San Antonio

Three centuries after Spanish Franciscans built Mission San Antonio de Valero on the San Antonio River, the US military still dominates this city's economy—making San Antonio the largest American metropolis where defense spending outweighs every other sector. The missions (1718) came first, establishing irrigation acequias that turned semi-arid land productive. The Alamo (1836) came second, creating a myth of last-stand defiance that Texas weaponized into state identity. The military bases came third, and never left.

Joint Base San Antonio is the largest military installation complex in the Department of Defense, combining Fort Sam Houston, Lackland Air Force Base, Randolph Air Force Base, and Camp Bullis. Every enlisted airman in the US Air Force passes through Lackland. Every military medic trains at Fort Sam Houston's Brooke Army Medical Center. The economic dependency is staggering: military spending generates over $50 billion annually in the metro area, supporting roughly one in six jobs directly.

Beyond the bases, San Antonio's economy follows its demographics. The city is over 60% Hispanic, the largest majority-Hispanic city in the United States, and this cultural bridge to Mexico shapes everything from healthcare (serving border-region populations) to trade (NAFTA/USMCA logistics corridors). H-E-B, the privately held grocery chain headquartered here, built its empire on understanding this market before national chains bothered.

USAA, the financial services company serving military families, and Valero Energy (the world's largest independent petroleum refiner) provide the private-sector anchors. Toyota opened a Tundra/Tacoma truck plant in 2006, and cybersecurity firms cluster around the military's digital infrastructure needs—Port San Antonio, a former Air Force base, now hosts a growing cybersecurity campus.

San Antonio's question is whether a city built on missions, myth, and military can diversify before the next round of base realignment changes the equation.