Demand-Backed Comparison

Compare Austin vs San Marcos on cost, climate, safety, and daily life

People have logged this comparison 2 times on WhyThere. The cards open full city pages. The charts and matrix below are the fast side-by-side read on housing, climate, walkability, safety, schools, parks, and day-to-day tradeoffs.

AustinSan Marcos
Austin
Photo by MJ Tangonan on Unsplash

Austin

Texas

City page

San Marcos

Texas

City page

What Stands Out

A quick read on this comparison

Deterministic summaries based on the data in view.

Biggest tradeoff: Austin, Texas

Austin, Texas is the sharpest split in this comparison: strong on daily convenience, weaker on sunshine.

Comparison Matrix

City
Route
General Info
Population974,44767,143
Population Density2.9k /sq miN/A
Center Elevation489 ft(149 m)617 ft(188 m)
Housing & Wealth
Median Home
$489,253
$308,030
Median Rent
$1,538
$1,355
Median Income$86,556$47,394
Rent Burden21%34%
Climate & Risks
Days with 5+ Hours of Sun309 days/yr311 days/yr
Avg. High80°F80°F
Avg. Low61°F61°F
Comfort Score72/100Great74/100Great
Temp Swing35°F34°F
Annual Precipitation49"(124 cm)48"(122 cm)
Annual Snowfall3"(8 cm)1"(3 cm)
Air Quality
Typical: 432024 modeled avg · 25 days > 100
Typical: 472024 modeled avg · 20 days > 100
Infrastructure & Lifestyle
Walkability4239
Transit Score
35
N/A

Walk Score data powered by Redfin

Safety Score62 / 10059 / 100
School Rating8.2/107.9/10
Flood Risk (FEMA)
minimalMinimal Risk
minimalMinimal Risk
Central Tract Wildfire Risk
minimalMinimal
N/A
Internet Access
Fiber: 58%Cable: 95%
N/A
Demographics
Median Age34.2 years25.2 years
College Educated56%36%
Remote Workers23%8%
Nature Access
Local Nature & Reserves
Finding...
Finding...
Scouting & Local Help
Housing and local helpA practical next step once someone starts picturing the move.
Featured Local Partner
AD
Realtor
Realtor spot available
For an agent, brokerage, or relocation team that can answer housing questions in Austin.
One featured slot per city
Featured Local Partner
AD
Realtor
Realtor spot available
For an agent, brokerage, or relocation team that can answer housing questions in San Marcos.
One featured slot per city
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