Should I Move To
Roughly 67,143 people live in San Marcos, Texas. Living here costs moderate relative to the rest of the country, 4% above the national average. Median rent runs about $1,251/mo; the typical household pulls in $47,394. On the UrbRank Score it pulls a 45/100 — a D, putting it at #677 nationally.
UrbRank Score · General
Each dimension scored 0-100 against every other US city.
Based on overall cost of living vs. other US cities.
Temperate summers & winters, moderate precipitation.
Walk Score — how feasible daily errands are on foot.
Unemployment rate plus household income vs. national median.
Share of residents 25+ with a bachelor's degree or higher.
By the composite index, San Marcos sits at 104 — moderate when stacked against the rest of the country. Running the rent-to-income math ($1,251/mo against $47,394 median household income), housing eats roughly 32% of a typical paycheck — a bit above the 30% rule, meaning housing is on the tight side for the median household. Buying-side, the median home value is $248,300.
Full cost-of-living breakdown →The weather here is hot-summer: roughly 95°F in summer, 40°F in winter. Annual precipitation lands near 36 inches. Walkability varies a lot by neighborhood — denser pockets work fine on foot, the rest leans on driving. AQI runs about 47 — a "good" reading.
Verdict by lifestyle profile — same data, different priorities.
For families, San Marcos is workable — not standout, not weak. The profile-weighted score is 56/100 — a C. Its standout dimension is affordability (59/100); the soft spot is job market (12/100).
For retirees, San Marcos is workable — not standout, not weak. The profile-weighted score is 56/100 — a C. Its standout dimension is affordability (59/100); the soft spot is job market (12/100).
For remote workers, San Marcos is workable — not standout, not weak. The profile-weighted score is 57/100 — a C. Its standout dimension is affordability (59/100); the soft spot is job market (12/100).
For young professionals, San Marcos isn't the strongest match. The profile-weighted score is 42/100 — a D. Its standout dimension is affordability (59/100); the soft spot is job market (12/100).
Our overall score for San Marcos is 45/100 — a D, sitting at #677 in the national ranking. It's a weighted average across the seven UrbRank dimensions.
By the composite index, San Marcos sits at 104 — moderate, 4% above the national average. Median renter pays around $1,251 a month.
San Marcos runs hot-summer on the weather. Summer's near 95°F, winter's near 40°F; 36 inches of precipitation annually.
Walk Score: 57/100. Walkability varies a lot by neighborhood — denser pockets work fine on foot, the rest leans on driving.
Roughly 67,143 people live here, with 36% college-educated (bachelor's or higher) among adults 25+ with a median age of 25.
Drop San Marcos into the comparison tool with any other US city and you'll get housing costs, salaries, demographics, and quality-of-life data lined up side by side. Profile-specific leaderboards (families, retirees, remote workers, young professionals) are linked from the navigation.
Every US city is scored 0-100 on seven dimensions using public data from the US Census Bureau, Bureau of Labor Statistics, FBI Crime Data Explorer, EPA Air Quality System, NOAA NCEI, and Walk Score. Each dimension is a percentile rank against every other city — so a score of 80 means the city is in the top 20% nationally on that dimension.
The overall score is a weighted average. Five lifestyle profiles — general, families, retirees, remote workers, young professionals — weight the dimensions differently to reflect what each cares about. Families get more weight on safety and schools; young professionals get more weight on jobs and walkability; retirees get more weight on climate.
Compare San Marcos with other Texas cities scored on UrbRank.
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