New Braunfels, TX

New Braunfels city had a median household income of $88,257 in 2019-2023 ACS/QuickFacts, and the San Antonio-New Braunfels metro is the relevant geography for BLS-style regional pricing context rather than a city-only series. Texas has no state income tax, but sales and property taxes still matter for retirees, and the city’s household-income profile suggests many established neighborhoods are priced above inland Texas norms (Census QuickFacts^[1]). The same QuickFacts page also shows population growth from 90,403 in 2020 to 110,958 in 2023, which usually puts upward pressure on services, taxes, and everyday costs (Census QuickFacts^[1]).

The local healthcare picture is anchored by the Guadalupe Valley Hospital area and the broader San Antonio medical market, while New Braunfels also sits within reach of major hospital systems in San Antonio for advanced specialty care. New Braunfels has a growing retiree population, but no official source is given here for hospital drive times, specialist counts, or Medicare Advantage plan detail. For a relocation decision, the practical takeaway is that New Braunfels has adequate day-to-day access, but serious cardiology, oncology, and some surgical specialty care will often route to San Antonio (Census QuickFacts^[1]).

Station-level NOAA climate-normals figures for New Braunfels are not given here, so no station-verified annual precipitation or exact average summer and winter temperatures are quoted. The nearby NWS forecast pages show typical seasonal patterns, with daytime highs in the 70s to 80s in October and nights in the 50s, which is consistent with a long shoulder season for golf and outdoor activity (NWS forecast^[2]). The NOAA normals documentation confirms that climate normals are normally reported by station rather than by city, so any precise precipitation or sunshine figure should be tied to a specific station once verified (NOAA Climate Normals^[3]).

New Braunfels’ current FBI Crime Data Explorer reporting status is not given here, and FBI/UCR reporting is voluntary and incomplete after 2021, so no guessed city crime rate is substituted. The correct next step would be to confirm whether the city agency reported recent NIBRS/UCR data, or otherwise use a county or state figure directly from the FBI Crime Data Explorer rather than a third-party score site. City-level violent and property crime rates and the 3-year trend are not given here.

In the San Antonio-New Braunfels metro, FHFA’s all-transactions house-price index shows home values up 29.25% over five years and down 0.53% year over year in 2026Q2, so the broader metro trend is still elevated even though the most recent yearly move was slightly negative (FHFA HPI^[4]). Local market snapshots put New Braunfels’ median list price around $379,000 to $627,000 depending on ZIP code, with 74 to 78 median days on market in September 2026, which is more liquid than many retirement destinations but not a rapid-sale market (Realtor.com New Braunfels^[5], Realtor.com 78132^[6]). There is clear 55+ inventory nearby, including Del Webb New Braunfels at Veramendi and Larkspur at Creekside, and New Braunfels is described as having 7 55+ and active adult communities (New Home Source^[7], Del Webb^[8], Apartments.com^[9]).

New Braunfels National Airport is the local airport identifier KBAZ, and it is a general aviation field rather than a commercial passenger airport (NWS station page^[10]). Drive times and nonstop routes for the nearest commercial airport are not given here. For practical retirement planning, most residents use San Antonio first and Austin second for commercial air service, but that statement should be verified with airport or BTS schedule data before treating it as a hard fact.

The city formally emphasizes downtown walkability, parks, trails, and river-adjacent recreation, which is a strong fit for an active retiree who wants more than golf alone (City downtown page^[11]). A complete course count or green-fee schedule is not given here, so a precise number of public courses within 30 minutes is not provided. The best-supported recreation signal is that New Braunfels has an active pedestrian and trail-building program plus easy access to the Guadalupe and Comal river system, which makes it attractive for walkers, cyclists, and paddlers as well as golfers (City pedestrian improvements^[12]).

New Braunfels had an estimated population of 110,958 on July 1, 2023, and 14.1% of residents were 65 and over in the Census QuickFacts release, which suggests a retiree presence without the feel of a true retirement enclave (Census QuickFacts^[1]). The same source shows median household income of $88,257 and a population that jumped from 90,403 in 2020 to 110,958 in 2023, indicating a fast-growing market with more amenities, but also more congestion and competition for services (Census QuickFacts^[1]). Downtown New Braunfels is described by the city as having 19th-century German-influenced architecture, boutiques, cafés, and a civic gathering space at Main Plaza, which supports the town-center character many retirees want (Downtown page^[11], Main Plaza^[13]).

FEMA’s National Risk Index is published at county and census-tract scales, so Comal County is the correct geography for this hazard discussion (FEMA NRI overview^[14]). Comal County’s overall FEMA NRI score is 92.7, with riverine flooding the highest-rated hazard and wildfire also materially present in the county profile (Comal County risk profile^[15]). On air quality, the available community air page reports a historical annual PM2.5 average of 8.9 ug/m3 and about 2 unhealthy-air days per year, but it also notes that New Braunfels itself lacks a long-running EPA station in that dataset and uses San Antonio as the nearest proxy monitor (Clean Air Data^[16]).