Hays County · Austin-Round Rock-Georgetown · population 74,316
Where San Marcos stands
20% off 5-year peak. home values down 4.4% in the last year. population growing 2.4% per year.
Home value trajectory · last 10 years
Zillow ZHVI · monthlyLifestyle scores
Scores are heuristic estimates from population density, state, and known transit/walkable cities. Not based on a paid Walk Score / Transit Score API — see methodology for the formula.
Rent trajectory · last 5 years
Zillow ZORI · monthlyHome value vs rent · indexed to 100
Both rebased at first month of ZORI data (~2015)Rent vs buy
At a 18.4 price-to-rent ratio, San Marcos is in the 'depends on horizon' zone. Buy if you'll be there 5+ years and value flexibility on the home; rent if you might move, want zero maintenance friction, or expect rates to drop.
How the momentum score breaks down
methodology →San Marcos has held up across the cycle: home values at $313,452 with +1.3% 5-year CAGR. The bull case is structural — population, location, employer base — and holds even if next year's print is soft.
San Marcos has given back 20% from its 5-year peak — that's not a healthy correction, it's a market still digesting an overshoot. The bear case is that the floor hasn't been found yet.
About San Marcos
San Marcos is a city in Hays County, Texas, with an estimated population of 74,316. It anchors the Austin-Round Rock-Georgetown metro area. The population has grown 2.4% per year on average between 2020 and 2024 — among the faster-growing communities in the state. The median home value in San Marcos is $313,452 as of 2026-04, down 4.4% over the last 12 months. Over the last five years, home values have averaged +1.3% annual growth, and the market currently sits about 20% below its 5-year peak. Rents in San Marcos average $1,416 per month, roughly flat year-over-year (+0.7%). The composite momentum score is 45 of 100 (Cooling). Buyers may find more room to negotiate; sellers should price realistically.
▲ Bull case
▼ Bear case
About San Marcos (Wikipedia)
San Marcos is a city in and the county seat of Hays County, Texas, United States. The city is mostly a part of the Greater Austin Metropolitan Area. San Marcos's limits extend into Caldwell and Guadalupe counties, as well. The latter is part of the Greater San Antonio Metropolitan Area. San Marcos is on the Interstate 35 corridor between Austin and San Antonio. Its population was 44,894 at the 2010 census and 67,553 at the 2020 census. Founded on the banks of the San Marcos River, the area is thought to be among the oldest continuously inhabited sites in the Americas. San Marcos is home to Texas State University and the Meadows Center for Water and the Environment.
Source: Wikipedia · this summary is contributed and licensed under CC-BY-SA.
City facts
Extracted from the Wikipedia infobox. Values may be slightly out of date relative to the latest sources.
Playbook
You have leverage. Negotiate price, ask for closing-cost credits, and don't waive inspection. Walk-away power is real in a Cooling market — use it. San Marcos is currently 20% off its 5-year peak — historically, that's been the discount tier of this market.
Price aggressively (at or below recent sold comps) or be prepared to wait. Concessions — rate buydowns, closing costs, repair credits — are how deals close right now.
Cap rates are more attractive than they were 12 months ago but the appreciation tailwind is gone. Confirm tenant demand, vacancy rates, and exit liquidity before committing capital.
Local safety & alerts
No active National Weather Service alerts for Hays County right now.
Public-safety links are official .gov sources, not curated by us. Hays County routes NWS alerts; check the state EM portal for non-weather emergencies.
Neighborhoods of San Marcos
19 tracked · ranked by median home valueCities like San Marcos
Run the numbers for San Marcos
Sources: Zillow ZHVI (home values), Zillow ZORI (rents), US Census ACS + place population. Updated when source agencies publish revisions.
Climate & natural-disaster risk
State-level averages from NOAA Climate Normals (1991-2020) and FEMA National Risk Index. City-level conditions can vary significantly within a state.
Current weather
Find rentals & listings
Open current San Marcos listings on the major real-estate sites.
Links open the live search on the destination site — results are always current.
Local news & community
Latest news
- Yanez sentenced to life in prison for San Marcos murderHays County (.gov) · 5d ago
- Christina Alcala Obituary | Mission Funeral Home | Heritage Chapel | San Marcos, TXTribute Archive · 7h ago
- Transforming wastewater operations to enable resilient growth and enhanced public health in TexasJacobs · 1w ago
- 1512 Old Ranch Road 12, San Marcos, TX 78666Realtor.com · 5d ago
- San Marcos City Council blocks proposed data centerKUT · 3mo ago
- San Marcos council takes steps toward stricter data center regulationsKXAN Austin · 1d ago
Updated 2026-05-21 from Google News + Reddit RSS. Headlines link to original sources.
Local sports teams
Major professional teams the Austin-Round Rock-Georgetown area cheers for. Detailed stats, schedules, and player pages on intherafters.com.
Local economy & environment
Humidity is annual average relative humidity (NOAA). Income is Census ACS 5-year estimate. Industries are largest employment sectors statewide (BLS); the local mix in a given city may vary.
Cities similar to San Marcos
Explore other places with comparable momentum or affordability.