Rise of the renter

Here's how many new apartments San Antonio added in the last decade

San Antonio will end this decade with 47,400 new apartments having been built in the last 10 years.

Sean Pavone/Getty Images

You might call this the Decade of the Renter in San Antonio. New data shows Alamo City ranks in the top 15 in the U.S. for most new apartments from 2010 through 2019.

In a housing review of the 2010s published December 16, apartment website RentCafé estimates San Antonio will end this decade with 47,700 new apartments.

Twelve U.S. metro areas eclipse San Antonio on the list, including three in Texas. DFW, with an estimated 149,000 new apartments added during this decade, ranks first; Houston, with 114,100 new apartments, ranks third; and Austin, with 75,400 new apartments, ranks eighth.

New York City (No. 2, 125,100); Washington, D.C. (No. 4, 113,300); and Los Angeles (No. 5, 98,000) round out the top five.

All told, the four major metro areas in Texas have added 386,200 new apartments from 2010 through 2019, RentCafé data shows. At the same time, their populations have exploded.

From April 2010 to July 2018, the DFW metro area’s population soared by more than 1.1 million, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. Houston nipped on DFW’s heels from 2010 to 2018, adding almost 1.08 million residents, the Census Bureau says.

During the same period, comparatively rapid growth occurred in the Austin metro area (nearly 452,000 new residents) and San Antonio metro area (more than 375,000 new residents).

As Texas’ major metro areas keep experiencing a population surge, the rise of the apartment renter promises to continue.

Data from Richardson-based property management software RealPage shows construction of 22,879 new apartments had been approved from October 2018 to October 2019 in the Houston area. That’s a year-over-year jump of 77.8 percent.

The numbers for DFW (19,562 permits, up 7.3 percent) and Austin (13,981, up 15 percent) were lower, but they still ranked among RealPage’s top 10 metro markets for the number of apartment construction permits issued.

Within U.S. metro areas, the cities of Houston, Austin, and San Antonio ranked among the top 10 places for apartment construction permits issued from October 2018 to October 2019, according to RealPage.

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HAPPY FIESTA

A Night in Old San Antonio returns to enchant locals with new food and fun this April

A Night in Old San Antonio/ Facebook

Revelers take part in the pageantry at A Night in Old San Antonio

Currently, in homes across the city, locals are busily crafting flower crowns, searching for new guayaberas, and dreaming of chicken on a stick. Fiesta San Antonio is just around the corner, and tickets are now on sale for one of the season’s most popular events.

The planners of A Night in Old San Antonio, affectionately referred to as NIOSA, have revealed the details of this year’s festival. The four-night celebration of Alamo City’s rich cultural heritage will be held April 25 through 28, 5:30-10:30 pm nightly, offering revelers more than 165 food, beverage, and entertainment booths; continuous live music, and the chance to snag up essential Fiesta souvenirs.

As usual, the affair will be held at La Villita Historic Arts Village District, taking full advantage of four acres of puro atmosphere. The grounds will be divided into 14 districts in homage to the city’s diverse identity, from a frontier town done up in Old West duds to a mural-filled zone honoring Spain.

The big news this year is that NIOSA is doing away with wristbands and returning to paper coupons. Although cash is the only accepted currency, ATMS will be scattered across the site so people can purchase sausage and medals to their heart’s content. In honor of its 75th anniversary, the Chili Queens will also return. The vendor’s origins at NIOSA date back to 1947 when volunteers would create replicas of the chili stands that were formerly scattered across Juarez Plaza.

As always, the event will benefit The Conservation Society’s work to preserve the San Antonio area’s historical properties and parks. From 2010 to 2020, NIOSA raised more than $12 million to help the 99-year organization continue its mission.

$20 advance entry tickets are available through April 28 online or at area H-E-B stores, Fort Sam Houston, Lackland Air Force Base, and Randolph Air Force Base. Tickets at the gate are $25, and children 12 and under are free.

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