City profile · Texas · Census ACS 2023

San Marcos, TX

Population, income, housing, safety, climate and schools for San Marcos - drawn straight from Census ACS, FBI UCR, NOAA, NCES, HUD and FEMA, refreshed on the 2024–2025 release cycle.

68,920
Residents
$51,030
Median income
$269,700
Median home
$1,852
Median rent (state)

San Marcos - the verdict

Nationally, San Marcos sits in the 21st percentile for household income and the 21st percentile for safety among US cities with a population of 1,000 or more. Source: Census ACS + FBI UCR.

21st
percentile, household income
60th
percentile, home value
78th
percentile, median rent
21st
percentile, safety
📝 How we sourced this

Population, income, and housing-cost figures come from the U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey 5-year estimates (B-series tables). Crime data uses FBI UCR; climate uses NOAA Climate Normals; school counts come from NCES Common Core of Data; permits use the Census Building Permits Survey (BPS). See our methodology page for the full ETL pipeline and OMB / FIPS join keys.

Data Snapshot: San Marcos, TX

San Marcos is a small city in Texas, home to 68,920 residents per U.S. Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates. Median household income here is $51,030 per year, in the lower quartile of U.S. cities for household income, with a poverty rate of 11.5%. Home values in San Marcos run a median of $269,700, and the median resident age is 25.5 years. 37.3% of adults here have a bachelor's degree or higher; 62.7% of working-age residents are in the labor force.

In 2024, 1,282 residential building permits were authorized in San Marcos (Building Boom), up 122% from five years earlier, per Census BPS data. Crime here tracks close to the national norm: FBI UCR figures show 2616.8 crimes per 100,000 residents, near the national average (reporting is voluntary across agencies, so treat this as reporting activity rather than a definitive danger score). NOAA climate normals record an annual average temperature of 68.6°F with 36.5 inches of precipitation per year.

Texas tracks close to the national cost-of-living baseline: the state registers 97.1 on a 100-equals-national-average index (Near Average) per BEA Regional Price Parities 2024. A typical two-bedroom carries a HUD Fair Market Rent of $1,852 per month statewide. EIA 2023 residential energy data puts Texas's average monthly utility costs around $223 (state average). On FEMA's National Risk Index, this area rates 90.6 out of 100 for natural-hazard exposure (Very High).

Population

68,920 residents

Census ACS 2023 - Texas

Median Household Income

$51,030 /yr

Poverty 11.5%

Cost of Living Index (state)

97.1 (US=100)

Near Average - BEA RPP 2024, Texas average

How does San Marcos compare to other US cities?

San Marcos measured against every US city with 1,000+ residents, computed live from the same Census and FBI data shown throughout this page.

Household income 21% higher than other cities
Home value 60% pricier than other cities
Median rent 78% pricier than other cities
Safety 21% safer than other cities

"Safer than" reflects total crime rate from FBI UCR; the others use Census ACS estimates.

Zoom in to just Texas and the picture shifts: San Marcos ranks #536 of 624 Texas cities by lowest crime rate, a different read than the national percentile above.

How we calculate these percentiles & ranks

For each metric we count every US city with population 1,000+ and a non-null value, then compute what share of them fall below San Marcos's value: round(cities-below ÷ total × 100). Safety is inverted (percentile = share of cities with a higher crime rate) so a higher number always means safer. The in-state rank narrows that same crime-rate comparison to only the cities PlainCities tracks in Texas, breaking ties alphabetically. See the methodology page for the full source-to-figure lineage.

21stIncome percentile
21stSafety percentile

21st percentile nationally for median household income · 21st percentile for safety (lower crime rate). Source: Census ACS 2023 / FBI UCR 2023.

San Marcos's profile vs. every US city

Income, affordability, and safety percentile

San Marcos's percentile rank on 3 favorable-direction measures (income, affordability, safety) vs. every tracked US city -- higher on every axis is more favorable. Not a composite quality score, just the arithmetic mean of the axes shown. 3-axis radar comparing 1 series across Income, Affordability, Safety. IncomeAffordabilitySafety 24 Avg. percentile National median
San Marcos's percentile rank on 3 favorable-direction measures (income, affordability, safety) vs. every tracked US city -- higher on every axis is more favorable. Not a composite quality score, just the arithmetic mean of the axes shown.

How San Marcos's home value compares nationally

Median home value vs. every US city (population 1,000+)

$269,700 40th percentile more affordable than 40% of 15,600 US cities

$0–$25,000: 5 US cities (0%). Below this entry. $25,000–$50,000: 54 US cities (0%). Below this entry. $50,000–$75,000: 352 US cities (2%). Below this entry. $75,000–$100,000: 1,086 US cities (7%). Below this entry. $100,000–$125,000: 1,516 US cities (10%). Below this entry. $125,000–$150,000: 1,170 US cities (8%). Below this entry. $150,000–$175,000: 1,278 US cities (8%). Below this entry. $175,000–$200,000: 1,229 US cities (8%). Below this entry. $200,000–$225,000: 1,035 US cities (7%). Below this entry. $225,000–$250,000: 976 US cities (6%). Below this entry. $250,000–$275,000: 754 US cities (5%). This entry sits in this band. $275,000–$300,000: 712 US cities (5%). Above this entry. $300,000–$325,000: 521 US cities (3%). Above this entry. $325,000–$350,000: 526 US cities (3%). Above this entry. $350,000–$375,000: 465 US cities (3%). Above this entry. $375,000–$400,000: 393 US cities (3%). Above this entry. $400,000–$425,000: 317 US cities (2%). Above this entry. $425,000–$450,000: 300 US cities (2%). Above this entry. $450,000–$475,000: 307 US cities (2%). Above this entry. $475,000–$500,000: 250 US cities (2%). Above this entry. $500,000–$525,000: 160 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $525,000–$550,000: 156 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $550,000–$575,000: 172 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $575,000–$600,000: 172 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $600,000–$625,000: 163 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $625,000–$650,000: 167 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $650,000–$675,000: 135 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $675,000–$700,000: 101 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $700,000–$725,000: 95 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $725,000–$750,000: 71 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $750,000–$775,000: 65 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $775,000–$800,000: 70 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $800,000–$825,000: 57 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $825,000–$850,000: 67 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $850,000–$875,000: 60 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $875,000–$900,000: 58 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $900,000–$925,000: 47 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $925,000–$950,000: 37 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $950,000–$975,000: 31 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $975,000–$1,000,000: 470 US cities (3%). Above this entry. $1,000,000–$1,025,000: 0 US cities (0%). Above this entry. San Marcos $0 $1,025,000 every US city, bucketed by value

Each bar is a $25K-wide band; taller bars hold more US cities. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count, share, and where it sits relative to this entry.

Source U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year Estimates · 2023

Income distribution context

Household income distribution - San Marcos, TX San Marcos, TX's reported median household income shown against the U.S. national quintile-share pattern (not San Marcos, TX-specific quintile data). The Lorenz curve traces the national cumulative income share against cumulative population share, perfect equality is the diagonal; observed inequality bows below. $ Household Income Distribution San Marcos, TX median $51,030/yr, vs. U.S. national quintile pattern QUINTILE SHARE OF AGGREGATE INCOME Lowest 20% 3.4% Second 20% 9.2% Middle 20% 15.1% Fourth 20% 23.2% Top 20% 49.1% LORENZ CURVE cumulative income vs. population 100% 0% 100% pop. 0%
San Marcos, TX's median household income (Census ACS 5-year estimate) plotted against the U.S. national income-quintile distribution pattern for context; the quintile shares and Lorenz curve are national figures, not computed specifically for San Marcos, TX. Diagonal = perfect equality.

Key socioeconomic indicators

Bachelor's degree or higher (adults 25+) 37.3%

Census ACS S1501, educational attainment

Poverty rate (households below FPL) 11.5%

Census ACS S1701, poverty status

Labor force participation (adults 16+) 62.7%

Census ACS S2301, share of working-age residents in the labor force

Population
68,920
Median Income
$51,030
Median Home Value
$269,700
Median Age
25.5
Poverty Rate
11.5%
Labor force participation
62.7%
Bachelor's Degree+
37.3%

Safety & Crime

Total Crime Rate
2616.8
per 100,000 residents
Violent Crime
358.9
per 100,000 residents
Property Crime
2257.9
per 100,000 residents

Reflects incidents reported to the FBI's Uniform Crime Reporting program — agency participation is voluntary and reporting completeness varies by jurisdiction and year, so this reflects reporting activity, not a definitive danger score. Not adjusted for tourism, commuter, or daytime population.

Climate

Avg Temperature
68.6°F
Annual Precipitation
36.5"
Annual Snowfall
0.0"

Schools

Total Schools
15
Public schools in this city

Population Change

Annual U.S. Census Bureau Population Estimates Program (PEP) estimates, 2020–2025

See the fastest-growing cities →
65,000 residents70,000 residents75,000 residents80,000 residents 202020212022202320242025 68,199 residents 77,830 residents ▲ +14.1%
San Marcos's Census PEP population estimates, 2020–2025.

Housing Supply

Census Bureau Building Permits Survey (BPS) - annual residential permits authorized

📈 Building Boom
Total Permits (2024)
1,282
housing units authorized
Single-Family
557
detached homes
Multifamily
725
apartments & condos
Supply Intensity
18.6
permits per 1,000 residents

5-Year Permit Trend (2019–2024)

Year Total
2019 577
2020 625
2021 721
2022 934
2023 1,442
2024 1,282

Permit volume increased 122% from 2019 to 2024.

Commute Patterns

How workers travel to work, Census ACS 2023

Drive Alone
71.0%
Carpool
10.2%
Public Transit
1.2%
Walk
4.6%
Work from Home
10.1%
Other
2.9%

Based on 38,033 workers 16 and over.

Monthly Utility Costs

State-average estimates for Texas - EIA 2023 residential energy data

Electricity
$130
avg/month
Natural Gas
$45
avg/month
Water & Sewer
$48
avg/month
Total Utilities
$223
estimated/month

Estimates reflect Texas state averages. Actual costs vary by home size, usage, and local rates. Source: U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) 2023.

Living Costs & Risk

Cost of living is a Texas state average from BEA; rent and hazard risk are county-level figures from HUD and FEMA for the county San Marcos sits in

Cost of Living Index
97.1
Near Average
US average = 100 · BEA RPP 2024
Typical 2-BR Rent
$1,852/mo
HUD Fair Market Rent
County-level FMR estimate
Natural Hazard Risk
90.6 / 100
Very High
FEMA NRI composite score (county)

Similar Cities in Texas

Leander
67,880 people
North Richland Hills
70,338 people
Spring
67,103 people
Harlingen
71,669 people
Victoria
65,514 people
Pflugerville
65,162 people

Cities of a Similar Size Nationwide

Population-matched peers from other states, closest to San Marcos's 68,920 residents (Census ACS 5-Year 2023).

East Orange, NJ
69,183 people
Gaithersburg, MD
69,225 people
Gary, IN
68,604 people
Eau Claire, WI
69,274 people
Schenectady, NY
68,521 people
Portland, ME
68,505 people

Cities with a Similar Household Income Nationwide

Median-household-income-matched peers from other states, closest to San Marcos's $51,030 (Census ACS 5-Year 2023, table B19013).

Midland, VA
$51,033 median income
Fort Denaud, FL
$51,023 median income
Kinsey, AL
$51,042 median income
Langston, AL
$51,042 median income
Acequia, ID
$51,042 median income
Cambria, IL
$51,042 median income

Race & Ethnicity Composition

Race and ethnicity - San Marcos, TX Race categories sum to one hundred percent per Census methodology. Hispanic or Latino is shown separately as an ethnicity overlay; it cuts across all race categories per OMB Directive 15. Race & Ethnicity Composition San Marcos, TX - Census ACS, OMB race + ethnicity categories RACE, sums to 100% 63.3% 8.2% 20.0% ETHNICITY, Hispanic or Latino (any race) 41.9% White 63.3% Black or African American 5.6% Asian 2.1% American Indian 0.6% Native Hawaiian 0.1% Some other race 8.2% Two or more races 20.0% Per OMB Directive 15: Hispanic/Latino ethnicity is reported separately from the race categories.
Race categories sum to 100%. Hispanic or Latino ethnicity is reported separately and cuts across race per Census/OMB methodology.

City-level race and ethnicity, Census ACS 5-year 2023 (tables B02001, B03001), OMB Directive 15 categories.

How San Marcos compares to nearby Texas cities

Population + median household income, sourced from Census Bureau ACS 5-year B01001 (population) and B19013 (median household income).

City Population Median Household Income
San Marcos (this city) 68,920 $51,030
Leander 67,880 $140,180
North Richland Hills 70,338 $93,434
Spring 67,103 $86,888
Census ACS 5-year FIPS TX FBI UCR NOAA Normals NCES CCD Census BPS 2024 OMB Bulletin 23-01

What do people ask about San Marcos, TX?

What is the population of San Marcos, TX? +

San Marcos, TX counts 68,920 residents according to U.S. Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates.

What is the median household income in San Marcos, TX? +

San Marcos households earn a median of $51,030 annually, based on Census ACS 2023 data.

What is the cost of living in San Marcos? +

BEA does not publish a city-level cost-of-living figure for San Marcos; the closest available measure is the Texas state average, a cost of living index of 97.1 (U.S. average = 100), rated "Near Average" based on BEA Regional Price Parities 2024 data. Costs within Texas vary by metro area.

Is San Marcos, TX safe? +

San Marcos has a total crime rate of 2616.8 per 100,000 residents, which is near the national average. This reflects incidents reported to the FBI UCR program, not a definitive safety score -- agency reporting is voluntary and completeness varies by jurisdiction.

What is the median home value in San Marcos, TX? +

Homes in San Marcos carry a median value of $269,700, according to Census ACS 2023 estimates.

What is the climate like in San Marcos? +

The average annual temperature in San Marcos runs 68.6°F, 36.5 inches of precipitation. Source: NOAA Climate Normals.

Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year 2023, FBI UCR, NOAA Climate Normals, NCES CCD, Census BPS 2024, Census ACS B08301/B08136, U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) 2023, BEA Regional Price Parities 2024, HUD Fair Market Rents 2026, FEMA National Risk Index.

Read our methodology - how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.

Primary sources: Census ACS, FBI UCR, NOAA Climate Normals, NCES.

Citation & verification links Data sourced from the U.S. Census Bureau. See our methodology for details. Retrieved and formatted by PlainCities Editorial

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Every figure on PlainCities is rendered directly from Census ACS source data, no number is typed in by an editor. This page draws directly on Census ACS source data, no figure is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error.