Universal, TX housing market
The typical Universal home is worth about $265,000, down 2.5% in a year, 12% below the Texas typical home. Homes typically sell in 65 days, close to asking.
Home values, sales, trends and how Universal compares with the towns next door — updated as new data is published.
Universal at a glance
A buyer's market
More homes are for sale than are selling — about 7 months of supply. Buyers have room to negotiate.
Typical home value, 2016–2026
Show as a table
| January | Universal | Texas |
|---|---|---|
| 2017 | $174,000 | $190,000 |
| 2018 | $183,000 | $202,000 |
| 2019 | $193,000 | $214,000 |
| 2020 | $204,000 | $223,000 |
| 2021 | $222,000 | $242,000 |
| 2022 | $260,000 | $286,000 |
| 2023 | $286,000 | $313,000 |
| 2024 | $280,000 | $311,000 |
| 2025 | $279,000 | $311,000 |
| 2026 | $267,000 | $303,000 |
| August 2026 | $265,000 | $299,000 |
16 new homes permitted in 2025
Builders were permitted 16 new homes in Universal in 2025, all single-family houses, worth about $4.9 million to build. That's 0.8 per 1,000 residents, slower than across Texas (8.1). Over the past 10 years, Universal has permitted 587 homes in all.
Homes vs. people, 2010–2020
Between the 2010 and 2020 censuses, Universal gained 1,190 residents while 387 new homes were permitted: about 3.1 new residents per new home. Building and growth moved roughly in step. Across Texas: 2.6 new residents per new home.
How Universal ranks on housing keeping up with growth →
Residents: U.S. Census Bureau, 2010 and 2020 censuses. New homes: permits issued 2010–2019.
Show as a table
| Year | New homes | Single-family | 2+ per building | Value |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 (Jan–Aug) | 18 | 18 | 0 | $5 million |
| 2025 | 16 | 16 | 0 | $4.9 million |
| 2024 | 17 | 17 | 0 | $4.9 million |
| 2023 | 43 | 33 | 10 | $10.8 million |
| 2022 | 75 | 75 | 0 | $21.4 million |
| 2021 | 103 | 103 | 0 | $26.5 million |
| 2020 | 88 | 88 | 0 | $20.7 million |
| 2019 | 73 | 73 | 0 | $17.3 million |
| 2018 | 68 | 68 | 0 | $19.4 million |
| 2017 | 66 | 66 | 0 | $18.8 million |
| 2016 | 38 | 36 | 2 | $8.3 million |
| 2015 | 67 | 67 | 0 | $11.1 million |
| 2014 | 7 | 7 | 0 | $1.6 million |
| 2013 | 15 | 15 | 0 | $3.9 million |
| 2012 | 5 | 5 | 0 | $1.3 million |
| 2011 | 25 | 25 | 0 | $4.8 million |
| 2010 | 23 | 23 | 0 | $4.3 million |
| 2009 | 10 | 6 | 4 | $1.6 million |
| 2008 | 14 | 14 | 0 | $2.9 million |
| 2007 | 158 | 26 | 132 | $16.5 million |
| 2006 | 89 | 65 | 24 | $11 million |
| 2005 | 531 | 215 | 316 | $35.3 million |
| 2004 | 414 | 206 | 208 | $34.7 million |
| 2003 | 180 | 180 | 0 | $21.7 million |
| 2002 | 162 | 162 | 0 | $18.8 million |
| 2001 | 59 | 47 | 12 | $6.1 million |
| 2000 | 46 | 46 | 0 | $4.8 million |
How Universal ranks on new homes being built →
Homes authorized by building permits, counted in the year the permit was issued. U.S. Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, through August 2026.
Universal and its neighbors
| Town | Typical value | 1-yr change | 2-bed rent | New homes 2025 | Median income |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Universal | $265K | −2.5% | $1,390 | 16 | $74,811 |
| Selma | $284K | −2.9% | $1,820 | 8 | $97,066 |
| Schertz | $312K | −1.1% | $1,850 | 438 | $99,948 |
| Converse | $241K | −4.3% | $1,740 | 293 | $94,222 |
| Live Oak | $243K | −2.3% | $1,620 | 46 | $79,696 |
| Randolph AFB | — | −0.1%† | $1,410 | — | $113,250 |
† FHFA price index change, where Zillow has no home value for the town.
3.5 years of income
The typical Universal home costs about 3.5 years of the town's median household income, about the same as across Texas (3.8).
How Universal ranks on affordability →
Home value ÷ ACS median household income.
Owners, rent & taxes
U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 2020-2024.
A two-bedroom rents for about $1,390
HUD's Fair Market Rent for a two-bedroom in Universal is $1,390 a month, utilities included: roughly what a modest, recently rented unit costs. Renters already in Universal pay a median of $1,315. A two-bedroom takes about 22% of the town's median household income.
Studio $1,050 · 4 bedrooms $2,070
U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, FY2026 Fair Market Rents by ZIP code (78148, 78233; San Antonio-New Braunfels, TX HUD Metro FMR Area), weighted by land area. A Fair Market Rent is the 40th-percentile rent plus utilities for a standard unit. Median rent: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey.
Recent listings in Universal
Home values: Zillow Home Value Index (ZHVI), Zillow Research, August 2026. Sales, days on market and supply: Redfin Data Center, May 2026. Income, ownership, taxes and rent: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey. New homes: U.S. Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey. Fair Market Rents: U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. Listings link to their publishers.