El Cajon vs San Marcos
A side-by-side comparison of El Cajon and San Marcos: population, income, housing, and more.
El Cajon and San Marcos are places in California. This page compares them across population, income, housing, education, commuting, and how each has changed since 2019.
El Cajon has the higher population (104,909 vs 94,078 in San Marcos). San Marcos has the higher median household income ($105,286 vs $66,478 in El Cajon). San Marcos has the higher median home value ($792,400 vs $632,800 in El Cajon).
Population, income & housing
| El Cajon | San Marcos | |
|---|---|---|
| Population | 104,909 | 94,078 |
| Median age | 35.5 yrs | 36.8 yrs |
| Median household income | $66,478 | $105,286 |
| Median home value | $632,800 | $792,400 |
| Median gross rent | $1,790 | $2,191 |
| Housing units | 35,264 | 32,255 |
| Homeownership rate | 41.1% | 63.0% |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 22.2% | 42.7% |
| Unemployment rate | 9.2% | 4.5% |
Trends (ACS 5-year, 2019–2023)
| El Cajon | San Marcos | |
|---|---|---|
| Population | 103,186 → 104,909 (+1.7%) | 95,355 → 94,078 (-1.3%) |
| Median household income | $55,309 → $66,478 (+20.2%) | $78,797 → $105,286 (+33.6%) |
| Median home value | $445,600 → $632,800 (+42.0%) | $538,200 → $792,400 (+47.2%) |
| Median gross rent | $1,339 → $1,790 (+33.7%) | $1,704 → $2,191 (+28.6%) |
El Cajon
103,186104,909
$55,309$66,478
$445,600$632,800
$1,339$1,790
San Marcos
95,35594,078
$78,797$105,286
$538,200$792,400
$1,704$2,191
Age & race/ethnicity
Age distribution (share)
| El Cajon | San Marcos | |
|---|---|---|
| Under 5 | 7.4% | 6.2% |
| 5 to 17 | 18.5% | 19.4% |
| 18 to 24 | 8.6% | 9.7% |
| 25 to 34 | 14.6% | 12.4% |
| 35 to 44 | 14.1% | 15.4% |
| 45 to 54 | 11.1% | 12.7% |
| 55 to 64 | 11.9% | 10.9% |
| 65 to 74 | 8.5% | 7.7% |
| 75 and over | 5.2% | 5.6% |
Race & ethnicity (share)
| El Cajon | San Marcos | |
|---|---|---|
| White (non-Hispanic) | 53.3% | 44.4% |
| Black or African American | 6.0% | 1.3% |
| American Indian & Alaska Native | 0.2% | 0.2% |
| Asian | 4.5% | 10.7% |
| Native Hawaiian & Pacific Islander | 0.7% | 0.0% |
| Some other race | 0.5% | 0.4% |
| Two or more races | 5.7% | 5.6% |
| Hispanic or Latino | 29.1% | 37.3% |
Educational attainment (age 25+)
Share of adults 25+
| El Cajon | San Marcos | |
|---|---|---|
| No high school diploma | 15.6% | 11.9% |
| High school graduate | 28.9% | 16.9% |
| Some college or associate's | 33.3% | 28.4% |
| Bachelor's degree | 15.3% | 28.4% |
| Graduate or professional degree | 6.9% | 14.4% |
Commute to work
How workers get to work (share)
| El Cajon | San Marcos | |
|---|---|---|
| Drove alone | 72.8% | 69.8% |
| Carpooled | 9.3% | 7.9% |
| Public transit | 2.6% | 0.5% |
| Walked | 2.5% | 1.6% |
| Bicycle | 0.6% | 0.5% |
| Worked from home | 10.2% | 18.7% |
| Other means | 2.1% | 1.0% |
Housing
Units in structure (share)
| El Cajon | San Marcos | |
|---|---|---|
| 1-unit, detached | 38.7% | 51.1% |
| 1-unit, attached | 6.3% | 10.2% |
| 2 to 4 units | 8.0% | 3.9% |
| 5 to 19 units | 17.7% | 8.3% |
| 20 or more units | 24.5% | 15.8% |
| Mobile home & other | 5.0% | 10.8% |
Poverty & households
| El Cajon | San Marcos | |
|---|---|---|
| Poverty rate | 20.0% | 10.2% |
| Average household size | 2.99 | 2.99 |
| Mean commute (minutes) | 25 | 27 |
| Median year structure built | 1974 | 1994 |
Full profiles
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