Gainesville vs San Marcos
The short version
- Overall prices are about the same in both metro areas (BEA 2024).
- The median home costs $247,500 in Gainesville and $310,400 in San Marcos.
- Households earn more in San Marcos ($51,281 vs $46,195 median).
- Gainesville has the warmer winter: January highs of 67°F vs 63°F.
- San Marcos has more scorching days: 124 a year at 90°F or hotter vs 90.
- San Marcos is growing faster: +14.9% since 2020 vs +5.3%.
- Commutes are shorter in Gainesville (19 vs 24 minutes each way).
Side by side
| Gainesville, FL | San Marcos, TX | |
|---|---|---|
| People | ||
| Population (2025) | 148,671 | 77,830 |
| Growth since 2020 | +5.3% | +14.9% |
| People per square mile | 2,323 | 1,949 |
| Median age | 26.5 | 25.5 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 54% | 38% |
| Money and housing | ||
| Median household income | $46,195 | $51,281 |
| Median home value | $247,500 | $310,400 |
| Home value to income | 5.4× | 6.1× |
| Median rent (with utilities) | $1,296 | $1,322 |
| Metro price level (US = 100) | 96.7 | 98.1 |
| Housing price level (US = 100) | 93.0 | 120.4 |
| $75,000 elsewhere equals | $72,500 | $73,500 |
| Homeowners | 38% | 31% |
| Top state income tax | None | None |
| Combined sales tax | 6.98% | 8.2% |
| Work and commute | ||
| Average commute (minutes) | 18.8 | 24.0 |
| Work from home | 15% | 11% |
| Take public transit | 5% | 1% |
| Unemployment (2020-24 avg) | 5.5% | 5.2% |
| Poverty rate | 30.8% | 26.9% |
| Weather | ||
| January high / low | 67° / 43° | 63° / 38° |
| July high / low | 91° / 72° | 96° / 73° |
| Precipitation per year | 48 in | 36 in |
| Snowfall per year | 0 in | 0 in |
| Days 90°F or hotter | 90 | 124 |
| Nights below freezing | 15 | 33 |
| Comfortable months | 7 | 5 |
| Risks, air and home prices | ||
| Natural hazard risk (FEMA, county) | Relatively Moderate | Relatively Moderate |
| FEMA risk score (lower is safer) | 90.3 | 90.6 |
| Good air days, 2025 | 89% | 44% |
| Home prices, past year | +1.2% | +0.3% |
| Home prices, past 5 years | +42.7% | +15.2% |
Highlighted cells are the better value where "better" is clear (lower prices, higher income, shorter commutes). Sources: Census Bureau 2025 estimates and ACS 2020-2024, BEA 2024, NOAA 1991-2020, Tax Foundation 2026.
Weather, month by month
Most comfortable months: Gainesville: October to April. San Marcos: February to April and October to November.
Full monthly tables: Gainesville weather by month and San Marcos weather by month.
What $75,000 is worth
A $75,000 salary in an average-priced US city buys about the same as $72,500 in Gainesville and $73,500 in San Marcos. Moving from Gainesville to San Marcos, you would need about $76,000 to match a $75,000 salary.
Which would you pick?
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