San Antonio, a city that should have the motto: “What? We’ve got more than the Alamo, you know.”
And it’s true. While the site of the famous stand certainly ranks as one of the more well-known San Antonio sites, it’s not the only one. That would be a severe problem for tourists.
Dad: “Look, kids, there it is! The Alamo!”
Kids: “Cool. What’s next?”
Dad: “Come on, it’s the Alamo!”
Kids: “We drove across Texas for two days to get here, dad.”
Dad: “…the Alamo!”
Fortunately, relocating to San Antonio practically guarantees you won’t be bored. In addition to the Alamo, San Antonio residents will also get to enjoy the famous River Walk (with boat rides), the San Antonio Stock Show and Rodeo (because who doesn’t love livestock?), and the annual Fiesta celebration. And even if you have zero interest in basketball, you’ll probably end up rooting for the San Antonio Spurs.
So let’s see what else moving to San Antonio has to offer.
Living in San Antonio
In terms of population demographics, San Antonio ranks as the second most populous city in Texas and sports a fairly diverse neighborhood. Though primarily boasting a Caucasian population, the city also features a very strong Hispanic/Latino population. African-American and Native Americans also make their home here, and every one of the residents have to deal with something called cedar fever.
In the fall/winter transition, the cedar trees generate enough pollen to provide sinus challenges for everyone in the city. Ask the residents if they’d prefer living somewhere colder to avoid cedar fever, and they’d probably tell you some variation of “Heck, no,” before asking you to pass the tissues.
Also, quick note: if you’re relocating to San Antonio from someplace that snows heavily, please be advised that pollen does not serve as a suitable substitute to fallen snow. In other words, it is inadvisable to try and recreate “snow angels” in the fallen pollen. Plus, the term “pollen angels” sounds really creepy.
San Antonio also sports a variety of educational options. In addition to the myriad of public/private school offerings, the city has also seen an interest in charter schools and homeschooling options rise in the last few years. Whatever one’s views are on education, you’ll not have to worry about a lack of choice when relocating here. And that’s not including the higher education options like Trinity University, San Antonio College, the University of Texas Health Science Center, and the diverse community college offerings.
If you’re going to live in San Antonio, you will have to work very hard not to be educated. Like “hands over ears, eyes closed, singing a nonsense song all day” hard. That will make it very hard to drive to work.
There’s also a number of faith-based school and colleges operating in San Antonio, and we’ll talk about the role of faith in the city’s culture right after we discuss…
Working in San Antonio
The Census ACS 1-year survey reports that the median household income for the San Antonio-New Braunfels Texas metro area was $56,774 in 2017. San Antonio’s current median household income ranks at $2,432 lower than the median Texas household income and $3,562 less than the US median household income.
We say current numbers because San Antonio’s population has reportedly been on the rise in recent years. Thanks to that median household income ranking, the city has been listed as one of the best American cities for tech workers and first-time homebuyers, which could produce a demand that will alter the census numbers.
In other words, San Antonio real estate is looking mighty fine to a lot of people right now.
But before you throw everything into the car and race out to Texas like a 21st-century prospector, consider the tax situation in your calculations. On the one hand, the state of Texas does not have an income tax, and the cities in Texas choose not to impose their own version of income taxes, either.
It’s always refreshing when local and state governments agree, isn’t it?
However, the combined state and local taxes can certainly seem harsh; it’s sometimes as high as 8.25 percent. And property taxes for homeowners tends to go higher than 2 percent, so that should be taken into consideration when purchasing a home or property.
Moving to San Antonio, What’s with the Weather?
San Antonio enjoys a humid subtropical climate, which should surprise no one given the state of Texas’ relative proximity to the equator compared to, say, Seattle. It’s hot, it’s dry, and it generally doesn’t much colder than the mid-40s in the winter.
The chief concern with the heat will occur from July to September, when the sun blazes overhead and the heat registers in the triple digits. As a reward for enduring the summer heat, residents generally receive mild winters and stunning fall/spring weather.
We say generally because Mother Nature is, well, unpredictable. Still, don’t throw away the jackets and keep water and sunscreen handy at all times.
Things to do when moving to San Antonio
Oh, so much to list here. You can root for the Spurs, enjoy the food trucks and barbeque, visit Natural Bridge Caverns and Texas Hill Country, go visit the Alamo (maybe leave the kids with a babysitter if they don’t want to see it again), see a rodeo (cows!), hit up the McNay Museum (art!), or take a boat tour down the River Walk.
Seriously, make time to do that. It’s really pretty.
San Antonio’s Current Culture
We mentioned earlier the importance of faith in the San Antonio culture, and we want to clarify we don’t mean that all San Antonio residents must belong to a house of worship. Not the case at all. It’s just not uncommon to hear the question “Where do you go to church?” in general conversation. This has more to do with the social circles of the city than any faith-based residential requirements. If the subject does come up, it’s perfectly acceptable to politely deflect the question if it makes you uncomfortable.
Also, the city boasts the largest population of active-duty and retired military personnel, and you’ll probably see a few of them around Fort Sam Houston or Randolph Air Force Base.
Make a Long Distance Move to San Antonio with Colonial
San Antonio has a great deal to offer. So why the hesitation to move? Could it be the usual misgivings about the logistics of moving? If so, don’t worry; Colonial Van Lines is here to help.
We get that moving down the street can be stressful, and moving to a new state can be downright horrifying. But Colonial Van Lines has the experience and the expertise to make sure your moving experience will be straight forward and stress free.
Call a Colonial Van Lines professional and find out how to start your journey to San Antonio.
Long Distance Moving to San Antonio
February 7, 2020