City comparison
Mission, TX is about 250 miles (400 km) from San Marcos, TX in a straight line. By road, the drive is roughly 325 miles, or about 5 h 15 min behind the wheel at highway speeds.
Driving distance is a rough estimate (great-circle × 1.25); driving time assumes a 60 mph blended average. Real trips run 10–20% longer with stops.
A direct flight from Mission, TX to San Marcos, TX takes about 31 min, covering roughly 250 miles in a straight line. Connecting itineraries with a layover typically add 1–3 hours.
Block-to-block estimate at ~500 mph cruise, including taxi, climb, and descent — what an airline would publish, not pure airborne time.
Mission has a population of 85,755, vs 67,143 in San Marcos — about 1.3× larger by population. By land area, San Marcos covers about 40 sq mi vs 36 sq mi for Mission.
Population from US Census ACS. Land area from the Census Gazetteer (city proper, excluding inland water).
Cost indices by category, with the US city average (100) marked.
Index: 100 = US city average. Lower is more affordable.
Side-by-side costs, salaries, and sub-category indices.
| Metric | Mission | San Marcos | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $876/mo | $1,251/mo | 42.8% higher in San Marcos |
| Median home value | $147,600 | $248,300 | 68.2% higher in San Marcos |
| Median household income | $56,421 | $47,394 | 19.0% higher in Mission |
| Groceries index | 94.2 | 94.2 | ≈ equal |
| Utilities index | 82.4 | 83.2 | 0.9% higher in San Marcos |
| Transportation index | 96.6 | 96.6 | ≈ equal |
| Healthcare index | 96.1 | 96.1 | ≈ equal |
How much you'd need to earn in the other city to keep the same standard of living.
If you earn $100,000 in Mission, you'd need $133,291 in San Marcos to maintain your standard of living.
Climate, safety, and demographics side by side.
Mission, TX is about 25% cheaper overall than San Marcos, TX, based on our cost-of-living index. Housing costs are roughly 107% higher in San Marcos than in Mission. If you earn $80,000 in Mission, you'd need about $106,633 in San Marcos to keep the same standard of living.