Best PlacesUniversity Commons, San Marcos, CA Best Neighborhoods
2026–2027 edition · Data updated July 2026
Every neighborhood in and around University Commons, San Marcos, scored on 40 measures of daily life and ranked to fit what matters to you. Local pay runs high here, and housing takes the biggest bite out of it. To work out which city fits you best, start with the best places to live tool.
University Commons, San Marcos ranks 128th of 5,983 U.S. neighborhoods on the BestNeighborhood index. It scores highest on a strong job market by a wide margin, and an overheated housing market is the weak spot.
The best neighborhoods in University Commons, San Marcos
BestNeighborhood is the only ranking that scores 40 measures of daily life neighborhood by neighborhood and lets you re-weight every one of them yourself.
University Commons, San Marcos' strengths and weaknesses
Where University Commons, San Marcos ranks high
- Local economyBetter than 99% of neighborhoods
- Nice weatherabout 321 pleasant days a year, better than 98% of neighborhoods
- QuietBetter than 96% of neighborhoods
- Low vacancyBetter than 93% of neighborhoods
- Crime safetyBetter than 92% of neighborhoods
Where University Commons, San Marcos ranks low
- Housing crash safetyBetter than only 13% of neighborhoods
- WalkabilityBetter than only 15% of neighborhoods
- Low income/sales/gas taxBetter than only 20% of neighborhoods
- Cheap childcare$1,432 a month, better than only 25% of neighborhoods
- State fiscal healthBetter than only 26% of neighborhoods
What it costs to buy a home in University Commons, San Marcos
A household needs to earn about $269,000 a year to comfortably buy the median University Commons, San Marcos home, at 20% down and today's 30-year rate. That runs well above the area's median income of $136,911, so buying stretches a typical household.
Where the monthly payment goes
Assumes a 20% down payment, a 6.6% 30-year fixed rate, and a 28% share of income going to the payment. The rate is the 2026-07-23 30-year fixed average, series MORTGAGE30US from the St. Louis Fed, which publishes Freddie Mac's weekly survey. Against the median home value, property tax uses University Commons, San Marcos' effective rate of 0.78%, and insurance is estimated at 0.4% of home value a year.
Renting versus buying
At today's prices and rents, renting stays cheaper than buying across the first 10 years here, so the case for buying rests on staying much longer or on prices rising faster than assumed. The chart tracks the running cost of each.
Who lives in University Commons, San Marcos
University Commons, San Marcos runs older than the country.
Residents by age
Racial and ethnic makeup has its own map. See the race and diversity map for University Commons, San Marcos.
Who works in University Commons, San Marcos, and how
Work in University Commons, San Marcos centers on manufacturing and professional & technical. Unemployment is low, and jobs are growing.
Largest industries
How people get to work
- Drive or carpool 64%
- Work from home 32%
- Transit, walk, or bike 4%
Life in University Commons, San Marcos
The coast is about 10 minutes away. Distance to the water changes a lot across University Commons, San Marcos, which the map shows.
What the weather is like in University Commons, San Marcos, month by month
University Commons, San Marcos sees roughly 321 pleasant days a year. July highs average about 75 degrees. January highs sit near 67, with lows near 47. Every month averages in that range.
Show the monthly temperatures
| Month | Avg high | Avg | Avg low |
|---|---|---|---|
| January | 67° | 56° | 47° |
| April | 68° | 60° | 53° |
| July | 75° | 69° | 65° |
| October | 76° | 67° | 59° |
Flying in and out of University Commons, San Marcos
The nearest airport, McClellan-Palomar, is about 4 miles away and is a small airport. The nearest major hub is San Diego International, about 26 miles away.
University Commons, San Marcos measure by measure
Cards are ordered by how much each measure matters to you, so the ones you weighted highest come first. Expand to see every measure. Percentages compare University Commons, San Marcos against the other 5,982 neighborhoods.
Common questions about living in University Commons, San Marcos
Is University Commons, San Marcos a good place to live?
Using BestNeighborhood's default rankings, University Commons, San Marcos ranks 128th of 5,983 neighborhoods. It scores highest on a strong job market, the weather, and quiet, and lowest on an overheated housing market and walkability. How good it is for you depends on which of those you weight most, which the map lets you set.
Is University Commons, San Marcos expensive to live in?
The median home is worth $1,030,763. The overall cost of living runs about 35% above the national average. Set against a $136,911 median income, cost of living beats 72% of neighborhoods.
Is University Commons, San Marcos safe?
Yes, University Commons, San Marcos is safer than 92% of neighborhoods. Safety varies a lot by neighborhood. Crime costs an estimated $239 per resident a year.
Compare University Commons, San Marcos with other neighborhoods
Sources and methodology
Every measure on this page is scored for each neighborhood, then rolled up to University Commons, San Marcos. Scores are absolute rather than ranked, which means a 60 in University Commons, San Marcos represents the same real quantity as a 60 anywhere else, and the ranking is a weighted average of those absolutes. The map colors come from a national scale calibrated against a population weighted random sample of 5,000 neighborhoods. That absolute scoring is what no other places-to-live ranking does: it puts a single neighborhood, a town, a metro, and a state on one scale, so the same 40 measures answer both which metro to move to and which street inside it to buy on. Read the full methodology.
University Commons, San Marcos detail on BestNeighborhood maps:
- Walk Grade for University Commons, San Marcos: walkability, transit, and biking, measured on the real street network rather than by straight line distance.
- Noise in University Commons, San Marcos: road, rail, and aviation sound modeling calibrated against federal ground truth measurements.
- Conservative vs liberal map of University Commons, San Marcos: precinct level election results apportioned to neighborhoods.
- Mobile and cell coverage in University Commons, San Marcos: carrier by carrier coverage behind the cell score.
University Commons, San Marcos detail on related sites:
- CrimeGrade: neighborhood crime rates behind the crime safety score.
- ISPreports.org: provider by provider internet availability and advertised speeds.
- CoverageWatch: the car insurance premiums behind the cheap car insurance score.
Federal and public data:
- U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey: income, home value, rent, vacancy, commute time and mode, educational attainment, home age, age structure, household type, industry, and race.
- NOAA Global Surface Summary of the Day: the daily station record behind the monthly temperatures and the pleasant-day count.
- FAA Passenger Boarding Data: airport size and annual passenger counts.
- Freddie Mac Primary Mortgage Market Survey: the 30-year fixed rate used in the cost-to-buy estimate.
- FBI Crime Data Explorer: reported offenses behind the tangible crime cost estimate.
- U.S. EPA Air Quality System: five year average air quality index.
- FEMA National Risk Index: expected annual loss from natural hazards.
- CDC PLACES: disease burden, preventable risk, and barriers to care.
- National Center for Education Statistics: school enrollment and assessment inputs behind the school grade.
- FCC National Broadband Map: internet and wireless availability.
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics: employment and job growth behind the local economy score.
- Religious activity uses a proprietary religious signal measurement.
Your priorities
Move a slider to say how much a measure matters. Zero turns it off.