County seat: Hondo · Texas
Medina County
Alsatian Castroville, ranch towns along US-90 and I-35, and Medina Lake in the hills, with new master-planned neighborhoods 25 miles west of downtown San Antonio.
- ~53,500Population
- ~$349KMedian Sale Price
- HondoCounty Seat
- 1,325 sq miLand Area
Where it is
Where Medina County sits
Hill Country edge to South Texas Brush Country, west of San Antoni.
- ~30 minto Downtown San Antonio
from Castroville via US-90 E (about 50 min from Hondo) - ~45 minto San Antonio Int'l Airport
from Castroville via US-90 E and Loop 1604 N - ~55 minto Boerne
from Castroville via Loop 1604 and I-10 W - ~50 minto Uvalde
from Hondo via US-90 W
Drive times are approximate and assume no traffic.
About Medina County
Alsatian roots and ranch country on San Antonio's west side
Medina County was created from Bexar County in 1848 and takes its name from the Medina River. Its best-known town, Castroville, was founded in 1844 by Henri Castro, who brought colonists from the Alsace region of France. Castroville still has Alsatian-style houses, the Landmark Inn State Historic Site and Haby's Alsatian Bakery on old US-90. Hondo, the county seat, sits farther west on US-90 and is known for its welcome sign: "This is God's Country, Please Don't Drive Through It Like Hell."
The county stretches across about 1,325 square miles. Its northern edge climbs into the Hill Country around Medina Lake, where the 1913 Medina Dam holds back the river. The southern half flattens into farm and brush country along I-35, with Devine, Natalia and the Medina County side of Lytle. In between are LaCoste, D'Hanis, Rio Medina and Yancey, plus a lot of open ranch land.
Growth is concentrated on the east side, closest to San Antonio. New master-planned neighborhoods such as Alsatian Oaks and Flat Creek have opened around Castroville, and Medina Valley ISD has added campuses to keep up. Buyers who want more land and lower prices tend to look west toward Hondo and D'Hanis or south toward Devine and Natalia.
Town guides in Medina County
Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year (2024). Figures are rounded.
What stands out
Why people choose Medina County
Castroville's Alsatian Heritage
Founded in 1844 by colonists from Alsace, Castroville keeps its old stone houses, St. Louis Catholic Church and the Landmark Inn State Historic Site, where you can still book a room.
Haby's Alsatian Bakery
The bakery on US-90 East in Castroville sells strudel, stollen and breads that people drive out from San Antonio to buy. It opens at 5 a.m. Monday through Saturday.
Castroville Regional Park
About 126 acres on the Medina River, with a swimming pool, river access, an RV park, sports fields and roughly 4.5 miles of trails.
Medina Lake
Medina Dam was completed in 1913 to supply irrigation water. The lake's shoreline communities in the northeast corner of the county draw buyers looking for hill views and water access.
Two Commuter Corridors
US-90 links Castroville and Hondo to San Antonio, and I-35 runs through Devine and Lytle. The county touches Bexar County's Loop 1604 growth along its eastern line.
Room to Spread Out
West and south of Castroville the county opens into farms and brush country around Hondo, D'Hanis, Devine and Natalia, where acreage costs far less than inside Loop 1604.
Towns & areas
Where people live in Medina County
Price ranges are approximate, based on recent sales, and change with the market.
Castroville (historic town)
$250K–$500KAlsatian Oaks (Castroville)
$390K–$810KFlat Creek (Castroville)
$400K–$600KLaCoste
$220K–$450KHondo
$180K–$400KD'Hanis
$180K–$400KDevine
$200K–$450KNatalia
$180K–$400KMedina Lake / Mico area
$200K–$700KRio Medina and Quihi acreage
$350K–$1M
- 1844Year Henri Castro founded Castroville
- 1913Year Medina Dam was completed
- 126Acres in Castroville Regional Park
- 1,325Square miles of land
- 83.8%Of households own their home
Live MLS data
Medina County homes for sale
Live listings load here. If they don't appear, search all homes on our listing site.
HOA fees
What to expect monthly
| Community type | Typical fee |
|---|---|
| Older homes in Castroville, Hondo, Devine and other towns | None |
| New master-planned communities near Castroville | ~$40–$100/month |
| Medina Lake subdivisions with POAs | ~$10–$50/month |
| Rural acreage | Usually none (deed restrictions common) |
Older in-town homes rarely have an HOA. New Castroville-area communities usually do, and some also sit in special utility or improvement districts, so ask for the full annual cost.
What HOA dues often cover
- Community pools, playgrounds and pavilions in newer neighborhoods
- Common-area landscaping and entry monuments
- Trail and green-space maintenance
- Deed restriction enforcement
- Lake access areas in some shoreline subdivisions
Parks & recreation
Getting outside in Medina County
Castroville Regional Park
126 acres816 Alsace Ave, Castroville, TX 78009
Directions ↗Landmark Inn State Historic Site
1.5 acres402 E Florence St, Castroville, TX 78009
Directions ↗Hondo Recreation Park
2400 Avenue U, Hondo, TX 78861
Directions ↗
New construction
Building now in Medina County
Builders and pricing change often. Confirm details with the builder, and bring your own agent to the first visit.
Alsatian Oaks
Single-family homes in a master-planned community east of downtown Castroville, zoned to Medina Valley ISD, with a pool, pavilions, park and playground.
Builder site ↗Flat Creek
A 255-acre master-planned community in Castroville with a planned pool, playscape and sports courts, zoned to Medina Valley ISD.
Builder site ↗Schools
Schools serving Medina County
Medina Valley ISD serves Castroville, LaCoste and the fast-growing east side; Hondo, Devine, Natalia, D'Hanis and Lytle ISDs serve the rest of the county.
| School | Grades | District |
|---|---|---|
| Castroville Elementary | PK-5 | Medina Valley ISD |
| Potranco Elementary | PK-5 | Medina Valley ISD |
| Medina Valley Middle School | 6-8 | Medina Valley ISD |
| Medina Valley High School | 9-12 | Medina Valley ISD |
| Creek View High School | 9-12 | Medina Valley ISD |
| McDowell Middle School | 6-8 | Hondo ISD |
| Hondo High School | 9-12 | Hondo ISD |
| Devine High School | 9-12 | Devine ISD |
| Natalia High School | 9-12 | Natalia ISD |
| D'Hanis School | PK-12 | D'Hanis ISD |
School assignments depend on the address and are set by each district; boundaries can change. Confirm eligibility directly with the district. Option One Real Estate does not rate or rank schools.
Nearby
Compare nearby areas
| Area | Starting around | Why consider it |
|---|---|---|
| Bexar County | From ~$200K | West Bexar County along Potranco Road and Loop 1604 puts you closer to jobs with the same Medina Valley ISD option in places. |
| Bandera County | From ~$175K | Shares Medina Lake and offers more Hill Country terrain north of TX-16. |
| Atascosa County | From ~$155K | Directly southeast, with Lytle, Poteet and Pleasanton at some of the lowest prices in the metro. |
| San Antonio | From ~$180K | The full city market is about 30 minutes east of Castroville on US-90. |
| Helotes | From ~$350K | A Hill Country option on the northwest side for buyers who want closer access to Loop 1604 and I-10. |
FAQ
Questions about Medina County
The median sale price in Medina County was about $349,000 over the three months through September 2026, according to Redfin. New construction near Castroville pushes the average up, while Hondo, Natalia and D'Hanis usually sell for less.
Hondo is the county seat. Castroville was the original seat, and the county government later moved to Hondo on the railroad line.
Castroville is about 25 miles from downtown San Antonio, roughly 30 minutes via US-90 without traffic. Hondo is about 50 minutes, and Devine is about 40 minutes via I-35.
Medina Valley ISD serves Castroville, LaCoste and the eastern side, and opened Creek View High School alongside Medina Valley High School. Hondo, Devine, Natalia, D'Hanis and Lytle ISDs serve other parts of the county. Confirm the district for any specific address.
Yes. Chesmar Homes is building at Alsatian Oaks, from about $390,000, and David Weekley Homes is building at Flat Creek, from the $407s, both in Castroville. Builders change pricing often, so check the builder's site for current offers.
Part of it is. The northern Hill Country portion of the county includes Edwards Aquifer recharge and contributing zones, which can bring added rules for septic systems and development. A title company or the county can tell you which zone a parcel is in.
Yes. Many tracts around Hondo, D'Hanis, Devine and Rio Medina carry agricultural or wildlife-management valuations through the Medina Central Appraisal District. Ask whether the valuation will continue after sale and whether a rollback tax could apply.
Option One Real Estate is based in Boerne and helps buyers and sellers across the counties west and north of San Antonio, including Medina County. A local agent can help sort out school zoning, utility districts and acreage questions.
Day to day
Small Towns West of the City
Life in Medina County moves at small-town speed even as Castroville fills in. People pick up strudel and fresh bread on Saturday mornings, swim or paddle the Medina River at Castroville Regional Park, and walk the historic streets around St. Louis Catholic Church.
Farther out, weekends revolve around school sports, church festivals and ranch work. Medina Lake is the summer pull for boaters when the water is up, and San Antonio's shopping and medical centers are within an hour from almost anywhere in the county.
- Pastries at Haby's Alsatian Bakery in Castroville
- River swimming and trails at Castroville Regional Park
- A night at the Landmark Inn State Historic Site
- Boating and fishing on Medina Lake when water levels allow
- Photo stop at Hondo's God's Country welcome sign on US-90
- Friday night football in Castroville, Hondo, Devine and Natalia
Thinking about Medina County?
Talk with an Option One agent who works here, or start with live listings.
Sources and data notes (data as of 2026-10)
Prices, HOA ranges and drive times are estimates. Census figures are rounded. Verify anything that affects a decision.
- censusreporter.org/profiles/05000US48325-medina-county-tx/
- api.censusreporter.org/1.0/data/show/latest?table_ids=B25003&geo_ids=05000US48325
- www2.census.gov/geo/docs/maps-data/data/gazetteer/2024_Gazetteer/2024_Gaz_counties_national.zip
- redfin.com/county/2802/TX/Medina-County/housing-market
- en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Medina_County,_Texas
- en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Landmark_Inn_State_Historic_Site
- castrovilletx.gov/2378/History
- habysbakery.com/
- hondo-tx.org/166/Parks-Division
- hondo-tx.org/200/About-Us
- texasmonthly.com/the-daily-post/hondos-gods-country-signs-come-under-scrutiny/
- chesmar.com/communities/alsatian-oaks/
- davidweekleyhomes.com/new-homes/tx/san-antonio/castroville/flat-creek
- nces.ed.gov/ccd/schoolsearch/ (Medina County public schools, 2024-25/2025-26)
- saintlouiscs.org/
- router.project-osrm.org (drive-time estimates)