San Antonio Area Neighborhoods
Universal City,
Bexar County
The small city just across the railroad tracks from JBSA-Randolph, home to about 19,700 people, with established homes mostly built from the 1960s through the 1990s, and Pat Booker Road running straight to the base's main gate.
Questions about Universal City? Call me at (919) 800-9870
Universal City is an incorporated city in northeast Bexar County, right next to JBSA-Randolph: from City Hall it's about 2 miles by road to the base's Lindsey (Main) Gate. The city is divided between Judson ISD, which covers most of it, and Schertz-Cibolo-Universal City ISD on the east side nearest the base. Most homes are established resales (the median one was built in 1984), and homesteads averaged $285,096 in taxable value for 2026.
Tiffany Reed, REALTOR® | MRP · Data current as of October 2026 · Sources: City of Universal City · City of Universal City 2026 tax notice · U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey- Randolph's Lindsey (Main) Gate, the base's only gate open around the clock, is about 2 road miles from City Hall straight down Pat Booker Road.
- Judson ISD serves the west, central and north parts of the city, including City Hall and the Kitty Hawk Road area. SCUCISD serves the eastern neighborhoods closest to Randolph, such as the North Boulevard and Northview Drive area.
- About 68% of the city's homes were built between 1960 and 1999, and the 1970s was the biggest single decade.
- For 2026, a homestead in Universal City and Judson ISD pays seven taxing units that add up to $2.271784 per $100 of taxable value.
- The city supplies its own water from the Edwards Aquifer and has been under Stage 3 water restrictions, which limit lawn watering, since June 25, 2024.
How did Universal City grow up
alongside Randolph?
Universal City started as a bet on the airfield next door. Three San Antonio doctors bought the farmland in late 1929, the tract was named in 1931, and Randolph Field opened that October. The founders gambled that a town across the tracks from a military airfield would draw people and businesses. Voters approved incorporation in March 1960, and the city adopted a home rule charter in 1972.
That history explains the map. Pat Booker Road, the city's main street, runs southeast to Randolph's Lindsey (Main) Gate, the base's only gate open around the clock, and City Hall on Universal City Boulevard is about 2 driving miles from it. The base itself isn't inside the city limits; it sits just across the tracks. Universal City is in northeastern Bexar County, with a few recently annexed areas along its eastern edge in Guadalupe County.
The trade-off is the age of the houses. The median year built is 1984, and about 68% of homes date from the 1960s through the 1990s, so most purchases here are resales where the roof, HVAC, electrical panel and plumbing deserve a careful look. Only about 8% of the city's homes were built in 2010 or later. If new construction is a must, the builder communities in Schertz and Cibolo are close by.
Assigned to JBSA-Randolph?
The free PCS to San Antonio guide lays out BAH by pay grade, the neighborhoods near each installation, how a VA loan works here and a 90-day countdown to moving day.
Get the Free PCS GuideIs Universal City a good fit for you?
Universal City is a good fit if you want:
- Pat Booker Road close at hand, ending at Randolph's 24/7 Lindsey Gate (the JBSA table below has the miles)
- An established neighborhood, and you're comfortable with a house from the 1960s through the 1990s and the upkeep that comes with it
- A city where the 2026 average homestead taxable value is $285,096, below Schertz's and Cibolo's figures for the same year
- Groceries, a college campus, a golf course and city parks all inside the city limits
- A choice of two school districts, depending on which side of town the home is on
How much do homes cost
in Universal City?
The clearest public figure is the city's: for 2026, the average homestead taxable value is $285,096, down 3.38% from $295,060 in 2025. That's a value from the appraisal roll after exemptions and the homestead cap, not a sales price, so homes can sell for more. Size, updates and condition move prices a lot in a city of older homes. Further down this page, I've included live Universal City listings and recent sales, and they keep up with the market on their own, so you're seeing current prices.
How much are property taxes in Universal City?
A homestead inside Universal City and in Judson ISD pays seven taxing units, which total $2.271784 per $100 of taxable value for 2026. On the east side, in SCUCISD, the total is $2.369084 at the district's current rate. If SCUCISD voters approve a higher rate on November 3, 2026, it becomes $2.489084.
| Taxing unit | 2026 rate per $100 | General homestead exemption |
|---|---|---|
| Judson ISD (west, central and north) | $0.979600 | $140,000 (plus $60,000 if 65 or older or disabled) |
| City of Universal City | $0.530000 | 1% (at least $5,000); $10,000 more if 65 or older or disabled, plus a tax ceiling |
| Bexar County | $0.285963 | 20% (at least $5,000) |
| Bexar County Hospital District (University Health) | $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 (Judson ISD) | $2.271784 | Exemptions apply unit by unit |
For a home in SCUCISD, swap Judson's line for SCUCISD's $1.0769 ($1.1969 if the election passes), with the same $140,000 school exemption. The city runs its own fire department, so no emergency services district applies inside city limits. To see every unit on one property, pull up its Bexar Appraisal District record at bcad.org.
Once Universal City is home, your homestead exemption paperwork goes to Bexar Appraisal District. The application is due by April 30. Buying after January 1 doesn't cost you that year's exemption, as long as the seller didn't already receive it, and a late filing still counts within two years of the taxes' delinquency date (five for disabled veterans). A veteran with a 100% service-connected rating, or 100% pay through individual unemployability, may owe no tax on the homestead.
Data current as of October 2026 · Sources: City of Universal City, 2026 truth-in-taxation notice · Bexar County Tax Assessor-Collector, 2026 Official Tax Rates and Exemptions · SCUCISD tax rate election · Texas Comptroller exemptions.
(OCT 02, 2026 - NOV 01, 2026)
Which schools serve
Universal City?
Two school districts serve Universal City. Judson ISD covers the west, central and north parts of the city, including City Hall, the Kitty Hawk Road area, Olympia and Mount Olympus, and Pat Booker Road from roughly its 1800 block northwest. Judson campuses inside the city include Kitty Hawk Middle School (840 Old Cimarron Trail), Salinas Elementary (10560 Cimarron Trail) and the Fine Arts Academy at Olympia (8439 Athenian). Schertz-Cibolo-Universal City ISD serves the eastern neighborhoods nearest Randolph, including the lower blocks of Pat Booker Road, the North Boulevard and Byrd Boulevard area, and Northview Drive. Rose Garden Elementary, the city's first school, is an SCUCISD campus now on FM 1518 in Schertz.
Because the line between the two districts runs through the middle of town, the ZIP code won't tell you the district. Look up the address in SCUCISD's street index or on Judson ISD's 2026-2027 boundary map, linked from its registration page, then read that campus's accountability report at tea.texas.gov.
Before you tour Universal City: what to figure out
Most homes here are resales with some age on them, so start with your priorities and how much work you'll take on.
- Your real budget. Your approval and the payment you're comfortable with are different numbers. The school district line also changes the tax rate, so two similar homes can have different payments.
- Judson ISD or SCUCISD. Decide whether the district matters, then confirm it for the address.
- Your house list. A single story, a garage, a fenced yard, a house that's already updated: know where you won't bend.
- Your next move. Decide whether you'd rent the house out or sell it at your next PCS.
- The drive to work. If you know where you'll work, drive from Universal City to that gate or office at the hours you'd go.
Can you use a VA loan in Universal City?
Yes. With full entitlement there's no VA loan limit; your lender sets what you can borrow. On an older home, the VA appraiser checks the house against VA's minimum property requirements, which isn't the same as an inspection, and worn roofs or aging systems can mean repairs before closing. The free VA loan guide has the step-by-step version.
How far is Universal City
from JBSA installations?
Randolph is the reason most people look here: City Hall (2150 Universal City Blvd.) is about 2 road miles from the Lindsey (Main) Gate. The other three JBSA locations are all reached by I-35 or Loop 1604, and the table shows approximate driving miles from City Hall to each.
| JBSA-Randolph (Lindsey Gate) | ~2 miles via Pat Booker Road |
| JBSA-Fort Sam Houston | ~11 miles to the BAMC/I-35 Gate via Pat Booker Road and I-35 |
| JBSA-Camp Bullis | ~23 miles to the main gate via Loop 1604 and I-10 |
| JBSA-Lackland | ~28 miles to the Luke East Gate via I-35, US-90 and Loop 13 |
| San Antonio International Airport | ~11 miles via Pat Booker Road and I-35 |
The East and West gates keep weekday hours only, so early or late shifts route through the Lindsey Gate. For other cities near the base, see the JBSA-Randolph housing guide.
What's daily life like
in Universal City?
Everyday errands stay close in Universal City. The big grocery and household stores are a short drive from most streets, the main road has a string of restaurants and services, and The Forum and Methodist Hospital Northeast are just over the line in Live Oak. On the older streets, the trees have had decades to grow.
Free time tends to happen at the city park, the dog park, the golf course and the creek trails, and once a year the veterans parade takes over the main street. What you give up is newness: most homes have some age, and new construction is scarce inside the city.
Parks and outdoors
- Universal City Park, 305 North Blvd.: 32 acres with three ball fields, a walking path, a covered basketball court, pickleball, sand volleyball, disc golf and a football field
- Northview Park's splash pad, 100 Randolph Plaza Dr., with 16 water features (seasonal)
- Veterans Park, 737 E. Aviation: 8 acres along the Cibolo Creek walking trails, with a jet-shaped playground
- Universal City Dog Park, 134 Athenian Dr.: 1.3 acres with separate areas for large and small dogs
- Olympia Hills, the city-owned golf course at 12900 Mount Olympus, home to the Hillside Bar & Grill
Food and groceries
- H-E-B, 910 Kitty Hawk Rd., and Walmart Supercenter, 510 Kitty Hawk Rd.
- Restaurants, coffee and services along Pat Booker Road, the city's main street
- The Forum at Olympia Parkway, just across the line in Live Oak, for larger stores
Community and culture
- The Veterans Parade on Pat Booker Road each November, which the city calls the oldest continuous veterans parade in the San Antonio area (the 56th is November 14, 2026)
- Other city events through the year, including Snowfest, an Easter egg hunt and a fall pumpkin patch
- Universal City Public Library, 100 Northview Dr., open Tuesday through Saturday
- Northeast Lakeview College (Alamo Colleges), 1201 Kitty Hawk Rd., on land shared by Universal City and Live Oak
Services and nearby
- City water and sewer from the Edwards Aquifer, with Stage 3 watering restrictions in effect since June 2024; electricity from CPS Energy or GVEC, depending on the address
- Methodist Hospital Northeast, a full-service hospital across the line in Live Oak
- Retama Park racetrack, about 3 miles away in Selma, with simulcast racing year-round and a summer live meet
- Downtown New Braunfels, about 16 miles up I-35
Data current as of October 2026 · Sources: City of Universal City parks · City of Universal City Veterans Parade · City of Universal City utilities · Northeast Lakeview College · Retama Park · each business's own website
What buyers ask about
Universal City.
What school district is Universal City in?
Two of them. Judson ISD serves the west, central and north parts of the city, and Schertz-Cibolo-Universal City ISD serves the eastern neighborhoods closest to Randolph. Each district's boundary tool confirms the campus for an address, and tea.texas.gov has that campus's state report.
What are home prices in Universal City?
For 2026, the average Universal City homestead carries a taxable value of $285,096, a number drawn from the appraisal roll, not from sales. Prices swing with size, condition and updates, since most homes are decades old. Scroll up to the live section on this page for what's listed now and what has sold. I put it there so prices are always a quick look away.
How close is Universal City to JBSA-Randolph, and what about the other bases?
From City Hall, Randolph's Lindsey (Main) Gate is about 2 miles by way of Pat Booker Road, and that gate is open 24/7. Fort Sam Houston is about 11 miles, Camp Bullis about 23 and Lackland about 28. It's a practical choice if Randolph is your duty station and you want an established home with a short drive in. Drive times vary by time of day, traffic, and gate. Check current conditions for your route before deciding.
What should I check on an older Universal City house?
The median home here was built in 1984, so a thorough inspection matters: roof, HVAC, wiring and panel, plumbing, foundation. With VA financing, the appraiser checks the home against VA's minimum property requirements, and repairs may be needed before closing.
What is the property tax rate in Universal City?
For 2026, a homestead in the city and Judson ISD pays a combined $2.271784 per $100 across seven taxing units. In the SCUCISD part of the city, the total is $2.369084, or $2.489084 if the district's November 3, 2026 tax election passes. The city's own rate is $0.53.
Who provides water and electricity in Universal City?
The city provides water and sewer from the Edwards Aquifer and has been under Stage 3 restrictions since June 25, 2024. Electricity comes from CPS Energy or GVEC, and natural gas from CPS Energy or CenterPoint, depending on the street, so confirm both for the specific home.
What working with me looks like
for Universal City buyers.
- I ask the questions before you tour. I get the seller's disclosure and any past inspection reports and confirm how old the roof, HVAC and water heater are. If a house has a deal-breaker, you'll hear before you go see it.
- You can see homes here without traveling. I'll give you a video walkthrough, room by room, so you can make an offer from wherever you are.
- I can recommend lenders, some of whom handle VA loans every day.
- When you find your Universal City home, I'll write the offer and negotiate for you.
- Next, I keep it moving. I schedule the inspections, track the appraisal and closing steps, and do the final walkthrough with you before signing.
Ready to look at
Universal City homes?
Send me your report date or move date, your budget and the school district you'd lean toward, and I'll set up tours of the Universal City homes you like and put an offer together when you're ready. Want to browse first? See Universal City 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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