Carlsbad, CA vs San Marcos, CA

Side-by-side comparison from the latest government data.

MetricCarlsbad, CASan Marcos, CA
Population114,37394,882
Median Household Income$142,748$109,377
Median Rent$2,808/mo$2,348/mo
Median Home Value$1,257,000$868,000
Cost of Living (US = 100)112112
Renters Paying 30%+ of Income54.5%61.7%
Poverty Rate6.9%9.2%
Unemployment Rate4.3%4.2%
Violent Crime Rate /100k212106
Property Crime Rate /100k1,118397
Median AQI6767
Good AQI Days /yr6464
Summer Highs73°F86°F
Winter Lows48°F45°F
Snowfall0 in/yr0 in/yr
Avg Commute27.1 min26.5 min
Hospitals—1
Avg Hospital Rating—4.0 / 5
Students per Teacher22.824.3
College Degree Rate62.1%43.8%
Foreign-Born %14.1%22.3%
Population Growth (2020–2025)-2.2%+0.1%

Green = clearly better (more than 5% apart). Population, growth, weather, hospital count and foreign-born share aren’t scored.