San Antonio Voters 50-Plus Are Motivated to Vote for the City's Next Mayor, With Public Safety and Cost of Living Top of Mind

San Antonio’s older voters will be coming out in substantial numbers to vote in the 2025 San Antonio mayoral general election, with 72 percent of registered voters 50-plus saying they are very likely to vote. Given the powerful influence of these older voters, AARP Texas commissioned a survey of 806 registered voters age 50-plus in San Antonio to better understand the needs and wants of this group. The survey was designed to assess issues that are critical to San Antonio voters as they cast their ballots and identify the areas voters want the city’s next leader to address.

Addressing crime and the financial pressure from living in the city are top priorities for San Antonio voters age 50-plus, with 85 percent saying reducing crime is very important and 77 percent saying it is very important for the next mayor to address prices rising faster than their incomes. These are also the issues most likely to influence voting behavior at the ballot box. Ninety percent of voters 50 and older said they’d be more likely to vote for a candidate who would work to ensure that every San Antonio neighborhood is safe, and 81 percent would be more likely to vote for a candidate who would provide property tax relief for homeowners on low or fixed incomes. 

San Antonio voters age 50-plus also want community supports that enable residents to remain in their communities as they age. The majority of voters 50 and older say it is very important that the next mayor work to make their communities accessible, with well-lit streets and sidewalks (74 percent); safe, convenient and affordable public transportation (57 percent); and special transportation services for people with disabilities and older adults (68 percent). The majority also think it is very important for the next mayor to provide more affordable housing options (61 percent) and establish specific efforts to help homeowners make home modifications that support aging in place (52 percent).

Methodology

The AARP 2025 City of San Antonio, TX Mayor Survey was conducted by American Directions Research Group (ADRG) among registered voters age 50-plus. The interviews were conducted from February 28 to March 06, 2025. The data were collected using a registered voter list obtained from Aristotle International. A total of 800  interviews were conducted, with 650 completes from live phone interviews (81 percent) and 150 (19 percent) conducted online with opt-in voters panel sample. The telephone survey interviews averaged 17 minutes in length. Data are weighted by age, gender, and race/ethnicity to reflect San Antonio registered voters 50-plus.

For more information, contact Kate Bridges at kbridges@aarp.org. For media inquiries, contact media@aarp.org.