$321,973Average Value$206Average Price per Sq Ft10Homes For Sale
Castle Forest offers a blend of suburban life and college action
Situated in the westernmost suburbs of San Marcos, Castle Forest offers a blend of family-friendly amenities and popular housing for students at Texas State University. “It’s a mixture: Not totally a college area because there are homes and trails all around that make it more suburban,” says Emily Garza, a Realtor with Schaible Realty and graduate of Texas State University. “San Marcos in general is a younger town with a lot of young singles and couples that stuck around after college. The median age is around 33, and there are more renters than owners.” While Castle Forest residents are close to the university and downtown action, both just a mile east, they’re also tucked away toward the more rural, tree-lined part of San Marcos. “Castle Forest is more affordable and more desirable because it’s on the west side, so you’re not in the middle of everything,” Garza says. “It has good soil and the houses age well out there. But the big draw is how close it is to Texas State, downtown and the San Marcos River.” While there are green spaces throughout the neighborhood, the city parks system offers expansive playgrounds and river access. And although residents are near an abundance of local eateries and shoppes, nearby Interstate 35 allows for a 35-mile commute north to Austin. “This area is for anyone who wants to live the city life, but a more affordable one than in Austin or San Antonio,” Garza says.
A row of traditional and national homes found in Castle Forest.
San Marcos is regarded as one of the most lively and fun towns in the Texas Hill Country.
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Local playgrounds, city parks and San Marcos River floating
On the north side of Castle Forest, Jaycees Park is a small neighborhood park with a playground and shaded basketball court. To the south, Franklin Square Park has play structures, open field space and a walking path that connects to River Recharge Natural Area, a 2-mile loop popular for bike rides. “There are a lot of outdoor walking trails with bridges in San Marcos, with Purgatory Creek being a big one,” Garza says, referring to the preserved hiking area just south of Castle Forest. “Rio Vista is another one. You park, get out of your car and see the river, huge playground area and the swimming pool. But floating the river is one of the biggest attractions.” Rio Vista is part of the larger San Marcos parks system, all interconnected along the San Marcos River.
Kids and families can enjoy some outdoor time at Franklin Square Park.
Locals in Castle Forest have endless options to enjoy the outdoors throughout San Marcos.
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Mermaid Fest and farmers market at The Downtown Square
Residents in San Marcos gather downtown throughout the year for highly-anticipated citywide events. “The Mermaid Fest is a really big one because it’s so unique to San Marcos,” Garza says, referring to the two-part Mermaid Capital of Texas Fest that takes place each May with a parade and a street fair. “It all started long ago when they were in a glass-bottom boat working at the Edwards Aquifer, which feeds the San Marcos River, and they saw a mermaid. It caught on, and now you’ll see mermaid statues and murals all over town.” Garza also mentions that Mary on the Square-y is a newer community event that takes place at The Square during the holiday season. “It’s a big Christmas-themed festival with 5Ks, vendors and carnival games,” Garza says. “We also have movies on The Square every now and then. Families come out and bring their blankets, depending on the weather.” Moreover, the San Marcos Farmers Market is held at The Square each Saturday, providing residents with a selection of artisan goods and produce from Central Texas farmers.
Castle Forest locals can attend the Mermaid Capital of Texas Fest every May in San Marcos.
Castle Forest residents can enjoy the San Marcos Farmers Market held every weekend Downtown.
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Suburban cul-de-sacs with bungalows and New Traditionals
Castle Forest is about 96% residential, but only 48% of residents own their homes. The community includes both suburban pockets of single-family homes and apartment complexes designed for student housing. “San Marcos in general is exploding with new builds,” Garza says. “And most new subdivisions have their own parks and pools or splash pads.” Sidewalks line most of the area’s wide, winding residential roads that typically end in cul-de-sacs or dead ends, giving the neighborhood a sense of privacy. In addition to this quiet atmosphere, Castle Forest has a CAP Index Crime Score of 3 out of 10, lower than the national average of 4 and significantly lower than the crime scores in other parts of San Marcos. Common housing designs include 1,000- to 1,500-square-foot brick ranch-styles and bungalows, some with Mediterranean influences, typically featuring an attached one-car garage. Prices for these one-level homes can range from $210,000 to $310,000. There are also two-story New Traditionals with Craftsman elements, two-car garages and 1,500 to 2,000 square feet of interior space, priced between $310,000 and $380,000. Many properties have fenced-in backyards, and some may sit on up to a half-acre.
A two story traditional home surrounded by greenery in Castle Forest.
A birds-eye view of the quant and quiet streets of Castle Forest.
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Old Ranch Road and downtown San Marcos offer local eateries
Old Ranch Road 12 features a small retail area just north of Castle Forest. AJ’s Ranch Road Grill is a local barbeque joint, and The Pita Shop serves Mediterranean cuisine. Next door, Three Six General is a butcher shop and artisan grocer with sandwiches and rice bowls. At the corner of Old Ranch Road 12 and Craddock Avenue, Sunny’s Pizza & Wings is the neighborhood’s pizza spot. For more shopping and dining options, residents can head a mile closer to downtown San Marcos where there’s a variety of grocery markets, eateries, cafes and bars. “Root Cellar Cafe is downtown; it’s a very San Marcos place to go,” Garza says. “It’s locally owned and very eclectic. They do a play on American breakfast, lunch and dinner.”
Castle Forest can start the day or grab lunch at the Pita Shop on Ranch Road 12.
Downtown San Marcos is the heart of town, offering great restaurants, boutiques and bars.
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Public San Marcos schools and private San Marcos Academy
Castle Forest is part of the San Marcos Consolidated Independent School District, which receives a C-plus rating from Niche. Students can begin at Crockett Elementary School, which receives a B, before advancing to Miller Middle School, which holds a C. San Marcos High School, which has a B-minus, recently made school history as the Lady Rattlers Varsity basketball team finished their 2024-2025 season with a place in the UIL Texas Girls Basketball State Championship.
Located in the tree-filled area just west of Castle Forest off Route 12, San Marcos Academy is a private Christian school for kindergarten through twelfth graders. Niche gives the school an A-plus rating and ranks it the No. 1 private high school in Hays County. This part of Route 12 is also lined with several Christian-faith churches, including nondenominational, Pentecostal, Episcopal, Baptist and Protestant.
Creativity at its best: art programs at Crockett Elementary.
Advent Ridge Academy offers a student to teacher ratio of 12 to 1.
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Interstate 35 helps with commutes to Austin and San Antonio
State Route 12, a two-lane backroad, branches off into Old Ranch Road 12 just west of Castle Forest, the former weaving through the south side of the neighborhood and the latter running along the north. Route 12 reaches Interstate 35, which makes Austin a 35-mile drive north and San Antonio a 50-mile drive south. While bus routes 5 and 7 of the San Marcos Transit operate just outside of the neighborhood, there is no bus service within Castle Forest. About 2 miles east, the San Marcos Station’s Amtrak offers 40-minute service to Austin and 2.5-hour service to San Antonio.
GreatSchools:
The GreatSchools Rating helps parents compare schools within a state based on a variety of school quality indicators and provides a helpful picture of how effectively each school serves all of its students. Ratings are on a scale of 1 (below average) to 10 (above average) and can include test scores, college readiness, academic progress, advanced courses, equity, discipline and attendance data. We also advise parents to visit schools, consider other information on school performance and programs, and consider family needs as part of the school selection process.
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On average, homes in Castle Forest, San Marcos sell after 76 days on the market compared to the national average of 52 days. The median sale price for homes in Castle Forest, San Marcos over the last 12 months is $312,500, down 4% from the median home sale price over the previous 12 months.
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