About Comal County
Comal County covers 575 square miles in the Texas Hill Country between Austin and San Antonio along the Interstate 35 corridor. The county seat is New Braunfels, founded in 1845 by German immigrants under Prince Carl of Solms-Braunfels, and the 2020 census recorded a population of 161,501 and the U.S. Census Bureau's 2023 estimate placed the county at approximately 175,000, making it one of the fastest-growing counties in Texas. Other communities include Canyon Lake, Bulverde, Garden Ridge, Spring Branch, and portions of Schertz and Fair Oaks Ranch. The Guadalupe River flows through the county from northwest to southeast, and the Comal River — at approximately 2.5 miles, one of the shortest rivers in the United States — originates from the Comal Springs in downtown New Braunfels.
Real estate in Comal County ranges from established neighborhoods in New Braunfels with homes starting in the upper $200,000s to lakefront and Hill Country properties at Canyon Lake priced from $400,000 to over $1 million. Bulverde and Spring Branch in the northern part of the county feature larger lots on Hill Country terrain, typically priced between $400,000 and $800,000. Newer master-planned communities along the I-35 corridor, including Veramendi and Meyer Ranch, offer homes in the $300,000 to $500,000 range. Vintage Oaks, a community near Canyon Lake, features custom homesites on 1 to 14-acre lots. The county's housing stock includes older German-style homes in the historic New Braunfels core, newer suburban construction along the I-35 corridor, and rural properties with well water and septic systems in the Canyon Lake and Bulverde areas.
Comal ISD is the county's primary school district, serving approximately 25,000 students across four high school campuses: Canyon Lake High School, New Braunfels High School, Canyon High School, and Smithson Valley High School. The district also operates middle schools including Mountain Valley, Oakrun, Church Hill, and Smithson Valley, along with numerous elementary campuses such as Veramendi, Rebecca Creek, and Bill Brown. New Braunfels ISD serves approximately 10,000 students within portions of the city. Both districts have opened new campuses in recent years to keep pace with enrollment growth.
Comal County sits along Interstate 35, with New Braunfels approximately 30 miles north of downtown San Antonio and 50 miles south of downtown Austin. Tourism is a major economic driver: the Guadalupe and Comal rivers support one of the state's busiest tubing industries, Schlitterbahn waterpark draws visitors from across the region, and the Gruene Historic District anchored by Gruene Hall attracts live music fans year-round. The hospitality sector is a major economic driver for the county, supporting thousands of jobs across hotels, restaurants, waterparks, and river outfitters. Rush Enterprises, the parent company of Rush Truck Centers and the largest commercial vehicle dealership network in North America, is headquartered in New Braunfels. Natural Bridge Caverns, a commercial cave system discovered in 1960 with chambers reaching 350 feet in length, draws visitors to the county's southeastern edge near the Bexar County line. Comal ISD and New Braunfels ISD together employ thousands of teachers and staff to serve the county's growing student population. Sysco Central Texas operates a food distribution center in New Braunfels, and Continental announced plans for a manufacturing facility in the city.
