San Marcos, CA

Census Place

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2023 Population

94,078

0.299% 1-year decline

US Senator

Alex Padilla

Democratic Party

US Senator

Adam Schiff

Democratic Party

2023 Median Age

36.8

2.51% 1-year increase

2023 Poverty Rate

10.2%

4.51% 1-year increase

2023 Median Household Income

$105,286

5.91% 1-year growth

2023 Median Property Value

$792,400

8.73% 1-year growth

2023 Employed Population

44,905

0.666% 1-year decline

About

In 2023, San Marcos, CA had a population of 94.1k people with a median age of 36.8 and a median household income of $105,286. Between 2022 and 2023 the population of San Marcos, CA declined from 94,360 to 94,078, a −0.299% decrease and its median household income grew from $99,413 to $105,286, a 5.91% increase.

The 5 largest ethnic groups in San Marcos, CA are White (Non-Hispanic) (44.4%), Two+ (Hispanic) (13.7%), Other (Hispanic) (12%), Asian (Non-Hispanic) (10.7%), and White (Hispanic) (10.7%).

None of the households in San Marcos, CA reported speaking a non-English language at home as their primary shared language. This does not consider the potential multi-lingual nature of households, but only the primary self-reported language spoken by all members of the household.

90.4% of the residents in San Marcos, CA are U.S. citizens.

The largest universities in San Marcos, CA are Palomar College (120971) (4,854 degrees awarded in 2022), California State University-San Marcos (4,089 degrees), and University of St. Augustine for Health Sciences (1,710 degrees).

In 2023, the median property value in San Marcos, CA was $792,400, and the homeownership rate was 63%.

Most people in San Marcos, CA drove alone to work, and the average commute time was 27.1 minutes. The average car ownership in San Marcos, CA was 2 cars per household.

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Population & Diversity

San Marcos, CA is home to a population of 94.1k people, from which 90.4% are citizens. As of 2023, 22.4% of San Marcos, CA residents were born outside of the country (21k people).

In 2023, there were 3.25 times more White (Non-Hispanic) residents (41.8k people) in San Marcos, CA than any other race or ethnicity. There were 12.9k Two+ (Hispanic) and 11.3k Other (Hispanic) residents, the second and third most common ethnic groups.

Population & Diversity

Citizenship

90.4%

2023 Citizenship

89.5%

2022 Citizenship

As of 2023, 90.4% of San Marcos, CA residents were US citizens, which is lower than the national average of 93.4%. In 2022, the percentage of US citizens in San Marcos, CA was 89.5%, meaning that the rate of citizenship has been increasing.

The following chart shows US citizenship percentages in San Marcos, CA compared to that of it's neighboring and parent geographies.

Diversity

Race and Ethnicity

The 3 largest ethnic groups in San Marcos, CA

White (Non-Hispanic)
41.8k ± 2.38k
Two+ (Hispanic)
12.9k ± 2.06k
Other (Hispanic)
11.3k ± 1.54k

37.3%

Hispanic Population

35.1k people

37.3% of the people in San Marcos, CA are hispanic (35.1k people).

The following chart shows the 7 races represented in San Marcos, CA as a share of the total population.

Global Diversity

The PUMS dataset is not available at the Place level, so we are showing data for California.

Most Common Origin

Mexico
3,899,021 ± 46,015 people
Philippines
824,230 ± 22,055 people
China
685,370 ± 20,148 people

In 2022, the most common birthplace for the foreign-born residents of California was Mexico, the natal country of 3,899,021 California residents, followed by Philippines with 824,230 and China with 685,370.

Foreign-Born Population

22.4%

2023 Foreign-Born Population

21k people

23%

2022 Foreign-Born Population

21.7k people

As of 2023, 22.4% of San Marcos, CA residents (21k people) were born outside of the United States, which is approximately the same as the national average of N/A%. In 2022, the percentage of foreign-born citizens in San Marcos, CA was 23%, meaning that the rate has been decreasing.

The following chart shows the percentage of foreign-born residents in San Marcos, CA compared to that of it's neighboring and parent geographies.

Military

Veterans

Most Common Service Period

Vietnam
1,529 ± 323
Gulf War (2001-)
1,258 ± 270
Gulf War (1990s)
787 ± 200

San Marcos, CA has a large population of military personnel who served in Vietnam, 1.22 times greater than any other conflict.

Economy

The economy of San Marcos, CA employs 44.9k people. The largest industries in San Marcos, CA are Manufacturing (5,405 people), Health Care & Social Assistance (5,381 people), and Professional, Scientific, & Technical Services (4,736 people), and the highest paying industries are Professional, Scientific, & Technical Services ($109,153), Public Administration ($93,750), and Manufacturing ($88,323).

Males in California have an average income that is 1.26 times higher than the average income of females, which is $75,777. The income inequality in California (measured using the Gini index) is 0.498, which is higher than than the national average.

Employment

Occupations

44.9k

2023 Value

± 1,814

−0.666%

1 Year decline

± 5.83%

From 2022 to 2023, employment in San Marcos, CA declined at a rate of −0.666%, from 45.2k employees to 44.9k employees.

The most common job groups, by number of people living in San Marcos, CA, are Management Occupations (6,546 people), Office & Administrative Support Occupations (4,739 people), and Sales & Related Occupations (4,154 people). This chart illustrates the share breakdown of the primary jobs held by residents of San Marcos, CA.

Unemployment Insurance Claims

Data is only available at the state level. Showing data for false.

This chart shows weekly unemployment insurance claims in California (not-seasonally adjusted) compared with the four states with the most similar impact.

The most recent data point uses Advance State Claims data, which can be revised in subsequent weeks.

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Industries

Employment by Industries

44.9k

2023 Value

± 1,814

−0.666%

1 Year decline

± 5.83%

From 2022 to 2023, employment in San Marcos, CA declined at a rate of −0.666%, from 45.2k employees to 44.9k employees.

The most common employment sectors for those who live in San Marcos, CA, are Manufacturing (5,405 people), Health Care & Social Assistance (5,381 people), and Professional, Scientific, & Technical Services (4,736 people). This chart shows the share breakdown of the primary industries for residents of San Marcos, CA, though some of these residents may live in San Marcos, CA and work somewhere else. Census data is tagged to a residential address, not a work address.

Median Earnings by Industry

$62,088

Median earning men ± $6,079

$45,652

Median earning women ± $3,374

The industries with the best median earnings for men in 2023 are Public Administration ($114,375), Manufacturing ($106,078), and Professional, Scientific, & Management, & Administrative & Waste Management Services ($95,218).

The industries with the best median earnings for women in 2023 are Information ($81,592), Professional, Scientific, & Management, & Administrative & Waste Management Services ($80,421), and Public Administration ($71,825).

Employment by Industry Sector

Data is only available at the state level. Showing data for California.

Y-Axis

2.57%

Year-over-year growth

Employment change between February 2022 and February 2023

As of February 2023, there are 17.9M people employed in California. This represents a 2.57% increase in employment when compared to February 2022.

Right after the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, during April 2020, a general dip can be seen across industry sectors, resulting in an overall decline in employment by 14%.

The following chart shows monthly employment numbers for each industry sector in California.

Civics

In the 2024 presidential election, the popular vote in California went to Kamala Harris with 58.5% of the vote. The runner-up was Donald J. Trump (38.3%), followed by Robert Kennedy (1.25%).

Alex Padilla and Adam Schiff are the senators currently representing the state of California. In the United States, senators are elected to 6-year terms with the terms for individual senators staggered.

California is currently represented by 52 members in the U.S. house, and members of the House of Representives are elected to 2-year terms.

Presidential Elections

Presidential Popular Vote Over Time

Voting results are not available for San Marcos, CA. Showing the available data for California.

2024 Election Results

Kamala Harris (58.5%)
Democratic Party
Donald J. Trump (38.3%)
Republican Party
Robert Kennedy (1.25%)
Independent Party

In the 2024 presidential election, the popular vote in California went to Kamala Harris with 58.5% of the vote. The runner-up was Donald J. Trump (38.3%), followed by Robert Kennedy (1.25%).

The following chart shows the popular vote results in California for each registered party from 1976 to 2024.

Senator Elections

US Senators from California

Senatorial voting results are only available at the state level. Showing data for California.

Alex Padilla

Senator from California

Assumed office on January 20, 2021
Appointed to the seat following the resignation of Kamala Harris, who had become Vice President of the United States.

Adam Schiff

Senator from California

Assumed office on December 8, 2024
Elected to the seat to succeed Laphonza Butler, who had been appointed to the seat following the death of Dianne Feinstein.

Alex Padilla and Adam Schiff are the senators currently representing California.

In the United States, senators are elected to 6-year terms with the terms for individual senators staggered.

The following chart shows elected senators in California over time, excluding special elections, colored by their political party.

US Representative Elections

US Representatives from California

California is currently represented by 52 members in the U.S. house.

Members of the House of Representives are elected to 2-year terms, and the following chart shows the how the members for California have changed over time starting in 2008.

Education

In 2022, universities in San Marcos, CA awarded 11,275 degrees. The student population of San Marcos, CA in 2022 is skewed towards women, with 17,100 male students and 21,853 female students.

Most students graduating from Universities in San Marcos, CA are Hispanic or Latino (4,699 and 42.6%), followed by White (3,822 and 34.7%), Asian (982 and 8.91%), and Two or More Races (585 and 5.31%).

The largest universities in San Marcos, CA by number of degrees awarded are Palomar College (120971) (4,854 and 43.1%), California State University-San Marcos (4,089 and 36.3%), and University of St. Augustine for Health Sciences (1,710 and 15.2%).

The most popular majors in San Marcos, CA are Liberal Arts & Sciences (1,476 and 13.1%), General Business Administration & Management (899 and 7.97%), and Physical Therapy (854 and 7.57%).

The median tuition costs in San Marcos, CA are $27,000 for private four year colleges, and $5,742 and $17,622 respectively, for public four year colleges for in-state students and out-of-state students.

Admissions & Enrollments

Applicants, Admissions & Enrolled

University

Measure

In 2022 in San Marcos, CA, the percentage of applicants admitted was 95%, while the percentage of admitted who enrolled was 18.3%. The number of students enrolled in 2022 was 38,953 (43.9% men and 56.1% women).

The line chart shows the evolution of the percentage of applicants admitted, admitted who enrolled or the number of students enrolled according to the option selected in the upper button.

Enrollments by Gender and Races

Universities

In 2022 there were 38,953 students enrolled in San Marcos, CA, 43.9% men and 56.1% women.

By race, the largest number of students enrolled was concentrated in Hispanic or Latino with 17,578 records, of which 58.6% were women and 41.4% men.

Completions

Concentrations

Most Common

General Psychology
325 degrees awarded
Registered Nursing
318 degrees awarded
General Business Administration & Management
549 degrees awarded

In 2022, the most common concentation for Bachelors Degree recipients in San Marcos, CA was General Psychology with 325 degrees awarded.

This visualization illustrates the percentage of students graduating with a Bachelors Degree from schools in San Marcos, CA according to their major.

Universities

Gender

Race

Largest Universities by degrees awarded

Palomar College (120971)
4,854 degrees awarded
California State University-San Marcos
4,089 degrees awarded
University of St. Augustine for Health Sciences
1,710 degrees awarded

In 2022, the institution with the largest number of graduating students was Palomar College (120971) with 4,854 degrees awarded.

Student Diversity

University

In 2022, 4,188 men were awarded degrees from institutions in San Marcos, CA, which is 0.591 times less than the 7,087 female students who received degrees in the same year.

In 2022 the most common race/ethnicity group awarded degrees at institutions was Hispanic or Latino students. These 4,699 degrees mean that there were 1.23 times more degrees awarded to Hispanic or Latino students then the next closest race/ethnicity group, White, with 3,822 degrees awarded.

Awarded Degrees over Time

The graph shows the evolution of awarded degrees by degrees. Under the paragraphs, the average number of awarded degrees by university in each degree is shown.

Tuition

Average Net Price by Sector

Universities

Private not-for-profit, 4-year or above ($27,000) is the sector with the highest median state tuition in 2022.

Public, 4-year or above ($1,991) is the sector with the highest median state fee in 2022.

Public, 2-year ($1,126) is the sector with the highest average net price of books and supplies.

The graph shows the average net price by sector and year.

Working Population

Educational Pyramid

Data is only available at the state level. Showing data for California.

Measure

In 2022, 2.08% of men over 25 years of age had not completed any academic degree (no schooling), while 2.26% of women were in the same situation.

This visualization shows the gender distribution of the population according to the academic level reached.

Educational Attainment

Data is only available at the state level. Showing data for California.

Race

The most common educational levels obtained by the working population in 2022 were Some college (6.9M), High School or Equivalent (6.8M), and Bachelors Degree (6.36M).

This visualization illustrates the percentage distribution of the population according to the highest educational level reached. You can filter the data by race by using the selector above.

Housing & Living

The median property value in San Marcos, CA was $792,400 in 2023, which is 2.61 times larger than the national average of $303,400. Between 2022 and 2023 the median property value increased from $728,800 to $792,400, a 8.73% increase. The homeownership rate in San Marcos, CA is 63%, which is approximately the same as the national average of 65%.

People in San Marcos, CA have an average commute time of 27.1 minutes, and they drove alone to work. Car ownership in San Marcos, CA is approximately the same as the national average, with an average of 2 cars per household.

Median household income in San Marcos, CA is $105,286. In 2023, the place with the highest median household income in San Marcos, CA was Census Tract 192.08 with a value of $132,891, followed by Census Tract 200.26 and Census Tract 199.03, with respective values of $122,750 and $105,089.

Housing

Property

$792,400

Median Property Value 2023

±$26,784

$19,469

Median Property Taxes

±$1,014

The following chart display owner-occupied housing units distributed between a series of property tax buckets compared to the national averages for each bucket. In San Marcos, CA the largest share of households pay taxes in the $3k+ range.

The chart underneath the paragraph shows the property taxes in San Marcos, CA compared to it's parent and neighbor geographies.

Rent vs Own

63%

Homeownership

2023

64.1%

Homeowners with Mortgage

2023

In 2023, 63% of the housing units in San Marcos, CA were occupied by their owner. This percentage grew from the previous year's rate of 61.9%.

This chart shows the percentage of owner in San Marcos, CA compared it's parent and neighboring geographies.

Equity

Income by Location

Use the dropdown to filter by race/ethnicity.

Race/Ethnicity

Highest Median Household Income (Total)

Census Tract 192.08
Census Tract 200.26
Census Tract 199.03

In 2023, the place with the highest Median Household Income (Total) in San Marcos, CA was Census Tract 192.08 with a value of $132,891, followed by Census Tract 200.26 and Census Tract 199.03, with respective values of $122,750 and $105,089.

The following map shows all of the places in San Marcos, CA colored by their Median Household Income (Total).

Household Income

Please note that the buckets used in this visualization were not evenly distributed by ACS when publishing the data.

$105,286

Median Household Income

± $5,423

30.9k

Number of Households

± 1,403

In 2023, the median household income of the 30.9k households in San Marcos, CA grew to $105,286 from the previous year's value of $99,413.

The following chart displays the households in San Marcos, CA distributed between a series of income buckets compared to the national averages for each bucket. The largest share of households have an income in the $200k+ range.

Wage Distribution

The closest comparable wage GINI for San Marcos, CA is from California.

0.498

2022 Wage GINI in California

0.497

2021 Wage GINI in California

In 2022, the income inequality in California was 0.498 according to the GINI calculation of the wage distribution. Income inequality had a 0.107% growth from 2021 to 2022, which means that wage distribution grew somewhat less even. The GINI for California was higher than than the national average of 0.478. In other words, wages are distributed less evenly in California in comparison to the national average.

This chart shows the number of workers in California across various wage buckets compared to the national average.

Transportation

Commuter Transportation

Most Common Commute in 2023

Drove Alone (69.8%)
Worked At Home (18.7%)
Carpooled (7.95%)

In 2023, 69.8% of workers in San Marcos, CA drove alone to work, followed by those who worked at home (18.7%) and those who carpooled to work (7.95%).

The following chart shows the number of households using each mode of transportation over time, using a logarithmic scale on the y-axis to help better show variations in the smaller means of commuting.

Commute Time

27.1 minutes

Average Travel Time

Using averages, employees in San Marcos, CA have a longer commute time (27.1 minutes) than the normal US worker (26.6 minutes). Additionally, 1.75% of the workforce in San Marcos, CA have "super commutes" in excess of 90 minutes.

The chart below shows how the median household income in San Marcos, CA compares to that of it's neighboring and parent geographies.

Car Ownership

2 cars

Average Number

The following chart displays the households in San Marcos, CA distributed between a series of car ownership buckets compared to the national averages for each bucket. The largest share of households in San Marcos, CA have 2 cars.

Poverty

Poverty & Diversity

10.2% of the population for whom poverty status is determined in San Marcos, CA (9.41k out of 92.4k people) live below the poverty line, a number that is lower than the national average of 12.4%. The largest demographic living in poverty are Females 25 - 34, followed by Females 55 - 64 and then Males 25 - 34.

The most common racial or ethnic group living below the poverty line in San Marcos, CA is White, followed by Hispanic and Two Or More.

The Census Bureau uses a set of money income thresholds that vary by family size and composition to determine who classifies as impoverished. If a family's total income is less than the family's threshold than that family and every individual in it is considered to be living in poverty.

Social Needs

Data only available at the state level.

Most prevalent states

California
35,798 individuals
New York
5,087 individuals
Florida
4,915 individuals

In 2017, California had the highest estimated number of chronically homeless individuals in the nation, at 35,798. New York has the second highest (5,087), followed by Florida (4,915).

The following map shows the estimated number of chronically homeless individuals by state over multiple years.

Health

92.9% of the population of San Marcos, CA has health coverage, with 52.8% on employee plans, 15% on Medicaid, 8.68% on Medicare, 14.9% on non-group plans, and 1.45% on military or VA plans.

Primary care physicians in San Diego County, CA see 1214 patients per year on average, which represents a 0.736% decrease from the previous year (1223 patients). Compare this to dentists who see 1038 patients per year, and mental health providers who see 214 patients per year.

Coverage

Patient to Clinician Ratios

Data is only available at the country level. Showing data for San Diego County, CA.

1,214 to 1

Patient to Primary Care Physician Ratio in San Diego County, CA

Primary care physicians in San Diego County, CA see an average of 1,214 patients per year. This represents a 0.736% decrease from the previous year (1,223 patients).

The following chart shows how the number of patients seen by primary care physicians has been changing over time in San Diego County, CA in comparison to its neighboring geographies.

Health Care Diversity

In 2023, insured persons according to age ranges were distributed in 27.5% under 18 years, 20.2% between 18 and 34 years, 39.1% between 35 and 64 years, and 13.3% over 64 years.

By gender, of the total number of insured persons, 49.6% were men and 50.4% were women.

The following chart shows the number of people with health coverage by gender.

Uninsured People

7.15%

Uninsured

52.8%

Employer Coverage

15%

Medicaid

8.68%

Medicare

14.9%

Non-Group

1.45%

Military or VA

Between 2022 and 2023, the percent of uninsured citizens in San Marcos, CA declined by 8.16% from 7.78% to 7.15%.

The following chart shows how the percent of uninsured individuals in San Marcos, CA changed over time compared with the percent of individuals enrolled in various types of health insurance.

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