Northwest Bexar County | Bandera Road / SH 16 Corridor | Independent City
Living in Leon Valley
Real Estate, Taxes, Schools & Local Guide
Leon Valley is an independent incorporated Texas city in northwestern Bexar County, an enclave surrounded by the City of San Antonio, centered on the Bandera Road / SH 16 corridor about ten miles northwest of downtown San Antonio and roughly three miles from the South Texas Medical Center. The City was incorporated on March 31, 1952, when residents moved to stay independent as San Antonio prepared to annex the area; it spans about 3.47 square miles and counted 11,542 residents at the 2020 Census. This guide is the property-level version of the Leon Valley story: what changes at the city boundary, Northside ISD schools, property taxes, the City utility versus SAWS, the flood map, new construction, and the questions you verify property by property, because Leon Valley is not one uniform market and the ZIP code will not tell you the jurisdiction.
Patrick's Quick Answer
Leon Valley in one paragraph
Leon Valley is its own incorporated city, not a San Antonio neighborhood, and not one uniform housing market. The city boundary decides your city property tax, permits, police and service jurisdiction, zoning, and development rules, but it does not decide your school until you know the exact address, and it does not tell you the water provider: the City serves most households while about one-third are on SAWS. Two Leon Valley homes at the same price can still have very different monthly payments, because exact taxes, exemptions, insurance, flood insurance, HOA, and utilities each change the number. The honest way to evaluate the city is property by property, and I can help you run that checklist before you make an offer.
Incorporated
March 31, 1952
Independent Texas municipality in Bexar County, an enclave surrounded by San Antonio.
Land area
About 3.47 sq mi
2020 Census land area, centered on the Bandera Road / SH 16 corridor.
Population
11,542
2020 Census. Small city; figures move, recheck each year.
School district
Northside ISD
Campus assignment varies by exact address; verify with NISD's locator.
Municipal services
Own city government
Council-manager Home Rule city with own police, fire, codes, and tax rate.
Water
City utility or SAWS
City serves most households; about one-third are on SAWS, especially Forest Oaks.
At a Glance
Leon Valley: verified facts first
These are the facts that matter for property decisions, and every one is dated and sourced. Everything else on this page is qualified as property-specific because it genuinely varies by address.
Incorporated city
Independent Texas municipality in Bexar County, incorporated March 31, 1952. Not a San Antonio neighborhood and not Leon Springs: Leon Valley is its own incorporated city with its own government and taxing authority.
Location and boundaries
Northwestern Bexar County, an enclave surrounded by San Antonio, about ten miles northwest of downtown and roughly three miles from the South Texas Medical Center. Centered on Bandera Road / SH 16, with ZIPs 78238 and 78240.
Population and area
11,542 at the 2020 Census. The incorporated city is about 3.47 square miles of land and is surrounded by the City of San Antonio.
Schools
Northside ISD. Campus assignment varies by exact address, so verify the specific residence with NISD's current attendance tool. A pending November 2026 NISD VATRE could move the district rate.
Municipal services
The City operates its own government, police and fire services, codes, and permitting under a council-manager form, with its own city tax rate. Trash is via Tiger Sanitation under the City's contract.
Water and floodplain
The City utility serves most households; about one-third are on SAWS, especially Forest Oaks. Roughly 14 per cent of the city sits in the 100-year floodplain near Huebner Creek per the latest published city figure.
The Most Important Fact First
Is Leon Valley part of San Antonio?
The short answer: no. Leon Valley is an independent incorporated Texas city in Bexar County, an enclave surrounded by the City of San Antonio. Crossing from adjacent San Antonio into incorporated Leon Valley can change the municipal property tax, police jurisdiction, fire and EMS jurisdiction, permitting authority, zoning, utility provider, and development rules for the property.
The City was incorporated on March 31, 1952, when residents filed an incorporation petition to stay independent as San Antonio prepared to annex the area; the community had developed in the 1940s as a farming community on Bandera Road. Today Leon Valley operates as a Home Rule city under a council-manager form of government with a mayor and five council members elected at large.
The boundary is not decorative. A home can sit inside the City of Leon Valley while the parcel across the street sits in San Antonio's jurisdiction, and that difference shows up in taxes, services, and rules, not in the mailing address. Leon Valley is also not Leon Springs: the two are different places, and this guide covers the incorporated City of Leon Valley only.
What changes at the city boundary
- Municipal property tax: inside Leon Valley you pay the City's own rate, not the City of San Antonio's.
- Police and fire jurisdiction: the City of Leon Valley's own departments and services.
- Permitting authority, zoning, and development rules: the City's own codes.
- Utility context: the City utility or SAWS, depending on the address.
Verify the property, not just the ZIP code
Before you assume anything from the mailing address or the neighborhood name, confirm the parcel's city-limit status and its subdivision. Looking at a Leon Valley home? Send me the address and I can help you verify the city limits, school assignment, taxes, utilities, HOA, flood considerations and estimated monthly payment before you make an offer.
City Limits vs Mailing Address
Don't use the mailing address to guess the jurisdiction
Leon Valley properties use ZIP codes 78238 and 78240, and some locations physically inside Leon Valley use San Antonio, TX as their mailing city. That means ZIP code and postal city do not reliably establish whether a parcel is inside the incorporated city. The buyer concept is simple: verify the legal municipality from the property record, not just the mailing address.
City property tax
Inside the incorporated city you pay the City of Leon Valley's rate rather than San Antonio's. The property record, not the postal city, determines which one applies, and the map below the street can change.
Permits and zoning
The City's own building codes, permitting, zoning, and development rules govern parcels inside the boundary. Ask which jurisdiction issues the permit before you plan any work.
Police and service jurisdiction
The City of Leon Valley operates its own police and fire services. Municipal status, not the address printed on mail, decides which department answers the call.
Utility provider
The City utility serves most of the city and SAWS serves about one-third of residents. Municipal boundaries and service territories are related but not identical, so verify the provider for the address.
Development rules
Zoning, setbacks, floodplain administration, and subdivision rules are municipal functions. Which code applies depends on where the parcel sits, not the mailing label.
The honest baseline
Municipal independence here is about local government, ordinances, services, and local control, not an automatic property-tax discount. The tax section below shows the actual numbers.
How to check the municipality
Confirm the legal municipal status from the property record: Bexar Appraisal District records list the taxing jurisdictions, the City can confirm city-limit status for an address, and title documents show the legal description. The listing agent's marketing is a starting point, not proof. I run this check as part of evaluating an address with you.
Housing Diversity
Leon Valley is not one housing product
Do not characterize Leon Valley as one uniform product. The city holds a genuine mix: established detached resale from several decades, attached housing and multifamily, older housing and newer small-lot product, current production new construction, larger-lot legacy properties, and both HOA and non-HOA property.
Population-wide data has suggested a median construction year near the late 1970s for the housing stock, which is useful only as broad historical context. The honest comparison for any specific property comes from MLS and subdivision-level data: build era, condition, renovation history, systems age, lot, setbacks, drainage, and whether the subdivision has an HOA or deed restrictions.
Established resale and newer build side by side
A landlocked city, but with active new-build supply inside the boundary (Seneca Trails, Senna, and Senna II), so resale competes with builder inventory.
Same price, different ownership costs
Two similar-priced homes can have different payments because of exact taxes, exemptions, insurance, flood insurance, HOA, and utilities. Compare the property story, not just the list price.
Subdivisions + New Construction
Active new construction inside the city limits
Leon Valley is landlocked and compact, but it has active new-build supply inside the incorporated city. Status changes quickly, so every line below should be reverified with the builder's current page and City records at build time, and prices, incentives, and inventory are not hard-coded here.
Seneca Trails
D.R. Horton production new construction, active and selling, built in phases (City records show replat activity through late 2024 and 2025). Runs its own HOA. Verify current inventory, prices, and incentives with the builder.
Senna
Century Communities new construction, selling since the 2024 grand opening with its own residential community. Runs its own HOA. Verify current floor plans, prices, and incentives with the builder.
Senna II
Century Communities' next phase, labeled coming soon, platted as Senna Phase 2 near Huebner Road. No published opening date at the time of writing; verify current status with the builder.
| Subdivision | Product context | Current status | Association |
|---|---|---|---|
| Seneca Trails | D.R. Horton production new construction | Active and selling, built in phases | Separate HOA; verify current declaration and assessments |
| Senna | Century Communities new construction | Selling since the 2024 grand opening | Separate HOA; verify current declaration and assessments |
| Senna II | Century Communities phase | Coming soon; platted, no published opening date | Separate community; verify association records with the builder |
| The Ridge at Leon Valley | Established HOA-governed product | Established | HOA; verify current records |
| Shadow Mist | Separate community identity | Established | Separate association; verify current records |
| Trilogy Grove | Separate community identity | Established | Separate association; verify current records |
Subdivision status is dated to the research date on this page and changes frequently. Verify each line with current builder and City records before relying on it, and verify HOA fees only from the active association, a current resale certificate, or current management documents.
Associations
There is no citywide Leon Valley HOA
There is no single Leon Valley HOA. Separate associations exist in specific neighborhoods and subdivisions, and other properties are governed only by city codes and deed restrictions. The honest answer is subdivision-specific, never a citywide fee or rule.
Separate associations by subdivision
Seneca Trails, Senna, The Ridge at Leon Valley, Trilogy Grove, and Shadow Mist are documented as separate communities with their own association structures. Review the actual association for the property: declaration, current assessment, resale certificate, transfer fees, special assessments, architectural restrictions, and any master or sub-association layering. Do not assume one HOA answer for the whole city and do not assume HOA status from the subdivision name alone.
No-HOA does not mean no rules
Where no association exists, city zoning, deed restrictions, and subdivision restrictions still govern what you can do with the property. No citywide association and no HOA are different from no rules. Check deed restrictions even where no HOA is in the picture, and check the City's codes for whatever project you are planning.
How to verify association status
Reverify the current association status at build time from the City or subdivision records, and verify current HOA fees only from the active association, a current resale certificate, or current management documentation. Fees are volatile and are not published here.
Current Market, Dated
A small city, a small sample, and no single price
Do not shop this market with one citywide median. Sales volume is small and the product mix swings between established resale, newer small-lot product, attached housing, and new construction, so citywide medians move with whatever sold. Secondary tracker data for the three months ending August 2026 showed a median sale around $305,000 with roughly 33 sales in the month of August and median days on market around 62, about 7 per cent below the same window a year earlier. The sample is small enough that the number is a snapshot, not a quote. Never read Leon Valley homes cost a single figure, and do not read the year-over-year median move as appreciation.
The honest headline
Segment, do not average
Segment by subdivision, build era, condition, new versus resale, lot, HOA, and flood considerations. A tracker median for a small city mixes products that are really different, so compare actual closed sales of like product.
The useful frame
Dated context, then verification
Use the snapshot above only as dated context, dated to the research date on this page, and pull current LERA or SABOR data for a specific comparison. I run a property-specific comparison when you send me an address or a listing.
Why medians can swing
Small counts plus changing mix
A month with a couple of newer-build sales moves the median more than the market moved. Recheck the current snapshot with a fresh data pull rather than planning around one published median.
How to buy or sell here: price and compare by subdivision and product using direct closed sales, not a ZIP-wide median, and compare the full monthly payment, not just the price.
Education
Leon Valley schools: Northside ISD, assigned by exact address
Leon Valley is served by Northside ISD (NISD), and the district assigns attendance by exact street address. There is no one universal feeder chain for the whole city: different exact addresses inside the city can be zoned to different campuses. Central Leon Valley areas commonly feed Leon Valley Elementary, Rudder Middle, and Marshall High, which sits in Leon Valley, but verify the specific residence with NISD's current attendance tool rather than assuming a campus from the city name.
Address-based assignment
NISD assigns students by the physical street address, and boundaries can shift. Use the district's current locator map for the specific residence, and ask what boundary changes are already on the books.
Pending NISD VATRE
NISD has placed a voter-approval tax ratification election on the November 3, 2026 ballot. If approved, the district rate could move from about 1.0049 to 1.0349 per $100. The outcome is not decided yet; label it as pending, and update to the actual result after the election.
No rankings, no claims about people
Fair-housing discipline on this page: no school ratings, no best or top-rated language, and no descriptions of the residents. The verifiable facts are the district, the address-based assignment, and the pending rate item, together with the addresses worth confirming.
How to verify like a pro
Confirm the exact campus assignment with NISD's current attendance tool for the specific street address. The pending VATRE affects the tax line in the stack on this page, not the campus boundary. The school boundaries explainer in the Ask Patrick library walks through how address-based assignment works in plain language.
Property Taxes, Dated
Leon Valley property taxes: a stack, not a single rate
Texas property taxes are the sum of separate taxing jurisdictions, each levying its own rate per $100 of taxable value, and the stack varies by exact parcel. There is no single Leon Valley rate. The table below is the adopted tax year 2025 stack, the latest complete official year at the time of writing; 2026 rates were still being adopted this fall, so re-verify before you budget around them.
| Jurisdiction | Tax year | Adopted rate | How it applies |
|---|---|---|---|
| City of Leon Valley | Tax year 2025 | $0.545040 per $100 | The City's own adopted rate, split between maintenance and operations and debt service, per the City's official finance page. Applies only inside the incorporated city, which is why the boundary matters. |
| Bexar County | Tax year 2025 | $0.276331 per $100 | The county general levy (maintenance and operations plus county debt service), per Bexar County's official tax rate page. |
| Bexar County Road & Flood | Tax year 2025 | $0.023668 per $100 | Listed separately by the county as the Road and Flood control fund; the county's combined rate with the general levy is $0.299999. |
| Northside ISD | Tax year 2025-26 | $1.004900 per $100 | Typically the largest single component of the stack (M&O plus debt service). A pending November 3, 2026 VATRE could move the total to about 1.0349 if approved; the outcome is not yet decided. |
| University Health | Tax year 2025 | $0.276235 per $100 | The Bexar County hospital district levy, per University Health's 2025 notice. |
| Alamo Colleges District | Tax year 2025 | $0.149150 per $100 | The community college district levy for tax year 2025; the district adopted a higher rate for the 2026-27 fiscal year per official reporting, so re-verify for 2026. |
| San Antonio River Authority | Tax year 2025 | $0.018300 per $100 | SARA levy on Bexar County parcels, per the authority's budget and tax information. |
| Combined example stack | Tax year 2025 | About 2.2936% before exemptions | Illustrative example for a Leon Valley parcel with this jurisdiction set, before exemptions. The real number depends on the parcel's actual jurisdictions, taxable value, and exemptions, so verify the full stack through Bexar Appraisal District records. |
Rates shown are the adopted tax year 2025 figures from the official taxing authorities and are subject to change annually. The total rate always depends on the exact parcel's jurisdictions, and a Texas homestead exemption has to be filed to apply.
The tax insight: local control, not a tax discount
Municipal independence in Leon Valley is primarily about local government, ordinances, services, and local control, not a property-tax discount. A comparison compiled from adopted tax year 2025 rates found the combined Leon Valley stack (about 2.2936%) nearly identical to an adjacent San Antonio and Northside ISD-type stack (about 2.2903%), a difference of roughly $10 per year on $300,000 of taxable value before exemptions. Verified against current official rates at the time of writing; verify all rates and the arithmetic again at your own build time, and pull the actual parcel's stack from Bexar Appraisal District records if you want certainty.
Payment translation, clearly labeled as an illustration
Every additional $0.01 per $100 of taxable value equals roughly $30 per year, or about $2.50 per month, on $300,000 of taxable value, before exemptions and ceilings. The math: $0.01 per $100 is $0.0001 per dollar, times $300,000, equals $30 per year. Small rate differences are small payment differences at this price point, and the real payment differences come from exemptions, exact taxes, insurance, flood insurance, HOA, and utilities.
The lesson that matters
Two Leon Valley homes at similar prices can still have very different monthly payments because of exact taxes, exemptions, insurance, flood insurance, HOA, and utility costs. Compare the full monthly payment, not just the price.
Water + Sewer + Utilities
Two Leon Valley homes can have different utility setups
This is one of the biggest information gains on the page, because the honest answer is not a citywide statement. The City of Leon Valley provides water and sewer service to most of the city. About one-third of residents are connected to SAWS, especially in the Forest Oaks area, per the City's own water management communications. So Leon Valley does not automatically determine the water provider, and water and sewer can even come from different providers. Verify potable water provider, wastewater provider, current rates, and billing structure for the specific property.
City of Leon Valley utility
The City provides water and sewer service to most households, with sewer billed off a winter sewer average (November 15 through February 15), per the City's public works pages.
The City phased in a water and sewer rate increase beginning October 2025 extending through 2030, with tiered water blocks aligned to SAWS-style tiers. Verify the current rate schedule, scope, cumulative percentage, and whether it applies to water and sewer before budgeting.
Trash and recycling are collected by Tiger Sanitation under the City's contract (twice-weekly garbage and weekly curbside recycling per the City's resident pages); re-verify the current arrangement at build time.
SAWS-served areas
Roughly one-third of Leon Valley residents are on SAWS, especially in the Forest Oaks area, per the City's own water management communications.
A different provider means a different bill, different drought rules, and a different service structure, so the provider for the exact address matters for your monthly cost and your yard rules.
Water and sewer may not come from the same provider on a single property. Verify both separately, along with current rates and billing structure.
Electric, gas, and the evergreen utility rule
Do not infer electric or gas providers from a ZIP code: verify the actual provider for the address. The evergreen buyer point across utilities: verify the actual utility provider and current rate schedule for the address, and build the full recurring cost into the monthly payment comparison.
Floodplain + Floodway
Flood here is property-specific, and the map answers the question
Do not translate any of this into Leon Valley floods or Leon Valley is flood-prone: neither is a fair whole-city statement. The City regulates development based on FEMA Flood Insurance Rate Maps of the 100-year floodplain, and the latest published figure (San Antonio Express-News, May 2022) reported roughly 14 per cent of the city in the 100-year floodplain near Huebner Creek, including about 260 to 270 properties. Re-verify the current city and federal figures at build time; the point for you is property-specific flood review of the exact parcel.
Floodway vs floodplain
The two terms are not interchangeable. The floodway is the channel plus adjacent areas that must stay open to carry floodwater, where construction is heavily restricted. The floodplain is the broader mapped area, usually the 100-year floodplain. Which one applies to a parcel changes the rules and the questions you ask, so determine the parcel's actual status from the current maps.
The buyer checks that actually matter
- Current effective FEMA flood map for the parcel, and any preliminary mapping
- Floodway versus floodplain status for the exact parcel
- Existing elevation certificate from the City's Office of Building, if one is on file
- Lender flood determination and a flood insurance quote
- Actual drainage, grading, culverts, and prior disclosures on the property
- Permits and records for any additions or improvements on the parcel
Flood zones for Texas buyers, explained walks the map-reading step by step in the blog library.
Huebner Creek: mitigation status, dated
The Huebner Creek flood mitigation picture is a dated work in progress. An earlier enhanced-conveyance portion (the city's LC-17 project) is complete, and the City's July 2025 flood-preparedness presentation reported no flooding outside the floodway where LC-17 was done. A separate Huebner Creek erosion-control phase has been redesigned and, as of early 2025, was in design with funding applications pending at TWDB and FEMA. Do not publish it as finished or as homes already removed from the floodplain: re-verify project completion, the effective FIRM, any LOMR, and which parcels changed at build time.
Old determinations can go stale
Flood determinations and maps change. A determination made a few years ago can be stale against the current effective FIRM, and no current LOMR was found for the Huebner Creek area at the time of writing. The evergreen lesson: check the current map and the current city floodplain communications, not the old determination. The City maintains elevation certificates and floodplain records: request any existing certificate early if the property is in or near mapped flood hazard geography, and confirm the current process, fees, and turnaround with the City's Office of Building.
One example of why address-level review matters
Raymond Rimkus Park (6440 Evers Road, ZIP 78240) and the Natural Area Park are both located in a floodway and floodplain and are closed to the public in heavy rain or flooding, per the City's official park page. That is a disclosure about a specific park property, not a statement about any residential parcel: do not infer residential risk from the park. Use it as one concrete example of why you check the current map for the exact property you are considering.
Renovation Rules
Renovation: the substantial-improvement rule is a Leon Valley-specific check
One of the most important Leon Valley-specific findings ties renovation planning directly to flood due diligence. The City's floodplain management guidance, following the National Flood Insurance Program, states that any reconstruction, rehabilitation, addition, or other improvement of a structure whose cost equals or exceeds 50 per cent of the structure's market value before the work begins must be treated as new construction and brought up to current floodplain construction standards. The City requires a building permit and applies the same 50 per cent test to substantial damage. Read the current ordinance wording from the City before you plan a major project; the summary here is a guide, not the legal text.
What triggers it
An improvement whose cost equals or exceeds 50 per cent of the structure's market value before the work starts triggers substantial-improvement requirements in the regulated flood-hazard area. Not every renovation triggers it, and not every property is in a regulated flood zone: the honest framing is that a renovation that looks financially workable can change dramatically if the property is in a regulated flood zone and the project triggers the threshold. For non-residential construction, floodproofing and elevation standards apply per the current ordinance.
Plan before you assume the project works
If the map review puts the property in or near a regulated flood zone, get the existing elevation certificate early, read the current ordinance, confirm the freeboard and elevation requirements in force today (the City's posted guidance cites the NFIP minimum of the lowest floor at or above the base flood elevation; verify any freeboard above that with the current ordinance), and run the numbers with the floodplain rules included. Then look at financing, because renovation financing can pair with the project.
Planning to renovate a Leon Valley home? Send me the listing before you assume the project works: the flood zone, the City's improvement rules and financing structure can all affect the numbers. The renovation loans explainer covers when renovation financing makes sense.
Property-Specific Due Diligence
The Bandera Road Ground Water Plume: information, not scare copy
The EPA lists a Superfund site at the Bandera Road and Grissom Road corridor: a groundwater plume roughly one mile long and half a mile wide, contaminated with chlorinated solvents including PCE and TCE, largely from former dry-cleaning operations near two source areas. This is legitimate, calm, property-specific due diligence. It is not a citywide issue: never write Leon Valley homes are contaminated or Leon Valley is unsafe, and never imply the plume affects the whole city.
What is actually happening, dated
The site has been on EPA's National Priorities List since 2007. EPA connected affected private-well residents to public water and plugged or capped contaminated wells in 2008, signed a Record of Decision in 2013 selecting soil vapor extraction for source areas plus bioremediation for groundwater, and celebrated the ribbon cutting for the constructed treatment systems in early 2024. The site is now in the long-term operation, maintenance, and monitoring phase of the cleanup, with ongoing groundwater monitoring as the remedy works. Re-verify the current EPA status and site maps directly from EPA at build time.
What to do for a specific property
For property near the Bandera and Grissom corridor, review the EPA's current site maps and remediation records to understand the property's actual relationship to the site: distance, direction, groundwater flow, and the current monitoring data. Be ready to answer seller and lender questions from official EPA records rather than assumptions. Most of Leon Valley is not near the site at all, which is exactly why the check is address-specific.
Tree Due Diligence
Oak wilt: a practical note where mature oaks matter
Oak wilt is a legitimate local property issue in the wider Hill Country and northwest Bexar County oak woodland, and the City maintains current treatment and monitoring efforts. Research identified City treatment and monitoring map areas named Bluebird 1, Bluebird 2, Evers 1, and Evers 2. Do not say Leon Valley has oak wilt as though every property is affected.
The property-specific note
If mature oaks matter to the property, check the City's current treatment and monitoring map, evaluate the health of trees on the lot and the neighboring canopy, and factor tree condition into your inspection and your offer. Verify the current map with the City at build time; oak-wilt activity changes by season and by location.
Roads and Commute
Bandera Road: the defining corridor, and a study, not a construction project
SH 16 / Bandera Road is Leon Valley's defining corridor. TxDOT and the cities of San Antonio and Leon Valley continue studying potential improvements between Loop 410 and Loop 1604. That is study and planning: do not write widening is under construction, funding is secured, a completion date is scheduled, or traffic relief is imminent, because none of that is current. The concept discussed at TxDOT public meetings includes expanding the existing divided roadway with additional lanes, converting signalized intersections to restricted crossing U-turn (RCUT) designs, and adding shared-use paths for bicyclists and pedestrians, with additional right-of-way needs and roughly nine non-residential structures potentially affected, per TxDOT materials. Label all of it as planning concepts and re-verify the current preferred alternative at build time.
Keep the stages straight
The RCUT intersections completed on Bandera Road in 2024, such as the work near Hausman and Cedar Trail, are part of a separate funded segment north of Loop 1604. The I-410 to Loop 1604 section through Leon Valley remains in the study phase.
What it means for buyers
Future corridor changes could alter access, turns, driveways, and travel patterns, especially for property close to Bandera. Ask how a changing corridor could affect the specific property and the route to it, and recheck the current planning stage before you plan around a road.
No static commute times
There is no honest fixed drive time from any Leon Valley address anywhere. The Medical Center is roughly three miles away as a straight-line distance (the City describes itself as within five miles), and downtown is roughly ten miles, but distance is not a drive time. Test the route at the time you expect to commute, during a normal week.
The commuting takeaway: pick the property, then test the drive at the time you would actually drive it. The San Antonio commuter guide frames the commute questions worth asking before your offer.
New Build vs Resale
Established resale or active new construction: a real comparison here
Leon Valley is one of the places where the new-versus-resale decision is genuinely live inside the same city limits, with Seneca Trails and Senna selling and Senna II coming soon.
Established resale
- Condition and renovation history: what was updated, when, and with permits
- Systems age: roof, HVAC, electrical, plumbing, water heater
- Mature landscaping, lot, drainage, and flood map check for the parcel
- HOA or deed restrictions, and seller concessions as a negotiation lever
New construction
- HOA, lot premium, and builder warranty: read the fine print
- Tax setup on a brand-new home: the initial tax bill can differ from the modeled number
- Completion timing and the current incentive structure, dated at the time you shop
- Builder lender incentives versus outside financing: compare both on total cost, not the headline rate
For sellers, the competition is real
Existing resale inside Leon Valley can compete directly against builder inventory in the same city limits. Price and market a resale by its true comparison: subdivision, era, condition, renovation quality, lot, flood status, HOA, utility provider, and the current builder competition, not one citywide median.
Buyer Due Diligence
The 24-point buyer checklist for a Leon Valley address
Run these for the actual property, not the neighborhood name. Every line is property-specific, and many of these questions cannot be answered by a listing.
Confirm the parcel is legally inside the incorporated City of Leon Valley, not just marketed that way.
Do not rely on the ZIP code or postal city: 78238, 78240, and even a San Antonio mailing city do not establish city limits.
Pull the exact tax jurisdictions for the parcel from Bexar Appraisal District records.
Check the current Northside ISD rate and the pending November 2026 VATRE before you budget a payment.
Verify the exact NISD campus assignment for the address, not the neighborhood.
Verify Leon Valley utility versus SAWS for potable water.
Verify water and sewer providers separately: they can differ.
Check HOA or deed restrictions for the subdivision.
Obtain current HOA resale documents if applicable.
Check the City and FEMA flood maps for the parcel.
Determine floodway versus floodplain: the terms are not interchangeable.
Request an existing elevation certificate from the City's Office of Building if the property is in or near mapped flood hazard geography.
Understand the substantial-improvement rules before planning any major renovation.
Check the current effective FIRM and any LOMR or map revision relevant to the property.
Inspect actual drainage, culverts, and grading on the ground.
If near the Bandera Road and Grissom corridor, review current EPA site maps and remediation records.
Check the oak-wilt map where mature oaks matter.
Review the survey and easements.
Review permits and any additions or improvements on the record.
Evaluate current builder competition (Seneca Trails, Senna, Senna II) and what it means for resale values.
Check the current Bandera Road planning stage and what a future corridor change could mean for access.
Obtain homeowners insurance quotes early.
Obtain a flood insurance quote if the map review shows the property in or near mapped flood hazard geography.
Compare the full monthly payment, not just the price: principal and interest, exact taxes, homeowners insurance, flood insurance if applicable, HOA, and utilities.
Send me the address and I can help you work through the first lines of this list: city limits, school assignment, tax stack, utilities, HOA, flood considerations, and the full estimated monthly payment before your offer.
Selling
Selling in Leon Valley: price by subdivision and product, not one citywide median
A 1960s ranch on a mature lot, a newer small-lot home, a gated association product, and a brand-new Seneca Trails or Senna home cannot be mechanically compared with one citywide number. Start with subdivision, then build era, condition, renovation quality, lot, flood status, HOA, utility provider, competing active resale, and competing builders. The discipline is comparison by like product, and the City's landlocked active new-build supply means existing resale competes directly against builders.
Seller documentation matters most here
For older or non-HOA property, organize survey, easements, permits for additions and remodels, roof and systems history, and utility provider records. For flood-related questions, have available: the elevation certificate if one exists, the current flood map, any LOMR or map revision, flood insurance information, and prior disclosures, and answer flood questions with official documents rather than minimizing them. For property near the Bandera and Grissom corridor, be prepared to answer EPA-location questions from official EPA records. For HOA property, gather the resale certificate, dues, restrictions, violations, architectural approvals, and any special assessments. For new construction, competition is builder inventory: price precisely against the current incentives and the true condition story of your home.
Financing
Financing Leon Valley: the loan, the map, and the payment together
Conventional, FHA, and VA options all work on a normal property- and borrower-specific basis in Leon Valley; do not assume one loan type for the whole city, and do not claim most Leon Valley homes qualify for VA. The honest financing question is the full payment: principal and interest, exact taxes, homeowners insurance, flood insurance if the map review shows the property in or near mapped flood hazard geography, HOA, and utilities. Renovation financing is one of the strongest local connections, because older housing plus the City's flood substantial-improvement rules can materially change project feasibility, so run the flood check before you build your budget. New construction buyers should compare builder lender incentives against outside financing on total cost, and rate buydowns can be a useful comparison point against builder incentives. Down payment assistance is program- and funding-dependent, flood insurance is loan-, property-, and map-specific, and USDA eligibility is address-specific, not inferred from the city name.
Send me an address or a listing and I can help you compare the real ownership costs across these loan types before you commit. Texas down payment assistance is the current starting point for eligible buyers, and the FHA, conventional, and USDA explainers cover the differences in plain language.
Everyday Life, Kept Short
A short, verified list of everyday Leon Valley
A small list with real addresses beats a directory, and none of these are the best anything. They are verified places and facts that local residents actually use, and hours, menus, park rules, and event dates change, so confirm current details before planning around any of them.
Coffee
Poppy's Coffee House, 6417 Evers Road, Leon Valley 78238, verified via its own site (poppyscafe.net) and its own description of being in the heart of Leon Valley. One coffee pick, and hours change, so confirm them before you go.
A meal
Sari-Sari Filipino Restaurant, Market & Bakery, 5700 Wurzbach Road (Sunset Plaza), Leon Valley 78238, verified operating via its own site (sari-sari-satx.com). One local dining example, and hours change.
Outdoor / dog option
Raymond Rimkus Park, 6440 Evers Road, Leon Valley 78240, verified via the City's official park page: about 27 acres with walking areas and trails, a playground, picnic pavilion and sports areas, and the City states the park sits in a floodway and floodplain and is closed during heavy rain or flooding. Dogs require a leash and waste removal. Verify current amenities and pet rules with the City before visiting.
Kid / family facility
Forest Oaks Community Pool, 6620 Evers Road, is the City-operated seasonal pool, open for the 2026 season from late May through early August, closed Wednesdays, then limited weekends into September per the City's pool page. Objective facility language only, and verify the current season and rules with the City.
One recurring tradition
Earthwise Living Day, the City's annual environmental event, held its 36th annual edition on March 7, 2026 from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Leon Valley Irene Baldridge Community Center, 6427 Evers Road, described as the longest-running annual environmental event in Bexar County, established in 1989. Dates change each year; confirm the current event with the City.
Everyday life note
Leon Valley is physically compact, with many civic facilities and local destinations clustered around Evers and Huebner, while Bandera and Wurzbach carry much of the commercial and through traffic. Short map distances do not guarantee short drive times, because Bandera Road congestion is a documented regional issue.
FAQ
Leon Valley, Texas: common questions, straight answers
No. Leon Valley is an independent incorporated Texas city in Bexar County, an enclave surrounded by the City of San Antonio. It has its own city government, its own tax rate, its own codes and permitting, and its own police and fire services. A San Antonio mailing address or a 78238 or 78240 ZIP code does not change that.
Yes. The City of Leon Valley was incorporated on March 31, 1952, when residents moved to stay independent as San Antonio prepared to annex the area. It operates under a council-manager form of government and has been a Home Rule city since voters approved its charter in November 2017.
Properties in Leon Valley use ZIP codes 78238 and 78240. ZIP code alone does not establish whether a parcel is inside the incorporated city, which is why you verify the legal municipality from the property record rather than the postal code.
Yes. Some locations physically inside Leon Valley use San Antonio, TX as their mailing city. Postal city and ZIP do not determine municipal status, so confirm city limits from the property record, not the mailing address.
Northside ISD (NISD). The district assigns attendance by exact street address, so campus assignment varies by address within the city. Verify the specific residence with NISD's current attendance tool or locator map.
No. The City of Leon Valley provides water and sewer service to most of the city, while roughly one-third of residents are connected to SAWS, especially in the Forest Oaks area. Water and sewer can even come from different providers, so verify both for the exact address.
No. There is no citywide Leon Valley HOA. Separate associations exist in specific neighborhoods and subdivisions, including Seneca Trails, Senna, The Ridge at Leon Valley, Trilogy Grove, and Shadow Mist, each with its own declaration and records. Review the actual association for the property.
Texas property taxes are a stack of separate jurisdictions. For tax year 2025 the combined example stack for a Leon Valley parcel was about 2.2936% before exemptions, including the City of Leon Valley ($0.545040), Bexar County, Northside ISD, University Health, Alamo Colleges, SARA, and Road & Flood. Verify the actual parcel's stack through Bexar Appraisal District records; 2026 rates were still being adopted at the time of writing.
Yes, in specific areas. Roughly 14 per cent of the city sits in the 100-year floodplain near Huebner Creek, including about 260 to 270 properties, per the latest published city figure (May 2022 reporting). Flood risk is property-specific: check the current FEMA and City maps for the exact parcel rather than assuming whole-city flood or flood-free status.
The floodway is the channel plus adjacent areas that must stay open to carry floodwater, and construction in it is heavily restricted. The floodplain is the broader area mapped for flood risk, usually the 100-year floodplain. The two terms are not interchangeable, and which one applies to a parcel changes the rules and the questions you ask.
Under the city's floodplain rules, an improvement that equals or exceeds 50 per cent of the structure's market value can trigger substantial-improvement requirements, which treat the building as new construction and require it to meet current floodplain construction standards. Check the flood map and the current ordinance before you plan a major renovation: a project that looks financially workable can change dramatically if the threshold is triggered.
It is an EPA Superfund site near the Bandera Road and Grissom Road corridor, a roughly one-mile-long groundwater plume of chlorinated solvents from former dry-cleaning operations. EPA connected affected private wells to public water, and the remedy has been operating with long-term monitoring in place. It is property-specific due diligence for parcels near that corridor, not a citywide issue.
Yes. D.R. Horton's Seneca Trails is active and selling, Century Communities' Senna is selling, and Senna II is coming soon, all inside the incorporated city. New-build status, prices, and incentives change frequently, so verify the current status with the builder.
Not between Loop 410 and Loop 1604 as of this writing. TxDOT and the cities are still studying potential improvements there; the concept discussed at public meetings includes additional lanes, restricted crossing U-turn intersections, and shared-use paths, but it is not under construction and has no announced completion date. A separate RCUT project north of Loop 1604 was completed in 2024.
Start with the legal municipality: confirm the parcel is inside incorporated Leon Valley rather than just marketed that way. Then verify school assignment, the tax stack, the utility provider (City or SAWS), HOA or deed restrictions, the flood zone and any elevation certificate, drainage, EPA and oak-wilt checks where relevant, and the full monthly payment. The 24-point checklist on this page lists each item.
Looking at a Leon Valley home? Send me the address and I can help you verify the city limits, school assignment, taxes, utilities, HOA, flood considerations and estimated monthly payment before you make an offer. Contact Patrick online.
Nearby Areas + Resources
Compare Leon Valley with nearby communities
Leon Valley sits among north-side and far-west communities with genuinely different governance, services, taxes, and housing. Compare the full communities hub, or start with the comparison pages below.
Helotes
The same Bandera corridor with a different municipality and ownership profile, useful for comparison
Shavano Park
Another independent NISD enclave with a very different housing and tax structure
Alamo Ranch
A far-west NISD comparison with a different development and utility story
San Antonio
The parent market that surrounds Leon Valley on every side
New Construction Guide
Compare builders and incentives across the San Antonio market
Start Pre-Approval
Build the full payment into your approval
Deeper reading: San Antonio commuter guide, flood zones for Texas buyers, and how school boundaries work.
Ready to evaluate a Leon Valley property?
Looking at a Leon Valley home? Send me the address and I can help you verify the city limits, school assignment, taxes, utilities, HOA, flood considerations and estimated monthly payment before you make an offer. Planning to renovate a Leon Valley home? Send me the listing before you assume the project works: the flood zone, the City's improvement rules and financing structure can all affect the numbers.
Patrick Kevin Fagan | Loan Officer and Realtor | pfagan@nexalending.com | TX Sales Agent License 454749
NEXA Lending and AXEN Realty LLC. Equal Housing Opportunity. Figures cited above are dated and sourced; verify current data before relying on it.
