Best In Texas Real Estate™: San Marcos-New Braunfels

San Marcos–New Braunfels leads Texas in the spread between home values and household income, with ZIP 78676 showing a 5.9x affordability gap—the highest in the MSA. This isn’t a temporary spike; it’s a structural divide. The data shows that access to housing is increasingly determined by ZIP code, not just income. The top 10% of areas are outpacing the median by over 4x, creating a two-tier market where only a narrow segment can afford to live in the most desirable zones. This dynamic is shaping long-term residential patterns and may impact school funding, public services, and community cohesion. For context, this analysis is based on ALEX Intelligence’s exclusive 2026 report: https://alex-companies.com/data/2026-10-22-san-marcos-nb-spread-value-to-income-zcta. How is your local market managing this imbalance? Are new developments serving all income levels—or just the highest? Top-to-Median Affordability Gap, top 10 (ALEX Intelligence — U.S. Census Bureau 2024) #1 ZIP 78676 — 5.9x #2 ZIP 78666 — 5.6x #3 ZIP 78132 — 4.6x #4 ZIP 78737 — 4.5x #5 ZIP 78070 — 4.5x #6 ZIP 78619 — 4.4x #7 ZIP 78620 — 4.4x #8 ZIP 78133 — 4.2x #9 ZIP 78266 — 4.0x #10 ZIP 78640 — 3.7x Photos via Wikimedia Commons: Slide 1: Jonmallard (CC BY-SA 4.0) https://commons.wikimedia.org/?curid=75223902; Slide 2: Larry D. Moore (CC BY 4.0) https://commons.wikimedia.org/?curid=20723664; Slide 3: Larry D. Moore (CC BY 4.0) https://commons.wikimedia.org/?curid=44926315; Slide 4: Larry D. Moore (CC BY 4.0) https://commons.wikimedia.org/?curid=112905894 Source: https://alex-companies.com/data/2026-10-22-san-marcos-nb-spread-value-to-income-zcta View and join any or all of our communities — AI, quantum, and real estate: https://alex-companies.com/reports/linkedin-groups If there's an AI, quantum, or real estate community you'd like to see us convene, tell us — this portfolio grows by request. Real Estate Strategy & Intelligence Leader. Democratized Blue Ocean Strategist & Operator. Diane Hart Alexander, MBA, MHA Chair & CEO, ALEX Companies Designated Broker, Alexander Tiffany Southwest, LLC dba ALEX.realestate, et.al. Texas License #574877-B · Broker License #565194-BB [email protected] · +1 713.591.9902