Who reports to Camp Bullis
Camp Bullis hosts field training for units across Joint Base San Antonio: medical readiness training tied to the Medical Education and Training Campus and Brooke Army Medical Center, Air Force Security Forces and other expeditionary skills courses, Army Reserve and Guard units, and visiting units from elsewhere. Permanent-party staff run the ranges, the training support, and the medical simulation sites. A large share of them also have a desk or a clinic at Fort Sam Houston, 20 miles south on the same side of the city. Ask your sponsor one question before you shop: in a normal month, how many days are at Bullis and how many are at Fort Sam? The answer picks your corridor.
Pick a corridor first
| I-10 corridor | US-281 corridor | Inside 1604, between them |
|---|
| Communities | Leon Springs, The Dominion area, Fair Oaks Ranch, Boerne | Stone Oak, Encino Park, Timberwood Park, Bulverde | Shavano Park, Hollywood Park, Hill Country Village |
| Drive to the Bullis gate | Shortest; the main gate is on Camp Bullis Road off I-10 | Crosses 1604 or Bulverde Road to I-10 | Short to Bullis, and the easiest Fort Sam commute of the three |
| Drive to Fort Sam | Longest; I-10 into town then across | US-281 south, the most direct | US-281 or I-10 south |
| School districts named | Northside ISD closer in; Boerne ISD farther out; some Fair Oaks Ranch addresses in Comal ISD | North East ISD closer in; Comal ISD past 1604 | Northside ISD and North East ISD |
| What the houses are | Newer subdivisions, gated communities, and acreage toward Boerne | Master-planned subdivisions in Stone Oak, half-acre and acre lots in Timberwood Park | Established 1970s to 1990s neighborhoods on large lots |
| Fits best when | Most of your month is at Bullis, or you want Hill Country space | You split time with Fort Sam, or you want the biggest choice of newer houses | You want short drives to both and do not need a new house |
I measure drive times at 7:40 a.m. to the gate your unit actually uses, and I will run one for any address you are serious about. The commute video shows how different the morning is from what a map app tells you at noon.
The neighborhoods Camp Bullis families actually choose
| Neighborhood | Corridor | School district named | What to know first |
|---|
| Fair Oaks Ranch | I-10 | Boerne ISD for most addresses; parts in Comal ISD | An incorporated city across three counties, so the appraisal district and tax rate depend on the exact lot; large lots, golf course, deed restrictions |
| Boerne | I-10 | Boerne ISD | The Kendall County seat with a real downtown; the longest Fort Sam drive on this list, and new subdivisions along I-10 may carry a PID or MUD |
| Timberwood Park | US-281 | Comal ISD | Unincorporated Bexar County, so no city tax line; half-acre to acre lots, many on wells and septic; a 7,000-acre community with its own park and lake |
| Shavano Park | Inside 1604 | Northside ISD | A small incorporated city inside Loop 1604 with its own police and large wooded lots; mostly 1970s to 1990s houses, so budget for an inspection and a roof conversation |
| Stone Oak | US-281 | North East ISD | The largest master-planned area on the north side; the widest choice of newer houses and the most traffic on 281 at 7:40 a.m. |
| Encino Park, Bulverde, Hollywood Park, Leon Springs | Both | North East, Comal, and Northside ISDs | Smaller pockets I show when the four above do not fit; videos below |
What 2026 BAH buys on the north side
JBSA is one BAH area, so Camp Bullis orders pay from the same table as Lackland, Randolph, and Fort Sam. The 2026 with-dependents rates are E-5 $1,869, E-6 $2,094, O-3 $2,127, and O-4 $2,307 a month (jbsanantoniohousing.com, January 2026). At a 6.5% 30-year rate with the 2.15% VA funding fee financed, a 2.2% property tax rate, and insurance near 1% of price, every $1,000 of price costs about $9.12 a month, so BAH alone covers roughly $205,000 for an E-5 up to $253,000 for an O-4.
The honest part: the north side is the most expensive side of the city, and the corridors above sit above those lines for most houses. That is why rent-first is a legitimate plan here, why the inside-1604 neighborhoods with older houses deserve a look, and why the payment has to be built on base pay plus BAH, not BAH alone. The full payment table and the rent-or-buy logic are on the PCS to San Antonio page.
Issues that only matter on this side of the city
- Training noise. Camp Bullis runs live-fire ranges and night training, and it publishes noise advisories. Addresses closest to the installation boundary along I-10 and Camp Bullis Road hear it; ask me for the current advisory and stand in the backyard during an evening before you write an offer.
- The Edwards Aquifer recharge zone. Much of the north side sits over the recharge zone, which brings building and septic rules, and much of Timberwood Park and the Boerne area is on wells and septic rather than city water and sewer. The seller's disclosure says which; a well and septic inspection is a separate line in the option period.
- Wildland fire and brush. Hill Country lots back up to cedar and oak. Insurers ask about defensible space, and quotes vary more lot to lot here than in the city. Quote the actual address before you write.
- Three counties, three appraisal districts. Bexar, Kendall, and Comal each appraise and tax differently, and Fair Oaks Ranch crosses all three. The title company's tax certificate is the truth for a specific lot.
- HOA and deed restrictions. Fair Oaks Ranch, Timberwood Park, and the Stone Oak subdivisions all have active associations with rules on rentals, fences, and outbuildings. Read them before you plan to rent the house to the next family.
- Two gates, two commutes. If your unit splits time with Fort Sam, test both drives, not just the short one.
Questions families with Camp Bullis orders ask me
Is there on-base housing at Camp Bullis?
No family housing. Families assigned to Bullis live off base or use JBSA housing elsewhere; the Military Housing Office on jbsa.mil handles waitlists and referrals.
Should I live near Bullis or near Fort Sam?
Count the days. If most of the month is at Bullis, the I-10 corridor or inside-1604 wins. If it is half and half, the US-281 corridor or Shavano Park splits the difference. If most days are at Fort Sam, read the Fort Sam Houston page instead.
Which is cheaper, the I-10 side or the 281 side?
Neither is cheap. Older houses inside 1604 and the farther edges of Comal and Kendall counties come closest to the BAH lines. Newer construction on either corridor usually runs above them.
Can I buy here before I arrive?
Yes. Most of my PCS clients close from their current duty station with video walk-throughs, an inspection I attend, and a power of attorney or remote online notarization. Start the Certificate of Eligibility and pre-approval about 120 days out.
Should I rent first?
On the north side, often yes. A year of renting at BAH buys a real test of both commutes, an August electric bill on a Hill Country lot, and a look at resale speed before you commit to the most expensive side of the city.
Watch before you shortlist
Read next
Fifteen minutes before you commit to anything
If you have Camp Bullis orders and are buying in the next 12 months, book 15 minutes on my calendar. You will leave with both commutes mapped against your report date, your BAH against the real payment in the corridor you like, and an exit plan if orders come early. Straight answers, no pitch.
Book a 15-Minute Fit Call
Renting first? Smart up here. Start with the rent-or-buy video above, or call 210-906-0829.
