If you love affordable living with the convenience of the big city at your fingertips, there’s no better place to be than San Antonio. A city is known for its vibrant culture, arts scene, authentic Mexican cuisine, and low cost of living, San Antonio is home to nearly 1.4 million inhabitants. I teamed up with my friends at San Antonio to come up with our list of the top 10 reasons so many people decide to call San Antonio home.
1. Big City Living Without the Big City Feel
While San Antonio is the country’s 7th largest city, it doesn’t have the traffic and congestion of mega-metropolises like Los Angeles. San Antonio has 14 unique neighborhoods, each with something different to offer residents. Downtown San Antonio boasts shopping and famous attractions like the Alamo while Southtown has dozens of art galleries and restaurants. No matter what you’re into, there’s sure to be a neighborhood that suits your taste.
2. Low Cost of Living
Despite being one of the ten largest cities in the United States, San Antonio boasts a low cost of living. The city has a cost of living index of just 92, eight points below the national average, according to Sperling’s Best Places for several factors including groceries, health care, housing, utilities, and miscellaneous living expenses.
3. Affordable Real Estate
While the national median home price is just over $212,000, the average home in San Antonio is almost $30,000 less. According to Fortune Builders, a real estate development company in Texas, the average home in San Antonio is just $184,200. Home prices in the city have appreciated more than 20% over the last three years thanks to high demand, strong employment, and strong job growth of 2.5% over the last year.
4. Excellent Education Opportunities
San Antonio is a major education hub in Texas with 31 colleges and universities that serve more than 100,000 students. San Antonio is home to the famous Texas A&M University-San Antonio campus along with other public universities like the University of Health Science Center at San Antonio, and the University of Texas at San Antonio. The city also has everything from art schools and community colleges to private schools like Trinity University.
5. Affordable Rentals
While apartments and other rentals are increasingly in demand, rent for San Antonio residents remains affordable. In more than 75% of San Antonio neighborhoods, median rent is just $950, which is substantially lower than the national average of $1,300.
6. Strong Employment Opportunities
The job market has improved nationwide, but nowhere is this more apparent than Texas. San Antonio has a strong economy thanks in large part to its military bases, banking industry, oil & gas production, and medical centers. Like the rest of Texas, San Antonio survived the 2008 housing collapse and recession largely unscathed. Today, San Antonio attracts many young professionals looking to being their careers in a variety of fields.
7. Delicious Local Cuisine
San Antonio isn’t just famous for the Alamo; locals are quick to point out the city’s famous barbacoa, a slow-cooked, Mexican-style meat. Barbacoa is a staple ingredient at San Antonio’s popular (and abundant) Tex-Mex and Mexican restaurants. Gobble up local flavor while you sip on margaritas at Alamo Cafe and Rosario’s Mexican Cafe Y Cantina.
8. Rich History
San Antonio has a rich history extending well before the Alamo, but the namesake Battle of the Alamo that took place in this historic structure, may be the most commonly known tidbit of San Antonio history. The former Roman Catholic mission still stands today in the heart of downtown San Antonio, but history buffs won’t want to miss out on also exploring four other 18th century missions in the San Antonio Missions National Historic Park.
9. Low Taxes
Your money definitely goes further in Texas. Along with low rent and home prices, San Antonio offers business tax incentives and lower taxes for residents. Additionally, Texas is one of just 7 states with no personal state income tax. In fact, only five states have a lower individual tax burden than Texas!
10. There’s Always Something to Do
San Antonio locals love enjoying the city’s warm weather year-round with dozens of major events to attend. Enjoy free attendance to the San Antonio Museum of Art every Sunday, then head to the park for a free Fitness in the Park Bootcamp every Monday. The first Friday of every month is First Friday, with art gallery openings and art events throughout the city. Every spring, the city also hosts Fiesta, a citywide celebration with over 100 events and 3 parades that has been held every year since 1891.
There are so many things to love about the city of San Antonio and this post doesn’t come close to covering all of them. You’ll have to come see for yourself why moving to San Antonio is an easy decision!