San Angelo, TX is an oasis in the desert! With all the culture, arts, and community you could want, it’s a great place to raise your family.
But where should you move?
Some areas of San Angelo are undeniably better than others. Here’s where you should look for a new home in San Angelo.
Areas in the southern part of San Angelo, TX have better crime rates, schools, and more. However, they are usually a bit more expensive than average. The best neighborhoods to live in, regardless of price, are The Bluffs, Santa Rita, and College Hills.
Keep reading to find out which San Angelo neighborhoods are the best, which are the safest, and which are great for families.
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The Best Neighborhoods in San Angelo, TX
San Angelo is made up of a lot of smaller residential neighborhoods.
Neighborhoods in the southern portion of town (or just outside of town) may have larger, nicer homes and lower crime rates.
Beware that some neighborhoods in San Angelo are isolated, rural, and require a lot of travel to get to school and work.
However, the three neighborhoods we chose for our list are centrally located, feature lovely homes, and aren’t too expensive for the average family.
For these reasons, we chose The Bluffs, Santa Rita, and College Hills as the best neighborhoods in San Angelo.
What Makes These Neighborhoods the Best
The best neighborhoods stood out in several criteria. The following metrics were considered for each neighborhood in San Angelo:
- Opinion of San Angelo residents
- School ratings
- Average home prices
- Crime ratings (violent and property)
- Location within San Angelo
- Neighborhood overviews provided by the city of San Angelo
All these criteria helped us choose the neighborhoods that are best for families, as well as for the standard resident. Later, we’ll discuss other great neighborhoods that didn’t quite cut it.
Read Next: 10 Reasons San Angelo, TX is a Great Place to Raise a Family
The Bluffs
The Bluffs is a larger neighborhood in the western part of San Angelo. Homes nearer to the city are less expensive, making them great for families.
The median listing price for homes in The Bluff is around $259,000 according to Realtor.com. This means that there are more expensive homes in the area, but they tend to be further out.
As you move through the Bluffs, you’re also continually moving up in price ranges. Keep this in mind before searching for a home in the area, as prices get steep quickly the further you get away from town.
However, many city officials live in the area, including high-ranking police officers and city council members. If this is where they choose to live, it’s got to be great!
Most homes have their driveways and garages. Some residents have multiple cars and some do park on the street. However, the streets are necessarily crowded with parked cars. There is plenty of room to navigate on these wide streets.
Are you ready to Buy a Home in San Angelo, but don’t know where to start? Click here to read our San Angelo Home Buyers Guide! It details every step of the process, from getting a mortgage to finding the right realtor, ensuring you navigate the journey with ease.
Crime Rate
When it comes to crime, The Bluffs has about as many property crimes as the rest of the city. These crimes are somewhat elevated in San Angelo, though the numbers here are close to the Texas state average.
Thankfully, violent crime is at a low in San Angelo. It’s much safer to live in the Bluffs when it comes to violent crimes.
Schools
The closest schools are Bonham Elementary, Lee Middle School, and Central High School.
Bonham Elementary serves grades K-5. This school has an average rating, and students are performing at around the state average.
Lee Middle School serves grades 6-8. This school has an average rating, but students are performing below state average overall. This school also has about twice as many students as the area’s elementary school.
Central High School serves grades 9-12. It has an average rating but has over 3,000 students. Students seem to be performing less well at this school than the state average.
Santa Rita
Santa Rita is an older neighborhood near the center of the city. At one time, this was one of the most expensive places to live in San Angelo.
The result is a neighborhood that still takes pride in its once-affluent properties. Unlike the Bluffs, Santa Rita boasts unique architecture and green grass lawns.
The median listing price for homes in Santa Rita is around $215,000. Like most of San Angelo, the prices are lower than they would be for the same real estate elsewhere in Texas.
The big draw here is that the homes are unique – they aren’t pre-manufactured suburban developments.
Near the Concho River, there are larger ‘mansion’ style homes, golf courses, and parks. There are fewer cars parked on the streets here, as many homes have 2-car garages and private driveways.
Crime Rate
Violent crime rates here are lower than in the rest of San Angelo. Property crime rates remain consistent with the city.
Schools
The closest schools are Santa Rita Elementary, Glenn Middle School, and Central High School.
Santa Rita Elementary is one of the best-rated elementary schools in San Angelo. Students there make excellent progress and have slightly higher-than-average test schools compared to the rest of Texas. It serves grades K-5.
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Glenn Middle School may have an average rating, but it’s still doing better than many other schools in San Angelo. Students here perform at around the state average. It serves grades 6-8.
Central High School is, again, a larger school that serves much of the San Angelo area. They perform below the state average regularly. Your child might attend central between 9th and 12th grade.
College Hills
College Hills is a smaller community, mostly made of college students (especially on the eastern side of the neighborhood).
This area has a lot of school housing or homes that have been converted to school housing. However, the western side of the neighborhood is great for families.
Home prices average about $189,000 in this area. Some of these homes are older, but their central location puts you close to shopping and other conveniences.
Most have been kept very well and have larger lawns with green grass most of the year.
The lower home prices make this a great area for younger families, with plenty of starter home options.
Thinking of Buying a Home in San Angelo and Feeling Overwhelmed? Start by reading Our San Angelo Home Buyers Guide! It outlines each step, from securing a mortgage to choosing your ideal realtor, simplifying your path to homeownership.
Crime Rate
The crime rates are slightly lower here than in the rest of San Angelo, with much lower violent crime rates than some northern neighborhoods.
The streets in College Hills are large enough to navigate around cars parked on the street.
Like the other options, many homes have ample room for their cars in their driveways and garages, so there are few cars parked street side.
Schools
The closes schools are Crockett Elementary School, Glenn Middle School, and Central High School.
Crockett Elementary School is a smaller Elementary school for the area, serving grades K-5. Their scores are about average and meet state expectations.
Glenn Middle School is an average middle school with average ratings, compared to the rest of the state.
However, it’s still got a better rating than many other middle schools in San Angelo. If you move to College Hills, your child might attend Glenn Middle School between 6th and 8th grade.
Central High School serves all three of our top neighborhoods. Still, students here tend to perform below average.
That might be due to a larger number of students. There are private schools in the area that serve 9-12th grade as well.
Other Great Neighborhoods
San Angelo, TX has no shortage of great neighborhoods. Some residents caution against living in the northern part of town, as crime rates and neighborhood quality seems to go down.
PaulAnn, a northern community, is the exception. However, it is still rural and somewhat isolated.
Southland is a lovely suburban neighborhood on the edge of town. Though it’s slightly rural, it’s very near Lake Nasworthy and has one of the lowest property and violent crime rates in the city.
However, it is isolated, and it’s a long way from Southland to any schools or shopping. The homes are larger and more expensive, with a median listing price of $275,000.
Bentwood is a smaller, more spread-out community, but it boasts the same benefits as Southland. The crime rates are a little worse here, and the home prices are almost double the best on our list, with a median home listing of $435,000.
These great communities didn’t make our list for a few reasons. The price is a little higher than most working-class families can afford, and the isolation away from the city may be a drawback for some people.
Still, if you don’t mind the drive and aren’t stressed about larger, more expensive homes, Southland, Bentwood, and PaulAnn can be great places to live.
3 Things You Must Do Before Moving to San Angelo, Texas
Ready to relocate to San Angelo? These three steps will make your transition that much easier.
Get Prequalified for a Home Loan
One of the best and biggest steps towards your move is a home loan. You’ll need an idea of what you can afford and a guarantee that you can move forward when the time is right.
Call around local banks and lending institutions to see how to get the process started. Make basic inquiries until you find the lender you’d like to stick with.
Then, fill out the necessary paperwork to get the process moving.
You can do this even before selling your current home or moving to San Angelo. But having this already done and ready to go can make all the difference for a smooth transition.
Find a Good Realtor to Work With
A good realtor can make all the difference. Call around to different realty offices, ask about their services, and peruse their websites.
Most realtor websites will have their home listings available to view online. On the other hand, if you find a house you love through different means, call the real estate company handling that listing.
Check them out and see if they are the company you want to work with. A home loan only gets you so far. Actual house hunting can be done online and from a distance, thankfully!
Looking for homes for sale in San Angelo? Click here to get in touch with one of our top realtors and we’ll be glad to assist you!
Call Utility and Service Companies
One of the first steps you’ll take as a new homeowner is getting the utilities turned on. San Angelo has a lot of options for utility companies.
You’ll need to get the electricity turned on at your new address. You might need internet, cable, and phone service. You’ll have to check out sewer, water, and trash services.
So, start calling around! If you already know which neighborhood you’ll be moving to, you can call around to check out your options.
Find out what’s available at the address you’ll be moving to. Call those companies to find prices, deposits, and more. If you already have a home lined up, schedule your services to be turned on near your move-in date.
Download Our FREE San Angelo Relocation Guide
This free guide is the ultimate resource for people moving to San Angelo. It provides you with information about San Angelo Neighborhoods, Schools, Things to Do, Crime Rate, Cost of Living, and so much more.
Get The FREE Relocation Guide
Conclusion
San Angelo has a lot of great neighborhoods, but the three explored here are the best places to live.
When you’re looking to relocate to this oasis in the desert, prioritize buying a home in these three areas. Any one of them makes a great place to raise a family.
Is San Angelo, TX Safe?
While San Angelo, TX has a reputation for crime, it has lower violent crime rates than the rest of Texas. The most common crimes in San Angelo are property crimes, which are widespread.
However, San Angelo is on par with the rest of Texas for property crime and hovers around the national average.
What are the Best Places to Live in San Angelo?
Residents of San Angelo say that the southern parts of San Angelo are the best. The Bluffs is one of the best places to live, followed by Santa Rita, College Hills, Brentwood, Bonam, and Southland. The Goodfellow Air Force Base and neighboring Belaire community are best for military families.
What is the Population of San Angelo, TX?
San Angelo, TX has a population of about 100,000 according to a census collected in 2019. The city sees about 0.3% growth per year.
