San Marcos Unified, CA - District Data

Original Research by School Decision on San Marcos Unified

San Marcos Unified is a mid-sized district serving kindergarten through twelfth grade across the North County San Diego area, spanning cities including San Marcos, Carlsbad, Escondido, and Vista. The district operates about schools in total, drawing from a diverse student population where students identify as Hispanic, white, Asian, and multiracial in substantial numbers. Exact counts for free-or-reduced-price lunch eligibility and English learner enrollment are not available, but the district's geographic footprint and regional composition suggest meaningful economic and linguistic diversity across its schools.

On state assessments, San Marcos Unified sits above the midpoint among San Diego County's districts in overall proficiency, though absolute performance shows areas of strength and clear need. In elementary grades, the district shows stronger footing in reading and language arts, with proficiency rates in the upper-half range in grades three through five. Math proficiency is notably lower across all grade bands, beginning near majority competency in third grade and declining sharply by middle school, dropping into the low-four range by eighth grade. Science proficiency is similarly soft, below half in fifth grade and just under a third by eighth grade. The pattern across grades and subjects reveals a mathematics and science challenge that deepens as students progress. Reading performance holds more steadily, fluctuating in the mid-to-upper-five range through middle school, a relative strength.

Housing in the district's footprint is moderately priced for Southern California, with weighted average home values in the mid-seven figures. Rents average in the mid-three range per month. For mortgage-ready buyers, monthly payments on a median home run roughly fifty-one hundred dollars at current rates, a figure that leaves housing cost-burdened by national standards, though slightly manageable on regional household incomes. A parent weighing affordability should understand this is not a bargain market; it reflects a mature San Diego County location where home prices are higher than state average but moderate relative to coastal California as a whole.

Chronic absenteeism in the district runs above the county midpoint, at a rate of about a fifth of students, indicating attendance as a potential concern area. A parent may want to look further into what drives this pattern and what supports the district offers to improve attendance, as chronic absences predict academic risk across all student types.

The district has moved on two substantive family-facing priorities. In late 2024, voters approved Measure JJ, a local school improvement bond that will fund major campus upgrades, including replacement of aging portable classrooms and reconstruction of buildings such as Woodland Park Middle School. The bond levies a property tax on district homeowners that will last as long as the bonds remain outstanding, adding to the cost of residence in the area for years. Separately, the district has been piloting ethnic studies courses in its high schools and will require all students in the class of 2030 onward to pass ethnic studies as a graduation requirement, aligning with state mandate. Both changes are lasting and affect families either through taxes or graduation pathways.

The district's schools span elementary through high school, including three traditional high schools and two early-college or alternative models, providing some pathway diversity. However, specific data on course breadth, AP availability, dual-credit options, or career pathways were not available to assess the depth of academic choice at the secondary level.

See more original research from School Decision →

District Context

Officially reported figures, 2024-25.

Enrollment

19,374

Grades

KG–12

Schools

Student body

Hispanic 46%

Black 1%

White 37%

Asian 8%

Two+ 8%

Am. Indian / AK Native 0%

Hawaiian / Pac. Isl. 0%

By economic status

Percent proficient by grade, as reported

Economically disadvantaged

Not disadvantaged

ELA

Gr ALL

37%

—

Gr 3

37%

73%

Gr 4

36%

75%

Gr 5

45%

80%

Gr 6

33%

72%

Gr 7

39%

69%

Gr 8

34%

66%

Gr 11

36%

—

Math

Gr ALL

26%

—

Gr 3

43%

77%

Gr 4

36%

73%

Gr 5

31%

72%

Gr 6

22%

58%

Gr 7

22%

56%

Gr 8

19%

50%

Gr 11

12%

—

Science

Gr ALL

22%

—

Gr 5

25%

64%

Gr 8

15%

44%

Gr 11

22%

—

Gr 12

—

Gr HS

20%

—

Gr UG_SEC

21%

—

Schools in this District

19 schools are officially reported under this district.

La Mirada Academy

Richland Elementary

Twin Oaks High

San Marcos Elementary

La Costa Meadows Elementary

Joli Ann Leichtag Elementary

Double Peak

Academic Performance

Percent of students meeting or exceeding state standards, by grade.

Mathematics

6 grades reported

64%

Grade 3

59%

Grade 4

56%

Grade 5

44%

Grade 6

42%

Grade 7

37%

Grade 8

English Language Arts

6 grades reported

59%

Grade 3

60%

Grade 4

66%

Grade 5

56%

Grade 6

57%

Grade 7

53%

Grade 8

Science

2 grades reported

49%

Grade 5

32%

Grade 8

Social Studies

1 grade reported

70%

Grade 8

Housing & Real Estate

Data as of April 2026 | District-weighted from constituent ZIP codes

Home Values

Typical home value$1.02M

Year-over-year change-1.6%

Range across 9 ZIP codes$793K to $1.6M

vs. state typical1.31x

vs. national typical2.77x

Home value trend (12 months)

ZIP code home values (9 ZIP codes)

ZIP	City	Value	YoY	Weight
92069	San Marcos	$908K	-1.0%	39.5%
92078	San Marcos	$1.0M	-2.7%	37.4%
92009	Carlsbad	$1.6M	-0.9%	9.2%
92081	Vista	$933K	-0.8%	4.9%
92084	Vista	$914K	-0.1%	3.9%
92026	Escondido	$836K	-1.9%	2.3%
92029	Escondido	$1.2M	-0.2%	1.2%
92083	Vista	$793K	-1.5%	0.7%
92010	Carlsbad	$1.3M	+0.3%	0.1%

Rental Market

Typical monthly rent$3,071/mo

Year-over-year change+2.0%

Range across 9 ZIP codes$2,596 to $3,683/mo

Rent trend (12 months)

ZIP code rents (9 ZIP codes)

ZIP	City	Rent/mo	YoY	Weight
92069	San Marcos	$2,937	+2.0%	39.5%
92078	San Marcos	$3,207	+2.4%	37.4%
92009	Carlsbad	$3,683	+0.6%	9.2%
92081	Vista	$2,622	+1.2%	4.9%
92084	Vista	$2,720	+0.4%	3.9%
92026	Escondido	$2,626	+3.7%	2.3%
92029	Escondido	$2,596	+2.7%	1.2%
92083	Vista	$2,671	+3.0%	0.7%
92010	Carlsbad	$3,442	+0.9%	0.1%

Affordability

Est. monthly mortgage (20% down at 6.48%)$5,149/mo

Home price / national median income12.2x

Annual rent / national median income44.0%

Est. mortgage exceeds rent by$2,078/mo

Comparison

State typical home value$776,233 (-1.1% YoY)

National typical home value$368,198 (+0.6% YoY)

State ZHVI trend (12 months)

National ZHVI trend (12 months)

Economic Context

30-year fixed mortgage rate6.48%

National unemployment rate4.3%

National median household income$83,730

CPI: Rent of shelter (index)447.05

30-year fixed mortgage rate (12 months)

National unemployment rate (12 months)

National median household income (12 months)

CPI: Rent of shelter (index) (12 months)

Sources: Zillow Home Value Index and Zillow Observed Rent Index (Zillow Group), Realtor.com via Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis (FRED)

Data Currently Unavailable

Civil Rights Data (CRDC)

This profile is derived exclusively from publicly available federal and state datasets. It may not reflect the most current information available. We encourage parents and families to supplement this data with information published directly on the school’s website, which may include more recent figures, additional programs, or updated enrollment data.