San Antonio Neighborhoods
San Marcos,
Hays County
A Hill Country college city on I-35 between San Antonio and Austin, shaped by Texas State University, the spring-fed San Marcos River, and a housing market that splits into two lanes: the streets around campus and the neighborhoods beyond them.
Questions about San Marcos? Call me at (919) 800-9870
San Marcos is a Hays County city of about 78,000 on I-35, roughly 31 driving miles south of Austin and 49 northeast of downtown San Antonio, home to Texas State University and the spring-fed San Marcos River. Most addresses are in San Marcos CISD, but some north-side neighborhoods, Blanco Vista among them, are in Hays CISD. Homes range from early-1900s houses near downtown to master-planned communities and a 55-and-better community. On price, homesteads in the city carry an average 2026 taxable value of $313,846. JBSA-Randolph, the closest installation, is about 35 miles away.
Tiffany Reed, REALTOR® | MRP · Data current as of October 2026 · Sources: U.S. Census Bureau · City of San Marcos 2026 tax hearing notice · SMCISD · Blanco Vista- San Marcos went from 44,894 people in the 2010 Census to 67,553 in 2020, and an estimated 77,830 by July 2025.
- Texas State University's preliminary fall 2026 enrollment is a record 47,513 students.
- More than 200 artesian springs feed Spring Lake at the head of the San Marcos River, and the water stays about 72 degrees all year.
- San Marcos CISD serves most of the city with 12 campuses and more than 8,100 students. Blanco Vista, on the north side near Kyle, is in Hays CISD.
- The City of San Marcos kept its tax rate at $0.6515 per $100 for 2026 and offers a $15,000 homestead exemption, or $35,000 if you're 65 or older or disabled.
What makes San Marcos
different?
San Marcos sits on I-35 with Austin about 31 driving miles to the north and downtown San Antonio about 49 to the south, and buyers come at it from both directions. That pull shows in the numbers: the Census count rose by half between 2010 and 2020, and the growth has kept going since.
Texas State University is at the center of town, and it keeps the downtown square busy with restaurants, coffee shops, and live music. The river runs right past campus. It starts at Spring Lake, where artesian springs keep the water clear and cool, and on a summer weekend you'll see people tubing, paddling, and swimming the length of it.
Housing splits in two. Near campus, many houses are rentals (about 69 percent of occupied homes citywide are rented). Farther out you'll find master-planned communities, established subdivisions, and new construction. Knowing which of those you're shopping in, before you open a single listing, saves a lot of time.
Is San Marcos a good fit for you?
San Marcos is a good fit if you want:
- A spring-fed river, natural areas with miles of trails, and a lively downtown square close to home
- An I-35 address nearer Austin than San Antonio, and you're comfortable with about 35 miles or more to a JBSA gate
- A choice of master-planned communities with pools and trails, newer builder homes, or early-1900s houses near downtown
- A 55-and-better community with golf and a full amenity calendar
- Either a home in the neighborhoods away from campus or one near Texas State, where rentals are common, as long as you know which one you're choosing
PCSing to JBSA and weighing San Marcos against places closer to post?
The free San Antonio Relocation Guide compares neighborhoods around each installation, so you can see what the extra miles buy you before you decide.
Get the Free Relocation GuideWhich San Marcos neighborhoods
should you know?
The right neighborhood depends on what you want close by: downtown and campus, the river, a master-planned amenity package, or quick I-35 access. These are the names that come up most, with what each one is and which school district serves it.
La Cima
A master-planned community west of downtown at West Centerpoint Road and RR 12, built around a 45-acre Central Park with three pools and a trail network. San Marcos CISD serves the community: Hernandez Elementary, Miller Middle, and San Marcos High. You get newer homes and HOA-maintained common areas; the trade-offs are the HOA dues and a drive for most errands.
River Bridge Ranch
One of the newest communities in town. Lennar opened sales in October 2025, with 28 floor plans from about 1,200 to 2,780 square feet and a pool, clubhouse, pavilion, playground, half-court basketball, and trails. It's close to downtown. Confirm the school district for the specific lot before you sign.
Blanco Vista
A Brookfield Residential community of about 575 acres at I-35 and Yarrington Road on the north side, near the Kyle line, planned for roughly 1,800 homes. Amenities include two pools, trails, and a stocked fishing pond. It's in Hays CISD, not San Marcos CISD: Blanco Vista Elementary, Wallace Middle School, and Hays High School. The community sits on the Blanco River, and flood maps here have changed recently. FEMA maps from January 2025 put part of it in the floodplain, and a revision approved in November 2025 took 268 properties back out of the 100-year floodplain, so check the current map for the exact address.
Trace
A 420-acre master-planned community from Highpointe Communities on the south side, with I-35 frontage near Posey Road. It has a resort-style pool, a pavilion, play areas, basketball and sand volleyball, two neighborhood parks, and a few miles of trails. Highpointe donated the land for San Marcos CISD's Rodriguez Elementary, which sits inside the community. New construction means a builder warranty and current building standards.
Kissing Tree
A Brookfield Residential community near Hunter and Centerpoint roads, designed as a 55-and-better community, with age restrictions on certain homes. The amenities are the draw: a golf course, pickleball and bocce, indoor and outdoor pools, a two-story fitness center, and an on-site restaurant. Ask which homes carry the age restriction and what the HOA covers before you compare it with an ordinary subdivision.
Dunbar
A historic neighborhood southwest of the courthouse square around West Martin Luther King Drive. Part of it became a National Register historic district in November 2024, and its contributing buildings date from 1908 to about 1970: bungalows, Tudor Revival, Minimal Traditional, and ranch houses. It's also a local historic district, so ask the city what that means for any exterior work you have in mind. Homes this age call for a careful inspection of the roof, wiring, plumbing, and foundation before you write an offer.
Cottonwood Creek
A newer area along I-35 where Century Communities builds at Pinnacle at Cottonwood Creek. San Marcos CISD serves it: Bowie Elementary, Goodnight Middle, and San Marcos High. The appeal is straightforward highway access if you'll be on I-35 most days.
What do homes cost
in San Marcos?
The clearest public figure is the city's 2026 average homestead taxable value: $313,846, down 2.46 percent from $321,772 in 2025. It's an appraisal number after exemptions and Texas' cap on yearly increases, not a sale price, so homes generally sell above it. For what's actually on the market and closing now, I've put live San Marcos listings and recent sales further down this page, and they refresh on their own.
Within the city, price follows age, location, and amenities. Older homes near downtown and campus, new construction in the master-planned communities, and the 55-and-better homes at Kissing Tree each behave like their own small market, so compare a home only against others in the same lane.
How much are property taxes in San Marcos?
A typical address inside the city pays three taxing units: the City of San Marcos, San Marcos CISD, and Hays County. For 2026 those add up to $1.9514 per $100 of value before exemptions, about $1,951 for every $100,000. A Hays CISD address in the city comes to $2.2012 instead.
| Taxing unit | 2026 rate per $100 | General homestead exemption |
|---|---|---|
| San Marcos CISD | $0.8902 | $140,000 (state-required; $60,000 more at 65+ or disabled) |
| City of San Marcos | $0.6515 | $15,000 ($35,000 at 65+ or disabled) |
| Hays County | $0.4097 | Set by the county; check the property's record at hayscad.com |
| Hays CISD (instead of SMCISD, depending on address) | $1.1400 | $140,000 (state-required; $60,000 more at 65+ or disabled) |
| Combined 2026 rate | $1.9514 (SMCISD) / $2.2012 (Hays CISD) | Exemptions are applied by each unit separately |
Some addresses also sit in a special district that adds its own line. Look up any property on the Hays Central Appraisal District site (hayscad.com) to see its full list of taxing units.
After you move in, the homestead exemption application goes to the Hays Central Appraisal District. The general deadline is April 30, and buying partway through the year still qualifies you for the months you own the home if the seller hadn't claimed it. Veterans paid VA disability compensation at the 100 percent level can have their homestead taxes wiped out entirely.
Data current as of October 2026 · Sources: City of San Marcos, Notice of Public Hearing on Tax Increase (FY 2027) · City of San Marcos, current tax information · SMCISD 2026 tax rate resolution · Hays County, FY 2027 budget and tax rate · San Marcos Record · Hays CISD 2026 tax rate resolution · Texas Comptroller, Form 50-114.
(OCT 08, 2026 - NOV 07, 2026)
Which schools serve
San Marcos?
Most of the city is in San Marcos Consolidated ISD (SMCISD), which serves more than 8,100 students from prekindergarten through grade 12. The district has 12 campuses: Bonham Prekindergarten; seven elementary schools (Bowie, Crockett, DeZavala, Hernandez, Mendez, Rodriguez, and Travis); Goodnight and Miller middle schools; San Marcos High School on Rattler Road; and San Marcos Excel Academy. With seven elementaries and two middle schools, the address decides which of those campuses a home is zoned to.
Not every San Marcos address is in SMCISD. Blanco Vista, on the north side, is in Hays CISD, and other edge-of-town subdivisions can be too. For any campus you're considering, read its report card on tea.texas.gov, then ask the district to confirm which campus serves the address, since TEA doesn't offer an address search.
Near campus or farther out: how does it change the search?
Homes on the streets around Texas State and homes in the outer neighborhoods behave like two different markets. Close to campus, notice how many houses on the street are rentals and how parking works. Farther out, school zoning, HOA rules, and the commute usually decide it. Decide which lane you're in first, and the rest of the search gets much shorter.
How far is San Marcos
from JBSA installations?
San Marcos is a long way from the JBSA installations, and Randolph, not Lackland, is the closest. Mileage here is measured by road from San Marcos City Hall (630 E. Hopkins St.) to each installation's nearest 24/7 gate, rounded. I-35 also runs north toward Austin, which helps if one of you works there or works remotely.
| JBSA-Randolph | ~35 miles to the Lindsey Gate: I-35 south, then FM 3009 and FM 78 |
| JBSA-Fort Sam Houston | ~43 miles on I-35 to the BAMC/I-35 Gate |
| JBSA-Camp Bullis | ~55 miles to the main gate: I-35, then west on Loop 1604 to I-10 |
| JBSA-Lackland | ~60 miles via I-35 and US-90 |
Look at these miles before you fall for a house here. The military relocation overview compares communities by installation.
Can you use a VA loan
in San Marcos?
Yes, on resale homes and new construction alike. With full entitlement the VA sets no maximum loan amount; your lender still qualifies you, and the loan is limited to the purchase price or the appraised value, whichever is less. My free VA loan guide walks through how the benefit works.
Before you tour San Marcos: what to decide
Rivers, older houses near downtown and a lot of new building mean a few choices are worth making early.
- Your budget, two ways. Know the amount you're approved for and the payment you'd like to make. Taxing units differ across the area, so similar prices can carry different payments.
- SMCISD or Hays CISD. Decide whether the district matters to you, then confirm the campus for the address.
- HOA and age rules. In master-planned and 55-and-better communities, know which rules matter to you, such as age rules, leasing limits, parking or pets, and tell me before you see the home.
- The river and the flood map. Maps here have been revised recently. Decide how close to the San Marcos or Blanco River you want to live, and check the current map for any address on the FEMA Flood Map Service Center.
- The real drive. If you know where you'll work, drive it at your real departure time, not midday.
- New or older. A newer home in a master-planned community or an older house near downtown? Decide that, along with your must-haves and deal-breakers.
What is everyday life like
in San Marcos?
A normal week in San Marcos leans on the outdoors. A swim or a walk on the trails fits easily before or after work, and the downtown square is where people meet for dinner or music. The university calendar shapes the rhythm: busier streets during the semester, quieter stretches in summer and over breaks.
Summer weekends bring visitors to the river, so locals learn the quieter spots and times. Big shopping runs are close, off I-35 at the south end of town, and Austin is about 31 miles up I-35.
River and outdoors
- Glass-bottom boat tours on Spring Lake at the Meadows Center, running since 1945
- Rio Vista Park, 555 Cheatham St., with river access, a swimming pool, courts, and trails
- City Park, 170 Charles Austin Dr., about 18 acres on the river, with tube rentals (nonresident parking is paid)
- Sewell Park, six acres on the Texas State campus along the river
- Purgatory Creek Natural Area, more than 1,000 acres, and Spring Lake Natural Area, 252 acres with more than six miles of trails
- Five Mile Dam Park on the Blanco River
- Wonder World Cave and Adventure Park, 1000 Prospect St., with guided tours of a cave formed along the Balcones Fault
Food and coffee
- Palmer's Restaurant Bar & Courtyard, 218 Moore St., open since 1978
- Grins Restaurant, 802 N. LBJ Dr., serving since 1975
- Mochas & Javas, 700 N. LBJ Dr., a local coffee shop since 2003
Shopping and downtown
- San Marcos Premium Outlets, 3939 S. I-35, and Tanger San Marcos, 4015 S. I-35
- The downtown square around the Hays County Courthouse, a three-story Renaissance Revival building from 1908, in a National Register historic district
Data current as of October 2026 · Sources: The Meadows Center · City of San Marcos parks · Texas State University · Texas Historical Commission · Community Impact · each business's own website
What buyers ask about
San Marcos.
How far is San Marcos from the JBSA bases, and can it work for a military move?
From City Hall it's about 35 driving miles to Randolph, 43 to Fort Sam Houston, 55 to Camp Bullis, and 60 to Lackland, all starting on I-35. It can work if the river and the Hill Country setting are what you're after, or one job in the household is in Austin or remote, and you're comfortable with a long drive every day. Drive times vary by time of day, traffic, and gate. Check current conditions for your route before deciding.
Which school districts serve San Marcos?
San Marcos CISD serves most of the city, with 12 campuses and more than 8,100 students. Some north-side neighborhoods, including Blanco Vista, are in Hays CISD. Have the district confirm the campus for the specific address, then pull that campus's report card from tea.texas.gov.
What are home prices in San Marcos?
Homesteads in the city averaged $313,846 in taxable value for 2026, down from $321,772 in 2025. Because that's a taxable value after exemptions and the annual cap, sale prices usually run above it. Active San Marcos listings and recent closings are higher on this page. I keep them there so you're comparing against real sales.
How are homes near Texas State different from the rest of the city?
Homes close to campus are also close to downtown, so they tend to be older, and about 69 percent of occupied homes citywide are rented, so it's worth noticing how many rentals share the street. The master-planned communities and newer subdivisions farther out have different trade-offs: HOA dues, newer construction, and a longer trip to downtown. Neither is better in general. It depends on how you'll use the home and how long you'll keep it.
What are property taxes like in San Marcos?
For 2026, a typical in-city address pays the city ($0.6515 per $100), San Marcos CISD ($0.8902), and Hays County ($0.4097), for a combined $1.9514 before exemptions, or $2.2012 with Hays CISD. The city gives a $15,000 homestead exemption ($35,000 at 65 or older or disabled), and every school district gives at least $140,000. The property's record at hayscad.com lists every unit it pays.
What should I know before buying a rental near Texas State?
Go in with your own numbers: likely rent, the full payment with taxes and insurance, and what a month or two empty between leases would cost. Before you buy, read any current leases, check HOA rental rules, get an insurance quote (including flood, if the map calls for it), and have the home inspected as if you were going to live in it. Then decide whether it still makes sense for you.
What working with me looks like
for San Marcos buyers.
- I start before you get there. I get the seller's disclosure and any inspection reports from past sales and check the ages of the roof, HVAC and water heater. If something's a deal-breaker, you'll know before the long drive.
- You can tour San Marcos homes remotely. I'll walk you through on video, room by room, so you can make an offer from anywhere.
- New builds, start to finish, with me there. Bring me in before your first visit to a builder, because some won't let an agent join later. I go to the models with you, take on the builder negotiation, and attend all walkthroughs with you through the final one. More on the new build process is on my new construction page.
- I can put you in touch with lenders, including ones who do VA loans every day.
- When the right San Marcos home appears, I'll write the offer and negotiate it for you.
- From there, I keep it moving. I coordinate inspections, watch the appraisal and closing steps, and do the final walkthrough with you before you sign.
Thinking about
San Marcos?
Tell me where you'll be driving each day and what you want close to home, and I'll set up tours of the San Marcos homes you want to see. Just browsing for now? Look through San Marcos homes for sale.
Let's Talk About Your Next MoveTiffany Reed, REALTOR® | MRP | Real Broker LLC
(919) 800-9870 | tiffany@tiffanyreedtx.com | tiffanyreedtx.com
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