San Angelo is a community on the move.  It is literally a green oasis in the middle of the West Texas desert. It has culture, thriving arts, an amazing festival scene, live entertainment and some of the best restaurants this side of Austin. When deciding where to rent, buy or locate in San Angelo, there are numerous things to consider.

For example, we all worry about crime rates, schools, and proximity to shopping and other amenities. So where exactly are the best neighborhoods to locate in San Angelo?

Photo: City Of San Angelo
Photo: City Of San Angelo
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Generally speaking, the southern part of San Angelo is recognized as having the best neighborhoods in the city, based on the criteria spelled out above. With that in mind there are three standout neighborhoods in the city that consistently score well.  They include:

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The Bluffs The Bluffs are in the western part of the city. Realtor.com lists the median home price in The Bluffs as around 259-thousand dollars. In the bluffs, generally speaking, the home prices go up as you get further away from town.  A good sign of the quality of this neighborhood, is the sheer number of city officials who live there. You will find many police supervisors, city council members and upon occasion the current mayor.

Property crime in The Bluffs is about the same as elsewhere in the city, but violent crime in the neighborhood is rare.  The schools are all ranked as average with students generally performing around the state average.

Photo: Jim and Deb Mundell Coldwell Banker Legacy
Photo: Jim and Deb Mundell Coldwell Banker Legacy
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Above is a house on 601 Burlington Road in San Angelo, in The Bluffs, now for sale in the 400k price range.

Santa Rita This is an established neighborhood near the city center. There was a time when drive-ins were kings, before mini-skirts and riots when this was the "it" neighborhood in San Angelo. This area still boasts some incredible architecture and older homes with lush green yards that you just can't find in The Bluffs.  The median price for a homes in this neighborhood is around 215-thousand dollars, according to Realtor.com.

The reason for the appeal of the Santa Rita neighborhood is that all of the homes in this neighborhood are very unique. There are homes along the Concho River that look like grand mansions from wonder year.

Property crimes in the Santa Rita neighborhood are about the same as citywide again violent crimes are rare in this neighborhood.

The Schools in this neighborhood are generally above average with the exception of Central High which performs below state averages but the students cover all areas of the city not just the Santa Rita neighborhood.

Photo: Mimi Clark Keller Williams Realty
Photo: Mimi Clark Keller Williams Realty
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Above, this home on S Madison is representative of the older and unique homes that you can find in the Santa Rita Neighborhood of San Angelo.

College Hills This is where the energy and action is. This area is a smaller community generally made up of college students, especially on the eastern side.  The western side is popular for families.  The median home price in College Hills is 189-thousand, according to realtor.com but is rising quickly in this market.  Most of the homes in this neighborhood are well maintained and have plenty of green grass.  This neighborhood is popular with families looking for their first home.

The property crime rate in this neighborhood is lower than the city as a whole with virtually no violent crime. The elementary and middle schools in the neighborhood are generally above average.  Central High serves all three of the best neighborhoods in town and there students tend to perform below average.

There are lots of great communities in San Angelo, although communities on the north side of the city tend to have much higher crime rates.  There is one exception, the PaulAnn community.

Southland is a great community if you don't mind driving everywhere.  It is isolated and a long way from schools and shopping.  The average home there is 289-thousand according to realtor.com.  This area tends to have the lowest property and violent crime rates in the city, and is close to Lake Nasworthy in a scenic location.

Brentwood The median home price in this neighborhood is out of reach for the average household at over 430-thousand dollars.  The crime rates are a little worse here.

Wherever you go in San Angelo, you will be greeted with friendly people and a thriving community working hard to be its best.  If you're looking for a new home now in this booming economy, prepare to pay top dollar and happy hunting.

 

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