Residential comparison · 13 facts
Poway, CA vs San Marcos, CA
Compare the housing, tax, cost, income, safety, school, and climate facts that are available for both places. The table shows the numbers without declaring one city universally better.
A household earning $85,000 in Poway needs about $88,000 in San Marcos to keep the same lifestyle.
Coming from San Marcos, $85,000 of lifestyle costs about $82,000 in Poway.
A few differences
- Poway is higher on median household income ($148,359 vs $109,377).
- San Marcos is lower on cost of living index (149 vs 155).
- Poway is lower on 2-bedroom rent ($2,151/mo vs $2,331/mo).
Poway vs San Marcos · facet by facet
| Facet | Poway, CA | San Marcos, CA |
|---|---|---|
| Median home price | $1,034,800 | $868,000 |
| 2-bedroom rent | $2,151/mo | $2,331/mo |
| Property tax rate | 0.75% | 0.75% |
| State & local income tax | 2.09% | 2.09% |
| Sales tax | 8.8% | 8.8% |
| Cost of living index | 155 | 149 |
| Groceries index | 112 | 112 |
| Utilities | $245/mo | $245/mo |
| Median household income | $148,359 | $109,377 |
| Unemployment rate | 5.2% | 5.2% |
| Crime index | 52/100 | 52/100 |
| School rating | 5.5/10 | 5.5/10 |
| Sunny days / year | 260 days | 260 days |
Data: Census ACS 2024 · BLS · Tax Foundation 2024 brackets · HUD/Zillow · NOAA 1991–2020 · FEMA NRI · Values are shown as reported; no universal winner is implied.
Full profiles: Poway, CA · San Marcos, CA
Questions & answers
- Is Poway cheaper than San Marcos?
- San Marcos has the lower day-to-day cost index (149 vs 155 against a national 100). The other differences are shown facet by facet in the table.
- What household income in San Marcos equals $85,000 in Poway?
- A household earning $85,000 in Poway needs about $88,000 in San Marcos to keep the same lifestyle; coming the other way, $85,000 of San Marcos lifestyle costs about $82,000 in Poway.