 15 million Mexican free tail bats, making it the world's largest bat colony and one of the largest concentrations of mammals on earth. Make sure you get reservations if you plan to see it because they typically sell out, and it is a pretty awesome experience.
Real Estate in San Antonio
So if all this sounds great to you, you may be wondering, "What about real estate? What does that look like?" Well, I'm glad you asked. This chart shows the housing prices trend over the past 10 years, and as you can see, the prices of homes have continued a steady growth and it's accelerated over the last couple of years. The current median price in San Antonio sits just under 300,000.
You can find modest homes starting at under a hundred thousand dollars. At the other end of the scale, you can also find multimillion-dollar mansions like this one listed by the Phyllis Browning Company. These next homes are at the median price point, and this just gives you an overview of the types of homes that are available today. If you are thinking about making San Antonio your home, I encourage you to reach out to me so that we can help you get set up with your home search or answer any questions about the home buying process here in San Antonio. San Antonio has some great suburbs all around the city, and we've done a series about many of the suburbs surrounding San Antonio. Here's a link to one of them right above. Thanks and have a great day.
