Military Relocation to Texas
Texas hosts a genuinely major, multi-installation military presence -- Fort Cavazos (formerly Fort Hood) near Killeen is the world's largest and most populated military installation, Joint Base San Antonio anchors a major multi-base presence, and Fort Bliss anchors El Paso's economy -- making Texas one of the most significant military-relocation states in the country.
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Learn moreFort Cavazos (formerly Fort Hood): the world's largest, most populated military installation
Fort Cavazos, located in Central Texas roughly 60 miles from both Austin and Waco (in Coryell and Bell counties, near Killeen), covers roughly 339-342 square miles and is cited as the world's largest and most populated US military installation -- home to more than 65,000 soldiers, civilian personnel, and family members, including roughly 34,375 active-duty soldiers, and headquarters of III Armored Corps, the 1st Cavalry Division, and 3rd Cavalry Regiment. The installation was renamed from Fort Hood in 2023, in honor of General Richard E. Cavazos, a Texas-born Korean and Vietnam War veteran.
Joint Base San Antonio: a major, multi-installation presence anchoring the city's economy
Joint Base San Antonio combines Fort Sam Houston, Lackland Air Force Base, and Randolph Air Force Base into a single, genuinely major joint installation, anchoring real, substantial economic weight for San Antonio and giving military families and veterans a broad range of installation-specific housing, medical, and family-support resources across the three sites -- research each specific installation directly for your assignment.
Fort Bliss anchors El Paso's economy and its own distinct binational setting
Fort Bliss, one of the largest US Army installations by land area, is cited as the region's top employer, supporting more than 160,000 jobs directly and indirectly and injecting a cited $25.6 billion annually into the regional economy -- a genuinely major installation whose surrounding community carries El Paso's own distinct binational, high-desert climate and culture, different from Fort Cavazos's Central Texas setting or Joint Base San Antonio's South Texas setting.
What Texas-bound military families and veterans should research directly
Military families and veterans considering a Texas move should research their specific installation's housing, schools, and family-support resources directly, alongside Texas's specific veteran benefits and property-tax exemptions for veterans and disabled veterans -- this record does not have current, sourced figures for these specific programs to cite this pass and recommends confirming directly with the Texas Veterans Commission.
Key takeaways
- Fort Cavazos (formerly Fort Hood, near Killeen) is the world's largest, most populated military installation -- 65,000+ soldiers, civilians, and family members, ~339-342 square miles, renamed from Fort Hood in 2023.
- Joint Base San Antonio (Fort Sam Houston, Lackland AFB, Randolph AFB) anchors a major, multi-installation presence and real economic weight for San Antonio.
- Fort Bliss (El Paso) is one of the largest US Army installations by land area, supporting 160,000+ jobs and ~$25.6B in annual regional economic impact.
- Research your specific installation's housing/school/family-support resources and Texas's veteran benefits and property-tax exemptions directly with the Texas Veterans Commission -- not independently confirmed in this record this pass.
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