San Antonio Areas
Alamo Heights &
North Central San Antonio
From Hildebrand Avenue up to Loop 1604, between I-10 and the airport: seven small cities with their own city halls, San Antonio neighborhoods built from the 1930s through the 1990s, and 2026 tax rates that don't always rank the way the tax bills do.
Questions about North Central San Antonio? Call or text me at (919) 800-9870
Alamo Heights and North Central is the established middle of San Antonio: from Hildebrand Avenue north to Loop 1604, between I-10 and the airport, including seven small cities such as Alamo Heights, Castle Hills and Hollywood Park. Most homes were built between the 1930s and the 1990s, and no production builder is selling here. Four school districts serve it, combined 2026 tax rates run about $1.92 to $2.51 per $100, and Terrell Hills is about 2.5 driving miles from Fort Sam Houston's Harry Wurzbach East Gate.
Tiffany Reed, REALTOR® | MRP · Data current as of October 2026 · Sources: Bexar County Tax Assessor-Collector · Bexar Appraisal District · OpenStreetMap routing (OSRM)- Seven separate cities sit inside this part of San Antonio: Alamo Heights, Olmos Park, Terrell Hills, Castle Hills, Hill Country Village, Hollywood Park and Shavano Park. Each has its own city government, police department and tax rate.
- The school district can switch between next-door neighbors. Oak Park-Northwood is split almost evenly between Alamo Heights ISD and North East ISD, the eastern streets of Terrell Hills are North East ISD, Olmos Park Terrace is San Antonio ISD, and Shavano Park and Inwood are Northside ISD.
- A lower tax rate doesn't always mean a lower bill. San Antonio takes 20% off a homestead's value (the home you live in) for its share, and five of the small cities give no general homestead exemption, so a $500,000 home in Shearer Hills, at $2.300464 per $100, owes about $8,990 for 2026, while the same home in Hollywood Park, at $2.218996, owes about $9,140.
- Terrell Hills is about 2.5 driving miles from Fort Sam Houston's Harry Wurzbach East Gate and Alamo Heights about 3.5. Shavano Park, at about 6.5 miles, is the closest community here to Camp Bullis.
- No builder is selling a new-home community here. New homes go up one lot at a time, mostly where an older house came down, so nearly every purchase is a resale built somewhere between the 1930s and the 1990s.
Where is North Central
San Antonio?
It starts at Hildebrand Avenue, just north of Monte Vista, Tobin Hill and Mahncke Park, and runs all the way up to Loop 1604. I-10 is the west side. On the east, it reaches Harry Wurzbach Road and Loop 410 by Fort Sam Houston and Windcrest, then follows the airport and US-281 north. Loop 410 cuts across the middle, with San Antonio International Airport just north of it.
The main north-south roads are Broadway, McCullough Avenue, San Pedro Avenue, US-281, Blanco Road and West Avenue, and NW Military Highway runs past Castle Hills up to Shavano Park. Addresses here fall mostly in ZIP codes 78209, 78212, 78213, 78216, 78230, 78231, 78232 and 78248.
The neighbors are different places. South of Hildebrand is Midtown, with Monte Vista, Tobin Hill and Mahncke Park. West of I-10 is the Northwest Side and the Medical Center, with Leon Valley and The Dominion. North of Loop 1604 on US-281 is Stone Oak.
More about city names and mailing addresses
Nearly every address here says "San Antonio," including the city halls of Castle Hills, Hill Country Village and Hollywood Park. ZIP code 78209 takes in Alamo Heights, Terrell Hills and San Antonio streets alike. To know the city for sure, read the taxing units listed on the home's appraisal record at bcad.org.
Two neighborhood names borrow a small city's name without being part of it: Olmos Park Terrace and Castle Hills Forest are both inside San Antonio. Their profiles below show where each one sits.
The City of San Antonio's planning maps split this ground into several plan areas, including North Central, the Greater Airport Area and one it calls Far North, which sits inside Loop 1604. On this page, North Central means the whole stretch from Hildebrand Avenue to Loop 1604.
Heading to Fort Sam Houston or BAMC on orders?
The PCS to San Antonio Guide covers the areas around each JBSA installation, the 24/7 gates, and a countdown from orders to move-in day.
Get the PCS GuideIs North Central San Antonio a good fit for you?
North Central is a good fit if you want:
- An established house on a street with grown trees, and you'd rather update an older home than build a new one
- A central address, with Fort Sam Houston, downtown, the Medical Center and the airport all on the near side of Loop 1604
- A choice between a small city with its own police and city hall and a San Antonio neighborhood with city services
- A lot size that suits you, from about an eighth of an acre in Castle Hills Forest to two acres or more in Hill Country Village
Which communities are in North Central San Antonio,
and is anyone building there?
Fifteen communities, listed roughly south to north: the seven small cities and eight San Antonio neighborhoods. No production builder is selling new homes in any of them. "Rebuilds only" in the table means the new homes there are one-off custom houses, usually built where an older one came down.
| Community | City or county | School district | Building now? |
|---|---|---|---|
| Olmos Park | City of Olmos Park | Alamo Heights ISD (a few SAISD) | Rebuilds only |
| Olmos Park Terrace | San Antonio | San Antonio ISD | No, pre-owned only |
| Alamo Heights | City of Alamo Heights | Alamo Heights ISD | Rebuilds only |
| Terrell Hills | City of Terrell Hills | Alamo Heights ISD; North East ISD on the east side | Rebuilds only |
| Oak Park-Northwood | San Antonio | Alamo Heights ISD or North East ISD | Rebuilds only |
| Shearer Hills | San Antonio | North East ISD | No, pre-owned only |
| Castle Hills | City of Castle Hills | North East ISD | Rebuilds only |
| Greater Harmony Hills | San Antonio | North East ISD | No, pre-owned only |
| Hill Country Village | City of Hill Country Village | North East ISD | Rebuilds only |
| Hunters Creek | San Antonio | North East ISD | No, pre-owned only |
| Castle Hills Forest | San Antonio | North East ISD | No, pre-owned only |
| Hollywood Park | Town of Hollywood Park | North East ISD | Rebuilds only |
| Shavano Park | City of Shavano Park | Northside ISD | Yes, custom lots in one section |
| Inwood | San Antonio | Northside ISD | No, pre-owned only |
| Deerfield | San Antonio | North East ISD | No, pre-owned only |
Olmos Park
Across US-281 from Alamo Heights, and the smallest of the seven cities by land area. Its houses are some of the oldest on this page, and nearly all of its streets are in Alamo Heights ISD. My Olmos Park page goes street by street through the rest.
Olmos Park Terrace
Despite the name, Olmos Park Terrace is part of San Antonio, not the City of Olmos Park. About 94 acres of it, between San Pedro and McCullough avenues just west of Olmos Park, make up the City's Olmos Park Terrace Historic District. Nearly every house dates from the mid-1930s to the early 1950s, on lots of roughly a fifth to a quarter acre along Thorain, Hermine and Lovera boulevards. Every home in it is in San Antonio ISD, and exterior work on a house inside the historic district needs the City's approval before it starts.
Alamo Heights
Broadway is Alamo Heights' main street, and its school district carries the city's name. The housing runs older than almost anywhere else here: half the homes were built in 1940 or earlier. My Alamo Heights page covers its pockets and what sets the city apart.
Terrell Hills
The next city east; its eastern edge faces Fort Sam Houston across Harry Wurzbach Road. Lots tend to run a little larger than in Alamo Heights, around a third of an acre. My Terrell Hills page shows where its school district line falls.
Oak Park-Northwood
The San Antonio neighborhood directly north of Alamo Heights and Terrell Hills, roughly between Broadway and Harry Wurzbach Road up to Loop 410. With about 3,260 houses, it has more homes than any other community on this page, and most of them date from the 1950s and early 1960s, on lots of about a quarter acre. It's fully inside San Antonio city limits, but the school district isn't settled by the neighborhood: a little over half the homes are in Alamo Heights ISD and the rest in North East ISD.
Shearer Hills
A neighborhood of 1950s houses between Blanco Road and US-281, from about Basse Road north to Loop 410, where the street signs read like a class roster from the same decade: Sharon, Linda, Harriet, Jeanette, Barbara. Its neighborhood association covers Ridgeview too. Most of its roughly 700 houses were built between 1950 and 1958, on lots of a sixth to a third of an acre. It's in San Antonio city limits and North East ISD.
Castle Hills
A city of about 3,950 people west of the airport, bounded by Jackson-Keller Road, Lockhill Selma Road, Blanco Road and the railroad tracks on its west side. It incorporated in 1951 and runs its own police and fire departments, and its shops and offices line NW Military Highway. Most houses date from the 1950s and 1960s and sit on lots of about four-tenths of an acre, roomier than in Shearer Hills or Greater Harmony Hills. Every home in the city is in North East ISD.
Greater Harmony Hills
North of Loop 410 between West Avenue and San Pedro Avenue, across US-281 from the airport. Nearly all of its roughly 950 houses were built between 1960 and 1968, on lots just under a quarter acre, and the streets carry a musical theme: Serenade, Tango, Sonnet, Summertime. It's inside San Antonio and in North East ISD.
Hill Country Village
A city of about 970 people on the west side of US-281, just south of Hollywood Park. Village Estates, its first subdivision, was laid out in 1946, and the city incorporated in 1956, when residents wanted to keep San Antonio from annexing it. The lots set it apart: half the homes sit on more than two acres, and a quarter on four and a half acres or more. Half the houses were built between 1970 and 1993. It has its own police department and is in North East ISD.
Hunters Creek
About 610 houses tucked between Lockhill Selma Road, Huebner Road and NW Military Highway, on streets that nearly all start with "Hunters": Hunters Spring, Hunters Breeze, Hunters Trail. Almost all went up from the late 1970s to the late 1980s, most between 1979 and 1984, on lots of about a quarter acre. Hunters Creek North, next door, is a separate subdivision with its own homeowners association. Both are inside San Antonio and in North East ISD.
Castle Hills Forest
Across NW Military Highway from Hunters Creek, off George Road. Its roughly 250 houses were built between 1984 and 1991 on the smallest lots on this page, about an eighth of an acre each. The name points to the City of Castle Hills, about two miles south, but Castle Hills Forest is inside San Antonio, and it's in North East ISD.
Hollywood Park
The town on US-281 just inside Loop 1604, with most of its houses from the 1960s and 1970s on lots of nearly half an acre. My Hollywood Park page covers its sections and their HOAs.
Shavano Park
The city on NW Military Highway at Loop 1604, and the only one of the seven cities in Northside ISD. Half its lots are about 0.8 acre or larger, and custom homes are still going up on open lots in its newest section. My Shavano Park page explains how the two sides of NW Military Highway differ.
Inwood
About 490 houses along Huebner Road just south of Loop 1604, between NW Military Highway and Bitters Road. Nearly all were built from 1988 to 1997, and the typical lot is a third of an acre. Inwood has a homeowners association and sits inside San Antonio, and it's in Northside ISD even though Deerfield, a few blocks east, is North East ISD.
Deerfield
About 650 houses just east of Inwood and west of Blanco Road, inside Loop 1604 and reached from Bitters and Huebner roads. Almost all were built between 1985 and 1999, on lots of about a quarter acre, along streets like Dawn Crest, Eagle Meadow and Dove Meadow. Deerfield has a homeowners association, sits inside San Antonio city limits, and is in North East ISD.
What do homes cost in North Central San Antonio?
The Census Bureau publishes a median home value for every city and ZIP code: the middle of what owners said their own homes were worth, from the American Community Survey 5-year estimates for 2020 to 2024. These are owners' estimates, not sale prices, so use them to see how places compare. Census doesn't publish figures for neighborhoods inside San Antonio, so each one appears under the ZIP code it sits in; Olmos Park Terrace is left out because its ZIP, 78212, is mostly Midtown. For what homes are asking today, use the live listings just below the distance tables.
| City or ZIP code | Median value owners reported (ACS 5-year, 2020 to 2024) |
|---|---|
| ZIP 78216 (Shearer Hills, Greater Harmony Hills) | About $311,000 |
| ZIP 78230 (Hunters Creek) | About $387,000 |
| ZIP 78231 (Castle Hills Forest) | About $402,000 |
| Castle Hills | About $419,000 |
| ZIP 78248 (Inwood, Deerfield) | About $480,000 |
| Hollywood Park | About $482,000 |
| ZIP 78209 (Oak Park-Northwood) | About $497,000 |
| Alamo Heights | About $779,000 |
| Terrell Hills | About $838,000 |
| Olmos Park | About $896,000 |
| Shavano Park | About $907,000 |
| Hill Country Village | About $1.2 million |
If a brand-new home is on your list, the production builders are working outside this area, mostly past Loop 1604. Before you set foot in any builder's model, call me: I go to the model visits with you, manage the negotiation, and the builder pays my commission. My new construction page explains my part in a new build from start to finish.
Data current as of October 2026Sources
How far is North Central San Antonio from Fort Sam Houston,
the Medical Center and downtown?
From about 2.5 driving miles in Terrell Hills to about 15 in Inwood. Of Fort Sam's 24/7 gates, Harry Wurzbach East is the nearest from every community here. Five communities toward the northwest corner, Hunters Creek, Castle Hills Forest, Shavano Park, Inwood and Deerfield, are closer to Camp Bullis, and Lackland and Randolph are about 14 to 21 miles from everywhere on the list. The table is sorted by the drive to Fort Sam.
| Community | Fort Sam Houston (Harry Wurzbach East Gate) | Camp Bullis (main gate) | Randolph (Lindsey Gate) | Lackland (Luke East Gate) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Terrell Hills | 2.5 mi | 18 mi | 15 mi | 16 mi |
| Alamo Heights | 3.5 mi | 18 mi | 15 mi | 16 mi |
| Oak Park-Northwood | 4.5 mi | 18 mi | 14 mi | 19 mi |
| Olmos Park | 4.5 mi | 15 mi | 19 mi | 14 mi |
| Olmos Park Terrace | 5.5 mi | 16 mi | 18 mi | 15 mi |
| Shearer Hills | 6.5 mi | 15 mi | 17 mi | 16 mi |
| Castle Hills | 9.5 mi | 13 mi | 17 mi | 14 mi |
| Greater Harmony Hills | 9.5 mi | 12 mi | 18 mi | 16 mi |
| Hill Country Village | 12 mi | 13 mi | 17 mi | 19 mi |
| Hollywood Park | 13 mi | 13 mi | 15 mi | 20 mi |
| Castle Hills Forest | 13 mi | 9.5 mi | 20 mi | 17 mi |
| Hunters Creek | 13 mi | 8 mi | 20 mi | 18 mi |
| Shavano Park | 14 mi | 6.5 mi | 21 mi | 18 mi |
| Deerfield | 14 mi | 9 mi | 19 mi | 19 mi |
| Inwood | 15 mi | 8.5 mi | 19 mi | 20 mi |
Close in, the trip to Fort Sam stays on surface streets: Garraty Road and Harry Wurzbach Road from Alamo Heights and Terrell Hills, or Hildebrand Avenue and Burr Road from Olmos Park. From Hill Country Village and Hollywood Park, US-281 runs south to Hildebrand, and Castle Hills and Shavano Park take Loop 410 east to Harry Wurzbach Road. Camp Bullis is an I-10 drive from the north end, reached by Lockhill Selma Road from Hunters Creek and by Loop 1604 from the others. Gate hours and more about each post are on my Fort Sam Houston page and Camp Bullis page.
How many driving miles separate each community from the Medical Center, downtown and the airport terminal?
Castle Hills and Hunters Creek are the closest communities here to the Medical Center, at about 5.5 miles. Olmos Park and Terrell Hills are 4 to 4.5 miles from downtown, and the airport is under 9 miles from every community on the list. This table is sorted by the drive to the Medical Center.
| Community | Medical Center (University Hospital) | Downtown (City Hall) | Airport (SAT) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Castle Hills | 5.5 mi | 8 mi | 3.5 mi |
| Hunters Creek | 5.5 mi | 14 mi | 8 mi |
| Castle Hills Forest | 6 mi | 13 mi | 7.5 mi |
| Shavano Park | 7 mi | 15 mi | 8.5 mi |
| Olmos Park | 7 mi | 4 mi | 5 mi |
| Olmos Park Terrace | 7.5 mi | 5 mi | 4 mi |
| Greater Harmony Hills | 7.5 mi | 8.5 mi | 3 mi |
| Inwood | 8 mi | 16 mi | 8 mi |
| Shearer Hills | 8 mi | 6.5 mi | 2.5 mi |
| Deerfield | 8.5 mi | 15 mi | 7.5 mi |
| Hill Country Village | 8.5 mi | 13 mi | 5 mi |
| Terrell Hills | 9.5 mi | 4.5 mi | 4.5 mi |
| Oak Park-Northwood | 11 mi | 7 mi | 3.5 mi |
| Alamo Heights | 11 mi | 5 mi | 3.5 mi |
| Hollywood Park | 12 mi | 14 mi | 6 mi |
I put live North Central listings right below this section. Use them to see what Castle Hills is asking next to Shearer Hills, or Oak Park-Northwood next to Alamo Heights, on today's market.
(SEP 27, 2026 - OCT 27, 2026)
What are property taxes
in North Central San Antonio?
For 2026, combined rates run about $1.92 to $2.51 per $100 of taxable value. Two things set the rate here: which city the home is in, and which school district. None of these communities pays into the extra districts that newer suburbs often add to the bill (for emergency services, utilities or road and drainage improvements), so there are only three parts to it: the county-wide units, the city and the school district. The rate still doesn't tell the whole story, because of how each city treats a homestead.
- Homestead exemption: an amount taken off the taxable value of the house you live in as your main home. Every school district here takes $140,000 off. For the city's share, San Antonio and Hill Country Village take off 20% and Castle Hills 10%, while Alamo Heights, Olmos Park, Terrell Hills, Hollywood Park and Shavano Park give no general homestead exemption at all.
- Why it matters: a city with a lower rate and no exemption can send a bigger bill than San Antonio at a higher rate. The table shows it on the same $500,000 house.
| Where the home is | 2026 rate per $100 | Where you'll see it | Yearly tax, $500,000 homestead | Per month |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hill Country Village, North East ISD | $1.922584 | Hill Country Village | About $7,470 | About $625 |
| Terrell Hills, North East ISD | $2.115751 | Terrell Hills' eastern streets | About $8,620 | About $720 |
| Shavano Park, Northside ISD | $2.132326 | Shavano Park | About $8,620 | About $720 |
| Terrell Hills, Alamo Heights ISD | $2.163251 | Most of Terrell Hills | About $8,800 | About $735 |
| Alamo Heights, Alamo Heights ISD | $2.187084 | Alamo Heights | About $8,910 | About $745 |
| Hollywood Park, North East ISD | $2.218996 | Hollywood Park | About $9,140 | About $760 |
| San Antonio, North East ISD | $2.300464 | Shearer Hills, Greater Harmony Hills, Hunters Creek, Castle Hills Forest, Deerfield, part of Oak Park-Northwood | About $8,990 | About $750 |
| Olmos Park, Alamo Heights ISD | $2.340708 | Olmos Park | About $9,680 | About $805 |
| San Antonio, Alamo Heights ISD | $2.347964 | The rest of Oak Park-Northwood | About $9,160 | About $765 |
| San Antonio, Northside ISD | $2.359964 | Inwood | About $9,200 | About $765 |
| Castle Hills, North East ISD | $2.366709 | Castle Hills | About $9,560 | About $795 |
| San Antonio, San Antonio ISD | $2.511964 | Olmos Park Terrace | About $9,750 | About $810 |
The monthly column is taxes only. Budget separately for homeowners insurance and any HOA dues; neither is in these figures.
Each yearly figure assumes the house is your homestead and applies the standard exemptions: $140,000 for the school district; 20% each for the county and University Health; 4% for the River Authority; $5,000 for Alamo Colleges; Road and Flood's $3,000 plus 20%; and the city exemptions listed above.
If the house becomes a rental once you've moved and live elsewhere, it loses the homestead exemptions. In Shearer Hills, at $2.300464, the same $500,000 house goes from about $8,990 a year to about $11,500.
More about the taxing units on a North Central bill
The five county-wide units are the same on every bill here for 2026: Road and Flood $0.014036, the San Antonio River Authority $0.019300, Alamo Community College District $0.166650, University Health $0.276235 and Bexar County $0.285963, adding up to $0.762184. Then comes the city: San Antonio $0.562880, Castle Hills $0.629125, Olmos Park $0.555624, Hollywood Park $0.481412, Alamo Heights $0.402000, Terrell Hills $0.378167, Shavano Park $0.335242 or Hill Country Village $0.185000. Last is the school district: Alamo Heights ISD $1.022900, North East ISD $0.975400, Northside ISD $1.034900, or San Antonio ISD $1.186900.
The home's record at bcad.org lists every unit it pays under its taxing jurisdictions. Where the school line splits a neighborhood, that list is the quickest way to see which side a house is on.
More about homestead and disabled veteran exemptions
Send Form 50-114 to the Bexar Appraisal District when the house becomes your principal residence. If you close on a resale mid-year, the seller's exemption normally covers the rest of that tax year; your own takes over January 1, with the application due April 30. If the seller didn't claim it that year, as with a brand-new house, apply within a year of closing and the exemption covers the part of that year you owned it.
Texas also limits how fast your homestead's appraised value can climb: from the year after you first qualify, no more than 10% a year, not counting new improvements. For owners 65 or older, the school exemption rises by another $73,330 in North East and Northside ISDs and $60,000 in Alamo Heights and San Antonio ISDs. A disability adds $73,330 in Northside ISD and $60,000 in each of the others. Most of the cities add a 65-or-older exemption or a tax ceiling of their own, which shows on the home's record.
With Form 50-135, a disabled veteran adds an exemption on one property that grows with the rating, in four steps from $5,000 (rated 10 to 29 percent) to $12,000 (rated 70 percent or more). Veterans paid 100% disability compensation who are rated 100% disabled or individually unemployable owe no property tax on the homestead at all, and that carries over to a surviving spouse who hasn't remarried.
Data current as of October 2026 · Sources: Bexar County Tax Assessor-Collector, 2026 Official Tax Rates and Exemptions · Bexar Appraisal District property records · Texas Comptroller, exemptions · Texas Tax Code, Chapter 11 · Texas Tax Code §23.23 · Texas Comptroller, disabled veteran exemptions
City limits, school districts and tax rates all change from one address to the next here, so check each one on the home's appraisal record before you write an offer.
Which school districts serve
North Central San Antonio?
Four. North East ISD covers most of the area, Alamo Heights ISD the south end, Northside ISD Shavano Park and Inwood in the northwest, and San Antonio ISD the southwest corner around Olmos Park Terrace. City limits and school lines don't match here, so look up the district by address, not by neighborhood.
- North East ISD runs 67 campuses for more than 51,000 students. Its campus boundary map finds the zoned schools for an address.
- Alamo Heights ISD has five campuses across 9.4 square miles. Every grade but first through fifth has a single campus for the whole district; for those grades, the district confirms which of its two elementary schools serves an address.
- Northside ISD has 97,597 students and 133 schools. Type an address into its Boundaries and Buses tool to see the assigned campuses and bus route.
- San Antonio ISD has more than 42,000 students. Its enrollment office confirms the zoned campus for an address.
With the campus names in hand, tea.texas.gov has a state report card for each one.
More about district lines that split a street
In Oak Park-Northwood, the line between Alamo Heights ISD and North East ISD runs between neighbors. On the 400 block of Oakleaf Drive, 402 through 418 are in Alamo Heights ISD and 422 through 442 are in North East ISD. Terrell Hills splits the same way on its east side, and at the north end Inwood is Northside ISD while Deerfield, a few blocks east, is North East ISD. If the district matters to you, check the exact house, even after you've checked the house next door.
Data current as of October 2026 · Sources: North East ISD · Alamo Heights ISD · Northside ISD · San Antonio ISD · Bexar County parcel records
What is daily life like
in North Central San Antonio?
Errands here run along the same north-south roads as the commute, with H-E-Bs on San Pedro Avenue, West Avenue, Nacogdoches Road and Basse Road. The airport is in the middle of it all, which makes a 6 a.m. flight a short trip, and means some streets hear the planes.
For a weekend outside, the two big city parks below sit on either side of the airport, one to the northwest and one to the north, and both are big enough to lose an afternoon on their trails.
Shopping and groceries
- North Star Mall, 7400 San Pedro Avenue, just south of Loop 410
- Lincoln Heights Market H-E-B, 999 E. Basse Road
- Oak Park H-E-B, 1955 Nacogdoches Road
- San Pedro and Oblate H-E-B, 6839 San Pedro Avenue
- Blanco and West Ave H-E-B, 11551 West Avenue
- Brook Hollow H-E-B, 15000 San Pedro Avenue
Parks and trails
- Phil Hardberger Park, about 330 acres between NW Military Highway and Blanco Road, split by Wurzbach Parkway and joined again by the Robert L.B. Tobin Land Bridge, built for people and wildlife; dog parks and a trailhead for the Salado Creek Greenway
- McAllister Park, 976 acres between Jones Maltsberger and Wetmore roads, with about five miles of paved trails and more than ten miles of unpaved bike and running trails
Getting around
- San Antonio International Airport, 9800 Airport Boulevard, just north of Loop 410 and east of US-281
More about utilities in North Central San Antonio
Homes inside San Antonio buy electricity and gas from CPS Energy and, in most cases, water from SAWS. In the small cities, confirm the providers for the address before closing. Shavano Park is a good example of why: the city's own water utility serves its original neighborhoods, while SAWS serves Shavano Creek, Bentley Manor, Willow Wood and Huntington. Ask CPS Energy about its deposit waiver if your move is on military orders.
Data current as of October 2026 · Sources: H-E-B store pages · Phil Hardberger Park Conservancy · City of San Antonio, McAllister Park · San Antonio Airport System, noise programs · CPS Energy · SAWS · City of Shavano Park
Before you tour North Central San Antonio
Most homes here have been lived in for decades, and the city line can change the bill as much as the price does. Work through these before your first showing.
- A payment that works with the real tax bill. The amount a lender approves is a ceiling, and the payment you can live with may sit well under it. On the same $500,000 house, the tax table above runs from about $625 to about $810 a month, so run the payment with the right city and school district.
- The school district for that exact address. If it matters to you, look it up house by house; on some streets here, the district changes partway down the block.
- HOA rules that would stop you. Deerfield, Inwood, Hunters Creek North, two sections of Hollywood Park and some Shavano Park neighborhoods have an HOA, so don't assume an older street has none. Tell me your deal-breakers, like leasing limits on a house you'd rent out after your next PCS, or rules on fences and parking a trailer, and I'll find out before you tour.
- What you'll accept in an older floor plan. A house from the 1950s or 1960s can come with a smaller kitchen, one-car garage or fewer bathrooms than a newer build. Decide which of those you'd live with, which you'd renovate, and which would send you to the next house.
- The airport and the historic district. Near the airport, go back at the hours you'd be home and listen, and ask whether the house was sound-insulated through the airport's Residential Acoustical Treatment Program, which has treated more than 1,500 single-family homes inside its 65-decibel noise contour. In Olmos Park Terrace, check what the City's historic review would mean before you plan new windows, a different roof or an addition.
- The drive at your real hours. Know where you'll work? Drive there from the house at the hour you'd leave each morning, and back at the hour you'd come home.
What working with me looks like
in North Central San Antonio.
My name is Tiffany Reed, REALTOR® with Real Broker and Military Relocation Professional (MRP). Buying here almost always means buying a house someone has owned for years, so the work starts before you ever walk in. Plenty of my clients also close on their San Antonio home before they've set foot in the city.
- Questions answered before the tour. For each house you plan to see, I start by requesting the seller's disclosure and any reports from earlier inspections. I also pin down when the roof was last replaced and when the HVAC system and water heater went in, because on houses this age those dates can shape the offer.
- Tours you can take from wherever you are. Not in town yet? I'll tour the house with you on video, and you can decide from wherever you're living now.
- Lenders, VA lenders included. I connect you with lenders who can get your financing lined up, including VA lenders.
- Planning for a rental later. Thinking of keeping the house as a rental when orders take you elsewhere? For each house you're serious about, I pull rental comps, so you can see the rent it would likely bring next to what the mortgage would cost.
- The offer, the inspections and the last look. I draft and negotiate the offer, set up the inspections each house needs, and do the final walkthrough alongside you before you close.
Questions buyers ask about
North Central San Antonio
What ZIP codes are in North Central San Antonio?
Mainly 78209, 78212, 78213, 78216, 78230, 78231, 78232 and 78248. A ZIP code doesn't tell you the city: 78209 covers Alamo Heights, Terrell Hills and San Antonio streets, so check the home's Bexar Appraisal District record.
Which small cities are inside North Central San Antonio?
Seven: Alamo Heights, Olmos Park, Terrell Hills, Castle Hills, Hill Country Village, Hollywood Park and Shavano Park. San Antonio surrounds each one, and six of the seven city halls use San Antonio mailing addresses.
Which North Central neighborhoods are closest to Fort Sam Houston?
Terrell Hills is closest, about 2.5 driving miles from the Harry Wurzbach East Gate, followed by Alamo Heights at about 3.5, Oak Park-Northwood and Olmos Park at about 4.5, Olmos Park Terrace at about 5.5 and Shearer Hills at about 6.5. Drive times vary by time of day, traffic, and gate. Check current conditions for your route before deciding.
Why can a lower tax rate mean a higher tax bill in North Central San Antonio?
Because of the homestead exemption. San Antonio takes 20% off a homestead's value for its share, while Alamo Heights, Olmos Park, Terrell Hills, Hollywood Park and Shavano Park give no general homestead exemption. On a $500,000 home, Hollywood Park's $2.218996 rate comes to about $9,140 for 2026, and San Antonio with North East ISD, at $2.300464, to about $8,990.
Is Olmos Park Terrace part of the City of Olmos Park?
No. Olmos Park Terrace is a San Antonio neighborhood just west of Olmos Park, and part of it is a City of San Antonio historic district. It's in San Antonio ISD, while nearly all of the City of Olmos Park is in Alamo Heights ISD.
Are there new construction homes in North Central San Antonio?
Not from production builders. New homes here are custom builds, usually on a lot where an older house was torn down, and Shavano Park still has open lots in its newest section. Builder communities are outside this area, mostly past Loop 1604.
Is it smart to buy in North Central San Antonio on a two- or three-year assignment?
It can work well. Holding on to the house and renting it out after you PCS is one upside. With VA entitlement left over, you can use a VA loan again at your next duty station, although the lender may require money down if what remains doesn't cover the loan in that county. Selling after two or three years is a different story: the costs of buying and then selling will likely be more than the house gains in that time. Every situation is different, so run your own numbers.
Data current as of October 2026 · Sources: Bexar Appraisal District · Bexar County Tax Assessor-Collector · U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, VA loan limits and entitlement
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