San Marcos, California Housing Market Prices
San Marcos Home Prices and Rent at a Glance
The median home price (often called the average home price), rent costs, affordability metrics, and housing stock characteristics for this housing market.
-
Median home price About the same as the California median$648,515
-
Median rent 15% above the California median$2,342
Housing Market Overview
| Metric | San Marcos | California Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median Home Price | $648,515 | $650,794 | $248,835 |
| Price Trend (Annual %) | 8.7% | 8.9% | 7.5% |
| Median Gross Rent | $2,342 | $2,036 | $1,407 |
| Rent Trend (Annual %) | 7.3% | 5.8% | 5.1% |
| Household Income Trend (Annual %) | — | — | — |
The median home price in San Marcos is about the same as in California. Rent is about 15% higher than the California average.
Median Home and Rent Price Trends
Median Home Prices, 2015-2024
Median Rent Prices, 2015-2024
Both home prices and rent are rising in San Marcos, up about 8.7% and 7.3% a year respectively. Home prices are changing faster.
Median rent in San Marcos rose about 85.0% between 2015 and 2024, from $1,266 to $2,342. Over the same span, rent in California rose about 62.2%.
Affordability
On average, housing unit costs 6.0 yearly household incomes in San Marcos.
Buying the median-priced home in San Marcos costs roughly 23.1 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 26.6.
| Metric | San Marcos | California Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median Home Price | $648,515 | $650,794 | $248,835 |
| Median Household Income | $108,916 | $99,161 | $80,455 |
| Price-to-Income Ratio | 6.0 | 6.6 | 3.1 |
Home Prices vs Income Over Time
Between 2015 and 2024, the median home price in San Marcos rose about 73.5%, while median household income rose about 64.4% between 2009 and 2025 — 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 | 60.6% | 51.7% | 58.5% |
| Rental Rate | 35.6% | 40.8% | 31.2% |
| Vacancy Rate | 3.8% | 7.5% | 10.2% |
| Median Tenure (years) | 12.0 | 15.0 | 15.0 |
| Median Year Moved In | 2014 | 2011 | 2011 |
San Marcos has a homeownership rate of 60.6%, higher than the California average of 51.7%. Its housing vacancy rate is 3.8%, compared with 7.5% in California.
Housing Stock
| Metric | San Marcos | California Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average Household Size | 2.96 people | 2.84 people | 2.53 people |
| Median Structure Built Year | 1993 | 1975 | 1978 |
| Median Number of Rooms | 5.3 | 5.0 | 5.5 |
The typical housing unit in San Marcos was built around 1993. 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 $648,515, about the same as the California average.
What is the average home price in San Marcos, California?
The typical home price in San Marcos, California, reported as the median sale price, is $648,515. 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 $2,342 per month, higher than the California average of $2,036.
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 23.1, meaning it would take roughly 23.1 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 8.7% and 7.3% a year respectively. Home prices are changing faster.
What is the homeownership rate in San Marcos, California?
60.6% of households in San Marcos, California own their home, higher than the California average of 51.7%.
What is the vacancy rate in San Marcos, California?
The housing vacancy rate in San Marcos, California is 3.8%, lower than the California average of 7.5%.
Analyze any area in the US
Get local demographics for any address, aggregated by drive time or radius, on the interactive map.
Explore the map →