Dilley’s agricultural and oil-drilling roots
Dilley is a small farming town in South Texas with one of the lowest costs of living in the state. Located halfway between San Antonio and Laredo, Dilley was locally famous for its summer watermelons before the town struck oil in the late 1980s. Since then, the worker’s camp was converted into the South Texas Family Residential Center, a detention center that can hold up to 2,400 migrants. The ensuing job opportunities between the center, school district and nearby oil fields led to the town’s growth in the 2000s with plenty of rental options for its transient workforce. “They can be here for a couple of years, and the next day, they can be gone to Odessa or Kenedy,” resident Kristy Bradshaw says. “The school district just purchased an apartment complex for teachers, and there are more trailer houses in the RV park.”
Two highways between San Antonio and Laredo
Residents are car-dependent and reliant on the local highways since Dilley has no public transportation options. Interstate 35 runs along Dilley’s west side and leads 16 miles north to Pearsall, which has a 24-hour emergency room at the Frio Regional Hospital. Laredo is 84 miles south, and San Antonio is over 70 miles north and has the closest international airport. Texas State Highway 85 is perpendicular to the interstate and leads around 26 miles west to Big Wells and 33 miles east to Charlotte.
Brick and stucco homes with some rental options
Older houses built between the ’60s and ’80s are spread throughout grid-like streets east of the interstate. Manufactured homes that are 1,000 square feet with quarter-acre lots range from $70,000 to $100,000, many of which have dry, patchy lawns, dirt roads and chain-link fences. Brick and stucco homes range from 2,000 to 3,000 square feet and can have up to 2-acre lots with picket fences and carports, ranging from $150,000 to $315,000. There’s a mixture of homeowners and renters alike, with Sandia Apartments having fully furnished units and Eagle Ford Village offering one- and two-bedroom homes for $26 to $96 a night.
Career and technical education through Dilley ISD
The Dilley Independent School District earns a C-plus on Niche and offers construction, welding and commercial driving programs. “My two middle kids graduated with their associate’s degrees, and my son graduated with his welding certificate,” Bradshaw says. “The school is trying to give more opportunities for kids to be career-ready before they leave.” Dilley Elementary and Mary Harper Middle both earn C ratings on Niche, while Dilley High School has a 9-to-1 student-teacher ratio and earns a B-minus.
Mexican restaurants, taquerias and truck stops
There are a handful of Mexican restaurants and taquerias by the highway. Millie’s Mexican Restaurant is popular for its breakfast tacos and fajita plates, while Garcia’s On 35 offers New York Strip and fried fish specials. Mabely’s Bakery makes its own donuts, pizza and pan dulce. There are two truck stops between Lone Star Market and the Tex Best Travel Center, and the Lowe’s Market grocery store shares space with an Ace Hardware. There are more shopping options farther north in Pearsall, which include an H-E-B, Walmart and Dollar General.
One playground with a few sports fields
There’s a playground at Dilley Elementary School, and there are baseball fields and a football stadium at Dilley High School. Outside of the RV parks around town, most people will drive to Pearsall to use its parks, playgrounds and fishing pond.
