Median Income
$59,593
household / year
Median Home Value
$198,000
owner-occupied
Median Rent
$1,189
gross / month
Cost of Living
94
national avg = 100

Is San Antonio, TX a Good Place to Live?

San Antonio is a large city of 1,445,662 in Texas, with a median household income of $59,593 and a 5.9% unemployment rate. Its cost of living index is 94 (US average = 100), which is 6% below the national average.

Strengths: San Antonio stands out for an affordable cost of living, below-average home prices, solid school ratings (B), short average commutes.

Trade-offs: Potential downsides include a higher-than-average crime index, an elevated unemployment rate. Whether San Antonio is right for you depends on your priorities — the full breakdown is below.

All San Antonio city data on this page comes from official government sources — the US Census Bureau, FBI, NCES, BEA, and NOAA — updated annually.

Cost of Living

Index: 93.7

San Antonio's overall cost of living index is 93.7, where 100 represents the US national average. Living in San Antonio costs roughly 6% less than the average American city.

Metric San Antonio, TX National Avg
Median Home Value $198,000 $244,900
Median Monthly Rent $1,189 $1,163
Homeownership Rate 51.9% 65.9%
Median Household Income $59,593 $74,755

Crime & Safety

High Crime

San Antonio's violent crime rate is 594.1 per 100,000 residents — 56% higher than the national average of ~380 per 100,000.

Violent Crime
594.1 /100k
Property Crime
4623.6 /100k

Vertical marker = national average. Source: FBI UCR Program.

Schools & Education

San Antonio is served primarily by NORTHSIDE ISD. The student-to-teacher ratio is 14.2:1 (better than the national average of ~16:1).

Metric San Antonio, TX National Avg
School District NORTHSIDE ISD —
Elementary Schools 83 —
Middle Schools 24 —
High Schools 17 —
Student/Teacher Ratio 14.2:1 16:1
Bachelor's Degree or Higher 27.7% 35.4%
High School Diploma or Higher 83.8% 91.1%

Weather & Climate

San Antonio sees average highs of 63.2°F in January and 94.0°F in July, with 34.0 inches of annual precipitation and 0.1 inches of snow per year.

MetricSan Antonio, TX
Average High — January63.2°F
Average High — July94.0°F
Annual Precipitation34.0"
Annual Snowfall0.1"

Demographics

MetricSan Antonio, TXNational Avg
Population1,445,662—
Median Age34.138.9
Unemployment Rate5.9%3.7%
Avg Commute Time24.5 min26 min
White (non-Hispanic)56.6%59.3%
Black or African American6.6%13.6%
Hispanic or Latino30.2%18.9%
Asian3.0%6.3%
Under 1824.1%22.2%
65 and over12.8%16.8%

Nearby Cities

Balcones Heights, TX 2 mi Olmos Park, TX 2 mi Alamo Heights, TX 4 mi Castle Hills, TX 4 mi Terrell Hills, TX 5 mi

ZIP Codes in San Antonio

San Antonio, TX is covered by 58 ZIP codes:

78023 78223 78221 78258 78264 78251 78224 78247 78259 78249 78216 78219 78222 78227 78257 78228 78218 78073 78211 78217 78240 78230 78250 78233 78232 78214 78112 78242 78238 78210 78207 78237 78256 78220 78209 78201 78212 78254 78245 78229 78226 78213 78252 78234 78248 78244 78204 78202 78225 78235 78253 78203 78205 78215 78208 78056 78261 78243

San Antonio vs Other Cities

San Antonio, TX vs Balcones Heights, TX San Antonio, TX vs Olmos Park, TX San Antonio, TX vs Alamo Heights, TX San Antonio, TX vs Castle Hills, TX San Antonio, TX vs Terrell Hills, TX

Frequently Asked Questions

San Antonio's cost of living index is 94, where 100 is the national average. That makes San Antonio roughly 6% less expensive than a typical US city — a meaningful affordability advantage. The median home price is $198,000 and median rent is $1,189/month.
San Antonio's violent crime rate is 594.1 per 100,000 residents — the national average is ~380 per 100,000. Property crime is 4623.6 per 100,000 (national avg ~2,100). Data from the FBI Uniform Crime Reporting Program.
Public schools in San Antonio are operated by NORTHSIDE ISD. The district has 83 elementary, 24 middle, and 17 high schools. The student-to-teacher ratio is 14.2:1. 27.7% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor's degree or higher.
San Antonio, TX has a population of 1,445,662, a median household income of $59,593, and an unemployment rate of 5.9%. It offers below-average costs of living, which stretches take-home pay further than in most American cities. Whether it's right for you depends on your priorities — use the compare tool above to stack it against another city you're considering.
San Antonio averages 63.2°F in January and 94.0°F in July. Annual rainfall is 34.0 inches with about 0.1 inches of snow per year. Based on NOAA 30-year climate normals (1991–2020).
San Antonio, TX is covered by 58 ZIP codes: 78023, 78223, 78221, 78258, 78264, 78251, 78224, 78247, 78259, 78249, 78216, 78219, 78222, 78227, 78257, 78228, 78218, 78073, 78211, 78217, 78240, 78230, 78250, 78233, 78232, 78214, 78112, 78242, 78238, 78210, 78207, 78237, 78256, 78220, 78209, 78201, 78212, 78254, 78245, 78229, 78226, 78213, 78252, 78234, 78248, 78244, 78204, 78202, 78225, 78235, 78253, 78203, 78205, 78215, 78208, 78056, 78261, 78243.
The population of San Antonio, Texas is 1,445,662 with a median age of 34.1. Source: US Census ACS 5-Year Estimates.
Key numbers for living in San Antonio: cost of living index 94 (100 = US average), median home $198,000, median household income $59,593, crime index 182 (100 = US average, lower is safer), schools rated B. Whether these are benefits or drawbacks depends on where you're coming from — compare San Antonio side by side with your current city to see the trade-offs.