In a land where diversity is embraced with arms wide open, there are bound to people whose hearts beat for a touch of the vibrant Spanish culture. Moving to San Antonio is one that gracefully plays cupid in that regard. Tucked away in the southern state of Texas, the City of San Antonio is where you will find a slice of history that shares an unconditional affair with imposing and urban skyscrapers. San Antonio proudly takes the title of being our country’s 7th most populated city, with a population of 1,547,253 people enjoying life here!

The Lisbon based priest Saint Anthony is deeply rooted in the city’s history, dating all the way back to the year 1691, which is reflected in the city’s name of San Antonio. Exquisite sights like the Natural Bridge Caverns, Brackenridge Park and San Antonio River Walk are places both locals and tourists swear by. Don’t think for a second that the city doesn’t have much more to offer, because it surely does, without even counting the southern hospitality.

Moving to San Antonio is a decision that would make sense for a lot of people if they know what exactly it is that they’re getting into. So let’s get straight to it then!

What Should I Know Before Moving To San Antonio?

We already told you about how populous the city is. To give you some context, 3,101.62/sq mi is the population density. No wonder San Antonio sits comfortably in the second position for the biggest Texan city. Each year, tourists flock in huge numbers to this city – 32 million a year to be precise. Chances are, San Antonio has been on your bucket list too. Should come as no surprise that back in 2018-2019, the city made it to the list of Top 5 Fastest Growing Cities in the US.

The fact that the city is home to 2 UNESCO World Heritage Sites in the form of The Alamo and San Antonio Missions National Historical Park should tell you why history buffs love this place. If anything, the museum in the city only further reinforces that. As urban and developed the city is, it also boasts of natural beauties in the form of parks, rivers, caves and more! That’s just one of the many reasons why San Antonio is considered good for families.

Not all is as rosy though because the Crime Rate in San Antonio is a tad bit of a worry for some. For every 1,000 people, 6.33 are known to fall victims to Violent Crimes, which is higher than the state’s average of 4.11. Similarly, Property Crimes are also high, reaching about 40.35 per 1,000. A number that’s more than the average of Texas that sits at 23.67 per every 1,000 residents.

Weather in San Antonio

As a city in the southern part of the US, sweltering heat stays synonymous with summers here. You can expect summer in San Antonio to generously crank up the temperatures. The fact that the coast is not too far also adds a dose of humidity to the heat. While generally the summers are around 33 Degree Celsius, don’t be surprised if the scorching heat shoots up to 37 degree celsius. No wonder a metal band named Upon a Burning Body hails from the city.

While August can be unbearably hot here, winters here can be pretty pleasantly chilly. Snowfall is not a staple of San Antonio as their occurrence is few and far between. On an average though, considering the average high and low temperatures, winters here oscillate between 4 and 18 degrees celsius. You can also expect a fair amount of downpour in San Antonio, especially during May, June and October – 32 inches of precipitation to be precise.

At the end of the day, how suitable a weather is depends on your preference and tolerance to varying temperatures. While weather conditions surely make for an important matter of consideration when it comes to moving to San Antonio (or any place for that matter), so does the cost of living in that city. So let’s get into answering a question that people often have about the city of San Antonio.

Is It Expensive To Live In San Antonio?

Now, the answer to this question largely relies on the income bracket you fall under and the cost of living in San Antonio. Some other facets that come into play are state income tax (None in case of Texas), sales tax and property tax. It’s important to note that even though Texas has no income tax, there’s still a sales tax of 8.5% and property tax of 2% here. Of course, things like the kind of lifestyle you lead are also contributing factors. So let’s break it down piece by piece so you have a better understanding of things.

Cost Of Living In San Antonio

There sure is a reason to be hopefully delighted at the thought of moving to San Antonio. Reason being, the cost of living in San Antonio stays comfortably below that of the country’s average. To be more specific, it’s actually 14% below that of the US. To add to your delight, the cost of Food & Groceries is also 17% below the US average.

For instance, if you want to get yourself a loaf of bread, you will only be shelling out $2.75, and for a carton of eggs, the price will be a mere $1.50, as shared by PayScale. Just throw in an extra $1.60 and you also get yourself a gallon of milk. If you further add $2.78, you also get yourself some bananas.

This city sure is a gift that keeps on giving. We say this because even the cost of Healthcare in San Antonio is below the country’s average – 9% lower to be accurate. As shared by PayScale, for just an approximate amount of $100, you get yourself a doctor’s visit, with a visit to the vet costing $48.74 on average. Throw in $86.36 and you can also get yourself a visit to the dentist, or $94.20 for an optometrist.

We don’t really want to break the chain of sharing such exciting insights with you, which is why you must know that you would also be spending 11% less than the national average on transportation costs here in San Antonio. So fueling your vehicle in San Antonio shouldn’t really be a bummer considering the cost is only $2.31 per gallon. Not bad at all, right?

Buying A House

Once again, buying a house in San Antonio is not really expensive, when you consider the fact that you’re living in such a massive city of Texas. With housing costs in general being as much as 24% lower than the US average, the Median Home Price in San Antonio comes up to $262,332 approximately. In fact, you can find great 4-bedroom homes in neighborhoods like Safe Hbr for as low as $220,000.

Renting A House

Since housing in San Antonio in general is cheaper than the national average, renting would naturally follow suit. PayScale shares that the Median Rent in San Antonio is a meager amount of $821.77 on a monthly basis. Depending on the neighborhood you choose to move to, you could get a 1-bedroom or even a pretty cool 2-bedroom apartment for that price.

Utility Bills

After everything we shared, is it really a surprise anymore that even the national average for Utility Bills is higher than that of San Antonio by 12%? To give you a bit of an idea, your Gas Bill and Electricity Bill combined is believed to be in the range of $147.04 approximately here in this city. But again, all of that depends on your usage too, and residents of San Antonio have a bit of a reputation when it comes to a fair amount of electricity usage.

San Antonio Economy And Employment Opportunities

In case you were wondering if you will have troubles finding a job in San Antonio, here’s a little bit of insight to give you some more clarity. In Texas, San Antonio’s economy is the fourth largest, with Healthcare, Financial Services and Military being some of the most prominent contributors to the economy.

Some of the best paying jobs in the city are that of Psychiatrists, Physicians, Dentists, Pediatricians, Architectural Managers and Engineering Managers. The average salary of a Physician is believed to be around $235,340. Similarly, Engineering and Architectural Managers are known to rack up $144,930 on an average, according to Zippia. Pretty lucrative if you ask us. The bottom line is that if you’re in the right industry, San Antonio will enable you to take a happy dip in a pool of moolah.

Getting Around

When it comes to transportation, you won’t really have any challenges in this city. Unless of course, you’re dealing with a jam! You could easily get cabs here in San Antonio. Lyft and Uber are also pretty easily accessible in the city (unless you have really horrible mobile data connection).

If you’re looking for a pocket-friendly way of getting around San Antonio, count on VIA Metropolitan Transit’s bus services. It only costs about $2.75 for a day pass that can be used unlimited times. Best part is, these buses are well connected to various neighborhoods of the city and the most popular sights too. They have been serving residents of the city since 1978, so don’t worry about their reliability!

So you’re definitely not short of options in terms of public transportation in San Antonio. That’s because bus services are also provided by VIVA, which serve 3 routes and come with buses that have free WiFi. It’s also cool that their prices are more or less the same as Via Metropolitan Transit, which is different, so don’t get confused. Let’s not forget, you can always drive around San Antonio in your own vehicle too!

Best Neighborhoods To Live In San Antonio

In terms of beauty, vibrancy, easy access to necessities, having sufficient luxuries, quality of location, educational institutes and every other factor combined, these are some of the best places to live in San Antonio. But then again, the best doesn’t always come cheap. So don’t be surprised at the high value of homes here. Although, they’re all worth the price and it doesn’t mean you can’t get a house for cheaper even in these suburbs of San Antonio.

1. Terrell Hills

A much sought after part of San Antonio which is reflected in the approximate median income of $175,000 that was recorded in Terrell Hills. This suburb has a charming vibe, with a vast stretch of gorgeous homes lined up across the neighborhood. The Crestwood Park here is a tiny adorable place for you to enjoy time with your little kid (If you have one). Esplanade on Geneseo is another green part of Terrell Hills that is much too peaceful. If you love yourself a bit of golf, the Olmos Basin is not too far either. Just about 5 to 10 minutes away actually.

Median Home Value: $637,900

2. Downtown

Downtown in San Antonio is one of the places you either won’t want to leave or would want to live in. It is the place where all the action happens, where towering structures kiss the sky and where the San Antonio River runs through, creating some picturesque bridges. The Tower of Americas, The Alamo, San Antonio Museum of Art, and the much loved San Antonio River Walk of the city are all prized jewels of Downtown. With numerous cafes, bars, fancy restaurants, parks and pubs, it’s easy to see why everyone wants to live in Downtown. It also happens to be the business district of the city.

Median Home Value: $421,008

3. Alamo Heights

Not too far from Terrell Hills, Alamo Heights is a quaint residential neighborhood which is absolutely perfect for families. If you’re someone who loves yourself a little tryst with greenery, Alamo Heights is perfect for you, thanks to the Judson Nature Trails and Olmos Basin. You will find a number of cool bars and cafes in this neighborhood, alongside some pretty good public schools. Moving to Alamo Heights means not being able to resist spending a lot of time at The Quarry Market Shopping Center. Locals sure do love this place. This suburb not only has over 8,000 residents living here, it is believed that the Median Income here is about $132,313. That’s great, isn’t it?

Median Home Value: $571,645

Is San Antonio, Texas A Good Place To Live?

All things considered, San Antonio, Texas is no doubt a great place to live. The economy is only growing, the employment opportunities are lucrative (depending on the industry), the food here is delicious, the sights are great and overall, the city has much to offer. Even in terms of educational institutes, San Antonio is a promising city. The young ones sure can revel in the fact that the city has an exuberant nightlife. Sure, the crime rate of San Antonio leaves a bit more to be desired. There’s no ignoring the fact that the “Perfect City” doesn’t really exist. No place is perfect. But moving to San Antonio sure has more pros than cons, depending on your reasons to move.

See also: Best National Moving Companies | Best Moving Companies in San Antonio