San Marcos, California
Among the top 3% of US places for weather.
AffordabilityAffordability: grade F, better than 3% of US places
WeatherWeather: grade A+, better than 97% of US places
Safety & WellbeingSafety & Wellbeing: grade C, better than 41% of US places
Getting AroundGetting Around: grade A, better than 87% of US places
Lifestyle & ConnectivityLifestyle & Connectivity: grade B, better than 59% of US places
- top 1% for comfortable days
- top 6% for annual snowfall
- bottom 2% for estimated total tax burden
San Marcos is a mid-size city in California with about 94,000 residents. It grades A+ for weather and F for affordability. Standout strengths include comfortable days, annual snowfall, and walkability. It rates lower on cost of living and estimated total tax burden.
Official websiteci.san-marcos.ca.us (opens in new tab)
Climate
Warm summers · Cool winters · Dry
comfortable
warm
comfortable
84%58%clearovercast
Precipitation 2.7 in0.1 in
humid 64%dry
Livability factors
Affordability
Median Household Income$99k85th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Cost of Living$78kbetter than 2% of US places
Home Value$729k96th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Monthly Rent$2kbetter than 5% of US places
Monthly Owner Costs$3kbetter than 5% of US places
Property Tax Rate0.83%better than 61% of US places
Income Tax13.30%better than 3% of US places
Sales Tax8.85%better than 19% of US places
Estimated total tax burden22.32%better than 2% of US places
Unemployment4.2%better than 46% of US places
Weather
Winter Temp (Jan)55°F95th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Summer Temp (Jul)69°F12th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Annual Precipitation13.9 in7th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Annual Snowfall0.0 inbetter than 94% of US places
Sunny Days256 daysbetter than 76% of US places
Summer Humidity60°Fbetter than 73% of US places
Comfortable Days241 daysbetter than 99% of US places
Safety & Wellbeing
Natural Disaster Risk72.4better than 40% of US places
Air Quality47 AQIbetter than 47% of US places
School Quality60.3better than 53% of US places
Violent Crime755/100kbetter than 49% of US places
Property Crime1062/100kbetter than 45% of US places
Community
Population94,36099th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Median Age35.926th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Racial Diversity0.5992nd percentile — neutral, not ranked
Male/Female Ratio1.0158th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Political LeaningD+2312th percentile — neutral, not ranked
White (%)43.4%15th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Black (%)1.5%62nd percentile — neutral, not ranked
Hispanic (%)39.8%93rd percentile — neutral, not ranked
Asian (%)10.3%96th percentile — neutral, not ranked
Other / Multiracial (%)5.0%71st percentile — neutral, not ranked
Getting Around
Commute Time27 minbetter than 45% of US places
Walkability11.6/20better than 91% of US places
Airport Distance28 mibetter than 83% of US places
Lifestyle & Connectivity
Broadband Access94.6%better than 82% of US places
Amenities Nearby28.93better than 27% of US places
Park & Nature AccessGoodbetter than 58% of US places
Similar places
Frequently asked questions
- Is San Marcos an affordable place to live?
- San Marcos is relatively expensive. Its cost-of-living index is $78k, better than 2% of comparable areas.
- What is the median home value in San Marcos?
- The median home value in San Marcos is $729k, per the U.S. Census ACS (5-Year).
- What is the median household income in San Marcos?
- Median household income in San Marcos is $99k, per the U.S. Census ACS (5-Year).
- How much is rent in San Marcos?
- Median gross rent in San Marcos is $2k a month, per the U.S. Census ACS (5-Year).
- Is San Marcos safe?
- San Marcos is about average for safety comparable areas, with a violent crime rate of 755/100k (better than 49%). Property crime is 1062/100k.
- What is the weather like in San Marcos?
- San Marcos averages 69°F in July and 55°F in January, with 13.9 in of annual precipitation and about 256 sunny days a year.
- How are the schools in San Marcos?
- Public-school quality in San Marcos is about average, scoring better than 53% of comparable areas on a composite of graduation rates, spending, and student-teacher ratio.
- How long is the commute in San Marcos?
- The average one-way commute in San Marcos is 27 min.
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Data sources
- EPA Air Quality (AQI)
- EPA Smart Location Database
- EPI Family Budget Calculator
- FAA airport enplanements
- FBI Uniform Crime Reports
- FEMA National Risk Index
- MIT Election Data Lab (2020)
- NCES School Finance Survey
- NOAA Climate Normals (1991–2020)
- NOAA nClimGrid
- OpenStreetMap
- Tax Foundation + state revenue depts
- U.S. Census ACS (5-Year)
- USGS Protected Areas (PAD-US)