Converse vs Live Oak vs Universal City 2026: The Randolph AFB Commuter's ZIP-by-ZIP Guide to Northeast San Antonio's Best Value

by Christopher Beal

LAST UPDATED: OCTOBER 24, 2026 | BY CHRISTOPHER BEAL, U.S. ARMY VETERAN & REALTOR

Illustrative aerial-style image of northeast San Antonio suburbs near JBSA-Randolph, representing Converse, Live Oak and Universal City — Converse, Live Oak and Universal City sit between JBSA-Randolph and the I-35 corridor toward JBSA-Fort Sam Houston. Illustrative image, not a photo of a specific street.

Short answer: Universal City shares a boundary with JBSA-Randolph, so it usually gives the shortest Randolph trip of the three, while Converse and Live Oak sit a little farther out and differ mainly in which school districts and streets you get. If your report location is JBSA-Fort Sam Houston instead, the usual route from all three cities runs through the I-35 corridor that TxDOT is rebuilding between Loop 410 and FM 3009 until an estimated late 2027. I do not publish minute-by-minute drive times here: the honest test is to drive your exact address to your exact gate at your actual report time, and the five steps below show how. In the 90 days through October 24, 2026, single-family homes closed at a median of about $245,000 to $250,000 in all three ZIP codes (SABOR MLS, table below).

I am Christopher Beal, a U.S. Army veteran, REALTOR (TREC #723559) and Owner of Veteran Real Estate San Antonio, brokered by eXp Realty. Read my background.

Correction and update, October 24, 2026: this guide previously listed per-ZIP drive times, school-quality ratings, feeder schools, subdivision names, BAH and payment estimates and spring market figures that I could not tie to a current, checkable source. I removed them, corrected the school-district coverage using SABOR MLS listing data, and added gate access, I-35 construction, VIA service and fresh MLS figures with their sources and dates.

Converse, Live Oak or Universal City: How Do They Compare for a JBSA Commute?

All three cities sit on the northeast side of the San Antonio area between JBSA-Randolph and I-35. Two things matter more than the city name: which gate and building you report to, and which side of I-35, FM 78 and Loop 1604 a given street sits on. A ZIP code is also not a city limit. In SABOR MLS, most 78233 sales in this window were filed with San Antonio as the city, not Live Oak, and some 78148 addresses carry subdivision names that sound like Live Oak while sitting in Universal City.

ZIP (city in MLS)	Closed single-family sales	Median close price	Average days on market	Active and pending listings
78109 (mostly Converse)	328	$249,213	97	799
78233 (Live Oak and San Antonio)	99	$250,000	91	211
78148 (Universal City)	49	$245,000	65	106

Source: SABOR MLS via LERA, pulled October 24, 2026. Closed residential single-family sales (PropertyType RE) with close dates from July 26 through October 24, 2026, by ZIP code; complete coverage for each ZIP (counts are the full result sets, not samples). Active and pending counts were taken the same day and include active, new, back-on-market, price-change and pending statuses. Medians are for the whole ZIP, which in 78233 includes many San Antonio addresses outside Live Oak city limits.

Read the medians as a starting point, not a price for a specific house. Size, age, lot and condition move a single home far more than the ZIP does. If you want the comps for the streets you are actually considering, I can pull them by address.

Which JBSA Gate Fits Your Building and Shift?

Gate choice can change a Randolph or Fort Sam Houston commute more than the city you live in. JBSA publishes the current hours for each gate, which lanes are open at which times, and the visitor control center hours on its official gate pages: JBSA gate information and the JBSA-Randolph gate hours page. At Randolph, for example, some gates run limited weekday hours or inbound-only lanes during the morning rush, and hours change for holidays, exercises and construction. Because they change, I do not reprint them here: open that page the same week you test your commute, and again before your first duty day.

Ask your sponsor or gaining unit which gate is closest to your building and which gates are open at your report time.
If anyone riding with you on a house-hunting trip does not hold a DoD ID card, read the visitor access rules on the same JBSA page before you go.
Plan the drive to the gate that is actually open when you report, not the one that looks closest on a map.

Construction to Watch: I-35 NEX and the Fort Sam Houston Trip

TxDOT's I-35 NEX Central project covers I-35 from I-410 North to FM 3009, which is the stretch many drivers from Converse, Live Oak and Universal City use toward JBSA-Fort Sam Houston and central San Antonio. TxDOT lists construction starting in June 2022 with an estimated completion in late 2027 (TxDOT I-35 NEX Central project page, read October 24, 2026). Until then, expect lane shifts and overnight or weekend closures that can change a commute from week to week. Check current closures on DriveTexas before a test drive, and drive the route again after any major traffic switch.

For JBSA-Randolph, most trips from these cities use surface approaches such as Pat Booker Road, FM 78 and Loop 1604 rather than I-35, so the I-35 work matters most if you, or someone else in your household, also commutes toward Fort Sam Houston or downtown.

Can You Take VIA to Randolph or Fort Sam Houston?

Possibly, depending on the address. What VIA itself states, read October 24, 2026:

Converse: VIA says it runs three regularly scheduled bus routes in Converse, about every 20 to 30 minutes, and that VIA Link serves the Bexar County Precinct 4 office in Converse (VIA Converse page).
VIA Link Randolph zone: an on-demand zone that runs every day from 5 a.m. to 10 p.m., with the Randolph Transit Center as its main transfer point. Rides are booked in the VIA Link app, online or at (210) 655-LINK, up to 7 days ahead or as little as 30 minutes ahead, at regular VIA bus fares (VIA Link page). VIA does not publish the zone boundary in text, so check the zone map or call to confirm an address.
Live Oak and Universal City: the VIA pages I read do not list scheduled service in either city. Use the VIA trip planner with your exact address and building before you count on transit.

The Randolph Transit Center is a VIA facility, not a base gate. Whether a bus or VIA Link trip gets you onto the installation in time for your shift depends on gate access and the walk from the stop, so test it before you rely on it.

Which School District Is Each Address In?

All three cities are split among school districts, so the district follows the address, not the city name. The district field on recent SABOR MLS sales (same 90-day window as the table above) shows the pattern:

78148 Universal City: 41 of 49 sales listed Judson ISD and 8 listed Schertz-Cibolo-Universal City ISD.
78109 Converse: East Central ISD appeared more often than Judson ISD, with a few sales listing Schertz-Cibolo-Universal City ISD or Comal ISD.
78233 Live Oak: 15 of the 32 sales filed in Live Oak city listed Judson ISD; the district field was blank on the rest, and Live Oak addresses can also fall in North East ISD.

MLS district fields are entered by listing agents and can be wrong, so treat them as a lead. Confirm the district and the assigned campuses for a specific address with the district itself: Judson ISD, Schertz-Cibolo-Universal City ISD, East Central ISD, North East ISD or Comal ISD. Boundaries can change from one school year to the next.

BAH and Taxes: Check the Numbers for Your Own Rank and Address

BAH depends on your duty location, pay grade and dependency status, and it changes each January. Look up your current rate with the DoD BAH rate lookup or my 2026 JBSA BAH guide, then compare it with a lender's payment estimate for a specific house. Property taxes vary by address because city, county, school district and special districts all stack; ask for the current tax figures on any listing and apply for the homestead exemption through the Bexar Appraisal District after you buy. See VA home loans for how the payment side works.

Test the Commute Before You Write an Offer: Five Steps

Get your report time, building and gate from your sponsor or orders packet, plus the second commute if someone in your household works elsewhere.
Open the JBSA gate-hours page and confirm that gate is open, and in which direction, at your report time.
Check DriveTexas for I-35, Loop 1604 or FM 78 closures on the day you plan to drive.
Drive from the exact address on a weekday at your real report time, and again at your real departure time. Write down the date, time and route.
If you plan to use VIA, run the same trip in the VIA trip planner and confirm the stop or VIA Link zone for that address.

If you are house hunting from out of state and cannot make the drive yourself, call me at (210) 882-8583 to talk through the addresses on your list, or start with military relocation help.

About the Author

Christopher Beal is a U.S. Army veteran and the Owner of Veteran Real Estate San Antonio, a Beal Group practice brokered by eXp Realty (TREC License #723559). A Military Relocation Professional (MRP) and VAREP member, he is a 7-time eXp Realty ICON agent, winner of Best Real Estate Agency in the 2026 Best of San Antonio Readers' Choice (San Antonio Current, 100,000+ voters), and a 3x San Antonio Business Journal Top 25 Individual Agent (#13 in 2024, #14 in 2025, #20 in 2026). His recognition also includes 3x Platinum Top 50, 2x RateMyAgent Agent of the Year, 2x Real Producers Top 100, Five Star Professional (2026), and a RealTrends 2026 ranking. He has helped 325+ families, closed more than $125M in career volume, and holds 5.0 stars across 370+ verified reviews, working almost exclusively with military and veteran buyers and sellers across Bexar, Comal, Kendall, Medina, and Bandera counties, with a focus on VA loans, PCS moves, and homebuying near JBSA-Lackland, JBSA-Randolph, and Fort Sam Houston. If you are weighing Converse, Live Oak, Universal City, Schertz, or Cibolo for a Randolph assignment, he can walk you through exactly what your BAH and VA entitlement buy at each gate. He can be reached at (210) 882-8583.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Which of Converse, Live Oak and Universal City is closest to JBSA-Randolph?

Universal City shares a boundary with JBSA-Randolph, so many Universal City addresses have the shortest trip. The real answer depends on your gate, its hours at your report time and the exact street, so drive the route from the address before you decide.

How long is the drive from Converse to JBSA-Randolph?

It depends on the address, the gate and the time of day, and I do not publish a single number for it. Use the five-step test above: drive from the exact address on a weekday at your report time and note the date, time and route.

What are the JBSA-Randolph and Fort Sam Houston gate hours?

JBSA posts current gate and lane hours, and visitor information, on its official gate pages. Hours change for holidays, exercises and construction, so check that page the week you travel instead of relying on a copy.

Is I-35 construction still affecting the commute toward Fort Sam Houston?

Yes. TxDOT lists the I-35 NEX Central project, I-35 from I-410 North to FM 3009, with an estimated completion in late 2027. Check DriveTexas for current closures before you drive.

Does VIA serve Converse, Live Oak or Universal City?

VIA says it runs three scheduled routes in Converse and operates a VIA Link Randolph zone from 5 a.m. to 10 p.m. daily. The VIA pages I read do not list scheduled service in Live Oak or Universal City; use the VIA trip planner with your exact address.

Which school district covers Universal City?

Most recent Universal City sales in SABOR MLS listed Judson ISD, and some listed Schertz-Cibolo-Universal City ISD. Confirm the district and campuses for a specific address with the district before you go under contract.

Which school districts serve Converse and Live Oak?

Converse addresses can fall in East Central ISD, Judson ISD and, for a few, Schertz-Cibolo-Universal City ISD or Comal ISD. Live Oak addresses can fall in Judson ISD or North East ISD. Confirm by address with the district.

What did homes sell for in these ZIP codes recently?

In SABOR MLS, single-family homes that closed from July 26 through October 24, 2026 had median close prices of $249,213 in 78109 (328 sales), $250,000 in 78233 (99 sales) and $245,000 in 78148 (49 sales). Individual homes vary widely around those medians.

Who can help me compare addresses near Randolph?

Call me, Christopher Beal, at (210) 882-8583. I can pull recent sales by address and show you the school district listed for each home, which you then confirm with the district.

Watch: What Living in Universal City Is Actually Like

A short video look at Universal City from my channel. Check any price, school or commute detail in it against the sourced sections above and the address you are considering.