San Antonio - TX vs Virginia Beach - VA: 2026 Housing Comparison

What this means for buyers

Virginia Beach - VA is roughly 36% more expensive than San Antonio - TX in typical home value. Homes sit on market longer in San Antonio - TX (53 days vs 30), suggesting more buyer leverage there. San Antonio - TX sees more listings with price cuts (30.4% vs 26.2%), a sign of softening seller expectations.

San Antonio vs Virginia Beach: what the numbers say

At today's 7.24% average 30-year rate with 20% down, the typical home would cost about $1,493 a month in principal and interest in San Antonio and $2,024 in Virginia Beach, a gap of $531 a month.

Typical rent runs $1,415 in San Antonio and $1,886 in Virginia Beach, so the mortgage payment alone is 1.1 times rent in San Antonio and 1.1 times rent in Virginia Beach, before taxes and insurance.

Home prices are 16.1 years of rent in San Antonio and 16.4 in Virginia Beach; the lower ratio in San Antonio means buying there is cheaper relative to renting.

Over the last 23 months typical values moved -4.8% in San Antonio and +4.3% in Virginia Beach; over just the last three months the change was -0.6% in San Antonio and +0.9% in Virginia Beach.

Homes sell for 97.2% of list price in San Antonio and 99.8% in Virginia Beach, after 53 and 30 days on the market, with price cuts on 30% and 26% of listings. All three signs point the same way: buyers have more room to negotiate in San Antonio.

The number of homes for sale is up 4% on a year ago in San Antonio and up 6% on a year ago in Virginia Beach.

Payments assume a 30-year fixed loan at the Freddie Mac weekly average rate (2026-10-29), 20% down, principal and interest only. Home values, rents and market figures are Zillow Research metro data.