Phoenix vs San Marcos
The short version
- Phoenix is cheaper overall: prices in its metro run 8% lower than in the San Marcos area (BEA 2024).
- The median home costs $420,700 in Phoenix and $868,000 in San Marcos.
- Households earn more in San Marcos ($109,377 vs $81,332 median).
- Phoenix has more scorching days: 173 a year at 90°F or hotter vs 3.
- Phoenix is growing faster: +3.6% since 2020 vs +0.1%.
Side by side
| Phoenix, AZ | San Marcos, CA | |
|---|---|---|
| People | ||
| Population (2025) | 1,665,481 | 94,908 |
| Growth since 2020 | +3.6% | +0.1% |
| People per square mile | 3,213 | 3,863 |
| Median age | 34.9 | 36.8 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 34% | 44% |
| Money and housing | ||
| Median household income | $81,332 | $109,377 |
| Median home value | $420,700 | $868,000 |
| Home value to income | 5.2× | 7.9× |
| Median rent (with utilities) | $1,582 | $2,348 |
| Metro price level (US = 100) | 103.3 | 111.9 |
| Housing price level (US = 100) | 121.2 | 179.3 |
| $75,000 elsewhere equals | $77,500 | $83,900 |
| Homeowners | 57% | 64% |
| Top state income tax | 2.5% | 13.3% |
| Combined sales tax | 8.54% | 9.03% |
| Work and commute | ||
| Average commute (minutes) | 25.6 | 26.5 |
| Work from home | 19% | 21% |
| Take public transit | 2% | 1% |
| Unemployment (2020-24 avg) | 5% | 4.6% |
| Poverty rate | 13.7% | 9.2% |
| Weather | ||
| January high / low | 68° / 46° | 65° / 48° |
| July high / low | 107° / 85° | 74° / 64° |
| Precipitation per year | 7 in | 11 in |
| Snowfall per year | 0 in | 0 in |
| Days 90°F or hotter | 173 | 3 |
| Nights below freezing | 1 | 0 |
| Comfortable months | 6 | 12 |
| Risks, air and home prices | ||
| Natural hazard risk (FEMA, county) | Very High | Very High |
| FEMA risk score (lower is safer) | 99.9 | 99.7 |
| Good air days, 2025 | 7% | 18% |
| Home prices, past year | +0.8% | +2.5% |
| Home prices, past 5 years | +35.8% | +40.8% |
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: Phoenix: November to April. San Marcos: January to December.
Full monthly tables: Phoenix 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 $77,500 in Phoenix and $83,900 in San Marcos. Moving from Phoenix to San Marcos, you would need about $81,200 to match a $75,000 salary.
Moving between Phoenix and San Marcos
IRS county-to-county migration, 2022 to 2023 tax years, for the counties that contain each city. See where else people move from Phoenix and San Marcos.
Which would you pick?
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