Homes for sale in San Antonio

San Antonio is a small city in Pasco County, Florida, set in the hills north of Tampa, a few kilometres from Interstate 75. It was founded at the end of the nineteenth century as a Catholic colony and for more than a century remained a rural town of orange groves and pastureland. Today, around the old town centre, one of the largest new communities in the region is growing: Mirada, home to the largest man-made lagoon in the United States.

For buyers, San Antonio offers new single-family homes with a garage and a yard, quick access to I-75 and prices that are generally lower than in Wesley Chapel or the northern part of Tampa. The trade-offs are the property tax for those without a homestead exemption, home insurance, which is expensive in Florida, the fees of the Community Development Districts and homeowners associations in the new communities, hurricanes, and the sinkhole risk typical of this part of Florida. This page explains the city, what is for sale and what to check before you buy.

Where it is and how to get there

San Antonio lies in eastern Pasco County, between Dade City, the county seat, to the east, and Interstate 75 to the west. State Road 52 crosses the area from east to west and connects it to I-75, which runs south to Tampa and north to Ocala and Gainesville. Wesley Chapel, with its shopping centres and hospitals, is about twenty minutes away by car, and downtown Tampa about an hour, depending on traffic on I-75, which is heavy at rush hour.

There is no airport in the city. International flights go through Tampa International Airport, about an hour away by car. Nor is there passenger rail or any bus service that is genuinely useful for everyday life: in San Antonio, as in almost all of this part of Florida, life is lived by car.

A little history

San Antonio was founded in 1881 and 1882 as the Catholic Colony of San Antonio, on the initiative of Edmund Francis Dunne, a former chief justice of the Arizona Supreme Court. Dunne had acted as a lawyer in the great sale of Florida state land to Hamilton Disston in 1881 and received, as payment, the option to develop part of that land. He wanted to make it a centre of Catholic life in the state and named it after Saint Anthony. The city was incorporated as a municipality on 7 August 1891.

The colony also gave rise, right next door, to the Benedictine abbey of Saint Leo, which led to today's Saint Leo University in the neighbouring town of St. Leo. Throughout the twentieth century, San Antonio stayed small, tied to its orange groves, its pastures and religious life, and for decades it has been known for its autumn festival, the Rattlesnake Festival. In the 2020 census it had 1,297 residents. Recent growth has taken place mainly in the new communities around it, many of which have a San Antonio mailing address.

San Antonio, area by area

The old town centre

Around Main Street and the city park lie the historic centre, the church and the oldest houses, many of them on large lots with mature trees. It is a small, quiet area with limited supply: older houses and a few renovated homes come up for sale, for those looking for a small-town atmosphere.

Mirada

Mirada is a master-planned community by Metro Development Group, next to State Road 52 and five minutes from I-75. Its centrepiece is a man-made lagoon of about 6 hectares (15 acres), opened in 2023, with a sandy beach, water sports, water slides and events throughout the year. It also has walking and cycling trails, parks, a dog park and a shopping centre with a supermarket. Several national and regional builders sell single-storey and two-storey homes there, with two to five bedrooms. In 2026, the community had close to 3,900 occupied homes and was still growing.

The rural outskirts

Beyond the new communities there are still hills, pastures, old orange groves and houses on lots of one acre or more. For those looking for space and peace and quiet, this is the most rural option, but also one further from everything and, in some cases, with a well and a septic tank instead of public water and sewer.

Health, schools and services

Public schools belong to the Pasco County school district. In the United States, the assigned school depends on the exact address and should always be confirmed before buying. The nearest hospitals are in Dade City and Wesley Chapel, less than half an hour away by car. Everyday shopping is done at the Mirada shopping centre, in Dade City and in Wesley Chapel, which has large shopping centres and restaurants. Saint Leo University is right next door, and Tampa, with the Gulf beaches and major events, is about an hour away.

What is for sale

What sells in San Antonio is mainly newly built single-family homes in the builders' communities, older houses in the town centre and, on the outskirts, houses on large lots. In our selection, prices range from about US$466,000 to US$594,000: a two-bedroom home in Mirada and new homes from a Tampa-area builder, also in Mirada.

What drives the price is the age and condition of the house, its size, the lot, a view of the lagoon or of green areas, the assigned school, the distance to I-75 and the Community Development District and homeowners association fees. In new construction, always compare the base price with the final price, after options and lot premiums, and check whether the builder offers incentives towards the mortgage or the closing costs.

For those buying to rent out, demand comes mainly from families who work in northern Tampa and from people moving to Pasco County, one of the fastest-growing counties in the region. This is long-term rental, with annual leases, and the rent also has to cover the tax, the insurance and the association dues, which are the owner's responsibility.

The market moves. A listing you saw a month ago may now have a different price or may no longer be available: always confirm the current status and price before going ahead.

Points to consider

Hurricanes and flooding

San Antonio lies inland and in the hills, but not out of the path of hurricanes. In 2024, Hurricanes Helene and Milton brought strong winds and very heavy rain to Pasco County, with flooding in several areas. Check the address's flood zone on the FEMA maps, especially on low-lying land and near wetlands, and ask whether the house has ever had water inside.

Home insurance

Homeowners insurance in Florida is among the most expensive in the United States, and flood insurance is separate. Ask for a quote for that specific house before running the numbers: the age of the roof and its wind resistance change the cost considerably.

Sinkholes

Pasco County sits on limestone and lies in one of the areas of Florida most prone to sinkholes. The law requires insurance to cover catastrophic ground cover collapse, but that coverage applies only to extreme cases; sinkhole coverage is optional and comes at a cost. Ask the seller for the claims history and, if in doubt, for a ground assessment.

Taxes, Community Development Districts and associations

In 2025, the city millage rate in San Antonio is 3.7 per thousand of taxable value, on top of which come the rates of the county, the schools and other districts; many homes with a San Antonio mailing address lie outside the city limits and do not pay the city rate. In Mirada, there is also the annual Community Development District (CDD) fee, which appears on the tax bill and, in recent listings, ranges from about US$1,500 to US$3,600 a year depending on the lot, plus the homeowners association dues and a monthly lagoon fee. Ask for the figures for that specific house.

And do not base your numbers on the seller's tax bill. In Florida, the taxable value of a home that is a permanent residence can rise by only 3% a year, or by inflation if lower, and that of a home that is not can rise by at most 10% a year, excluding school taxes. When the home changes hands, that cap ends: on 1 January following the purchase, the home is reassessed at market value. On a new home, the first tax bill may be based on the land without the house, and the next one rises sharply.

Rapid growth and construction

The State Road 52 and I-75 area is in the middle of a building boom: new communities, roads being widened, new intersections and schools racing to keep up with the population. Before buying, check what has been approved around the lot — the empty land next to the house may be the next phase of the community — and drive the route to I-75 at rush hour.

Rentals

San Antonio is not a holiday-home area like the area around Disney or the Gulf beaches. The rental that works here is long-term rental to families. Before buying with renting out in mind, read the homeowners association rules, which often restrict short-term rental or impose minimum lease periods.

The car and traffic

With no public transport that serves everyday life, plan on one car per adult. I-75 between Pasco and Tampa has heavy traffic at rush hour; drive the route to work at the time you would actually make it before deciding.

Legal and tax checklist, in the United States

Before buying: the property's tax bill, association dues, CDD fee and lagoon fee; whether or not the address is within the city limits; the FEMA flood zone; a homeowners insurance quote and, where applicable, a flood insurance quote; an independent home inspection, including for new construction; sinkhole history; confirmation of the school assigned to the address.

At purchase: in Florida, closing is usually handled through a title company or an attorney, with title insurance. Closing costs and documentary stamp taxes on the deed and the mortgage must be budgeted for. Buyers from abroad need a US tax identification number to report income and, at closing, the bank and the title company ask for proof of the source of funds.

While you own: property tax paid to the county; the homestead exemption applies only to those who live in the home as their primary residence. Florida has no state income tax, but rental income must be reported to the federal tax authorities, even by non-residents.

On sale: capital gains tax. Those who are not US residents are subject to FIRPTA withholding at closing, which is an advance payment of the tax and not the final tax. It is advisable to speak with a US accountant before selling.

San Antonio and the nearby alternatives

Wesley Chapel

Wesley Chapel, to the south, is the main growth hub of Pasco County: shopping centres, hospitals, schools and many master-planned communities, some also with man-made lagoons. Prices are generally higher and traffic heavier. Those who want the same region with more space and a calmer atmosphere look at San Antonio.

Dade City

Dade City, to the east, is the county seat: a historic centre with antique shops and restaurants, older houses and generally lower prices, further from I-75. For those looking for an older home with character, the two are best compared house by house.

The Tampa side

Land O' Lakes, Lutz and northern Tampa are closer to the city's jobs and its most sought-after schools, and prices reflect that proximity. For many families, San Antonio is the way to own a new home near Tampa while paying less, at the cost of more time on the road.

Who it makes sense for — and who it does not

It makes sense for families who want a new home with space at a lower price than closer to Tampa, for those who work along I-75 or in Wesley Chapel, for those who want to live in a community with a lagoon, a beach and activities without leaving home, and for those looking for a home to rent out long-term in a growing area.

It makes less sense for those who want a holiday home to rent out by the week, for those who need to be in downtown Tampa every day, for those who want to live on foot, and for those who run the numbers without including the insurance, the property tax, the CDD and the dues of the new communities.

Final thoughts

San Antonio is an old town with a new community on its doorstep: hills, the largest man-made lagoon in the country and I-75 five minutes away, about an hour from Tampa. What separates a good purchase from a bad one is the full cost of that specific house — tax, insurance, CDD, association and lagoon —, the flood zone, the condition of the ground and of the building, what has been approved nearby and the real commute to work.

When you contact us through a property page, we forward your details to our partner broker, who has the complete information on that specific property — tax bill, association dues and CDD fee, flood zone, insurance and negotiation terms.