Where to Buy

The top San Antonio neighborhoods to buy or rent a home right now

Southtown is a neighborhood to consider if you're looking for a new home.

San Antonio is a thriving metropolis with developing neighborhoods that can adhere to almost any house hunters’ preference, whether that be family-oriented, millennial, or professional-minded must-haves.

Check out the following three dynamic neighborhoods in San Antonio with amenities that cater to these groups, whether you're buying your dream home or plan on renting a while longer.

Downtown
Those new to the area may be inclined to live downtown, where the San Antonio River Walk, the Alamo, Tower of the Americas, and Majestic Theatre live, among other impressive sites. Tourist attractions aside, Maverick Park, Columbus Park, Milam Park, and Hemisfair are all downtown, offering green spaces, sports courts, and exercise facilities.

Downtown San Antonio homes are steep, with an average list price of $1.34 million, but keep in mind, averages can be offset by high-end condo sales or few sales periods. Alternatively, the median rent is $1,650 if you’re not looking to invest right away. Most downtown residents tend to be single professionals with a median age of 40, and 86 percent of residents are unmarried. Only 5 percent of people living in downtown San Antonio own their home.

King William/Southtown
King William/Southtown is home to Roosevelt Park, a city park with a basketball court, community center, and swimming pool, which is perfect for the hot San Antonio summer days ahead. Given King William/Southtown’s proximity to downtown, it’s not difficult to access the many amenities the urban core offers, including gyms and local eateries just north of this bustling neighborhood.

The average price for homes in King William/Southtown is $360,000, making it a more affordable option than the downtown area by far. However, apartments in King William and Southtown San Antonio are slightly more expensive, at a median of $2,275 per month. While 46 percent of residents are single, the area is widely recognized as a millennial hot spot with a median age of 36. A little less than half of residents are homeowners.

Tobin Hill
Tobin Hill borders the Breckenridge Park Golf Course, which is perfect for individuals seeking socially minded exercise activities. The neighborhood is close to San Pedro Spring Park (complete with a spring-fed pool, playgrounds, and gardens) and Crockett Park, both perfect places to take the kids on a late spring afternoon.

Families searching in the midrange budget in San Antonio might consider looking for home here. The average list price is $691,434 with a median rent of $1,375 per month. A little over half of residents are single, but the median age is 41, making this neighborhood largely attractive for young families. Schools in Tobin Hill are ranked highly, with eight elementary schools scoring 10 out of 10 on GreatSchools. The Young Women’s Leadership Academy scores a perfect ranking for both middle and high school categories, while Bush Middle School and Health Careers High School score a 9 out of 10.

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reports home-for-sale

bang for your buck

San Antonio ZIP code is 4th most affordable place for renters in U.S.

Photo by Florian Schmid on Unsplash

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Trying to afford buying a home in San Antonio is difficult enough with current mortgage rates, and doubly so if you're already paying high rent on an apartment or a house. But there are six San Antonio ZIP codes where renters can get the most bang for their buck, according to a new study by financial services company CashNetUSA.

To find the most affordable ZIP codes for renters in the U.S., analysts compared median household incomes by ZIP code to the average annual rent costs in those areas using the Zillow Observed Rent Index. ZIP codes where the average annual rental constituted the lowest percentage of median household income were considered the "most affordable."

San Antonio's 78248 ZIP code specifically stood out as the No. 4 most affordable in the country, and the No. 1 most affordable in Texas. This area encompasses the north San Antonio neighborhoods of Inwood, Forests at Inwood, Oakwood, The Park at Deerfield, Canyon Creek Bluffs, Canyon Creek Village, Blanco Village, Deerfield, Cadillac Drive, and Churchill Estates.

According to the study's findings, the average monthly cost of a rental in 78248 comes out to $1,259.17, and the median annual income of a household in the area is $122,986. Analysts then calculated that the annual rent of a home in this ZIP code only takes up 12.29 percent of a household's median income, which is the fourth-lowest in the nation.

CashNetUSA found the No. 1 most affordable ZIP code for renters nationwide is 66224 in Leawood, Kansas, where annual rent only takes a 10.57 percent cut out of a household's median annual income.

Elsewhere in Texas, two Houston-area ZIP codes – 77401 and 77094 – ranked No. 9 and No. 12 nationally, while Allen's 75013 ZIP code fell two spots behind to claim the No. 14 spot.

The most affordable San Antonio-area ZIP codes for renters
CashNetUSA further unveiled the five most affordable ZIP codes across major U.S. cities, including in San Antonio, Austin, and Houston.

Following 78248 (which took the No. 1 spot citywide) is 78261 (No. 2), which spans east of Highway 281, across Smithson Valley Road. Rent costs in this ZIP code averaged out to $1,698 per month, the report found.

Landing in the No. 3 spot is 78258, which includes Rogers Ranch, The Vineyard, Stone Oak, Summit, Hidden Canyon, and Big Springs neighborhoods. The report said average rent in the area comes out to $1,507 per month, which takes up 17.54 percent of a household's median annual income.

The remaining top two most affordable ZIP codes for San Antonio renters are located in 78259 (Encino Park, Encino Ranch, Cavalo Creek Estates, Northwood Hills, Summit at Bulverde Creek, Roseheart, Redland Woods) and 78260 in Timberwood Park, which is about 25 miles north of downtown San Antonio.

rent rent prices affordable housing