Yoakum is rooted in ranching and the railroad industry
Development in Yoakum began in 1835, when it was established as a gathering place for cattle. It was not officially incorporated until the San Antonio and Aransas Pass Railway was erected in 1887. Soon after, shops were constructed around it, laying the foundation for the downtown area that exists today. “There’s a lot of land and ranch properties. [It’s] a very small community on the way to San Antonio,” says Melissa Orr, the lead Realtor at The Orr Group, licensed since 2016. “There’s not a lot of inventory there. [They’ve] got lower city taxes […] and a slower pace of life.”
Hardware stores, restaurants and a theater near U.S. Highway 77A
Rusty Rooster serves classic American fast food on U.S. Highway 77A, which is also home to an Ace Hardware and an O’Reilly Auto Parts. The highway runs through downtown, which features an Emiliano’s Mexican Grill, the Bleu & Co. boutique and Morrow Hardware Company. Central Station, a family-owned bar and grill, is located on May Street, adjacent to the Grand Theater, a local cinema that screens new movie releases. An H-E-B grocery store is also in the area.
A mix of architecture represents Yoakum’s development
Many of Yoakum’s Minimal Traditional homes and bungalows were built before 1950 and share a price range of approximately $50,000 to $180,000. Single-family houses built in the area after 1950 include ranch-style homes, priced from approximately $120,000 to $520,000. Farmhouses are also common and have a price range of nearly $300,000 to $650,000. “It’s diverse. You can build whatever you want, so it’s not all cookie-cutter,” Orr says.
City parks, a municipal golf course and the Tom Tom Festival
Mack Jamison Park’s open space, basketball court and playground are surrounded by shade trees. In Centennial Park, a footbridge completes a path that loops around the park’s gazebo and playground. Yoakum Municipal Park spans 150 acres in the area’s northern region with soccer fields, a fishing pond and courts for basketball and tennis. It is also home to the Yoakum Municipal Golf Course.
Tom Tom Festival celebrates a successful harvest
Yoakum Municipal Park hosts the Tom Tom Festival during the first weekend of June. The first festival was held in 1928 to celebrate the success of the tomato harvest. It is now celebrated to honor the tomato industry. The event includes a craft show, barbecue cookoff and events hosted at the Yoakum Rodeo Arena.
From elementary education to career clubs at Yoakum High
Yoakum Independent School District, which offers inter- and intra-district transfers under Texas open enrollment rules, serves the area and earns a B grade from Niche. Its schools include Yoakum Primary Annex School, a kindergarten school that is not yet graded by Niche. Yoakum Primary School, for grades 1 and 2, earns a B overall rating. The B-plus graded Yoakum Intermediate School educates third through fifth grades. Yoakum Junior High School and Yoakum High School both receive B grades. High school students can participate in career-focused extracurricular activities. Club Med is a group for juniors and seniors interested in healthcare professions that meets at the Yoakum Community Hospital.
Home to highways, a municipal airport and a community hospital
Yoakum Municipal Airport and the Yoakum Community Hospital are in the area’s northern region near US-77A. The Union Pacific Railroad runs through the area, and homes and businesses are near the tracks, so noise may be noticeable and traffic may occur at crossing points. Texas Highway 111 runs east and west through the city, connecting it to other highways and to Interstate 10, which leads to San Antonio. It is home to the San Antonio International Airport, about 100 miles away.
