San Marcos, California
San Marcos is a city located in the northern portion of San Diego County, California. As of the 2000 census, the city had a total population of 54,977. Outside the San Diego region, it is best known as the home of Cal State San Marcos.
History
San Marcos is currently struggling with rapid expansion. The influx has largely consisted of young, educated, white, middle-class people moving into a community that was previously dominated by old, white, retirees and a large mexican population. The university has also brought in an influx of young students, as well as academics of every race, religion, ethnicity, and creed. The city seems to be managing the growth well, though long time residents complain of congestion along San Marcos Blvd.
Geography
San Marcos is located at 33°8'31" North, 117°10'13" West (33.142077, -117.170233)1.
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 61.7 km² (23.8 mi²). 61.5 km² (23.8 mi²) of it is land and 0.2 km² (0.1 mi²) of it is water. The total area is 0.29% water.
Colleges and Universities
Cal State San Marcos
Demographics
As of the census of 2000, there are 54,977 people, 18,111 households, and 13,221 families residing in the city. The population density is 893.4/km² (2,314.3/mi²). There are 18,862 housing units at an average density of 306.5/km² (794.0/mi²). The racial makeup of the city is 67.39% White, 2.00% African American, 0.82% Native American, 4.67% Asian, 0.24% Pacific Islander, 20.39% from other races, and 4.48% from two or more races. 36.87% of the population are Hispanic or Latino of any race.
There are 18,111 households out of which 39.1% have children under the age of 18 living with them, 58.6% are married couples living together, 9.6% have a female householder with no husband present, and 27.0% are non-families. 20.3% of all households are made up of individuals and 10.6% have someone living alone who is 65 years of age or older. The average household size is 3.03 and the average family size is 3.46.
In the city the population is spread out with 29.1% under the age of 18, 9.4% from 18 to 24, 32.3% from 25 to 44, 17.3% from 45 to 64, and 11.9% who are 65 years of age or older. The median age is 32 years. For every 100 females there are 98.4 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there are 95.3 males.
The median income for a household in the city is $45,908, and the median income for a family is $51,292. Males have a median income of $36,297 versus $27,015 for females. The per capita income for the city is $18,657. 12.0% of the population and 7.8% of families are below the poverty line. Out of the total people living in poverty, 14.5% are under the age of 18 and 7.9% are 65 or older.
Attractions
San Marcos is known for having some of the best restaurants in North County. Old California Restaurant Row features a large concentration of restaurants offering a variety of cuisines. At the time of this writing, all of the following are available, as well as many more: steaks, fish, italian, thai, indian, chinese, japanese, burgers, mexican. San Marcos also features a variety of english pubs in close proximity to Restaurant Row. Recently, the growth of Cal State San Marcos has led to the establishment of a variety of bars catering to a college night life scene.
, located just north of the 78, offers a variety of excellent beers brewed on-site. Tasting room hours are Friday 3pm-6pm, Saturday 11 AM - 3 PM. The Arrogant Bastard Ale is excellent.
San Marcos features several golf courses, notably Lake San Marcos. San Marcos borders Carlsbad, which offers the Four Seasons and La Costa resort golf courses.
Techies visit San Marcos due to the large , which features an Atlantis theme.
