San Marcos is a city in San Diego County, California, home to about 94,882 people across 24 square miles. Its ZIP codes are 92069, 92078 and 92096, and parts of 92029 are in San Marcos too.
Homes sold for a median of $511 per square foot across 2 ZIP codes in the three months ending August 2026, and all of them were seller’s markets.
Mostly San Marcos
Mostly San Marcos; also Lake San Marcos and Harmony Grove
All in San Marcos
Mostly Escondido; part is in San Marcos
Each card is that ZIP code’s whole market, including any part outside San Marcos. Seller’s market: under 4 months of supply; buyer’s market: over 6. Methodology
We’re writing up San Marcos’s story and what everyday life there is like, for people thinking about moving in.
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| Nearest major airport | San Diego International Airport (SAN)27 miles away |
|---|---|
| Closer regional airport | McClellan-Palomar Airport (CLD)6 miles away |
| Nearest city of 250,000+ | San Diego, CA21 miles away |
Straight-line distances from the center of San Marcos; driving is longer.
Source: Airports from OurAirports (scheduled passenger service); city centers and populations from the U.S. Census Bureau.
Source: Members of Congress from the congress-legislators project; districts from the Census Bureau’s relationship files; governor and mayor from Wikidata.
San Marcos had 94,833 residents in the 2020 census, up 72% since 2000.
It’s the 81st largest of 1,563 towns in California by population.
San Diego County grew from 35,090 residents in 1900 to 3,298,634 in 2020.
San Diego County, 1900–2020
Source: U.S. Census Bureau decennial censuses (counties 1900–1990 from the Bureau’s historical county file).
Average highs peak around 89°F in summer, and winter lows average 44°F. About 14.7 inches of rain and melted snow fall in a typical year.
Source: NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals, Escondido #2, CA weather station (5 miles away).
1,391,721 jobs at 93,407 businesses in San Diego County. The biggest industries by employees:
Source: U.S. Census Bureau County Business Patterns 2023 (private employers; jobs counted where people work).
978 doctors and other health care providers list an office in San Marcos’s ZIP codes.
Nearest hospitals
Providers with an office here
| Primary care doctors | 88 |
|---|---|
| Specialist doctors | 61 |
| Dentists | 107 |
| Nurse practitioners and physician assistants | 128 |
| Mental health providers | 395 |
| Physical and occupational therapists | 145 |
| Optometrists | 13 |
| Chiropractors | 41 |
| Pharmacies | 25 |
Source: Hospitals from CMS Hospital General Information (ratings are CMS overall star ratings); straight-line distances; providers from the CMS National Plan and Provider Enumeration System (NPPES), by practice address and primary specialty.
Parks (34 nearby)
Grocery stores (12 nearby)
Pharmacies (6 nearby)
Libraries (4 nearby)
Museums
Theaters and performance venues (1 nearby)
Counts are within about 3.5 miles of the center of town.
Source: Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors (openstreetmap.org/copyright), as mapped by volunteers; it can miss places or include closed ones.
Established in 1963.
Notable people born here
Source: Wikidata (wikidata.org), the free knowledge base; people are listed by place of birth.
Public schools here are run by Baypoint Preparatory Academy - San Diego District, San Marcos Unified, High Tech Elementary North County District and others. Check each district’s attendance zones for a specific address.
| School | Grades | Students | Type | Distance |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Baypoint Preparatory Academy - San DiegoSan Marcos | K–8 | 162 | Charter | 1.7 mi |
| Discovery ElementarySan Marcos | K–5 | 717 | Public | 0.8 mi |
| Double PeakSan Marcos | K–8 | 1,171 | Public | 1.8 mi |
| High Tech Elementary North CountySan Marcos | K–5 | 438 | Charter | 1.4 mi |
| Knob Hill ElementarySan Marcos | K–5 | 725 | Public | 3.3 mi |
| La Mirada AcademySan Marcos | K–8 | 868 | Public | 1.7 mi |
| North Coastal Consortium SchoolsSan Marcos | K–12 | 46 | Special Education | 1.1 mi |
| Paloma ElementarySan Marcos | K–5 | 758 | Public | 2.1 mi |
| Pivot Charter School - San Diego IISan Marcos | K–12 | 90 | Charter | 1.8 mi |
| Richland ElementarySan Marcos | K–5 | 883 | Public | 2.8 mi |
| San Elijo ElementarySan Marcos | K–5 | 834 | Public | 2.3 mi |
| San Marcos ElementarySan Marcos | K–5 | 546 | Public | 0.9 mi |
| Twin Oaks ElementarySan Marcos | K–5 | 648 | Public | 3.5 mi |
| High Tech Middle North CountySan Marcos | 6–8 | 341 | Charter | 1.4 mi |
| San Elijo MiddleSan Marcos | 6–8 | 1,395 | Public | 2.4 mi |
| San Marcos MiddleSan Marcos | 6–8 | 968 | Public | 1.2 mi |
| Woodland Park MiddleSan Marcos | 6–8 | 1,184 | Public | 3.0 mi |
| Foothills HighSan Marcos | 9–12 | 101 | Alternative Education | 3.6 mi |
| High Tech High North CountySan Marcos | 9–12 | 409 | Charter | 1.4 mi |
| Mission Hills HighSan Marcos | 9–12 | 2,751 | Public | 2.2 mi |
| San Marcos HighSan Marcos | 9–12 | 3,067 | Public | 1.7 mi |
| Twin Oaks HighSan Marcos | 9–12 | 192 | Alternative Education | 3.6 mi |
| School | Grades | Students | Affiliation | Distance |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| St Joseph AcademySan Marcos | TK–12 | 355 | Roman Catholic | 2.0 mi |
Source: U.S. Department of Education, NCES: Common Core of Data (2024-2025) for public schools; Private School Universe Survey (2023-2024) for private schools. Listed by address; we don’t rate schools.
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Shares ZIP codes with Escondido, Lake San Marcos, San Diego, Harmony Grove, Elfin Forest and Del Dios.
Town boundaries don’t always match ZIP codes: a ZIP code can cross into neighboring towns, and a town can share a ZIP code with its neighbors. Facts describe the town itself; market figures describe whole ZIP codes.