Bexar County 2025 Appraisals Are Out: What a 2.1% Residential Increase Really Means for San Antonio Homeowners, Buyers, and Renters

If you own property in Bexar County, you may have already received a notice in the mail. The Bexar Appraisal District has released its 2025 values, and the headline number for residential properties is a 2.1% average increase. That sounds modest, and compared to recent years, it genuinely is. Residential values climbed 2.4% in 2024, 16% in 2023, and a staggering 28% in 2022. The market has clearly shifted into a lower gear.

One important detail: notices went out only to property owners whose appraised value increased by at least $1,000. If you did not receive a notice, your value either held steady or the increase fell below that threshold. That alone tells you something meaningful about how much the frenzy of the past few years has cooled.

Commercial properties tell a different story. Those values rose 7.68% on average, and multifamily properties—apartment complexes and similar residential rental buildings—came in at 4.31%. Those two numbers matter beyond just the investors who own those properties. They ripple outward and affect nearly everyone in San Antonio.

For homeowners, a slower rate of appreciation is a bit of a mixed signal. On one hand, your property tax bill will likely not jump as sharply as it did in 2022 or 2023. Homestead exemptions and the state's appraisal cap also help limit how much your taxable value can rise in a single year. On the other hand, slower appreciation means your home is building equity at a more measured pace. If you were counting on a big jump in value before listing, that calculation looks different now.

If you own a home in established neighborhoods like Alamo Heights, Stone Oak, Helotes, or Schertz, or in ZIP codes that have seen sustained demand, your appraised value may still have moved up more than the countywide average. Appraisals are property-specific, so the 2.1% figure is a broad average across all of Bexar County. Your individual notice is what actually counts.

For sellers, the slowdown in residential appreciation does not mean values have dropped—they have not. It means the explosive seller's market of 2021 and 2022 continues to normalize. Buyers are more deliberate. Days on market have stretched. Pricing your home accurately from the start matters more now than it did when multiple offers arrived in a weekend. An appraisal that reflects a modest gain rather than a dramatic one may actually help a transaction close more smoothly, since lender appraisals are less likely to come in low relative to contract price.

For buyers, a slower rate of value increases is genuinely good news. Homes in communities like Converse, Universal City, Live Oak, and parts of the South Side that attracted first-time buyers during the boom are not appreciating at the pace that made affordability so difficult a few years ago. That does not mean prices are low—values are still significantly higher than they were in 2020—but the urgency to buy at any cost has eased. You have more room to negotiate, more time to do due diligence, and less risk of overpaying by a wide margin.

For renters, the multifamily increase of 4.31% and the commercial increase of 7.68% are the numbers to watch. When the cost of owning and operating an apartment complex or a retail center goes up, landlords and property managers often look for ways to recover that cost. San Antonio renters in areas with high apartment concentration—think the areas along Loop 410, the near North Side, or the growing corridors out toward Cibolo and New Braunfels—should be aware that even modest appraisal increases on large multifamily properties can translate into rent adjustments at lease renewal time.

If you believe your 2025 appraised value is inaccurate, you have the right to protest. The Bexar Appraisal District has a formal protest process, and the deadline to file is typically in May. Gather any evidence that supports a lower value—recent sales of comparable homes in your neighborhood, repair estimates for issues affecting your property, or any documentation showing the appraisal does not reflect market reality. Protesting is a straightforward process and many homeowners who file do receive adjustments.

The broader picture here is one of stabilization. After several years of dramatic swings, Bexar County's real estate market is finding a more sustainable rhythm. That is healthy for the long-term vitality of neighborhoods across San Antonio, from the historic homes of King William and Monte Vista to the newer developments in Cibolo Valley and the Far West Side. A market where values grow steadily rather than explosively tends to be a market that works better for everyone—buyers, sellers, owners, and renters alike.