© OpenMapTiles © OpenStreetMap
California
San Marcos
Population 94,882
© OpenMapTiles © OpenStreetMap
California
Solana Beach
Population 12,823
San Marcos, CA vs Solana Beach, CA
Side-by-side comparison from the latest government data.
| Metric | San Marcos, CA | Solana Beach, CA |
|---|---|---|
| Population | 94,882 | 12,823 |
| Median Household Income | $109,377 | $152,167 |
| Median Rent | $2,348/mo | $3,212/mo |
| Median Home Value | $868,000 | $2,000,000+ |
| Cost of Living (US = 100) | 112 | 112 |
| Renters Paying 30%+ of Income | 61.7% | 49.3% |
| Poverty Rate | 9.2% | 5.5% |
| Unemployment Rate | 4.2% | 4.6% (county) |
| Violent Crime Rate /100k | 106 | 111 |
| Property Crime Rate /100k | 397 | 1,183 |
| Median AQI | 67 | 67 |
| Good AQI Days /yr | 64 | 64 |
| Summer Highs | 86°F | 73°F |
| Winter Lows | 45°F | 48°F |
| Snowfall | 0 in/yr | 0 in/yr |
| Avg Commute | 26.5 min | 21 min |
| Hospitals | 1 | — |
| Avg Hospital Rating | 4.0 / 5 | — |
| Students per Teacher | 23.2 | 23.6 |
| College Degree Rate | 43.8% | 72.3% |
| Foreign-Born % | 22.3% | 10.5% |
| Population Growth (2020–2025) | +0.1% | -2.6% |
San Marcos, CA
Solana Beach, CA
Green = clearly better (more than 5% apart). Population, growth, weather, hospital count and foreign-born share aren’t scored.
The Census tops out at $2,000,000+ for home value; it doesn't publish exact figures above that. Two capped values can't be compared, so neither is marked better.