What makes buying in New Braunfels different?
Comal County skips the countywide college, hospital, and river authority levies that Bexar County charges, which gives New Braunfels the lowest composite property tax rate in the San Antonio metro at about 1.75 percent. On a $325,000 home that is roughly $474 a month — about $187 less than the same price inside San Antonio ISD.
Key Takeaways
- New Braunfels carries the metro’s lowest composite tax rate at about 1.75% — roughly $474 a month on a $325,000 home, about $187 below a San Antonio ISD address.
- Permits fell sharply: 879 single-family permits in 2025, down from 1,271 — a 31% decline, steeper than the metro’s 22%.
- Slower absorption means more generous builder incentives — and more reason to price them against an outside lender.
- Two school districts serve the city at different rates. Confirm which covers your address.
- MUD and PID assessments are common in Comal County and can erase the tax advantage entirely. Ask first.
What Does the New Braunfels Market Look Like Right Now?
New Braunfels sits in Comal County on the I-35 corridor between San Antonio and Austin, and it is the largest of the San Antonio metro’s suburbs by population. It is also, by a wide margin, the metro’s biggest new-construction market outside San Antonio proper.
But the pace has changed. The Census Building Permits Survey recorded 879 single-family permits in New Braunfels in 2025, down from 1,271 in 2024 — a decline of roughly 31 percent. That is steeper than the metro overall, which fell about 22 percent over the same period.
| City | 2024 single-family permits | 2025 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| New Braunfels | 1,271 | 879 | −31% |
| Seguin | 998 | 801 | −20% |
| Schertz | 566 | 438 | −23% |
| Cibolo | 324 | 287 | −11% |
| San Antonio | 5,000 | 3,888 | −22% |
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, place-level annual data for 2024 and 2025. Cibolo figures are imputed rather than directly reported.
What that means for a buyer is straightforward: builders who planned inventory against 2024 volumes are now selling into a slower market. That is the environment in which incentives get generous — and also the environment in which it pays most to check whether an incentive is actually worth what it appears to be.
The wider market backdrop supports the same conclusion. San Antonio posted 16.3 percent year-over-year sales growth in June 2026, the strongest of any major Texas metro, with inventory and months’ supply both up from a year earlier. Roughly 65 percent of 2025 San Antonio closings landed at least 3 percent below the seller’s initial asking price.
Texas Real Estate Research Center, Texas Housing Insight (August 2026) and Housing | Summer 2026.
Why Are Property Taxes Lower in New Braunfels?
This is the most concrete financial advantage New Braunfels offers, and most buyers underestimate it.
Comal County does not levy the countywide college, hospital district, and river authority taxes that Bexar County does. The result is the lowest composite property tax rate of any community in the San Antonio metro.
| Community | County / ISD | Composite rate | Tax per month on $325,000 |
|---|---|---|---|
| New Braunfels | Comal / New Braunfels ISD | 1.75% | $474 |
| New Braunfels area | Comal / Comal ISD | 1.79% | $484 |
| Cibolo | Guadalupe / SCUC ISD | 1.93% | $523 |
| Converse | Bexar / Judson ISD | 2.19% | $593 |
| San Antonio | Bexar / North East ISD | 2.27% | $614 |
| San Antonio | Bexar / San Antonio ISD | 2.44% | $661 |
Source: Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts, 2025 Tax Rates and Levies. Composite rates sum county, city, school district, and applicable countywide districts. Excludes MUD and PID assessments and assumes no exemptions applied.
The spread between New Braunfels and a San Antonio ISD address is roughly $187 a month on an identical purchase price — about $2,239 a year, or more than $15,000 over seven years. Since most buyers qualify for a payment rather than a price, that difference translates directly into how much house you can actually buy.
The catch, and it is a real one. Fast-growing Comal County subdivisions frequently sit inside a MUD or PID that adds an assessment on top of the rates above — sometimes enough to wipe out the county advantage completely. This is the single most important question to ask about any new-construction lot here, and it should come before you tour the model home, not after.
Should You Use the Builder’s Lender?
In a market this new-construction heavy, most buyers face this decision, and it is usually presented as a simple one: take the incentive, use our lender. It deserves more scrutiny than that.
Builder incentives are real. They are also attached to a specific loan. If the rate on that loan sits above what the same file would get elsewhere, or the fees are heavier, the incentive can quietly cost more than it saves. The only way to know is to see both offers side by side.
A worked example of how that plays out: a 3 percent seller or builder concession on a $342,900 purchase is about $10,287. Applied to a 2-1 temporary buydown on a $325,755 loan at 6.625 percent, that reduces the payment by roughly $411 a month in year one and $211 in year two, with about $2,800 left over for closing costs. Taken instead as a $10,287 price reduction, the payment drops about $62 a month. Same money, very different outcome. Full detail: Texas seller concessions and rate buydowns.
None of that means the builder’s lender is the wrong answer. Sometimes it is clearly the right one. It means you should have a competing number in hand before you decide — and getting one requires no credit pull and a few days.
Which Loan Programs Fit New Braunfels Buyers?
| Program | Down payment | Why it comes up here |
|---|---|---|
| Conventional | As little as 3% | The most common program on new construction, and the only cash-out route on a Texas homestead. |
| VA | $0 with full entitlement | Veterans and JBSA families willing to commute. No monthly mortgage insurance. |
| FHA | 3.5% with qualifying credit | Entry buyers and households rebuilding credit. |
| Construction | Varies by structure | Build-on-your-lot in the Hill Country edge of Comal County. Texas allows 4–5 draws. |
| First-time buyer | Varies | Program and assistance options for a first purchase. |
| DSCR / investor | Typically 20%+ | Short-term rental and investment purchases qualified on property cash flow. |
Rates are not published here because they change daily and vary by lender and by file. Run scenarios in the mortgage calculator, then let several lenders compete on the real one.
What If You Want to Build Rather Than Buy?
Comal County’s Hill Country edge draws build-on-your-lot buyers, and the process differs meaningfully from a production-home purchase.
- Texas limits construction draws to four or five. Your builder’s draw schedule has to fit inside that, which is a conversation to have before the contract is signed.
- Texas does not license general contractors at the state level. That does not mean anyone will do — your lender approves the contractor and verifies insurance, and that vetting takes real time.
- Land and build are financed together or separately depending on the structure. One-close and two-close both exist, and which is better depends on your timeline and rate outlook.
- Budget for the gap between appraisal and cost. On custom builds the as-completed appraisal governs, and it does not always match what you are spending.
Full detail on the Texas residential construction loan page.
What Should You Know Before You Make an Offer?
- Ask about MUD or PID before anything else. In Comal County this is the variable most likely to change your payment unexpectedly.
- Confirm which school district serves the address — New Braunfels ISD and Comal ISD both cover parts of the city at different rates.
- Get an outside loan quote before accepting a builder incentive.
- Ask for concessions in a form that helps you most. A buydown usually beats a price cut in the near term; permanent points win if you are certain you will hold the loan past roughly five years.
- File your homestead exemption after closing. It is not automatic, and Texas disabled veterans may qualify for an additional exemption reaching a full exemption at a 100 percent rating.
Common Questions
+ Why are property taxes lower in New Braunfels?
Comal County does not levy the countywide college, hospital district, and river authority taxes that Bexar County does. Using 2025 adopted rates from the Texas Comptroller, the composite rate for Comal County plus the City of New Braunfels plus New Braunfels ISD is about 1.75 percent — the lowest of any community in the San Antonio metro. On a $325,000 home that is roughly $474 a month, about $187 less than a San Antonio ISD address at the same price.
+ Which school district serves New Braunfels?
Both New Braunfels ISD and Comal ISD serve parts of the city, and their rates differ slightly — roughly 1.04 versus 1.07 per $100 of value in 2025. Since the school district is usually the largest single line on a Texas tax bill, confirm which one covers a specific address rather than assuming.
+ Should I use the builder’s preferred lender in New Braunfels?
Only after comparing it against an outside offer. Builder incentives here are genuine and sometimes win outright. But the incentive is tied to one specific loan, and if that loan carries a higher rate or heavier fees, the incentive can cost more than it delivers. Getting a second quote takes a few days and does not require a credit pull.
+ Is New Braunfels still building at the same pace?
No. The Census Building Permits Survey recorded 879 single-family permits in New Braunfels in 2025, down from 1,271 in 2024 — a decline of about 31 percent, steeper than the metro as a whole. It remains the highest-volume permit city in the metro outside San Antonio itself, but the pace has cooled meaningfully.
+ What is a MUD or PID, and is it common here?
A Municipal Utility District or Public Improvement District is a special taxing entity created to fund infrastructure in a new subdivision, adding an assessment on top of your regular taxes. In fast-growing parts of Comal County they are common enough that they can erase the county’s tax advantage entirely. This is the first question to ask about any new-construction lot.
+ Can I get a construction loan to build on my own lot near New Braunfels?
Yes. A residential construction loan finances the build and then converts or refinances into permanent financing. Texas limits construction draws to four or five, and while the state does not license general contractors, your lender will require contractor approval and proof of insurance. Plan on that vetting taking real time.
About the Author
Adam Bartling is a licensed Texas mortgage broker and loan officer, and a retired U.S. Army Captain. He works exclusively in Texas and exclusively as a broker — multiple wholesale lenders compete for each file rather than one bank dictating the terms.
Having served, he understands PCS timelines and entitlement questions firsthand. Clients get a dedicated processor, no upfront credit pull, and an annual loan review for as long as they own the home. More about Adam.
New Braunfels is part of our Greater San Antonio mortgage guide. Nearby communities: Cibolo · Schertz · Seguin
