This Week in New Braunfels
New Braunfels Tops National Move Volume Rankings for Second Straight Month
New Braunfels claimed the top spot for total move volume in May for the second consecutive month, according to a report by MovingPlace. The city's position along the I-35 corridor between San Antonio and Austin, combined with its Hill Country character and relatively affordable housing, continues to draw consistent inbound migration. Current population estimates place New Braunfels at roughly 95,787 residents, with a median household income of $83,064.
$4.61 Billion in Active Construction Projects Registered in New Braunfels
New Braunfels currently has 1,796 registered construction and development projects valued at a combined $4.61 billion, according to data from Zabalist. The projects span multiple counties and cover commercial, residential, and infrastructure development. That level of pipeline activity reflects the sustained long-term bet developers are making on this market.
Mortgage Rates Hold Just Below 6.5% Heading into July
Mortgage rates held steady this week, remaining just below 6.5%, according to reporting from Fox San Antonio. The Texas market broadly shows average rates fluctuating between 6% and 8% depending on borrower profile and loan type. For buyers in New Braunfels, the current rate environment means monthly payment calculations remain sensitive to relatively small shifts in asking price.
I-35 Corridor Sees Continued Traffic Incidents and Road Safety Concerns
New Braunfels Police alerted drivers to a road closure following a deadly auto-pedestrian accident on the southbound side of Interstate 35, with closures in place from early Saturday through Monday morning. A separate major crash involving a bus and several vehicles was also reported at the I-35 and Highway 46 interchange. Traffic volume and road safety along the corridor remain ongoing concerns for residents and commuters in the area.
National Weather Service Office Based in New Braunfels Monitors July 4th Holiday Weekend
The National Weather Service Austin/San Antonio office, located at 2090 Airport Road in New Braunfels, shows no active watches or warnings as of June 30. Evening forecasts for the area call for partly cloudy skies with a few showers developing late, lows near 74°F, and south-southeast winds at 10 to 20 mph. Those planning to be on the Comal or Guadalupe rivers over the holiday weekend should monitor conditions, as the NWS noted rain volume this year has been higher than average.
Real Estate Market
The New Braunfels housing market is in a recalibration phase that deserves a clear-eyed read. Redfin puts the average home price at $329,000 last month — down 9.86% year-over-year — while the median sale price over the last three months sits at $338,000, up 2.7% over the same period the prior year. Those two figures aren't contradictory; they reflect a market where individual sale prices are stabilizing or ticking up in certain segments, but the overall average is being pulled down by a broader mix of what's actually closing. Homes are sitting on the market for around 104 days on average, and receiving roughly one offer. That is not a seller's market by any standard measure.
For buyers, the conditions are more favorable than they've been in several years. The Texas market broadly registers a buyer's advantage, with enough supply and time-on-market to allow for deliberate decision-making and negotiation. At a 6.49% interest rate with 20% down on the $338,000 median, estimated principal and interest runs around $1,910 per month before taxes, insurance, and HOA — requiring roughly $82,000 in annual income under the standard 28% rule. The average household income in New Braunfels is reported at $109,000, which suggests the median-priced home remains accessible for a typical local household, though not comfortably for everyone.
The longer-term picture is harder to ignore. New Braunfels leading national move-volume rankings for two consecutive months, combined with $4.61 billion in active construction projects, signals that the structural demand story hasn't changed. What has changed is the pace. Buyers who were priced out or crowded out during the 2021–2023 run now have time and leverage. Sellers need to price to today's market, not the market of two years ago. The gap between those two realities is where most of the current friction sits.