According to bestplaces.net/cost, San Antonio's cost of living is around 89.9, below the state average of 92.1, and the national average of 100 for major U.S. cities.
Our cost of living indices are based on a US average of 100. An amount below 100 means San Antonio is cheaper than the US average. A cost of living index above 100 means San Antonio, Texas is more expensive than other areas in Texas.
Joint Base San Antonio
Defense Service Network Dialing Instructions: The DSN is the provider of long-distance communications services for the Department of Defense. Every installation has a unique DSN number, and the numbers vary by world-wide location. To place a call using DSN, the caller must be using a military phone on an installation. Cell phones cannot dial DSN numbers. When dialing a DSN number from a United States installation to another United States installation, it is unnecessary to dial the DSN 312 area code. When dialing a DSN number to/from overseas locations, the DSN area code must be included. All phone numbers listed are commercial phone numbers. If you would like to make a call on the Defense Switched Network please use the following guide:
JBSA Fort Sam Houston
Fort Sam Houston finds its roots as far back as 1845 when the Army established a garrison in San Antonio. In 1876, the Army began constructing the Quadrangle on land donated by the city, and the Army garrison moved to the site a few years later. Fort Sam Houston was formally named for General Sam Houston, the hero of the battle of San Jacinto and the first president of the Republic of Texas, in 1890. It is unique among Army posts. On the one hand, it is a major, active military installation that plays a vital role in defense of the nation. On the other hand, it contains some of the oldest structures on any Army installation. Two of those sights are the Pershing House and The Quadrangle. This blend of old and new gives today's Soldiers pride in a history that dates back over 150 years.
Fort Sam Houston is home to over 36,000 active duty and DOD civilians, 48,000 Family Members, and 76,000 retirees. It is home to 502d Air Base Wing, United States Army North, United States Army South, the Army Medical Department, Army Regional Health Command Central, Brooke Army Medical Center, US Army Medical Center of Excellence Navy Regional Recruiting, and the Medical Education and Training Campus, which graduates over 16,500 students from 49 medical programs annually.
JBSA Lackland Air Force Base
Lackland AFB is named after Brigadier General Frank Lackland, who was commissioned into the Army after serving in the District of Columbia National Guard. Construction on the base began on June 15, 1941, and was originally part of Kelly Field. One year later, it became an independent organization called the San Antonio Aviation Cadet Center. On February 3, 1948, the facility became Lackland AFB, Gateway to the Air Force. For more information, please visit the Lackland AFB homepage.
The base consists of 46,577 people. Of these, 24,702 are active-duty members. Another 10,131 are DoD civilian employees. The remaining 11,744 are contract employees and family members. Lackland is comprised of the 37th Training Wing, National Guard 149th Fighter Wing, the 59th Medical Wing, the Air Force Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance Agency, the 24th Air Force Wing, 67th Network Warfare Wing, Cryptologic Systems Group, and the National Security Agency plus 70 additional associate units.
JBSA Randolph Air Force Base
Randolph Field was dedicated on June 20, 1930, as a flying training base and continues in this mission today. The idea for Randolph began soon after the establishment of the Air Corps Act in 1926, which changed the name of the Army Air Service to the Army Air Corps. General Frank P. Lahm was placed in charge of all flying training and established the Air Corps Training Center and set up its headquarters at Duncan Field, next to Kelly Field, TX. After deciding the facilities at Kelly and Brooks Fields were not enough for proper training, the Air Corps soon decided an additional training field was needed. Randolph Field was named after Captain William Millican Randolph, who crashed his AT-4 on takeoff returning to duty at Kelly. He contributed immeasurably to the progress of aviation and served on the base name selection committee. After the Air Force became a separate service on September 18, 1947, Randolph Field was officially named Randolph Air Force Base on January 14, 1948. For more history visit Randolph's homepage.
Randolph AFB is home to 4,423 military members who have 5,291 dependents. DoD and NAF civilians combine for a strength of 5,778 for a total population of 15,492. It is home to numerous Department of Defense units, including Headquarters Air Education and Training Command, Air Force Personnel Center and the host unit, the 12th Flying Training Wing.
Forwarding Address:
Your Name
1985 1St Street West #2000
Randolph AFB, TX 78150-4312
Joint Base San Antonio (JBSA) history began with a 2005 Base Realignment and Closure Commission (BRAC) recommendation that resulted in congressional legislation directing the consolidation of installations in the San Antonio area. The Air Force's 502 Air Base Wing (502d ABW) is the lead agency for JBSA, which is comprised of three primary operating locations at JBSA-Fort Sam Houston, JBSA-Lackland, and JBSA-Randolph, plus eight other operating areas. The wing's mission is to deliver unrivaled installation support and services to enable mission partner success. JBSA is is home to 266 mission partners who conduct specialized missions in training, healthcare, installation management, security cooperation, recruiting, and more for the Department of Defense.
The primary mission at Fort Sam Houston is medical training support, with more than 16,500 graduates a year from the Medical Education and Training Campus. The installation is also home to 107 mission partners to include U.S. Army North, U.S. Army South, Army Medical Command, Brooke Army Medical Center, Medical Center of Excellence, Regional Health Command-Central, Installation Management Command, and 502nd Air Base Wing. Camp Bullis, located northwest of San Antonio, serves primarily as a field training site for medical units.
Lackland's mission is to:
In response to the joint basing initiative, Lackland activated the 802nd Mission Support Group on Feb. 2, 2010, and realigned under the new 502nd Air Base Wing at Fort Sam Houston. Several 37th Training Wing staff agencies were realigned to maximize operation training and support missions throughout the base. The 37th TRW retained positions in agencies specific to the training mission, while mission support roles reorganized under the 502nd.
Randolph AFB is home to numerous Department of Defense units, including Headquarters Air Education and Training Command, the Air Force personnel center, and the host unit, the 12th Flying Training Wing.
The Air Education and Training Command's mission is "to develop America's Airmen today for tomorrow." They take America's sons and daughters – young men and women who have volunteered to serve their country in a time of war – and develop them into airmen. AETC's mission begins with the Air Force recruiting service. With 24 enlisted squadrons, three health professions squadrons, and more than 1,200 recruiters assigned throughout the United States and overseas, the recruiting service's mission is to inspire, engage and recruit the brightest, most competitive, and diverse young men and women for service in the United States Air Force.
The Air Force personnel center is the Air Force's human resources division implementing personnel, manpower, and services programs for nearly 330,000 active-duty members and 150,000 civilian employees through a worldwide network of personnel flights. AFPC carries out the programs covering all life cycles of military and civilian personnel for the Air Force, including defining resource requirements and developing and delivering airmen for the Air Force and the joint environment. AFPC also manages the implementation of services programs for airmen and their families.
The 12th Flying Training Wing is the source of America's airpower, delivering unrivaled airpower leaders for the future of the U.S. Air Force. The wing, headquartered at Joint Base San Antonio-Randolph, consists of three flying groups and a maintenance directorate spanning more than 1,600 miles. The 12th FTW is responsible for four single-source aviation pipelines. These pipelines include combat systems officer training and pilot instructor training and remotely piloted aircraft pilot indoctrination and basic sensor operator qualification. The wing manages all airmanship programs for the U.S. Air Force Academy and serves as the single screening point for all hopeful aviators, including pilots, remotely piloted aircraft pilots, and combat systems officers. The wing also hosts the introduction to fighter fundamentals program and conducts electronic warfare training for the U.S. Air Force and multi-national forces.
Each year, the wing graduates more than 850 instructor pilots, 350 combat systems officers, 500 remotely piloted aircraft pilots and sensor operators, and trains more than 2,500 U.S. Air Force Academy cadets and 2,200 undergraduate flight training candidates.
Commonly called Greater San Antonio, the metro area has a population of 2,636,893 based on the United States Census Bureau (retrieved March 9, 2023), making it the 24th-largest metropolitan area in the United States and second-largest in Texas.
Joint Base San Antonio (JBSA) resides in the heart of San Antonio (Bexar County), the seventh-largest city in the United States. JBSA’s three primary operating locations—JBSA-Fort Sam Houston, JBSA-Lackland, and JBSA-Randolph, plus eight other operating areas are located on 67 square miles, throughout the city.
USO Military Reception Area
The USO in the San Antonio International Airport (SATX) offers service members a place to call their own while traveling to/from our city. The Military Reception Area is in the northern part of Terminal B and offers snacks, coffee, and plenty of room to sit down and relax. Small board games and reading material are also available. Regular operating hours are 9 a.m. until 5 p.m.; except on Sunday the hours are 9 a.m.-8 p.m. ; however, call 210-233-9279; 210-332-5259 for current hours of operation.
Ground Transportation
SATX offers various ground transportation options for travelers to include rental cars, taxi cabs, and rideshare. Below are a few key points:
Directions
Directions to JBSA Fort Sam Houston: Go West on Airport Blvd toward Airport Exit, turn Right onto S. Terminal Dr, turn Left onto US-281N /McAllister FWY. Merge onto US-281 S via the ramp on the left toward Downtown San Antonio. Take the I-35N exit towards Austin on the left, exit on Walters Street, turn left onto Walters St. Go Straight on to Decal or Visitor Gate. The cost of a taxi from the airport will average $21. Due to COVID-19, gate may vary. Please check for current gate and Visitor control Center hours at https://www.jbsa.mil/Gate-Hours/. If you have any issues or concerns regarding installation access, please contact the Base Defense Operations Center at 210-221-2244.
Directions to JBSA Randolph Air Force Base: Take Loop 410 East to IH-35 North (toward Austin). Exit Pat Booker Road, which runs directly into the front gate of Randolph. The cost of a taxi from the airport will average $42. Due to COVID-19, gate may vary. Please check for current gate and Visitor control Center hours at https://www.jbsa.mil/Gate-Hours/. If you have any issues or concerns regarding installation access, please contact the Base Defense Operations Center at 210 652-5700.
Directions to JBSA Lackland Air Force Base: When arriving in San Antonio, turn right onto Loop 410 West, take the Valley Hi / Lackland AFB exit, turn left on Valley Hi, and continue straight to the Airman's Gate. The cost of a taxi from the airport to Lackland AFB will average $49. Due to COVID-19, gate may vary. Please check for current gate and Visitor control Center hours at https://www.jbsa.mil/Gate-Hours/. If you have any issues or concerns regarding installation access, please contact the Base Defense Operations Center at 210-671-2018.
JBSA Command Post: 210-221-9363
Automated Base Operators
Release 2023.08.17.1