Greater San Antonio, officially designated San Antonio–New Braunfels, is an eight-county metropolitan area in the U.S. state of Texas defined by the Office of Management and Budget (OMB). The metropolitan area straddles South Texas and Central Texas and is on the southwestern corner of the Texas Triangle. The official 2020 U.S. census showed the metropolitan area's population at 2,558,143—up from a reported 1,711,103 in 2000—making it the 24th largest metropolitan area in the United States.[3][4] Downtown Austin and Downtown San Antonio are approximately 80 miles (129 km) apart, and both fall along the Interstate 35 corridor. This combined metropolitan region of San Antonio–Austin has approximately 5 million people.[5]

Greater San Antonio
San Antonio–New Braunfels, Texas
Metropolitan Statistical Area
Map
San Antonio–New Braunfels–Kerrville, TX CSA
Country United States
State Texas
Principal cities
Area
 • Urban
597.1 sq mi (1,546 km2)
 • MSA7,387 sq mi (19,130 km2)
Population
 (2020)[1]
 • Urban
1,880,707 26th
 • Urban density2,944.6/sq mi (1,136.9/km2)
 • MSA
2,558,143 (24th)
 • MSA density302.42/sq mi (116.77/km2)
GDP
 • MSA$163.1 billion (2022)
Time zoneUTC-6 (CST)
 • Summer (DST)UTC-5 (CDT)

San Antonio–New Braunfels is the third-largest metro area in Texas, after Dallas–Fort Worth–Arlington and Houston–The Woodlands–Sugar Land.

Counties

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There are eight counties that combine to form Greater San Antonio. The central county is Bexar.

Census area Estimated population as of 1 July 2022 2020 census 2010 census 2000 census 1990 census
San Antonio–New Braunfels MSA 2,665,342 2,558,143 2,142,508 1,711,703 1,407,745
Atascosa 50,864 48,981 44,911 38,628 30,533
Bandera 22,115 20,851 20,485 17,645 10,562
Bexar 2,059,530 2,009,324 1,714,773 1,392,931 1,185,394
Comal 184,642 161,501 108,472 78,021 51,832
Guadalupe 182,760 172,706 131,533 89,023 64,873
Kendall 48,973 44,279 33,410 23,743 14,589
Medina 53,723 50,748 46,006 39,204 27,312
Wilson 52,735 49,753 42,918 32,408 22,650

The MSA covers a total of 7,387 square miles (19,130 km2), of which 7,340 sq mi (19,000 km2) is land and 47 sq mi (120 km2) is water.

Communities

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Greater San Antonio has a number of communities spread out across several counties and regions. It is centered on the city of San Antonio, the second largest city in Texas, second largest city in the Southern United States,[6] and the seventh largest city in the USA, with roughly 1.5 million residents spread across approximately 500 square miles. Other regions include the Randolph Metrocom and the surrounding counties.

 
Downtown San Antonio is the urban core of the metropolitan area.
 
New Braunfels is the second largest city in the metropolitan area and is a satellite of San Antonio.
 
Seguin is the fourth largest city in the metropolitan area and is a satellite of San Antonio.
 
Alamo Heights is an inner-ring suburb of San Antonio. Together with Olmos Park and Terrell Hills, Alamo Heights is a relatively short distance from Fort Sam Houston and uptown, midtown, and downtown San Antonio.

Places with more than 1,000,000 people

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Places with 100,000 to 1,000,000 people

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Places with 25,000 to 100,000 people

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Places with 10,000 to 25,000 people

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Places with 5,000 to 10,000 people

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Places with 1,000 to 5,000 people

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Places with fewer than 1,000 people

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Unincorporated places

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Demographics

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Historical populations
CensusPop.Note
1910119,676
1920202,09668.9%
1930292,53344.7%
1940338,17615.6%
1950500,46048.0%
1960687,15137.3%
1970864,01425.7%
19801,071,95424.1%
19901,302,09921.5%
20001,592,38322.3%
20102,142,50834.5%
20202,558,14319.4%
2023 (est.)2,703,9995.7%
U.S. Decennial Census[7]
1790–1960[8] 1900–1990[9]
1990–2000[10]

Bexar County is included in the San Antonio–New Braunfels, TX metropolitan statistical area. It is the 16th-most populous county in the nation and the fourth-most populated in Texas. Bexar County has a large Hispanic population with a significant growing African American population.[11] With a population that is 59.3% Hispanic as of 2020, it is Texas' most populous majority-Hispanic county and the third-largest such nationwide.[12]

As of the census[1][13] of 2020, there were 2,558,143 people, 826,094 households, and 558,432 families residing within the MSA. The racial makeup of the MSA was 50.3% white (non-Hispanic white 32.7%), 6.5% African American, 1.1% Native American, 2.7% Asian, 0.1% Pacific Islander, 14% from other races, and 24.4% from two or more races; Hispanic or Latino residents of any race were 54.3% of the population. The median income for a household in the MSA was $40,764 and the median income for a family was $46,686. Males had a median income of $32,143 versus $24,007 for females. The per capita income for the MSA was $18,713.

Racial and Ethnic Composition of Greater San Antonio[14]
Year Not Hispanic or Latino Hispanic or Latino Total
White Black or African American American Indian or Alaska Native Asian Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander Other Race Two or More Races Total White Black or African American American Indian or Alaska Native Asian Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander Other Race Two or More Races Total
2014 793,403 137,401 4,603 47,580 1,890 2,734 34,259 1,021,870 976,671 7,883 9,937 1,702 724 187,587 32,848 1,217,352 2,239,222
35.4% 6.1% 0.2% 2.1% 0.1% 0.1% 1.5% 45.6% 43.6% 0.4% 0.4% 0.1% 0.0% 8.4% 1.5% 54.4% 100%
2013 783,712 133,710 4,391 45,049 1,947 3,246 31,742 1,003,797 930,034 7,827 11,054 1,915 742 205,365 31,990 1,188,927 2,192,724
35.7% 6.1% 0.2% 2.1% 0.1% 0.1% 1.4% 45.8% 42.4% 0.4% 0.5% 0.1% 0.0% 9.4% 1.5% 54.2% 100%
2012 774,827 130,096 4,521 42,647 1,824 3,176 29,516 986,607 895,545 7,312 10,498 1,891 668 214,555 32,077 1,162,546 2,149,153
36.1% 6.1% 0.2% 2.0% 0.1% 0.1% 1.4% 45.9% 41.7% 0.3% 0.5% 0.1% 0.0% 10.0% 1.5% 54.1% 100%
2011 767,349 128,069 4,666 40,356 1,860 3,178 27,143 972,621 834,874 7,095 10,069 1,832 403 248,054 30,514 1,132,841 2,105,462
36.4% 6.1% 0.2% 2.0% 0.1% 0.2% 1.3% 46.2% 39.7% 0.3% 0.5% 0.1% 0.0% 11.8% 1.5% 53.8% 100%
2010 758,379 125,270 4,828 39,358 1,750 3,430 23,711 956,726 778,780 6,984 8,721 1,659 383 276,645 27,884 1,101,056 2,057,782
36.9% 6.1% 0.2% 2.0% 0.1% 0.2% 1.2% 46.5% 37.8% 0.3% 0.4% 0.1% 0.0% 13.4% 1.4% 53.5% 100%

Economy

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San Antonio–New Braunfels is home to five Fortune 1000 companies. Valero Energy Corp, iHeartMedia, USAA, and NuStar Energy are located in San Antonio.[15][16][17] Rush Enterprises is located in New Braunfels.

San Antonio is often referred to as "Military City, USA" due to the heavy military presence. Currently, San Antonio is home to the largest concentrations of military bases in the U.S. The following military bases are in the San Antonio area: Lackland Air Force Base, Brooke Army Medical Center, Randolph Air Force Base, and Fort Sam Houston.

Culture

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The Alamo

San Antonio is a popular tourist destination. San Antonio is known as the "Alamo City", due to the Alamo being located near downtown San Antonio. Other major attractions in San Antonio include the following: River Walk, SeaWorld, San Antonio Zoo, San Antonio Aquarium, and Six Flags. New Braunfels is home to a very popular water park known as Schlitterbahn. San Antonio's Spanish influence can be seen in the many historic sites across the city, such as the Alamo Mission, Mission Concepción, San Antonio River Walk, Mission San Francisco de la Espada, and Cathedral of San Fernando (San Antonio).[18] Bandera just 40 miles northwest of San Antonio, hosts a three-day Cowboy Mardi Gras that attracts over 15 thousand people from all over the world to the town of 829 residents.[19]

Politics

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Presidential election results[20][21][22]
Year DEM GOP Others
2024 46.8% 493,030 52.2% 550,283 1.1% 11,241
2020 50.8% 529,607 47.5% 495,195 1.7% 17,424
2016 46.7% 317,623 47.8% 380,665 5.5% 43,402
2012 45.2% 311,695 53.2% 366,744 1.5% 10,632
2008 47.0% 324,480 52.0% 359,129 1.07% 7428
2004 39.7% 245,309 59.5% 367,271 0.75% 4637
2000 40.9% 216,271 56.3% 298,442 2.8% 14,991
1996 46.2% 210,846 47.5% 216,618 6.3% 28,637
1992 41.8% 211,605 39.3% 198,952 18.9% 95,524
1988 44.7% 202,397 53.8% 243,696 0.74% 3,362
1984 40.5% 118,843 61.7% 254,477 0.17% 738
1980 42.9% 158,412 53.7% 198,049 3.4% 12,575
1976 53.3% 171,295 45.4% 146,009 1.3% 4,136
1972 38.0% 103,190 61.6% 167,509 0.42% 1151
1968 49.8% 109,324 40.4% 88,524 9.8% 21,387
1964 66.7% 128,820 33.1% 63,969 0.22% 429
1960 52.9% 89,169 46.5% 78,247 0.59% 1000

The San Antonio metro area has leaned right in recent decades, however it's currently trending leftwards.

Sports

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Professional and major NCAA D1 sports teams (ranked by attendance)
Club Sport League Founded Venue (capacity) Attendance Titles Championship
years
 
UTSA Roadrunners
American football NCAA Division I 2011 Alamodome (65,000) 27,576 0
 
San Antonio Spurs
Basketball NBA 1967 AT&T Center (18,580) 18,418 5 [o 1]
 
San Antonio Missions
Baseball Texas League 1888 Wolff Stadium (9,200) 8,500 13 [o 2]
 
San Antonio FC
Soccer USL Championship 2016 Toyota Field (8,300) 6,765 1 2022
Crossmen Drum and Bugle Corps Drum Corps Drum Corps International 1975 Varies 0
San Antonio Soldados Quidditch Major League Quidditch 2019 Varies 0
  1. ^ 1999, 2003, 2005, 2007, 2014
  2. ^ 1897, 1908, 1933, 1950, 1961, 1963, 1964, 1997, 2002, 2003, 2007, 2011, 2013

The city of San Antonio is home to only one Major League sports team; the San Antonio Spurs of the NBA. The city's football team is the UTSA Roadrunners who compete at the NCAA FBS level. Multiple minor league teams play in San Antonio, including San Antonio Missions and San Antonio FC.

Education

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University of Texas at San Antonio

The city of San Antonio is home to many public institutions. The San Antonio area's largest university is the University of Texas at San Antonio (UTSA). Other public institutions include the University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, Texas A&M University–San Antonio, and the five colleges of the Alamo Community College District.

The city has many private institutions as well, such as Our Lady of the Lake University and St. Mary's University on the inner west side. Trinity University and the University of the Incarnate Word are in Midtown. The Culinary Institute of America maintains its third campus in downtown.

Texas Lutheran University in Seguin and Howard Payne University at New Braunfels, now offering classes at a local high school but will soon have a true campus in the Veramendi Development, are the only higher education institutions in the area outside of San Antonio city limits.

The San Antonio area has many public elementary and secondary schools sorted into the following independent school districts:

County Independent School Districts (ISDs)
Atascosa Charlotte, Jourdanton, Karnes City, Lytle, Pleasanton, Poteet, Somerset
Bandera Bandera, Medina, Northside, Utopia
Bexar County/City of San Antonio Alamo Heights, Boerne, Comal, East Central, Edgewood, Fort Sam Houston, Harlandale, Judson, Lackland, Medina Valley, North East, Northside, Randolph Field, San Antonio, Schertz-Cibolo-Universal City, South San Antonio, Southside, Southwest, Somerset
Comal New Braunfels, Comal, Boerne
Guadalupe Seguin, Navarro, Comal, New Braunfels, Schertz-Cibolo-Universal City, Marion, San Marcos Consolidated, Nixon-Smiley Consolidated, Prairie Lea, Luling, La Vernia
Kendall Boerne, Comfort, Blanco, Comal
Medina Devine, Hondo, Medina Valley, Natalia, Lytle
Wilson Floresville, La Vernia, Stockdale, Nixon-Smiley Consolidated, Poth, East Central

Transportation

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The San Antonio International Airport (SAT) is located in uptown San Antonio, approximately eight miles north of downtown. It has two terminals and is served by 21 airlines serving 44 destinations including six in Mexico and one in Canada.

VIA Metropolitan Transit is the metropolitan area's public transportation authority, serving the entire city of San Antonio and many of its suburbs throughout Bexar County.

San Antonio Station serves as the area's Amtrak train station.

Interstate highways

Other major highways

See also

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References

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  1. ^ a b "Population and Housing Unit Estimates". Retrieved April 11, 2022.
  2. ^ "Total Gross Domestic Product for San Antonio-New Braunfels, TX (MSA)". fred.stlouisfed.org.
  3. ^ "U.S. Census website". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved January 31, 2008.
  4. ^ "Table 1. Annual Estimates of the Population of Metropolitan and Micropolitan Statistical Areas: April 1, 2000 to July 1, 2009 (CBSA-EST2009-01)". 2009 Population Estimates. United States Census Bureau, Population Division. March 23, 2010. Archived from the original (CSV) on March 26, 2010. Retrieved March 29, 2010.
  5. ^ Egan, John (September 6, 2022). "Booming Texas region could rival Dallas-Fort Worth as 'next great U.S. metroplex,' mayor says". CultureMap.
  6. ^ "San Antonio Was The First Southern City to integrate lunch counters".
  7. ^ "U.S. Decennial Census". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved May 18, 2014.
  8. ^ "Historical Census Browser". University of Virginia Library. Retrieved May 18, 2014.
  9. ^ "Population of Counties by Decennial Census: 1900 to 1990". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved May 18, 2014.
  10. ^ "Census 2000 PHC-T-4. Ranking Tables for Counties: 1990 and 2000" (PDF). United States Census Bureau. Retrieved May 18, 2014.
  11. ^ "Latinos, Blacks Show Strong Growth in San Antonio as White Population Declines". August 13, 2021.
  12. ^ "P2: HISPANIC OR LATINO, AND NOT HISPANIC OR LATINO BY RACE". 2020 Census. United States Census Bureau. Archived from the original on September 18, 2021. Retrieved October 10, 2021.
  13. ^ "Households and Families". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved July 16, 2022.
  14. ^ "San Antonio-New Braunfels, TX Metro Area HISPANIC OR LATINO ORIGIN BY RACE ". American Fact Finder. Retrieved 13 October 2016.
  15. ^ [http://www.valero.com/NewsRoom/Pages/PR_20110311_1.aspx%7Caccessdate=September 5, 2019
  16. ^ "Fortune 500". Fortune. Retrieved September 13, 2019.
  17. ^ "NuStar Energy ranked No. 15 : Fortune's 100 Best Companies to Work For 2011". Money.cnn.com. Retrieved September 5, 2019.
  18. ^ Associated Press. World heritage status for The Alamo Mission, Japan industrial sites, Conroe Courier, July 5, 2015.
  19. ^ "Hill Country town puts a Texas twist on Carnival season for 18th annual Cowboy Mardi Gras - CultureMap Austin".
  20. ^ https://www.bloomberg.com/news/features/2020-12-04/how-metro-areas-voted-in-the-2020-election [bare URL]
  21. ^ "Dave Leip's election atlas".
  22. ^ "Office of the Secretary of State".

29°25′30″N 98°29′38″W / 29.42500°N 98.49389°W / 29.42500; -98.49389