San Marcos, CA
Census place 0668196 · pop 94,882
Sales & income are statewide.
The breakdown — worst first
U.S. median 42 AQI · worse than most cities
71 median AQI · Median air quality index — lower is cleaner air. Published by county, not city — every city in the county shares this figure.
U.S. median $214,900 · worse than most cities
$868,000 median home value · Median home value — how expensive it is to buy in. Higher = less affordable.
U.S. median 77/100 · worse than most cities
100/100 FEMA risk (higher = riskier) · FEMA National Risk Index — wildfire, flood, earthquake, heat and more. Published by county, not city — every city in the county shares this figure.
U.S. median $1,756/mo · worse than most cities
$3,180/mo typical rent · Typical monthly rent (Zillow Observed Rent Index, all home types).
U.S. median 1 days · worse than most cities
52 unhealthy-air days per year · Days per year with unhealthy air (AQI above 100). Published by county, not city — every city in the county shares this figure.
U.S. median +2.4% · worse than most cities
-0.5% population change (5yr) · 5-year population change — are people moving in, or fleeing?
U.S. median 3.6% · worse than most cities
4.1% unemployment · Share of the labor force out of work. Published by county, not city — every city in the county shares this figure.
U.S. median 24 min · worse than most cities
26 min average one-way commute · Average one-way commute to work, in minutes.
U.S. median 0.43 · worse than most cities
Gini 0.44 (0 = equal, 1 = unequal) · Gini index of household income (0 = equal, 1 = unequal).
U.S. median 152/100k · worse than most cities
223 violent crimes per 100k · Violent crimes (murder, rape, robbery, aggravated assault) per 100,000 residents.
U.S. median 67.2% · worse than most cities
63.7% own their home · Share of occupied homes that are owner-occupied.
U.S. median 9.3% · better than most cities
9.4% of adults · Adults 18–64 without health insurance.
U.S. median 17.4% · better than most cities
16.9% of adults · Adults reporting frequent poor mental health (14+ days a month).
U.S. median 12.1% · better than most cities
9.2% live in poverty · Share of residents living below the federal poverty line.
U.S. median 0.99% · better than most cities
0.76% of home value paid in property tax · Median real-estate taxes paid as a share of home value.
U.S. median 24.3% · better than most cities
43.8% have a bachelor's degree or higher · Share of adults 25+ with a bachelor's degree or higher.
U.S. median 26.5% · better than most cities
20.5% of adults · Adults with no leisure-time physical activity.
U.S. median 964/100k · better than most cities
673 property crimes per 100k · Burglary, theft, motor-vehicle theft and arson per 100,000 residents.
U.S. median 14.6% · better than most cities
9.9% of adults · Share of adults who currently smoke.
U.S. median $67,857 · better than most cities
$109,377 median household income · Median household income — a proxy for local economic health.
U.S. median 90.0% · better than most cities
95.9% of homes have broadband · Share of households with a broadband internet subscription.
U.S. median 36.5% · better than most cities
25.3% of adults · Share of adults with obesity (BMI ≥ 30).
Frequently asked
- Is San Marcos, CA a good place to live?
- By the numbers, San Marcos scores 44/100 — a D− (Rough) on Shcity, which ranks U.S. cities on public data across 22 metrics like crime, cost, jobs and health. Its strongest area is adult obesity and its weakest is air quality (aqi). California overall ranks #49 of 50 states. Whether it's "good" depends on what you value — re-weight the factors to score it your way.
- How safe is San Marcos, CA?
- San Marcos reports 223 violent crimes per 100k and 673 property crimes per 100k — worse than most U.S. cities on violent crime.
- Is San Marcos, CA expensive to live in?
- San Marcos has a median home value of $868,000 and typical rent around $3,180/mo — pricier than most U.S. cities.
- What's the biggest downside of living in San Marcos, CA?
- Its weakest measured area is air quality (aqi) (71 AQI) — 5/100, worse than most U.S. cities. (A county-level figure.)
- What is San Marcos, CA best at?
- Its strongest measured area is adult obesity (25.3%) — 91/100, better than most U.S. cities.
Sources: U.S. Census (ACS), CDC PLACES, FBI Crime Data Explorer, BLS, EPA AirData, FEMA National Risk Index, and Zillow.
