Planting roots
These 3 San Antonio neighbors rank among best Texas cities for the middle class
Middle-class families looking for the perfect place to call home may find what they're looking for in the San Antonio area, according to a new study.
Personal finance website Simple Thrifty Living ranked the best cities for middle-class families in every state using 2017 American Community Survey from the U.S. Census Bureau. Using this data, the study declared three San Antonio-area cities — Universal City, New Braunfels, and Pleasanton — among the top 20 out of 100 Texas cities.
Simple Thrifty Living analyzed each city based on socioeconomic factors that are important to families, such as local median income and home value (compared to the state as a whole), real estate taxes, unemployment rate, college educated residents, schools, and job availability.
At No. 13, Universal City residents earn more than the state median, $60,706 (compared to the statewide median of $57,051), and home values are affordable (the local median of $161,200 is less than the state's median of $169,500). Households in New Braunfels, No. 16, also earn more, $64,208 annually, and have a median home value of $189,700. Meanwhile, residents in Pleasanton, No. 17, earn $59,853 a year, and have a median home value of $179,500. The cities also boast higher scores than other cities for their unemployment rates, while earning lower sores for their share of college-educated adults and student performance.
And San Antonio? It comes in at No. 28, with a median household income of $49,711 and affordable homes with a median value of $145,200. The Alamo City also stands out for its high number of available jobs, 10,567 openings within a 10-mile radius. The strong employment market shouldn't come as a surprise for San Antonio, as the metro area was recently recognized for record job growth over the last decade.
No. 1 on the list is Houston, with a median income of $49,399, median home value of $169,600, and impressive 19,981 job openings. Two other Houston-area cities land in the top 10: West University Place, No. 7, and Richmond, No. 9.
Dallas comes in at No. 2, with a median income of $47,285, along with neighbors University Park, No. 3; Highland Park, No. 4: Irving, No. 5; and Fort Worth, No. 10. Rounding it out are Austin, No. 6, with a median income of $63,717, and the West Texas enclave of Canyon, No. 8.
