Housing data for Lake San Marcos, CA
Lake San Marcos, CA has an estimated 4,693 residents and 2,117 homes (US Census Bureau, 2020–2024 American Community Survey).
It is an unincorporated community in San Diego County.
21.0% of households rent.
The median gross rent is $2,585 a month.
Figures last updated on .
- Residents
- 4,693 (±708)
- Housing units
- 2,117 (±251)
- Households that rent
- 21.0%
- Median gross rent
- $2,585
- Residents since 2015–2019
- −0.4%
What stands out in Lake San Marcos
Households that rent: 21.0% (±5.0 points) in Lake San Marcos, lower than in San Diego County (45.4%).
Homes in buildings of 5 or more units: 14.1% (±4.7 points) in Lake San Marcos, lower than in San Diego County (29.5%).
Median gross rent: $2,585 (±$214) in Lake San Marcos, higher than in San Diego County ($2,246).
Median real estate taxes: $4,960 (±$633) in Lake San Marcos, lower than in San Diego County ($5,774).
- Renters and owners in Lake San Marcos
- Types of homes in Lake San Marcos
- Median rent in Lake San Marcos
- Property taxes in Lake San Marcos
Housing in Lake San Marcos at a glance
- Median rent: $2,585 median gross rent a month
- Rent by bedrooms: $2,503 median gross rent, 2 bedrooms
- Rent burden: 49.3% of renters pay 30% or more of income
- Renters and owners: 21.0% of households rent
- Income and affordability: $89,851 median household income
- Home values: $917,000 median home value
- Homeowner costs: $2,701 median monthly cost with a mortgage
- Property taxes: $4,960 median real estate taxes a year
- Types of homes: 14.1% of homes are in buildings of 5 or more units
- Bedrooms: 43.2% of homes have 3 or more bedrooms
- Age of homes: 54.0% of homes were built before 1980
- Vacancy rate: 13.3% rental vacancy rate (Small sample: wide margin of error)
- Heating fuel: 66.9% heat with utility gas
- Commute and cars: 23.5 minutes average trip to work
- Growth: −0.4% residents since 2015–2019
- How long people stay: 21.8% moved in since 2020
- Crowding and facilities: 3.6% of homes have more than 1 person per room
Lake San Marcos against San Diego County, its state and the nation
| Lake San Marcos | San Diego County | California | United States | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Residents | 4,693 (±708) | 3,288,774 (exact) | 39,287,377 (exact) | 334,922,499 |
| Housing units | 2,117 (±251) | 1,250,641 (±516) | 14,644,735 (±1,665) | 143,775,355 |
| Households that rent | 21.0% (±5.0 points) | 45.4% (±0.3 points) | 44.1% (±0.2 points) | 34.8% |
| Median gross rent | $2,585 (±$214) | $2,246 (±$11) | $2,036 (±$5) | $1,413 |
| Median household income | $89,851 (±$17,454) | $106,268 (±$949) | $99,122 (±$310) | $80,734 |
| Median home value | $917,000 (±$70,499) | $854,700 (±$3,996) | $734,700 (±$1,307) | $332,700 |
| Median real estate taxes (a year) | $4,960 (±$633) | $5,774 (±$47) | $5,124 (±$17) | $3,119 |
| Built before 1980 | 54.0% (±9.8 points) | 49.4% (±0.5 points) | 56.0% (±0.2 points) | 49.7% |
| Average commute | 23.5 minutes (±3.2) | 25.5 minutes (±0.2) | 28.7 minutes (±0.1) | 26.4 minutes |
| Households with broadband | 93.7% (±3.2 points) | 94.9% (±0.2 points) | 93.5% (±0.1 points) | 91.0% |
| Median age of residents | 63.0 years (±3.4) | 37.3 years (±0.1) | 37.9 years (±0.1) | 38.9 years |
Lake San Marcos covers 1.7 square miles of land, about 2,749 residents per square mile (Census Bureau Gazetteer).
How Lake San Marcos has changed since 2015–2019
| 2015–2019 | 2020–2024 | Amount of change | Verdict | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Residents | 4,713 (±603) | 4,693 (±708) | −0.4% | Not a measurable change |
| Housing units | 2,735 (±265) | 2,117 (±251) | −22.6% | Measurable decrease |
| Median gross rent | $1,988 (±$635) | $2,585 (±$214) | +30.0% | No measurable change after inflation |
| Median home value | $602,700 (±$41,328) | $917,000 (±$70,499) | +52.1% | Up after inflation |
| Median household income | $71,923 (±$6,576) | $89,851 (±$17,454) | +24.9% | No measurable change after inflation |
| Median owner cost with a mortgage | $2,327 (±$215) | $2,701 (±$190) | +16.1% | No measurable change after inflation |
| Median real estate taxes | $3,881 (±$574) | $4,960 (±$633) | +27.8% | No measurable change after inflation |
| Households that rent | 19.2% (±6.7 points) | 21.0% (±5.0 points) | +1.8 percentage points | Not a measurable change |
| Rental vacancy rate | 0.0% (±7.4 points) | 13.3% (±14.0 points) | +13.3 percentage points | Not a measurable change |
The Census Bureau publishes 2015–2019 dollars in 2019 dollars and 2020–2024 dollars in 2024 dollars.
Prices (the CPI-U, US Bureau of Labor Statistics) rose 22.7% between 2019 and 2024, so a dollar figure’s verdict compares the two after raising the earlier one by that much, using the Census Bureau’s test for a difference.
The two periods do not overlap, as the Census Bureau recommends for 5-year estimates.
Crime reported to police in San Diego County
Lake San Marcos has no police department of its own in the FBI’s figures, so this is the figure for San Diego County as a whole.
In 2025, the police departments that report for San Diego County recorded 316 violent and 1,155 property crimes per 100,000 residents.
A county-wide figure describes the whole county, not this place; crime varies from one community to the next.
ZIP codes in Lake San Marcos
| ZIP code | Share of the ZIP’s land in this place | Residents | Median gross rent | Median home value | Median household income |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 92078 | 10% | 53,605 | $2,567 | $942,300 | $120,268 |
A ZIP code is a mail route rather than a boundary, so the Census Bureau publishes figures for ZIP Code Tabulation Areas built from census blocks; the share column says how much of each one’s land lies in this place.
Places near Lake San Marcos
| Place | Distance | Median gross rent | Median home value | Households that rent |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| San Marcos | 2.3 mi | $2,348 | $868,000 | 36.3% |
| Harmony Grove | 4.4 mi | $3,500 or more | $1,231,600 | 13.1% |
| Carlsbad | 4.4 mi | $2,808 | $1,257,000 | 37.1% |
| Vista | 5.0 mi | $2,249 | $762,400 | 48.3% |
| Encinitas | 5.9 mi | $2,886 | $1,646,800 | 33.5% |
| Rancho Santa Fe | 6.7 mi | $3,500 or more | $2,000,000 or more | 6.9% |
| Escondido | 7.8 mi | $2,046 | $714,500 | 46.6% |
| Hidden Meadows | 8.7 mi | $2,736 | $851,100 | 8.1% |
Places in California most like Lake San Marcos
| Place | Median gross rent | Median home value | Median household income | Households that rent |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Santee | $2,250 | $727,200 | $113,394 | 27.6% |
| Simi Valley | $2,579 | $823,800 | $122,081 | 27.1% |
| Sonoma | $2,226 | $970,500 | $98,527 | 35.0% |
| Graton | $2,826 | $878,100 | $91,429 | 20.9% |
| Bonita | $2,218 | $962,800 | $118,674 | 24.0% |
| Soquel | $2,266 | $957,300 | $118,777 | 27.3% |
Matched on rent, home value, income, the share who rent, the age of the homes, the share in apartment buildings and the commute, each measured against the spread across California.
HUD Fair Market Rent for Lake San Marcos, fiscal year 2027
| Studio | 1 bedroom | 2 bedrooms | 3 bedrooms | 4 bedrooms |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $2,192 | $2,335 | $2,823 | $3,743 | $4,526 |
HUD income limits for Lake San Marcos, fiscal year 2026
| Household size | Extremely low (30%) | Very low (50%) | Low (80%) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 person | $36,750 | $61,250 | $97,950 |
| 2 people | $42,000 | $70,000 | $111,950 |
| 3 people | $47,250 | $78,750 | $125,950 |
| 4 people | $52,450 | $87,450 | $139,900 |
| 5 people | $56,650 | $94,450 | $151,100 |
| 6 people | $60,850 | $101,450 | $162,300 |
| 7 people | $65,050 | $108,450 | $173,500 |
| 8 people | $69,250 | $115,450 | $184,700 |
These are the limits HUD sets for its housing programs in the San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA MSA, where HUD’s median family income for fiscal year 2026 is $130,900.
A program can use its own limits; tax-credit and local programs often do.
Lake San Marcos is a census-designated place: an unincorporated community the Census Bureau draws for statistics, with no municipal government of its own.
Survey years: 2020–2024 (American Community Survey 5-year estimates), compared with 2015–2019.
Margins of error are at the 90% confidence level.
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Questions about Lake San Marcos
What is the average rent in Lake San Marcos, CA?
The Census Bureau publishes the median rather than the average: the median gross rent in Lake San Marcos is $2,585 (±$214) a month (2020–2024 American Community Survey), so half of renting households pay less and half pay more.
How much is a one-bedroom apartment in Lake San Marcos?
The median gross rent for a one-bedroom home in Lake San Marcos, CA is $2,944 (±$2,461) a month (2020–2024 American Community Survey).
Are renters in Lake San Marcos rent-burdened?
49.3% of renting households in Lake San Marcos pay 30% or more of their income in gross rent, the share housing researchers usually call rent-burdened (2020–2024 American Community Survey).
How many renters are there in Lake San Marcos?
Lake San Marcos has an estimated 419 (±115) renting households, 21.0% of its occupied homes (2020–2024 American Community Survey).
What is the median household income in Lake San Marcos?
The median household income in Lake San Marcos is $89,851 (±$17,454) a year (2020–2024 American Community Survey).
What is the average home value in Lake San Marcos, CA?
The Census Bureau publishes the median: $917,000 (±$70,499) for owner-occupied homes in Lake San Marcos (2020–2024 American Community Survey).
Is Lake San Marcos growing?
In Lake San Marcos, the number of residents went from 4,713 in 2015–2019 to 4,693 in 2020–2024 (−0.4%), not a measurable change.
What ZIP codes are in Lake San Marcos?
The ZIP code that covers Lake San Marcos is 92078.
What is the median rent in ZIP code 92078?
The median gross rent in ZIP Code Tabulation Area 92078 is $2,567 (±$149) a month (2020–2024 American Community Survey).
Sources
- Demographic and Housing Estimates (DP05), 2020–2024 ACS 5-year estimates — Lake San Marcos CDP, California
- Selected Housing Characteristics (DP04), 2020–2024 ACS 5-year estimates — Lake San Marcos CDP, California
- Selected Economic Characteristics (DP03), 2020–2024 ACS 5-year estimates — Lake San Marcos CDP, California
- Median Real Estate Taxes Paid by Mortgage Status (B25103), 2020–2024 ACS 5-year estimates — Lake San Marcos CDP, California
- Selected Social Characteristics (DP02), 2020–2024 ACS 5-year estimates — Lake San Marcos CDP, California
- Total Population (B01003), 2015–2019 ACS 5-year estimates — Lake San Marcos CDP, California
- Median Gross Rent (B25064), 2015–2019 ACS 5-year estimates — Lake San Marcos CDP, California
- HUD Fair Market Rents, fiscal year 2027: San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA MSA
- HUD Small Area Fair Market Rents, fiscal year 2027
- HUD Income Limits, fiscal year 2026: San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA MSA
- US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2020–2024 5-year estimates for ZIP Code Tabulation Areas
- Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers (CPI-U), US city average, all items, US Bureau of Labor Statistics: annual averages 2019 and 2024
- US Census Bureau, 2024 Gazetteer Files
To check these figures in the Census Bureau’s own API, request the variables below from the 2024 ACS 5-year data profile (acs/acs5/profile) for Lake San Marcos CDP, California (place:39724, in state:06).
Each estimate (E or PE) has a margin of error beside it (M or PM).
The 2015–2019 figures are B01003_001E, B01003_001M, B25064_001E, B25064_001M from the 2019 release.
The API needs a free key.
DP05_0001E, DP05_0001M, DP04_0001E, DP04_0001M, DP04_0047PE, DP04_0047PM, DP04_0134E, DP04_0134M, DP03_0062E, DP03_0062M, DP04_0089E, DP04_0089M
This product uses the Census Bureau Data API but is not endorsed or certified by the Census Bureau.
Figures are published by the US Census Bureau, HUD, the Bureau of Labor Statistics and the FBI; Seayora reproduces them and does not adjust them, except where a sentence says it compares dollar figures after inflation. They describe the whole place, not any one building or street, and are not an appraisal, a rent determination, a tax bill, a safety rating or legal advice.
Figures last updated on .