The Town Files

San Marcos, Texas

City in Hays County · population 67,553 (2020 Census) · spans 3 counties

Map: where San Marcos is in TexasSan Marcos
Median home
$310,400
Household income
$51,281
Jan low / Jul high
39° / 96°
Snow a year
0 in
Tornadoes ≤10 mi since 1950
18
Median age
25.5

San Marcos is a city of 67,553 people in Hays County, Texas. The median home is worth $310,400, above the typical Texas town ($184,100). It ranks better for young professionals than 98% of Texas towns, hipper than 97% of Texas towns, better for cycling than 96% of Texas towns.

How San Marcos ranks

Percentile among Texas towns with at least 500 people on The Town Files lifestyle rankings. 50 is typical for the state; 90 means better than 90% of Texas towns.

San Marcos lifestyle rankings vs other Texas townsRetirement16th pctFamiliesbottomQuiet9th pctWalkability80th pctFirst-time buyers61st pctYoung professionals98th pctVibrancy92nd pctHip & trendy97th pctCollege town85th pctUpscale61st pctVacation homesbottomSeaside characterbottomCycling96th pctTransit95th pctDriving15th pcttypical
The Town Files lifestyle rankings, built from federal demographic, school, crime and housing data (2025).

Homes and cost of living

The median home in San Marcos is worth $310,400, above the typical Texas town ($184,100). Homes cost about 6.1 times the median household income of $51,281, which is more affordable than 3% of Texas towns. Median rent is $1,322 a month. 30.8% of households own their home.

San Marcos vs Hays County vs typical Texas townSan MarcosHays CountyTypical Texas townHome value$310,400$399,800$184,100Household income$51,281$89,097$65,842Monthly rent$1,322$1,495$1,086
Census ACS 5-year estimates, 2020–2024. "Typical town" = median of Texas towns with 500+ people.
HousingSan MarcosTypical Texas town
Median home value$310,400$184,100
Median rent$1,322$1,086
Median household income$51,281$65,842
Home value ÷ income6.1×2.9×
Homeownership30.8%72.9%
Median year built20011985
Seasonal / vacation homes0.1%—

Who lives in San Marcos

PeopleSan MarcosTypical Texas town
Median age25.537.1
Age 65 and over10.8%15.6%
Under 1813.3%—
Bachelor's degree or higher38.3%18.9%
Below the poverty line26.9%13.1%
Veterans4.7%—
Born outside the U.S.9.1%—
Work from home11.1%7.8%
Average commute24.0 min26.1 min
Homes with broadband85.3%89.2%

Weather in San Marcos

July highs average 95.7°F and January lows 38.9°F. About 36.5 inches of rain and melted snow fall a year, with 0.0 inches of snow (typical Texas town: 0.2 in). Expect about 117 days a year at 90°F or hotter and 20 nights at or below freezing.

San Marcos monthly temperatures and precipitation30°40°50°60°70°80°90°100°32° freezing62°39°Jan67°42°Feb73°50°Mar80°56°Apr86°65°May92°72°Jun96°73°Jul97°74°Aug91°69°Sep82°58°Oct72°48°Nov64°41°DecPrecipitation (in)2.41.72.83.24.53.62.22.64.04.42.72.4
NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals: average daily high and low by month; precipitation and snowfall in inches. Temperatures from the San Marcos station (1.0 mi away).

Tornadoes, storms and disasters

18 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of San Marcos since 1950, compared with 21 for the typical Texas town. 3 rated (E)F2 or stronger. The strongest, an F2, struck on August 10, 1980 about 1.8 miles from the town center. The most recent was on June 12, 2025.

Tornadoes within 10 miles of San Marcos by decade21950s41960s11970s21980s11990s42000s32010s12020s
NOAA Storm Events Database, tornado tracks (start to end point) passing within 10 miles of the town center, 1950–2026.

Hail of 1 inch or larger has been reported within 10 miles 79 times; the largest was 4.50 inches on March 16, 2000.

Severe weather in Hays County since 1996

Storm events in Hays County since 1996 by typeHail130Flood12Drought79Tornado18Wildfire5Lightning5Flash Flood127Winter Storm19
NOAA Storm Events Database, Hays County, 1996–2026 (all event types recorded since 1996). 15 deaths recorded.

Hays County has been included in 27 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1953, most often for fire, flood, drought.

DeclaredIncidentDeclaration
May 17, 2024FloodDR-4781: Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Tornadoes, And Flooding
April 21, 2023Winter StormDR-4705: Severe Winter Storm
February 19, 2021Severe Ice StormDR-4586: Severe Winter Storms
February 14, 2021Severe Ice StormEM-3554: Severe Winter Storm
March 25, 2020BiologicalDR-4485: Covid-19 Pandemic

Jobs and pay in Hays County

Hays County had 95,598 jobs in 2024, paying an average of $54,838 a year. Unemployment was 3.3% in 2023; in San Marcos itself the ACS puts it at 5.2%.

Largest industries in Hays CountyRetail14,142 jobs · $36,182Hotels & restaurants12,387 jobs · $24,576Health care & social assistan…8,648 jobs · $51,776Construction7,515 jobs · $73,565Transportation & warehousing7,396 jobs · $50,330Manufacturing5,585 jobs · $74,801
BLS Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024, private-sector jobs and average annual pay.
Unemployment rate in Hays County, 2000–20230%2%4%6%8%2000200420082012201620202023Hays 3.3%
Annual average unemployment rate (BLS Local Area Unemployment Statistics via USDA ERS).

Public schools in San Marcos

15 public schools with 9,312 students, about 13.4 students per teacher.

SchoolGradesStudentsPer teacher
SAN MARCOS H S9-122,49414.8
MILLER MIDDLE6-890814.0
GOODNIGHT MIDDLE6-886713.5
BLANCO VISTA ELPK-571814.4
DEZAVALA ELK-559112.8
BOWIE ELK-557714.8
MENDEZ ELK-554011.7
HERNANDEZ ELK-553112.1
CROCKETT ELK-548713.2
TRAVIS ELK-547011.8
RODRIGUEZ ELK-543611.5
BONHAM PRE-K SCHOOLPK-PK41015.8

Towns near San Marcos

San Marcos questions

Is San Marcos, Texas a good place to retire?

On The Town Files lifestyle rankings, San Marcos scores better for retirees than 16% of Texas towns and quieter than 9%. 10.8% of residents are 65 or older (median age 25.5).

How much does a house cost in San Marcos?

The median owner-occupied home in San Marcos is valued at $310,400 (Census ACS 2020–2024), against a median household income of $51,281, so homes cost about 6.1 times income. Median rent is $1,322 a month.

What is the weather like in San Marcos?

July highs average 95.7°F and January lows 38.9°F (NOAA 1991–2020 normals). It gets about 36.5 inches of precipitation a year and 0.0 inches of snow.

Does San Marcos get tornadoes?

18 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of San Marcos since 1950 (NOAA Storm Events); the strongest was a F2 on August 10, 1980. The typical Texas town has had 21.

How this page is made. Every number comes from public data, matched to San Marcos's Census boundary (GEOID 4865600). Comparisons use the median of Texas towns with at least 500 people. Weather comes from the nearest NOAA normals station; storm counts use NOAA tornado tracks within 10 miles of the town center. Data snapshot 2026-11-12.