San Marcos vs Tucson
The short version
- Overall prices are about the same in both metro areas (BEA 2024).
- The median home costs $266,200 in Tucson and $310,400 in San Marcos.
- Households earn more in Tucson ($57,073 vs $51,281 median).
- Tucson has the warmer winter: January highs of 67°F vs 63°F.
- Tucson has more scorching days: 158 a year at 90°F or hotter vs 124.
- San Marcos is growing faster: +14.9% since 2020 vs +1.1%.
- Texas has no state income tax on wages; Arizona's top rate is 2.5%.
Side by side
| San Marcos, TX | Tucson, AZ | |
|---|---|---|
| People | ||
| Population (2025) | 77,830 | 548,371 |
| Growth since 2020 | +14.9% | +1.1% |
| People per square mile | 1,949 | 2,264 |
| Median age | 25.5 | 34.6 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 38% | 31% |
| Money and housing | ||
| Median household income | $51,281 | $57,073 |
| Median home value | $310,400 | $266,200 |
| Home value to income | 6.1× | 4.7× |
| Median rent (with utilities) | $1,322 | $1,145 |
| Metro price level (US = 100) | 98.1 | 96.9 |
| Housing price level (US = 100) | 120.4 | 91.8 |
| $75,000 elsewhere equals | $73,500 | $72,700 |
| Homeowners | 31% | 52% |
| Top state income tax | None | 2.5% |
| Combined sales tax | 8.2% | 8.54% |
| Work and commute | ||
| Average commute (minutes) | 24.0 | 21.9 |
| Work from home | 11% | 14% |
| Take public transit | 1% | 2% |
| Unemployment (2020-24 avg) | 5.2% | 6.2% |
| Poverty rate | 26.9% | 18.9% |
| Weather | ||
| January high / low | 63° / 38° | 67° / 41° |
| July high / low | 96° / 73° | 100° / 76° |
| Precipitation per year | 36 in | 11 in |
| Snowfall per year | 0 in | 0 in |
| Days 90°F or hotter | 124 | 158 |
| Nights below freezing | 33 | 12 |
| Comfortable months | 5 | 4 |
| Risks, air and home prices | ||
| Natural hazard risk (FEMA, county) | Relatively Moderate | Relatively High |
| FEMA risk score (lower is safer) | 90.6 | 99.1 |
| Good air days, 2025 | 44% | 34% |
| Home prices, past year | +0.3% | +1.9% |
| Home prices, past 5 years | +15.2% | +39.5% |
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: San Marcos: February to April and October to November. Tucson: February to April and November.
Full monthly tables: San Marcos weather by month and Tucson weather by month.
What $75,000 is worth
A $75,000 salary in an average-priced US city buys about the same as $73,500 in San Marcos and $72,700 in Tucson. Moving from San Marcos to Tucson, you would need about $74,100 to match a $75,000 salary.
Which would you pick?
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