Universal City, TX — Momentum Score, Home Values & Best-For

All states·Texas·Universal City

Bexar County · San Antonio-New Braunfels · population 20,267

First-time buyersSmall-town feel
View watchlist →
49
Stable
Momentum score · 0–100

Where Universal City stands

Home values down 3.4% in the last year.

Median home $267,590
1-year -3.4%
5-yr CAGR +2.9%
vs 5-yr peak -7.4%
Population +0.7%/yr

Home value trajectory · last 10 years

Zillow ZHVI · monthly
peak 2022-08$268k$154k$203k$252k$300k201620182020202220242026

Lifestyle scores

🚶
Walkability
32/100
Very car-dependent
Estimated from population density. Higher = denser, more amenities within walking distance.
🚉
Public transit
15/100
Transit limited
Curated list of major US transit systems + population-based estimate. Higher = real subway/rail/bus options.
💻
Remote work fit
86/100
Excellent for remote work
Composite of city size, housing cost, state tax structure, and region's remote-work track record.

Scores are heuristic estimates from population density, state, and known transit/walkable cities. Not based on a paid Walk Score / Transit Score API — see methodology for the formula.

Rent trajectory · last 5 years

Zillow ZORI · monthly
$1,135/mo$920$1,094$1,268202220242026

Home value vs rent · indexed to 100

Both rebased at first month of ZORI data (~2015)
Home valueRent115116100120202220242026

Rent vs buy

Price-to-rent ratio: 19.7
Lean buy

At a 19.7 price-to-rent ratio, Universal City is in the 'depends on horizon' zone. Buy if you'll be there 5+ years and value flexibility on the home; rent if you might move, want zero maintenance friction, or expect rates to drop.

How the momentum score breaks down

methodology →
Home YoY
33 · w22%
Home 5-yr CAGR
52 · w22%
Distance from peak
53 · w18%
Population growth
59 · w16%
Rent YoY
47 · w12%
Home 10-yr CAGR
60 · w10%
Long thesis

Universal City has held up across the cycle: home values at $267,590 with +2.9% 5-year CAGR. The bull case is structural — population, location, employer base — and holds even if next year's print is soft.

Short thesis

Universal City is a small market with thin transaction volume and modest appreciation. The bear case is liquidity: when you eventually sell, your buyer pool is small, slow, and price-sensitive.

About Universal City

Universal City is a city in Bexar County, Texas, with an estimated population of 20,267. It anchors the San Antonio-New Braunfels metro area. The population grew 0.7% annually from 2020 to 2024, a moderate gain. The median home value in Universal City is $267,590 as of 2026-04, down 3.4% over the last 12 months. Over the last five years, home values have averaged +2.9% annual growth (-7.4% from the 5-year peak). Rents in Universal City average $1,135 per month, roughly flat year-over-year (+0.3%). The composite momentum score is 49 of 100 (Stable). Conditions are neither hot nor cold, so the local fit matters more than market timing.

Bull case

The data is the data: Universal City has at least 5 years of Zillow tracking, full Census identification, and is included in the 1-criteria momentum score on this page.

Bear case

Cooling: -3.4% over the trailing year — momentum has stalled.
Local nuance: city-level data smooths over neighborhood differences. School zones, HOA rules, and street-level character matter — visit before deciding.

Playbook

Buyer

Lifestyle fit matters more than market timing in a Stable market. Take your time on the home and neighborhood; the macro trend isn't urgent. Negotiate normally.

Seller

Price competitively from day one or risk a 60+ day listing. Staging, photography, and presentation matter more in Stable markets than in Hot ones.

Investor

Stable cap rates, no big appreciation story to lean on. Underwrite this as a pure cash-flow play — the math has to work on rent alone.

Local safety & alerts

No active National Weather Service alerts for Bexar County right now.

Public-safety links are official .gov sources, not curated by us. Bexar County routes NWS alerts; check the state EM portal for non-weather emergencies.

Cities like Universal City

Sources: Zillow ZHVI (home values), Zillow ZORI (rents), US Census ACS + place population. Updated when source agencies publish revisions.

Climate & natural-disaster risk

Winter (Jan)
60° / 39°
avg high / low
Summer (Jul)
95° / 73°
avg high / low
Sunny days/yr
232
~64% of year
Annual precip
29″ rain
1″ snow
Disaster risk (1=very low, 5=very high)
Hurricane
High
Tornado
Very high
Wildfire
Moderate
Earthquake
Low
Flood
Very high

State-level averages from NOAA Climate Normals (1991-2020) and FEMA National Risk Index. City-level conditions can vary significantly within a state.

Local sports teams

Major professional teams the San Antonio-New Braunfels area cheers for. Detailed stats, schedules, and player pages on intherafters.com.

Current weather

Loading current conditions…

7-day forecast on weather.gov →

Find rentals & listings

Open current Universal City listings on the major real-estate sites.

Links open the live search on the destination site — results are always current.

Local economy & environment

Humidity
64%
Moderate climate
Median household income
$73,000
Texas state median
Top industries (state-level)
Energy/Oil & GasTech (Austin)Healthcare

Humidity is annual average relative humidity (NOAA). Income is Census ACS 5-year estimate. Industries are largest employment sectors statewide (BLS); the local mix in a given city may vary.

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