State
County
Land Area (mi²)
24.4 sq mi
Density (mi²)
3,983.80/sq mi
2020 Growth Rate
0.19%
Growth Since 2010
15.82%
Rank in State
Rank in Country
San Marcos is a city located in San Diego County California. With a 2020 population of 97,032, it is the 80th largest city in California and the 336th largest city in the United States . San Marcos is currently growing at a rate of 0.19% annually and its population has increased by 15.82% since the most recent census, which recorded a population of 83,781 in 2010. San Marcos reached it's highest population of 97,032 in 2021. Spanning over 24 miles, San Marcos has a population density of 3,984 people per square mile.
The average household income in San Marcos is $105,999 with a poverty rate of 11.34%. The median rental costs in recent years comes to $1,704 per month, and the median house value is $538,200. The median age in San Marcos is 35.5 years, 34.8 years for males, and 36.2 years for females.
According to the most recent ACS, the racial composition of San Marcos was:
| Race | Population | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| White | 70,858 | 74.31% |
| Asian | 9,283 | 9.74% |
| Two or More Races | 5,727 | 6.01% |
| Some Other Race | 5,711 | 5.99% |
| Black or African American | 2,591 | 2.72% |
| American Indian and Alaska Native | 734 | 0.77% |
| Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander | 451 | 0.47% |
| Type | Count | Average Size | Owned |
|---|---|---|---|
| All | 29,771 | 3.17 | 62.3 |
| Married | 16,600 | 3.73 | 71.9 |
| Non Family | 7,784 | 1.49 | 55.6 |
| Female | 3,692 | 3.95 | 45.6 |
| Male | 1,695 | 3.74 | 34.5 |
3.61
Average Family Size
3.17
Average Household Size
| Education Attained | Count | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| Less Than 9th Grade | 5,006 | 8.29% |
| 9th to 12th Grade | 3,846 | 6.37% |
| High School Graduate | 11,605 | 19.23% |
| Some College | 12,918 | 21.40% |
| Associates Degree | 4,620 | 7.66% |
| Bachelors Degree | 14,925 | 24.73% |
| Graduate Degree | 7,432 | 12.31% |
| Race | Total | High School | Bachelors |
|---|---|---|---|
| White | 30,083 | 28,994 | 14,045 |
| Hispanic | 20,242 | 13,154 | 2,994 |
| Asian | 6,296 | 5,756 | 3,547 |
| Other Race | 3,174 | 2,121 | 566 |
| 2+ Races | 2,443 | 2,197 | 787 |
| Black | 1,659 | 1,576 | 901 |
| Native American | 508 | 406 | 99 |
| Islander | 391 | 339 | 211 |
The highest rate of high school graduation is among white people with a rate of 96.38%.
The highest rate of bachelors degrees is among asian people with a rate of 56.34%.
$42,535
Average Earnings
$50,567
Average Male
$34,244
Average Female
63.15% of San Marcos residents speak only English, while 36.85% speak other languages. The non-English language spoken by the largest group is Spanish, which is spoken by 27.39% of the population.
| Name | Total | In Poverty | Poverty Rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hispanic | 37,652 | 5,624 | 14.94% |
| White | 41,171 | 3,563 | 8.65% |
| Asian | 9,184 | 974 | 10.61% |
| Multiple | 5,714 | 512 | 8.96% |
| Other | 5,508 | 473 | 8.59% |
| Black | 2,476 | 249 | 10.06% |
| Native | 734 | 135 | 18.39% |
| Islander | 451 | 59 | 13.08% |
11.34%
Overall Poverty Rate
10.67%
Male Poverty Rate
11.99%
Female Poverty Rate
The race most likely to be in poverty in San Marcos is Native, with 18.39% below the poverty level.
The race least likely to be in poverty in San Marcos is Other, with 8.59% below the poverty level.
The poverty rate among those that worked full-time for the past 12 months was 2.61%. Among those working part-time, it was 16.12%, and for those that did not work, the poverty rate was 20.20%.
50.9%
Overall Marriage Rate
53.1%
Male Marriage Rate
48.8%
Female Marriage Rate
The age group where males are most likely to be married is 35-44, while the female age group most likely to be married is 35-44.
| Name | Veterans | % of Total |
|---|---|---|
| White | 4,260 | 8.08% |
| Hispanic | 1,135 | 4.51% |
| Asian | 325 | 4.46% |
| Black | 311 | 16.02% |
| 2+ Races | 224 | 8.10% |
| Islander | 147 | 32.59% |
| Other Race | 117 | 2.78% |
| Native American | 69 | 11.09% |
5.23%
Veteran Poverty Rate
25.25%
Veteran Disability Rate
66.3%
Labor Force Participation
63.2%
Employment Rate
3.9%
Unemployment Rate
Non citizens include legal permanent residents (green card holders), international students, temporary workers, humanitarian migrants, and illegal immigrants.
76.04%
Native Born
23.96%
Foreign Born
11.99%
Non Citizen
11.97%
Naturalized
76.04% of San Marcos residents were born in the United States, with 53.03% having been born in California. 11.99% of residents are not US citizens. Of those not born in the United States, the largest percentage are from Latin America.
| Year | Population | Growth | Annual Growth Rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 97,032 | 184 | 0.19% |
| 2020 | 96,848 | 184 | 0.19% |
| 2019 | 96,664 | 184 | 0.19% |
| 2018 | 96,480 | 866 | 0.91% |
| 2017 | 95,614 | 682 | 0.72% |
| 2016 | 94,932 | 1,733 | 1.86% |
| 2015 | 93,199 | 827 | 0.90% |
| 2014 | 92,372 | 2,949 | 3.30% |
| 2013 | 89,423 | 2,607 | 3.00% |
| 2012 | 86,816 | 1,815 | 2.14% |
| 2011 | 85,001 | 1,075 | 1.28% |
| 2010 | 83,926 | 28,949 | 4.32% |
| 2000 | 54,977 | 16,003 | 3.50% |
| 1990 | 38,974 | 21,495 | 8.35% |
| 1980 | 17,479 | 13,583 | 16.20% |
| 1970 | 3,896 | 1,396 | 4.54% |
| 1960 | 2,500 | 0.00% |