San Antonio Neighborhoods
Tobin Hill,
the Pearl District's neighborhood.
Directly north of downtown San Antonio and home to the Pearl, the old brewery turned into a district of restaurants, shops and a Saturday market. Historic mansions and Craftsman bungalows on tree-lined streets, old streetcar-era shopping streets like St. Mary's, and Fort Sam Houston a few miles east. A neighborhood you choose for urban character over suburban space.
Questions about Tobin Hill? Call me at (919) 800-9870
Tobin Hill is a historic part of the City of San Antonio, directly north of downtown between San Pedro Avenue and US 281, with the Pearl on its east side. It's served by San Antonio ISD. Homes range from historic mansions and Craftsman bungalows to post-war apartment buildings and newer development around the Pearl, and part of the neighborhood is a city historic district. Fort Sam Houston's Walters Gate is about 2.5 driving miles away, and the Harry Wurzbach East Gate about 3.5.
Tiffany Reed, REALTOR® | MRP · Data current as of October 2026 · Sources: Tobin Hill Community Association · The Cultural Landscape Foundation · City of San Antonio Office of Historic Preservation · U.S. Census Bureau geocoder- Inside the city's Tobin Hill Historic District, every exterior change or repair, even in side and rear yards, needs city approval through a Certificate of Appropriateness.
- SAISD and the City of San Antonio carry the biggest shares of a typical Tobin Hill tax bill. With five other units added, the 2026 combined rate comes to $2.511964 per $100 of taxable value before exemptions.
- Short-term rentals in San Antonio need a city permit, and non-owner-occupied rentals (Type 2) are limited to 12.5% of the dwelling units on a block face (the homes on one side of a street, corner to corner), though every block face gets at least one.
- SAISD trustees voted in November 2023 to close 15 campuses, so confirm the current school assignment for any address instead of relying on an older guide.
- The name comes from the Tobin family, who settled on "The Hill" along Maple Avenue in 1883.
What is Tobin Hill,
and where exactly is it?
Tobin Hill sits directly north of downtown and is part of San Antonio's midtown. The Tobin Hill Community Association draws its edges this way: Monte Vista and Trinity University to the north, San Pedro Avenue and San Antonio College to the west, US 281, the Pearl and the river's Museum Reach to the east, and I-35 to the south. It's inside the City of San Antonio, so city zoning, city services and the city tax rate all apply.
Development began in 1877, after a horse-drawn streetcar route was built from Houston Street out to San Pedro Springs Park, and Tobin Hill was among San Antonio's first suburbs. The earliest houses were large Victorian-era homes; the smaller Craftsman cottages came later, as tastes turned toward simpler houses.
The Pearl anchors the east side. The brewery's history goes back to 1883, and since Silver Ventures bought the property in 2001 it has become a mixed-use district of more than 22 acres on the Museum Reach of the River Walk.
Choosing Tobin Hill usually means giving up a big yard and a quiet street in exchange for the Pearl, the river and St. Mary's Street within walking distance.
Is Tobin Hill a good fit for you?
Tobin Hill is a good fit if you want:
- A historic home with original detail, or a newer one, within walking or biking distance of the Pearl and the River Walk
- A close-in address next to downtown and a few miles from Fort Sam Houston
- The Pearl's restaurants, cafés, live music and Saturday farmers market close to home
- Location over lot size, and you're fine with a small yard and busier streets nearby
- An older house you're willing to maintain, including city design review for exterior work if it sits in a historic district
- A mix of housing types on one street rather than a single-builder subdivision
Stationed at Fort Sam and comparing close-in neighborhoods?
The free San Antonio Relocation Guide puts Tobin Hill next to Terrell Hills, Mahncke Park and the rest of the Fort Sam corridor.
Get the Free Relocation GuideWhat kinds of homes
are in Tobin Hill?
The residential streets run from mansions to smaller bungalows, most on small lots with shallow setbacks, along tree-lined streets with sidewalks. Apartment buildings from the post-war years sit among them, and many of the large houses were converted into multi-family homes, so a single-family house, a duplex and a small apartment building can share one block. Since the Pearl's redevelopment began in the 2000s, newer mixed-use buildings have filled in around the old brewery on the east side.
Before you tour Tobin Hill: questions to answer first
Bungalows, restored historic houses and newer homes sit side by side here, so decide what you're after first.
- Historic district status. Parts of Tobin Hill are historic districts, where exterior work needs city approval. If you plan changes, check the address on the city's Explorer Map.
- Approval, then payment. Know the amount you're approved for and the monthly payment you'd be comfortable with; they aren't the same.
- Rental plans. If you'd rent it out at your next PCS, or short-term, know that short-term rentals need a city permit and are capped on each block face.
- What you need nearby. Parking, a fenced yard for pets, a single story, a walk to the Pearl: decide what you need and what you'd skip.
- Commute times. If you know where you'll work, drive from Tobin Hill to that gate or office at your actual hours.
- Touring remotely. If you or your spouse can't be here, plan on video tours so you can make an offer without a flight.
How much do homes cost
in Tobin Hill?
Tobin Hill has no published sale-price range of its own. Price follows the type of home, its size and its condition, and an original-condition bungalow, a fully restored historic house and a newer home can sit a few blocks apart and be priced far apart. I've put live Tobin Hill listings and recent sales a little further down this page, so you can compare current prices for homes of the same type and condition.
How much are property taxes in Tobin Hill?
A typical Tobin Hill home sits in the city and in SAISD, which puts seven taxing units on the bill. Their 2026 rates add up to $2.511964 per $100 of taxable value, so $250,000 of value works out to about $6,280 for the year before exemptions.
| Taxing unit | 2026 rate per $100 | General homestead exemption |
|---|---|---|
| San Antonio ISD | $1.186900 | $140,000 plus 0.01% (plus $60,000 if 65 or older or disabled) |
| City of San Antonio | $0.562880 | 20% (at least $5,000) |
| Bexar County | $0.285963 | 20% (at least $5,000) |
| University Health (Bexar County Hospital District) | $0.276235 | 20% (at least $5,000) |
| Alamo Community College District | $0.166650 | 1% (at least $5,000) |
| San Antonio River Authority | $0.019300 | 4% (at least $5,000) |
| Bexar County Road and Flood | $0.014036 | $3,000 and 20% |
| Combined 2026 rate | $2.511964 | Exemptions apply unit by unit |
The exemptions come off separately for every unit, so the school line and the city line shrink by different amounts. The city adds an $85,000 exemption for owners who are 65 or older or disabled. Bexar Appraisal District's property search at bcad.org shows which taxing units apply to any specific home.
Once you've moved in, send Bexar Appraisal District your application for the Texas homestead exemption. The general deadline is April 30, and a buyer who closes after January 1 can still receive it for the portion of that year they own the home, provided the previous owner didn't receive it for the same year. Veterans awarded 100 percent disability compensation for a service-connected disability may owe no property tax at all on their homestead.
Data current as of October 2026 · Sources: Bexar County Tax Assessor-Collector, 2026 Official Tax Rates and Exemptions · Texas Comptroller, property tax exemptions · Bexar Appraisal District (bcad.org).
(OCT 12, 2026 - NOV 11, 2026)
Which schools serve
Tobin Hill?
Public schools here belong to San Antonio ISD (SAISD), the urban district that also serves downtown. Hawthorne PK-8 Academy sits inside the neighborhood at 115 W. Josephine St. Which campuses a home is zoned to, from elementary through high school, depends on its address.
SAISD trustees voted in November 2023 to close 15 campuses, most of them at the end of the 2023 to 2024 school year. That means older neighborhood guides can list schools or assignments that no longer apply, so confirm the current zoned campus with SAISD for any home you're serious about.
To check a school, pull up that campus by name on tea.texas.gov (run by the Texas Education Agency) and read its campus report card. The district-wide picture won't tell you much about the one campus a given address feeds into.
Can you use a VA loan in Tobin Hill?
Yes. Single-family homes and townhomes you own along with the land underneath (fee simple) work with a VA loan. Condos are different: the whole condo project has to be accepted by VA, and VA's public condo report lists projects by status. Have your lender confirm the project before you submit an offer on a condo unit. The basics of the benefit are in my free VA loan guide.
How far is Tobin Hill
from JBSA installations?
Fort Sam Houston, just east of the neighborhood, is the nearest post. Mileage below is measured by car from the Pearl (303 Pearl Parkway), at the east edge of the neighborhood, to the gates named below.
| Fort Sam Houston | ~2.5 miles to the Walters Gate via I-35; ~3.5 to the Harry Wurzbach East Gate |
| Brooke Army Medical Center (BAMC) | ~5 miles to the BAMC/I-35 Gate via I-35 |
| Lackland AFB | ~12 miles to the Luke East Gate via I-35 and US-90 |
| Randolph AFB | ~15 miles to the Lindsey (Main) Gate via I-35 and FM 78 |
| Camp Bullis | ~18 miles to the main gate via I-10 |
If you'll mostly use the Harry Wurzbach East Gate, compare Terrell Hills, which sits just across Harry Wurzbach Road from the post. If your orders are for Lackland, Randolph or Camp Bullis, my military relocation page lines up neighborhoods by base.
What is daily life like
in Tobin Hill?
Plenty of errands here never need the car. You can walk for a morning coffee, pick up produce on a Saturday, meet friends for dinner and finish with a stroll along the river path, and a night out downtown is a short hop rather than a trip.
The trade-off is density. Apartments and duplexes share streets with single-family homes, yards are small, and busy commercial streets cut through the neighborhood. If a quiet cul-de-sac is the goal, this isn't that kind of place; if walking to dinner is the goal, Tobin Hill is built for it.
Parks and outdoors
- The Museum Reach of the River Walk, completed in 2009, a 3.5-mile stretch that runs from downtown past the Pearl to Hildebrand Avenue
- San Pedro Springs Park, 1315 San Pedro Ave., which the city calls its oldest park, with a playground, skate park, tennis courts and trails (its pool is closed until the 2027 season)
- Brackenridge Park and the San Antonio Zoo, north along the river (the park covers about 400 acres)
- The San Antonio Botanical Garden, 555 Funston Place, about 2 driving miles northeast of the Pearl
Food and coffee
- The Pearl's chef-led restaurants, cafés and bars, clustered around the old brewery buildings, plus live music
- Restaurants and shops along North St. Mary's, San Pedro and McCullough, the old streetcar corridors, where low-rise Spanish Mission and Art Deco buildings line the street
Shopping and groceries
- The Saturday farmers market at the Pearl, held rain or shine, where every vendor comes from within 150 miles of San Antonio
- Independent shops and boutiques at the Pearl
Museums, culture and landmarks
- The San Antonio Museum of Art, 200 W. Jones Ave., in the original Lone Star Brewery buildings on the Museum Reach
- The Tobin Center for the Performing Arts, 100 Auditorium Circle, downtown
- The Culinary Institute of America's Texas campus, at the Pearl
- Hotel Emma, whose 146 rooms fill the Pearl's 19th-century brewhouse
- San Antonio College, 1819 N. Main Ave., on the neighborhood's western edge since 1951
Getting around
- San Antonio International Airport, roughly 11 miles north of the Pearl by car via US-281
Data current as of October 2026 · Sources: The Cultural Landscape Foundation, Museum Reach · City of San Antonio, San Pedro Springs Park · Brackenridge Park Conservancy · Pearl · Pearl farmers market · San Antonio Museum of Art · Tobin Center · The Cultural Landscape Foundation, Tobin Hill
What buyers ask about
Tobin Hill.
Is the Pearl District actually in Tobin Hill?
It's on the neighborhood's east side, where the Pearl, US 281 and the Museum Reach form Tobin Hill's eastern edge. Homes across much of the neighborhood are a walk or a short bike ride from the Pearl's restaurants, Saturday market and river path.
What are home prices in Tobin Hill?
Prices swing widely by type and condition: an original bungalow, a restored historic house and a newer home are very different purchases. No official source publishes a Tobin Hill price range, so I keep live listings and recent sales higher on this page for the current read. Budget for property taxes as well; the 2026 breakdown is in the tax table above the market data.
Is Tobin Hill a practical base for a Fort Sam Houston assignment?
By car from the Pearl, Fort Sam Houston's Walters Gate is about 2.5 miles away via I-35, the Harry Wurzbach East Gate about 3.5, and the BAMC/I-35 Gate about 5. It works well if you want a historic or walkable neighborhood near post and you're comfortable with small yards and city streets. Expect about 12 miles to Lackland, 15 to Randolph and 18 to Camp Bullis. Drive times vary by time of day, traffic, and gate. Check current conditions for your route before deciding.
What school district serves Tobin Hill?
San Antonio ISD. Hawthorne PK-8 Academy is inside the neighborhood, and the campuses assigned to a home depend on its address, so ask SAISD which campus a home is zoned to today. Then review that school's state report card at tea.texas.gov before you make an offer.
Can you rent out a home in Tobin Hill or use it as a short-term rental?
Short-term rentals need a City of San Antonio permit: Type 1 if the home is your primary residence, Type 2 if it isn't. Type 2 permits in residential areas are capped at 12.5% of the dwelling units on a block face, with at least one allowed per block face, and permits renew every three years. Check permit availability on the block before you buy with that plan in mind. Planning a long-term lease after your next PCS instead? On a home you're serious about, I'll run rental comps so you can compare likely rent with your mortgage payment.
Is Tobin Hill a historic district?
Part of it is. Tobin Hill and E. French Place are both City of San Antonio designated historic districts, and both belong to the Tobin Hill community. Inside either one, the Office of Historic Preservation at the city must sign off on exterior work, repairs included, through a Certificate of Appropriateness. The office's Explorer Map shows whether a given address falls inside a district.
What working with me looks like
for Tobin Hill buyers.
- The homework is mine, and it comes first. I ask for the seller's disclosure and any earlier inspection reports and find out the roof, HVAC and water heater ages. A deal-breaker shows up before you plan a visit.
- Being out of state doesn't keep you from touring. I'll walk you through on video, room by room, so you can make an offer from where you are.
- I'll connect you with a lender; a number of them close VA loans every day.
- When you find your Tobin Hill home, I write the offer and negotiate it.
- After that, I keep the process going. I arrange inspections, stay with the appraisal and closing steps, and do the last walkthrough with you before you sign.
Thinking about
Tobin Hill?
Tell me what you're weighing (a restored historic house or a newer one, the walk to the Pearl or the drive to post or the office) and I'll get the tours set up. Want to see what's for sale first? Browse Tobin Hill 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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