70,301
Population
Sunny Days: 265
85100 Affordability
95100 Schools
95100 Diversity
100100 Safety
San Marcos, California
San Marvelous
San Marcos Aerial View, Credit: Republic Moving
San Marcos Farmer's Market
San Marcos Canal Living
San Marcos River
LookyLOO Review of San Marcos?
Suburban Bliss
San Marcos is a wonderful bedroom community. One that has stunning scenery, amazing weather (albeit a few degrees warmer than the coast), and some of the best schools in the entire state. The homes are beautiful, the yards and parks are built for kiddos and doggos to run around and it’s as safe a city as you can find in Southern California.
If you’re not looking for a bedroom community, you’re going to find San Marcos dull and it’s (as of yet) sorely lacking walkability. It’s also a rough spot if you’re commuting as the State Route 78 is the primary way to get anywhere from San Marcos and it can be a bear for commuting.
Lifestyle
Located in the foothills of North San Diego County, San Marcos is mostly a sleepy suburb. However, CSU came to San Marcos in 1989 and the college brought some more buzzy action (and breweries.)
South of 78, it’s subdivisions and the occasional shopping center with decent hiking.
San Marcos started as a rural area and is still not walkable but the city is undergoing major development including high-density housing, mixed-use and commercial development. This is raising costs and causing some disagreement. (At the time of this writing there’s quite a kerfuffle about a second Costco for example.)
Nevertheless, the revitalization of Old California Restaurant Row is “envisioned as a vibrant, mixed-use hub that will include updated dining offerings, new retail space, landscaped pedestrian connections, a neighborhood park and a range of housing designed to facilitate a live/work environment. The Project is designed to activate W. San Marcos Blvd. through the inclusion of outdoor dining, street-facing homes to encourage walkability, social gathering spots, opportunities for public art, and other elements that improve this highly visible public space.
Schools
San Marcos is home to California State University San Marcos and Palomar College as well as six private higher education institutions so education is at a premium here. SMUSD is considered a good school district and gets an A+ grade on niche.com. San Marcos High School is well-regarded as are several grade schools including; Discovery, Paloma, San Marcos, Double Peak, and San Elijah Elementary.
Reviews of San Marcos from Locals
Suburban Blues
SciosciaBuns
1y ago
🦉🦉🦉
I grew up in south Orange County and have lived in Escondido for nearly 10 years. The Escondido/San Marcos area definitely reminds me of parts of north OC, like Orange, Santa Ana, Fullerton areas.
There are parts of Escondido that are super nice, it has a cute & small downtown, some great restaurants. Then there are areas that are not so great with homeless and prostitution and the area generally looks run down.
San Marcos is suburban all around and has a small/moderate sized university and a large community college. I wouldn’t care to live there personally as a majority of the housing are track homes and apartments.
I don’t feel that “keeping up with the Jones’s” mentality as much down here but it is definitely still present as it is around much of Southern California.
I’ve never been to NYC so I don’t know exactly how much of a culture shock it will be but I imagine the differences are pretty immense.
For more reviews of what living in San Marcos is like from locals check out: [The Reviews](
https://lookyloomove.com/locations/san-marcos/reviews).
Why You Should Move Here Now?
It's a pretty sweet location that is fairly close to the high priced North County beach locations without quite the steep housing costs and close to highways for commuter access to San Diego. Perhaps for some of you the $2 billion investment they are making in Downtown is the true incentive though. It will take a sleepy suburban town and turn it into a more vibrant, walkable, fun city.
Want to give San Marcos a shot?
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Living in San Marcos
Neighborhoods in San Marcos
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San Elijo Hills
Families/Retirees/DINKs
A masterplanned community, San Elijo Hills is a San Marcos favorite. It’s known for its rolling hills and scenic vistas. The neighborhood features a variety of housing options, including single-family homes, townhouses, and apartments. The architectural styles blend traditional and contemporary designs. One of the great characteristics of San Elijo is it is the only community in the city with its own town center. The San Elijo Hills Town Center, offers shops, restaurants, and gives the neighborhood an energy the others lack. Locals can also access miles of hiking and biking trails that wind through the natural landscapes.
The single-family homes are large custom builds, many with 4-5 bedrooms, and generally starting in the $1.5m range.