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San Marcos, CA
Key Indicators
A quick look at key numbers
Population
94,882
Source: U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey (ACS) 2020-2024 5-Year Estimates
Median Age
36.8
years ∙ half population younger than 36.8, half older
Diversity Index
65.5%
chance two random people differ in race and ethnicity
Nativity
22.3%
foreign-born population
Geographic Context
Location, size, and surroundings
About
San Marcos is a city within San Diego County, California, United States.
Co-ordinates
DEC33.132567° N, 117.169892° W
DMS33° 07′ 57.24″ N, 117° 10′ 11.61″ W
Population Density & area
3,857/sq mi
(1,492/km²)
Demographics & Living
Who lives here, how households are formed, and community composition
Population Composition
Key characteristics of the population
Sex Distribution
48.9%
male
Male
48.9%
Female
51.1%
males per 100 females
San Marcos
95.6
San Diego County
102.2
California
99.8
Nativity
22.3%
foreign-born population
% Foreign-born
San Marcos
22.3%
San Diego County
22.8%
California
27%
Age Distribution
How the population is spread across age groups
Median Age
36.8
years ∙ half population younger than 36.8, half older
Dependency ratio
62.3
dependents per 100 working-age adults
San Marcos
62.3
San Diego County
57.1
California
60.4
AGE DISTRIBUTION
Distribution of age group
Median age
| San Marcos | San Diego County | California | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Age Group | |||
| Children (Under 18) | 25.2% | 20.9% | 22% |
| Working age (18-64) | 61.6% | 63.7% | 62.3% |
| Senior (65+) | 13.2% | 15.4% | 15.7% |
| Dependency ratio | |||
| Total dependency ratio | 62.3 | 57.1 | 60.4 |
| Child dependency ratio | 40.9 | 32.8 | 35.2 |
| Old-age dependency ratio | 21.4 | 24.3 | 25.1 |
Racial & Ethnic Composition
Racial and ethnic makeup and how it compares
Race & Ethnicity
Note: White, Black, and Asian refer to individuals belonging to a single race and not of Hispanic origin. Hispanics may be of any race.
Diversity Index
65.5%
chance two random people differ in race and ethnicity
San Marcos
65.5%
San Diego County
68.1%
California
69.6%
Note: The Diversity Index (DI), based on the Blau Index, measures the probability that two randomly selected individuals differ in race and ethnicity. Values range from 0 (no diversity) to 1 (high diversity) and are shown as percentages.
RACIAL & ETHNIC COMPOSITION
Race & Ethnicity
Percentage of San Marcos population
| San Marcos | San Diego County | California | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hispanic or Latino | 36.8% | 34.6% | 40.2% |
| Mexican | 31.3% | 29.7% | 32.3% |
| Puerto Rican | 0.6% | 0.8% | 0.6% |
| Cuban | 0.2% | 0.2% | 0.3% |
| Other Hispanic / Latino | 4.7% | 3.9% | 7% |
| Not Hispanic or Latino | 63.2% | 65.4% | 59.8% |
| One race | 57.3% | 60.1% | 55.4% |
| White | 43.8% | 42.4% | 33.8% |
| Black or African American | 1.2% | 4.4% | 5.2% |
| American Indian and Alaska Native | 0.1% | 0.2% | 0.3% |
| Asian | 11.7% | 12.1% | 15.3% |
| Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander | 0.1% | 0.4% | 0.3% |
| Some Other Race | 0.4% | 0.6% | 0.6% |
| Two or more races (Multiracial) | 5.9% | 5.3% | 4.4% |
Household & Families Composition
Household size, type, and family structure
Household structure
74.6%
family
Family
74.6%
Non family
25.4%
% family households
San Marcos
74.6%
San Diego County
66.1%
California
67.8%
Average household size
2.96
persons per household
Household & Family COMPOSITION
Households
Percentage of San Marcos population
| San Marcos | San Diego County | California | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total households | 31,350 | 1,171,278 | 13,548,091 |
| Average houshold size | 2.96 | 2.72 | 2.84 |
| Family households | 23,400 | 774,697 | 9,191,176 |
| Average family size | 3.42 | 3.29 | 3.41 |
| Married couple family | 18,170 | 579,994 | 6,557,184 |
| Other families | 5,230 | 194,703 | 2,633,992 |
| Male householder | 1,385 | 60,586 | 857,732 |
| Female householder | 3,845 | 134,117 | 1,776,260 |
| Non-family households | 7,950 | 396,581 | 4,356,915 |
| One-person households | 6,023 | 288,146 | 3,289,307 |
| Male householder | 2,522 | 134,893 | 1,493,062 |
| Senior (65+) living alone | 1,019 | 38,549 | 460,668 |
| Female householder | 3,501 | 153,253 | 1,796,245 |
| Senior (65+) living alone | 1,964 | 71,209 | 886,142 |
| Other living arrangements | 1,927 | 108,435 | 1,067,608 |
Housing Profile
Housing stock, ownership, rentals, and cost burdens
Total housing units
32,557
housing units
San Marcos
32,557
San Diego County
1,250,641
California
14,644,735
Occupancy status
96.3%
occupied
Occupied
96.3%
Vacant
3.7%
vacancy rate
San Marcos
3.7%
San Diego County
6.3%
California
7.5%
Housing Characteristics
How the housing supply is structured and used
Types of Housing unit
62.4%
Single family houses
Median Year Built
1995
Half of houses were built before 1995, and half after.
Note: Median year built reflects occupied units only; distribution includes all units.
Housing Characteristics
Units, rooms & bedrooms
Physical characteristics of housing units
| San Marcos | San Diego County | California | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rooms per unit | |||
| Median rooms | 5.3 | 4.9 | 5 |
| 1–3 rooms | 12.2% | 22% | 21% |
| 4–6 rooms | 58% | 54.1% | 54.7% |
| 7+ rooms | 29.8% | 24% | 24.4% |
| Bedrooms | |||
| No bedroom / studio | 1.7% | 4.2% | 5% |
| 1 bedroom | 6.4% | 13.6% | 13.2% |
| 2 bedrooms | 29.4% | 30% | 26.9% |
| 3 bedrooms | 32.5% | 29.6% | 32.8% |
| 4+ bedrooms | 30% | 22.5% | 22.1% |
| At a glance | |||
| Median year built | 1995 | 1980 | 1976 |
| Total housing units | 32,557 | 1,250,641 | 14,644,735 |
Occupancy Profile
Who is inside and how they use it
Homeownership
63.7%
owners
Renter-occupied
36.3%
Owner-occupied
63.7%
homeownership rate
San Marcos
63.7%
San Diego County
54.6%
California
55.9%
Average household size
3
Owner-occupied
2.9
Renter-occupied
owner-occupied average size
San Marcos
3
San Diego County
2.82
California
2.95
Housing Characteristics
Occupied unit characteristics
Tenure, crowding, and utilities
| San Marcos | San Diego County | California | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total occupied units | 31,350 | 1,171,278 | 13,548,091 |
| Year moved in | |||
| 2020 or later | 23.4% | 26.8% | 23.4% |
| 2010 to 2019 | 45.6% | 41.7% | 41.2% |
| 2000 to 2009 | 19.1% | 15.2% | 17% |
| 1999 or earlier | 12% | 16.3% | 18.5% |
| Occupants per room | |||
| 1.00 or fewer | 93.6% | 93.5% | 91.8% |
| 1.01 to 1.50 | 4.4% | 4.2% | 5% |
| 1.51 or more | 2% | 2.3% | 3.2% |
| Vehicles availability | |||
| No vehicles | 3.5% | 5.5% | 7.1% |
| 1 vehicle | 25.3% | 30.6% | 30.7% |
| 2 vehicles | 44.4% | 39.4% | 36.3% |
| 3 or more vehicles | 26.8% | 24.5% | 25.8% |
| House heating fuel used | |||
| Gas | 65.6% | 57.2% | 64.4% |
| Electricity | 29.8% | 35% | 29.5% |
| Solar | 2.3% | 2.1% | 1.2% |
| Fuel oil, kerosene etc | 0.2% | 0.1% | 0.2% |
| All other fuels | 0.4% | 0.8% | 1.6% |
| No fuel used | 1.7% | 4.7% | 3% |
| Selected characteristics | |||
| Lacking complete plumbing | 0% | 0.3% | 0.4% |
| Lacking complete kitchen | 0.3% | 0.7% | 1.2% |
| No telephone service available | 0.5% | 0.8% | 0.9% |
Housing Value
What owner-occupied units are worth
Median home value
$868,000
owner-occupied units
Housing Cost Burden
36%
of homeowners with a mortgage are cost-burdened
Note: Households spending 30% or more of their income on housing costs are considered cost-burdened.
Financial characteristics
Property value and housing costs
Tenure, crowding, and utilities
| San Marcos | San Diego County | California | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Property value | |||
| Median Value | $868,000 | $854,700 | $734,700 |
| Under $100,000 | 1.9% | 3.6% | 4.2% |
| $100,000 - $200,000 | 3.5% | 1.9% | 2.7% |
| $200,000 - $300,000 | 3.4% | 1.7% | 4.3% |
| $300,000 - $500,000 | 9.9% | 8.5% | 17.1% |
| $500,000 - $1,000,000 | 46.5% | 50% | 42.1% |
| $1,000,000 and more | 34.9% | 34.2% | 29.6% |
| Owner-occupied households | |||
| With a mortgage | 74.5% | 69.6% | 67.4% |
| Without a mortgage | 25.5% | 30.4% | 32.6% |
| Median monthly owner costs | |||
| With a mortgage | $3,357 | $3,184 | $2,946 |
| Without a mortgage | $903 | $871 | $829 |
| Gross rent | |||
| Median rent | $2,348 | $2,246 | $2,036 |
Education Profile
How educated is the community and how education pays off
Adults with a college degree
43.8%
of adults 25+ with a bachelor's degree or higher
San Marcos
43.8%
San Diego County
43.2%
California
37.1%
Adults without a high school diploma
11.8%
of adults (25+) without a high school diploma
San Marcos
11.8%
San Diego County
10.8%
California
15.2%
School Enrollment
Who is enrolled in school and at what level
School enrollment
28,524
population (age 3+) enrolled in school
College-going rate (18-24 yr olds)
60.5%
of 18-24-year-olds in college or graduate school
Enrollment & school type
Enrollment levels, college-going rate, and public vs private school split
Population 3+ currently enrolled in a school
| San Marcos | San Diego County | California | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total enrolled (age 3+) | 28,524 | 815,500 | 9,917,839 |
| Nursery / preschool | 5.9% | 5.3% | 5% |
| K–12 | 61.7% | 61.5% | 64.9% |
| Kindergarten | 4.1% | 4.7% | 4.9% |
| Elementary: Grades 1–4 | 18.4% | 18.2% | 18.7% |
| Elementary: Grades 5–8 | 20.2% | 18.9% | 19.9% |
| High School: Grades 9–12 | 18.9% | 19.7% | 21.5% |
| College or graduate school | 32.4% | 33.2% | 30.1% |
| College, undergraduate | 26.5% | 27% | 24.3% |
| Graduate, professional school | 5.8% | 6.2% | 5.8% |
| College-going rate · 18-24 yr olds | 60.5% | 46% | 46.8% |
| School type | |||
| Public school | 86.9% | 83.7% | 85% |
| Private school | 13.1% | 16.3% | 15% |
Education Attainment by Level & Gender
What is the highest level of education completed among adults
Education attainment
61,920
population 25 years and over
Attainment by gender
Male vs Female
Adults (25+) · Share within each education level
Educational Attainment Overview
Distribution and key education attainment rates for adults (25+)
Highest credential completed · adults 25+
| San Marcos | San Diego County | California | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population (25+) | 61,920 | 2,281,385 | 27,073,960 |
| Less than 9th grade | 7.8% | 5.9% | 8.7% |
| 9th–12th, no diploma | 4% | 4.9% | 6.5% |
| High school diploma or GED | 16.4% | 17.9% | 20.5% |
| Some college, no degree | 19.4% | 20% | 19.3% |
| Associate's degree | 8.6% | 8.1% | 7.9% |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 43.8% | 43.2% | 37.1% |
| Bachelor's degree | 28.3% | 26% | 22.7% |
| Graduate or professional | 15.5% | 17.2% | 14.4% |
| High School or higher | 88.2% | 89.1% | 84.7% |
Earnings by education level
percentage as applicable
Median Earnings
$61,253
Median earnings for adults 25+, by level
Poverty Rate
4.3%
for ages 25+, with bachelors degree or higher
Outcomes by Education Level
Earnings and poverty rates across education levels (25+)
Adults 25+
| San Marcos | San Diego County | California | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median earnings | |||
| Population 25+, with earnings | $61,253 | $60,895 | $56,395 |
| Less than high school graduate | $32,222 | $32,835 | $32,480 |
| High school graduate (includes equivalency) | $39,467 | $41,666 | $41,382 |
| Some college or associate's degree | $52,937 | $51,030 | $50,157 |
| Bachelor's degree | $88,202 | $80,982 | $80,933 |
| Graduate or professional degree | $116,893 | $107,001 | $111,188 |
| Poverty rates | |||
| Less than high school graduate | 17.7% | 19.4% | 20% |
| High school graduate (includes equivalency) | 16.3% | 13.6% | 13.9% |
| Some college or associate's degree | 9.4% | 9.4% | 10.1% |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 4.3% | 4.3% | 5% |
About Neilsberg Research
Neilsberg Research team are data scientists with expertise in processing, analysis and visualization of big data helping small businesses make right decisions.
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