Living Near Randolph AFB: 2026 PCS Housing Guide for San Antonio

by Christopher Beal

If you are PCSing to JBSA-Randolph with a budget under $300,000, ZIP 78148 (Universal City, just outside the gate) is where that budget goes furthest: 36 of its 48 residential closings from August 8 to November 6, 2026 sold at or under $300,000, at a median of $235,000 for about 1,590 square feet, but the median home in that group was built in 1973. In ZIP 78154 (Schertz) the same budget bought newer homes, with 49 of 133 closings at or under $300,000 and a median year built of about 1998. These are closed SABOR MLS sales for that window, not today's asking prices, and the right ZIP still depends on your commute from the gate you will use, your own housing allowance and whether you plan to sell, rent out or keep the home when your orders change.

I am Christopher Beal, a U.S. Army veteran, REALTOR (TREC License #723559) and Owner of Veteran Real Estate San Antonio, brokered by eXp Realty. More about how I work with PCS moves.

Last updated: November 6, 2026. This update replaced the June 2026 market snapshot with SABOR MLS closings from August 8 to November 6, 2026, added what under $300,000 bought in 78148 and 78154, added a sourced monthly payment example and a section on older homes and the VA appraisal, and corrected the school-district line: Universal City is served by both Judson ISD and Schertz-Cibolo-Universal City ISD.

Where is JBSA-Randolph and what is stationed there?

JBSA-Randolph is located in Universal City, on the northeast side of the San Antonio metro, and is one of the installations that make up Joint Base San Antonio. It is home to the 12th Flying Training Wing, which is assigned to Air Education and Training Command's Nineteenth Air Force. Randolph Field was dedicated on June 20, 1930 as a flying training base and still carries that mission.

Source: 12th Flying Training Wing fact sheet, Joint Base San Antonio, accessed September 14, 2026.

The practical consequence for housing is that the communities closest to the installation sit in the northeast corridor: Universal City, Schertz, Cibolo, Converse and Live Oak. New Braunfels, up I-35, is farther out.

A note on drive times

Drive-time estimates in this guide are not published here as precise figures, because a usable commute claim has to name the origin, the destination, the route, the day and the time of day, and those vary too much across this corridor to state once and leave standing. Before you commit to a ZIP code, run your own gate-to-door estimate for the hour you would actually report, on the route you would actually take. That number, not a neighborhood reputation, is the one that will govern your mornings for three years.

What are the housing options near JBSA-Randolph?

On-base housing

Randolph Family Housing is privatized military housing on the installation. Applications go through the JBSA Military Housing Office. On-base housing puts you inside the fence with base facilities close by, folds housing into your in-processing, and covers maintenance under the housing agreement. The trade is financial: privatized base housing takes your housing allowance as rent, so at the end of the tour the allowance has been spent rather than converted into equity.

Off-base housing

Most households near Randolph rent or buy off base. The reasons are usually square footage, lot size, and the option to build equity across a three-year tour. Which community fits depends on price band, age of construction, HOA and your commute tolerance, and those are the terms this guide uses.

What does under $300,000 buy near JBSA-Randolph?

Here is what closed at or under $300,000 in the two ZIP codes nearest the gate, from August 8 to November 6, 2026.

ZIP	Closings at or under $300,000	Median price of those closings	Median living area	Median year built	Built before 1978
78148 (Universal City)	36 of 48	$235,000	about 1,590 sq ft	1973	23 of 36
78154 (Schertz)	49 of 133	$258,000	1,710 sq ft	about 1998	7 of 48 with a year built on file

Source: LERA/SABOR MLS, PropertyType residential (RE), status sold, close date August 8 to November 6, 2026, filtered to close price at or under $300,000, complete records for each ZIP (36 and 49 records), pulled November 6, 2026. Medians are my arithmetic on those records. One 78154 record had no year built, so that column uses 48.

The pattern is the decision: in 78148 the budget usually buys more house for less money but an older house, and in 78154 it more often buys a newer house with less room to spare under $300,000. That trade shows up again at the appraisal, covered below.

What do homes near JBSA-Randolph cost overall?

ZIP	Residential closings	Median close price	Active and pending listings	Median list price
78148 (Universal City)	48	$245,000	108	$279,785
78154 (Schertz)	133	$335,000	276	$359,999
78108 (Cibolo)	155	$360,000	513	$363,000
78109 (Converse)	316	$249,995	757	$257,249
78233 (Live Oak and northeast San Antonio)	97	$245,000	203	$250,000

Source: LERA/SABOR MLS, PropertyType residential (RE). Closings: status sold, close date August 8 to November 6, 2026. Listings: active, new, back on market, price change and pending statuses as of November 6, 2026. Every count is below the 1,000-record tool cap, so each ZIP figure is complete coverage for that ZIP, pulled November 6, 2026. ZIP labels are approximate: a ZIP and a city limit are not the same boundary.

For wider context, the median closed price for the City of San Antonio was $295,000 across 9,924 closings from March 9 to September 5, 2026 (LERA/SABOR MLS, residential, complete coverage verified by pagination, checked September 5, 2026). That is an older window than the ZIP figures above.

Which communities near JBSA-Randolph should you compare?

Each of these is described by attributes you can verify, not by who lives there.

Universal City (78148): the community immediately outside the Randolph gate and the lowest price band of the group in the window above, with the oldest housing among the under-$300,000 sales.
Schertz (78154): a higher overall price band than Universal City, with newer homes among its under-$300,000 sales.
Cibolo (78108): the highest median close price of these five ZIPs in the window above. Check whether a home is in an HOA, and what that HOA charges, before you compare payments.
Converse (78109) and Live Oak (78233): median close prices close to Universal City's, with much larger listing counts in the window above.
New Braunfels: a longer drive up I-35 and a different tax picture. Check the county and every taxing unit for the exact address, not just the price.

School districts: confirm by address

District lines in this corridor do not follow city names. The City of Universal City states that it is served by two school districts, Schertz-Cibolo-Universal City ISD and Judson ISD. Converse and Live Oak are served largely by Judson ISD, and parts of Schertz fall outside SCUC ISD. Confirm the assigned district and campus for a specific address with the district before you write an offer, because attendance boundaries change and a listing sheet is not authoritative.

City of Universal City, School Districts (checked November 6, 2026)
Schertz-Cibolo-Universal City ISD
Judson ISD

What would a $280,000 home cost each month with a VA loan?

This is an illustrative example, not a quote. The $280,000 price is chosen because it sits near the 78148 median list price above.

Line	Funding fee paid (first use, no down payment)	Exempt from the funding fee
Price and down payment	$280,000, $0 down	$280,000, $0 down
VA funding fee (2.15%, financed)	$6,020	$0
Loan amount	$286,020	$280,000
Principal and interest, 30 years at 7.18%	$1,937.60 a month	$1,896.82 a month
Property tax	About $233 a month for every 1% of combined tax rate on a $280,000 taxable value. Use the combined rate for the exact address.
Homeowners insurance and any HOA dues	Get an insurance quote and the HOA amount for the exact address.

Inputs and sources: the 7.18% rate is the Freddie Mac Primary Mortgage Market Survey national 30-year fixed average as of November 5, 2026 (freddiemac.com/pmms). It is a national conventional average, not a VA rate quote; your lender's rate will differ. The 2.15% funding fee is VA's rate for a first-use purchase loan with less than 5% down, and VA lists who is exempt, including veterans receiving VA compensation for a service-connected disability (VA funding fee and closing costs, table effective April 7, 2023, page updated October 5, 2026). Texas property tax rates are set by each county, city, school district and special district; the Texas Comptroller tax rates and levies page collects them, and the county tax office gives the rate for an address. The arithmetic is a standard 30-year amortization.

To set that payment against your allowance, use my 2026 JBSA BAH rates guide and confirm your own rate in the DTMO lookup below. I am a REALTOR, not a financial advisor or lender; your lender sets your rate, fees and approval.

Older homes and the VA appraisal: what to check first

VA says there is no down payment on a VA purchase loan as long as the sales price is not higher than the home's appraised value, the value set after an expert reviews the property (VA purchase loan, page updated January 7, 2026). On an older home, the appraisal is where condition can turn into a renegotiation or a repair request.

That matters most in 78148, where 23 of the 36 under-$300,000 closings above were built before 1978. Before you write an offer on an older home:

Ask your lender which VA minimum property requirements are most likely to come up for that specific house, and how repairs would be handled if the appraiser calls for them.
Order your own home inspection. The appraisal sets the value your lender relies on; an inspection is your own look at roof, systems, plumbing, foundation and electrical condition.
Read the seller's disclosures for age-related items, and ask for permit history on any major system replacement.
Price in near-term work. A lower purchase price with a roof or HVAC replacement in year two can cost more over a three-year tour than a newer home at a higher price.

How does the housing allowance work at JBSA-Randolph?

Basic Allowance for Housing is set by your pay grade, your dependent status and the ZIP code of your permanent duty station, and it is paid to members assigned within the 50 United States who are not furnished government housing.

Do not budget from a rate you read in an article, including this one. Rates change annually. Pull your own number from the official source:

DTMO BAH Rate Lookup - enter your duty-station ZIP code, the year and your pay grade.

Two structural points that do not change with the annual rate:

Rate protection. If your BAH rate for a location decreases, DoD rate protection generally keeps members already assigned there at their prior rate. Someone PCSing in receives the current-year rate. That is why a member who has been stationed here two years may be drawing a different amount than you will.
BAH is not taxed. That affects how a lender treats it when qualifying you, which is a conversation to have with your lender rather than an assumption to carry into a house hunt.

Source: Defense Travel Management Office, Basic Allowance for Housing, accessed September 14, 2026.

Can you use a VA loan to buy near JBSA-Randolph?

Yes, if you are eligible and the property and borrower meet the lender's requirements.

Three distinctions worth keeping straight, because they are the ones that cost people money:

Full entitlement removes the VA loan limit. With full entitlement, VA does not cap the loan amount. That does not mean the amount is unlimited in practice: your lender's approval and the property's appraised value still constrain what you can actually borrow. Source: VA loan limits, va.gov.
Partial entitlement is where limits reappear. If you have used entitlement and not restored it, loan limits are calculated against the conforming loan limit for the county. The 2026 national baseline one-unit conforming loan limit is $832,750. Counties vary, so check the county list rather than assuming the baseline applies. Sources: FHFA news release, November 25, 2025 and the FHFA conforming loan limit county list.
VA sets no minimum credit score. Lenders do. When someone quotes you a score requirement, ask whether it is a VA rule or that lender's overlay. It is almost always the overlay, and overlays differ between lenders.

VA loans are also assumable by a qualified buyer, subject to VA and lender approval. In a rising-rate stretch that can matter on the way out of a tour as much as it did on the way in.

More on how VA loans work in the San Antonio market.

Should you buy or rent on a three-year tour?

This one does not have a single right answer, and anyone who gives you one without asking about your orders is guessing. The variable that decides it is your exit plan. Here is the structure, not a verdict.

Your situation	What it does to the decision
Standard three-year tour, stable follow-on expectation	Owning has time to work. Transaction costs on both ends are spread across enough months to matter less, and you have three exits: sell, rent it out, or let a qualified buyer assume the loan.
Possible early separation or ETS inside the window	Renting keeps you liquid. A forced sale on a short hold is where people lose money.
Follow-on assignment genuinely uncertain	Shortens your effective holding period, which pushes toward renting until it firms up.
Under a two-year window	Rarely enough time to recover transaction costs unless the market moves sharply in your favor, which is not something to plan around.
You would keep it as a rental regardless	Changes the question from resale timing to whether the numbers work as a rental, which is a different analysis.

The break-even depends on your holding period, your closing costs on both ends, your interest rate, what comparable rent would be, your property tax rate and your insurance. Texas property taxes are a material input here and vary meaningfully between Bexar, Guadalupe and Comal counties. I am a REALTOR, not a financial advisor, and this is information to work through with your lender and tax professional rather than advice about your finances. What I can do is run the actual numbers for a specific address and a specific timeline before you write an offer.

How do you set up the move?

Start 60 to 90 days out. Earlier if you want a specific school-year start.
Pull your Certificate of Eligibility. A lender can usually retrieve it quickly.
Get a fully underwritten preapproval, not a prequalification letter. In a corridor where inventory moves during PCS season, the difference shows up when you compete.
Ask about permissive TDY for house hunting if your service offers it. Check your own service's current policy and your unit, since terms vary.
If you cannot travel, video walkthroughs and remote closings are routine in this market.

See the full PCS relocation process for San Antonio.

Watch: where to live near Randolph AFB

The video walks the same communities and the buy-versus-rent math out loud. The housing allowance and market figures spoken in the video are from the time of recording; use the DTMO lookup and the November 2026 figures above rather than the spoken figures.

Frequently asked questions

What does under $300,000 buy near Randolph AFB?

From August 8 to November 6, 2026, 36 of 48 residential closings in ZIP 78148 (Universal City) sold at or under $300,000, at a median of $235,000 for about 1,590 square feet, with a median year built of 1973. In ZIP 78154 (Schertz), 49 of 133 closings were at or under $300,000, at a median of $258,000 and a median year built of about 1998 (SABOR MLS). These are closed sales for that window, not current asking prices.

Which community near Randolph AFB has the shortest commute?

Universal City is the community immediately outside the Randolph gate, so it has the shortest distance. Actual drive time depends on which gate you use and what time you report, so run the estimate for your own route and reporting hour before you decide.

Which school district serves Universal City?

Two: the City of Universal City lists Schertz-Cibolo-Universal City ISD and Judson ISD. Confirm the district and campus for the exact address with the district before you write an offer.

What is the BAH for JBSA-Randolph?

It depends on your pay grade, your dependent status and your duty-station ZIP code, and it changes annually. Look it up at the DTMO BAH Rate Lookup rather than relying on a figure published in an article. If your rate for the location decreases, DoD rate protection generally holds members already assigned there at the prior rate.

Is there a VA loan limit near Randolph AFB?

Not for a borrower with full entitlement. VA does not cap the loan amount in that case, though your lender's approval and the appraised value still do. With partial entitlement, limits are calculated against the county conforming loan limit; the 2026 national baseline for a one-unit property is $832,750.

Can I buy near Randolph AFB without flying to San Antonio first?

Yes. Video walkthroughs and remote closings are routine here. I have handed keys to households who saw the home in person for the first time on moving day.

Should I buy or rent for a three-year tour?

It depends on your exit plan rather than on a rule. See the scenario table above. The inputs that decide it are your holding period, transaction costs on both ends, your rate, comparable rent, property taxes and insurance.

Does living on base save money?

On-base housing converts your allowance into rent and maintenance you do not have to manage. It does not build equity. Whether that trade is worth it depends on the length of your tour and what your household needs right now, and for some tours it is the right call.

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. He runs the gate-by-gate commute, allowance and buy-versus-rent math with Randolph-bound households every PCS season. He can be reached at (210) 882-8583.

Next step

If you have orders to Randolph and a reporting date, send me the date and your target price band and I will pull the current closings for the specific ZIP codes you are weighing, including the property tax difference between Bexar, Guadalupe and Comal counties. Call or text (210) 882-8583, or start with the military relocation page.