San Marcos, California Demographics
Population trends, housing costs, income, commuting, and health, all on one page.
San Marcos, CA Population Density Map and Area Scores
Area Score
Health, income and education, each graded from F to A+. Explore interactive maps for deeper analysis.
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B
Health Around average
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B
Income Around average
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B
Education Around average
Source: Map AI Methodology
Population
| Metric | San Marcos | California Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 89,459 | 39,245,658 | 337,468,954 |
| Population density (per sq mi) | 3637.9 | 239.4 | 86.4 |
| Population growth (%/yr) | 1.37% | 0.19% | 0.59% |
| Median age | 37.5 | 35.5 | 37.3 |
| Households | 29,568 | 13,531,619 | 130,235,071 |
Population in San Marcos grew by 22.5% from 2009 to 2024, reaching 89,459 in 2024.
Population Growth 2009–2024
Race & Ethnicity
Age & Sex
The largest generation in San Marcos is Millennials, aged 29–44, at 24.4% of residents. That is 0.7 points above California as a whole.
- Gen Z 13–28 19,108 21.4% -0.4 pts
- Millennials 29–44 21,815 24.4% +0.7 pts
- Gen X 45–60 17,217 19.2% -0.6 pts
- Boomers 61–79 11,698 13.1% -2.2 pts
Residents by birth cohort, from the 2025 age distribution. The right-hand figure is how far each cohort's share sits above or below California, in percentage points. Children younger than Gen Z and the generations before the Boomers are counted in the population but not shown here, so these shares do not add up to 100%.
Male and female share
Women are 50.3% of the people living in San Marcos and men 49.7%.
- Women 50.3% California 49.9%
- Men 49.7% California 50.1%
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Economy
San Marcos has a the economy index of B, which means it is quite prosperous.
| Metric | San Marcos | California Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $108,916 | $99,161 | $80,455 |
| Income growth (%/yr) | 7.57% | 5.57% | 4.80% |
| Unemployment rate | 4.8% | 6.6% | 5.2% |
The median household income in San Marcos is about 10% higher than in California.
Housing
| Metric | San Marcos | California Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home price | $648,515 | $650,794 | $248,835 |
| Median rent | $2,342 | $2,036 | $1,407 |
| Homeownership rate | 63.0% | 55.9% | 65.2% |
The median home price in San Marcos is about 23.1 years' worth of rent — buying at the median price costs roughly as much as paying the median rent of $2,342 per month for that long.
Commute Time & Mobility
Commuters in San Marcos spend about 47 minutes on the road round trip each working day. Over a typical 250-day work year, that adds up to roughly 195 hours, about 8.1 full days, spent commuting.
| Metric | San Marcos | California Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| One-way commute (min) | 23.4 | 23.5 | 22.4 |
| Round-trip commute (min) | 46.9 | 47.0 | 44.8 |
| Yearly time spent (hours) | 195 | 196 | 187 |
| Estimated yearly cost | $6,053 | $6,065 | $5,790 |
| Work from home | 19.3% | 17.2% | 15.0% |
| Highway traffic (vehicles/day) | 43,505 | 16,509 | 8,813 |
| Local road traffic (vehicles/day) | 4,889 | 2,449 | 1,355 |
The average commute time in San Marcos is about the same as in California.
Estimated yearly cost applies a single national wage rule of thumb (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics average hourly earnings), not a measurement of wages in this area. Traffic volume figures come from proprietary Ticon and TrafficZoom data.
Education & Households
San Marcos has a education index of B, which means it is quite educated.
| Metric | San Marcos | California Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 36.1% | 33.0% | 31.6% |
| Average household size | 2.96 | 2.84 | 2.53 |
Health
San Marcos has a health index of B, which means it is quite healthy.
| Metric | San Marcos | California Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life expectancy (years) | 81.7 | 79.6 | 78.3 |
| Self-rated poor health | 15.4% | 16.4% | 16.3% |
| Smokers | 12.1% | 13.9% | 19.0% |
San Marcos, CA Compared With Nearby Cities
How San Marcos, CA compares with the 1 cities closest to it.
| Area | Population | Median household income | Median home price | Commute |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| San Marcos, CA | 89,459 | $108,916 #1/2 | $648,515 #2/2 | 23.4 min #2/2 |
| Vista, CA | 92,368 | $93,080 | $1,024,071 | 23.4 min |
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about San Marcos, California.
How many people live in San Marcos, California?
About 89,459 people live in San Marcos, California, in 29,568 households of 3.0 people on average. The median age is 37.5, close to the U.S. median of 37.3.
Is San Marcos, California mostly urban or rural?
Averaged over its land area, San Marcos, California has 3,638 people per square mile, a density typical of a city. That is about 42 times the U.S. average of 86.
Is San Marcos, California an affordable place to live?
The median home costs 6.0 times the median household income ($648,515 against $108,916), compared with 3.1 times nationally. A ratio of about 3 is traditionally considered affordable. Median rent of $2,342 a month takes about 26% of the median household's income, below the 30% level at which HUD considers renters cost-burdened.
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