Signals
Winter Gardens
San Marcos
Opportunity
55 · Bottom 49%
vs65 · Top 32%
Climate
100 · Top 4%
vs100 · Top 4%
Physical resilience
9 · Bottom 3%
vs9 · Bottom 3%
Housing affordability
58 · Bottom 18%
vs43 · Bottom 6%
Access
61 · Bottom 7%
vs67 · Bottom 10%
Economic stability
65 · Top 39%
vs67 · Top 36%
Measured values
| Metric | Winter Gardens | San Marcos | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 22,131 | 94,882 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $97,973 | $109,377 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $41,663 | $47,841 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 5,007/sq mi | 3,862/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $608,600 | $868,000 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $1,913 | $2,348 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 63.5% | 63.7% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment rate | 4.4% | 4.2% | June 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year) | -1.1% | -1.1% | June 2026 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 25.2% | 43.8% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 9.3% | 9.2% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Average July high | 80°F | 74°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Average January low | 47°F | 48°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Annual precipitation | 11.5" | 11.4" | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Distance to major airport | 70 mi | 61 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 27.8 min | 28.8 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 38.1 | 36.8 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
A bolded value is the more favorable of the two where the metric has a clear direction. Metrics like population and density have no inherent better or worse and are shown unweighted.
Physical risk tradeoff
Winter Gardens
Elevated or high exposure: wildfire, earthquake.
San Marcos
Elevated or high exposure: wildfire, earthquake.
Your best match
Weight what matters to you. Your preferences stay in this browser and never change either Area Score.
Winter Gardens
58
Your Score
—
Area Score
San Marcos
57
Your Score
54
Area Score
Select your priorities to see which of the two fits them better.
Full profiles: Winter Gardens, CA · San Marcos, CA · How this is calculated: methodology