Housing Market Overview
The median home price (often called the average home price), rent costs, affordability metrics, and housing stock characteristics for this housing market.
Housing Market Overview
| Metric | San Marcos | California Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median Home Price | $643,837 | $642,203 | $242,182 |
| Price Trend (Annual %) | 9.9% | 10.0% | 8.2% |
| Median Gross Rent | $2,196 | $1,955 | $1,342 |
| Rent Trend (Annual %) | 7.4% | 6.0% | 5.1% |
| Household Income Trend (Annual %) | — | — | — |
The median home price in San Marcos is about the same as in California. Rent is about 12% higher than the California average.
Median Home and Rent Price Trends
Median Home Prices, 2015-2023
Median Rent Prices, 2015-2023
Both home prices and rent are rising in San Marcos, up about 9.9% and 7.4% a year respectively. Home prices are changing faster.
Median rent in San Marcos rose about 73.4% between 2015 and 2023, from $1,266 to $2,196. Over the same span, rent in California rose about 55.7%.
Affordability
On average, housing unit costs 6.2 yearly household incomes in San Marcos.
Buying the median-priced home in San Marcos costs roughly 24.4 years of rent at the median monthly rate. That is a relatively high price-to-rent ratio, which tends to favor renting over buying in San Marcos. The price-to-rent ratio in California is about 27.4.
| Metric | San Marcos | California Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median Home Price | $643,837 | $642,203 | $242,182 |
| Median Household Income | $104,566 | $96,718 | $78,145 |
| Price-to-Income Ratio | 6.2 | 6.6 | 3.1 |
Home Prices vs Income Over Time
Between 2015 and 2023, the median home price in San Marcos rose about 72.2%, while median household income rose about 70.6% between 2009 and 2023 — the home price grew faster than income.
Income Growth vs Housing Cost Growth (Year-over-Year %)
Compare income and housing cost trends.
Occupancy & Tenure
| Metric | San Marcos | California Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Homeownership Rate | 59.9% | 51.6% | 58.2% |
| Rental Rate | 35.8% | 40.9% | 31.3% |
| Vacancy Rate | 4.3% | 7.6% | 10.6% |
| Median Tenure (years) | 12.0 | 15.0 | 15.0 |
| Median Year Moved In | 2014 | 2011 | 2011 |
San Marcos has a homeownership rate of 59.9%, higher than the California average of 51.6%. Its housing vacancy rate is 4.3%, compared with 7.6% in California.
Housing Stock
| Metric | San Marcos | California Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average Household Size | 2.96 people | 2.85 people | 2.54 people |
| Median Structure Built Year | 1990 | 1975 | 1978 |
| Median Number of Rooms | 5.3 | 5.0 | 5.5 |
The typical housing unit in San Marcos was built around 1990. On average, 3.0 people live in a home with about 5.3 rooms, staying for about 12.0 years on average.
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about the housing market in San Marcos, California.
What is the median home price in San Marcos, California?
The median home price in San Marcos, California is $643,837, about the same as the California average.
What is the average home price in San Marcos, California?
The typical home price in %s, reported as the median sale price, is %s. The median is used instead of a mathematical average because it is not skewed by a small number of very expensive or very cheap homes, so it better reflects what a typical buyer pays.
What is the median rent in San Marcos, California?
The median gross rent in San Marcos, California is $2,196 per month, higher than the California average of $1,955.
What was the median gross rent in San Marcos in 2020?
In 2020, the median gross rent in San Marcos, California was $1,799 per month.
What is the price-to-rent ratio in San Marcos, California?
The price-to-rent ratio in San Marcos, California is about 24.4, meaning it would take roughly 24.4 years of rent payments at the median rent to equal the median home price. That is a relatively high price-to-rent ratio, which tends to favor renting over buying in San Marcos.
Are home prices or rent rising faster in San Marcos, California?
Both home prices and rent are rising in San Marcos, up about 9.9% and 7.4% a year respectively. Home prices are changing faster.
What is the homeownership rate in San Marcos, California?
59.9% of households in San Marcos, California own their home, higher than the California average of 51.6%.
What is the vacancy rate in San Marcos, California?
The housing vacancy rate in San Marcos, California is 4.3%, lower than the California average of 7.6%.