San Marcos Ca
Population: 81,274
81,274
Population
$67,465
Median Income
34.8
Median Age
140.2
Cost of Living Index
- Median Home Value: 369,800
- Median Home Age: 20.0
- Unemployment Rate: 10.2%
- Future Job Growth: 30.1%
Hot On San Marcos!
San Marcos is a suburb of San Diego in the North County section of San Diego County, California. As of the 2010 census, the city had a total population of 83,781. Outside the San Diego region, it is best known as the home of California State University, San Marcos. The city is bordered by Escondido to the east, Encinitas to the Southwest, Carlsbad to the west, and Vista to the northwest.
The original town of San Marcos was at the intersection of what is now Grand Avenue and Rancho Santa Fe Road. In 1887 the Santa Fe Railroad announced that it was going to lay tracks going through the valley, but to the disappointment of the citizens, the tracks were laid one mile away from the center of the town. By 1896, San Marcos was a community with its own stores, post office, blacksmith and railroad depot. In 1903, the town appeared to be going downhill so the people of San Marcos picked up their homes and moved along the railroad tracks to what now are Mission Road and Pico Avenue.
In 1905, the town had every convenience, including rural mail delivery and telephone service. The first school in the area, which had started in Barham in 1880, was moved in 1889 to San Marcos. Later that same year, the Richland School was built, being the second school in San Marcos. The main business in San Marcos in the 19th century and early 20th century was farming. Then in the mid-20th century, dairies and poultry production became a big part of the business in the town.
San Marcos experienced a period of growth from 1956 onward, when the first water from the Colorado River arrived. Several small businesses were founded and the population rapidly increased to 2,500. San Marcos became an incorporated city on January 28, 1963. In the 1970s, San Marcos was flourishing as the third fastest-growing city in the state with a population of 17,479 by 1980. The population continued to boom over the next two decades, reaching 33,800 in 1990 and 82,743 in 2000.
San Marcos Unified School District is arguably one of the best school districts in San Diego County and even in the state of California. It is apparent, that students enrolled in SMUSD schools tend to score higher on California State Tests than their peers. The similar schools ranking of the CA API scores is the best indicator of how students perform when compared to other schools with similar demographics, socioeconomic status, etc. For the 2008 CA state test, SMUSD schools received an average similar schools ranking of 8.875, the highest average of any K-12 district in San Diego County. In addition, Caucasian, Filipino, and African American students enrolled within SMUSD have the highest API scores for their ethnicity among all K-12 districts.
The San Marcos Unified School District is one of the largest school districts in San Diego County and includes 19 schools with diverse educational programs for kindergarten through adult education students. SMUSD has 11 elementary schools, 3 middle schools, 2 comprehensive high schools, 1 charter high school,1 independent study high school and 1 continuation school. SMUSD serves more than 17,851 students in San Marcos, as well as sections of Vista, Escondido, Carlsbad, and some unincorporated areas of the County.
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