San Antonio–New Braunfels
San Antonio, Texas — salaries, cost of living & taxes (2026)
San Antonio is the most affordable big city in Texas — and it's growing faster than people realize. Anchored by an enormous military presence, USAA's massive corporate footprint, and the South Texas Medical Center, the city offers a stable employer base without Austin's pricing or Dallas's pace.
The job market
Military (Joint Base San Antonio, Lackland, Randolph, Fort Sam Houston) and military-adjacent contractors, USAA (HQ here), Frost Bank (HQ), healthcare and biotech (South Texas Medical Center, UT Health San Antonio), tourism, and a small-but-growing cybersecurity cluster spun out of Air Force cyber operations at Lackland.
Top industries: Military, Healthcare & bioscience, Tourism, Cybersecurity, Financial services.
Housing & cost of living
Median home prices around $295k mean San Antonio is the only major Texas city where median earners can still comfortably buy a house. Stone Oak, Alamo Heights, and parts of Boerne (technically separate) command premiums; the rest of the metro offers significant value. Property tax effective rates near 2.21% are among the highest in Texas.
Taxes in San Antonio
8.25% sales tax, no state income tax, and the highest effective property tax rates of the major Texas metros (driven by aggressive Bexar County and ISD assessments). For a retiree or a remote worker, the income tax savings still net positive.
Should you move here?
Best for military families, healthcare professionals, and anyone who wants Texas affordability without the urban intensity of Houston. Wage growth has lagged Austin and Dallas, so it's a stronger fit for stable W-2 careers or remote workers paid by out-of-state employers.
What people love: Lowest home prices and lowest cost of living among Texas's largest metros, plus a stable employer base in military and healthcare.
What to watch out for: Wage growth has lagged Austin and Dallas, and property tax rates are some of the highest in the state.
Estimate your San Antonio take-home
Texas charges $0 state income tax, but your federal bill is real. Drop in your salary to see what you keep:
Estimates use 2026 projected federal brackets, the standard deduction for your filing status, and current FICA rates. Texas has no state income tax, so your gross is not reduced by any state withholding.
Frequently asked questions
What's the median household income in San Antonio?
The median household income in San Antonio is approximately $58,000. That's a Census ACS estimate; individual neighborhoods vary widely.
What's the property tax rate in San Antonio?
San Antonio's effective property tax rate is approximately 2.21% — combined city, county, school district, and special-district rates. On a $400,000 home, that's roughly $8,840 per year. File for the homestead exemption to cap annual increases at 10% and lower the school district appraised value.
Does San Antonio have a city or local income tax?
No. Texas has no state income tax, and no Texas city levies a local income tax on wages. Sales tax in San Antonio is 8.25%.
How does San Antonio compare to other Texas cities for cost of living?
San Antonio's cost of living index is approximately 91 (U.S. average = 100). That's noticeably below the U.S. average — affordable for a major metro.
Is San Antonio a good place for remote workers?
San Antonio works well for remote workers because Texas charges no state income tax. If you work for an out-of-state employer from San Antonio, your wages are Texas-source and untaxed at the state level — except for cases involving New York's convenience-of-employer rule. See our remote worker guide for details.