San Marcos

Set in the picturesque Texas Hill Country and strategically located in the heart of the Austin- San Antonio Corridor, San Marcos is ideal for companies and people who are looking to have the cachet of Austin without the cost. Ranked for three consecutive years as the nation’s fastest growing city by the U.S. Census Bureau (2013–2015), the city is one of the most affordable in Texas and is conveniently situated 30 minutes between Austin and San Antonio on Interstate 35. San Marcos is home to the state’s fourth-largest university, Texas State University, an Emerging Research University and Hispanic Serving Institute with nearly 39,000 students. The University’s STAR Park, a 58,000-square-foot advanced materials research center, fosters and houses innovative young technology companies performing cutting-edge research that are anchoring San Marcos as the center of the Innovation Corridor.

Companies have taken notice of the economic growth in San Marcos, most recently Urban Mining Company, which selected San Marcos for its headquarters and the continent’s only rare earth manufacturing facility; Amazon, which began operations in its new 855,000-square-foot fulfillment center in August 2016 and currently has over 3,000 full-time employees; and Best Buy, which has its first and only Texas e-commerce sales operation center in the city.

The city is poised for growth in several industries, including Aerospace, Aviation, Security & Defense; Business Services & Support; Materials Science; Information Technology; Life Sciences; Regional Distribution; and Destination Attractions.

WHAT MAKES SAN MARCOS STAND OUT?

  • Abundant Talent: Employers can tap the diverse and talented workforce of 2.2 million within a 60-mile radius of San Marcos per ESRI Business Analyst.
  • Affordability: San Marcos offers both high quality of life and low cost of living. San Marcos is the most affordable large city (50,000+) in the Austin MSA. In 2021, the median home sales price in San Marcos was 46% lower than in Austin.
  • Accessibility: San Marcos has strong infrastructure with easy access to two major highways, I-35 and SH-130, two international airports, Austin-Bergstrom and San Antonio, and is home to San Marcos Regional Airport, a former air base.
SAN MARCOS
HAYS COUNTY
AUSTIN MSA
Population 2020
67,553
241,067
2,283,371
Population growth 2010-2020
50.5%
53.4%
33.0%
Land area (sq. mi.) 2020
35.6
676.9
4,219.5
Median age 2021
24.6
32.8
34.7
Households 2021
23,222
85,821
894,088
Home ownership rate 2021
28.8%
63.3%
57.4%
Median household income 2021
$41,375
$71,033
$81,998
Per capita income 2021
$22,918
$34,146
$41,805
High school grads 2021
88.5%
91.1%
90.9%
College grads 2021
34.1%
38.8%
46.0%
Labor force 2020
33,991
121,304
1,242,659
Unemployment rate 2020
7.7%
6.3%
6.2%
Public school enrollment 2021-2020
38,764
338,710
High school graduates 2019
2,481
21,607
Retail sales 2020
$3,216 mil.
$5,134 mil.
$37,406 mil.
Business
2020
Establishments
4,944
65,881
Employment
71,841
1,031,078
Average salary
$44,659
$72,107
Mfg.business
2020
Establishments
213
1,942
Employment
4,599
61,958
Average salary
$59,854
$113,744

Sources: Texas Comptroller for retail sales; Texas Workforce Commission for labor force, unemployment, businesses, employees, and salaries; Texas Education Agency for public school enrollment and graduates; ESRI for 2021 demographic estimates; and U.S. Census Bureau for all other data.




Contact

Greater San Marcos Partnership
Mike Kamerlander, CEcD
President/CEO
113 N Guadalupe St.
San Marcos, TX 78666
Phone: 512.393.3400

https://greatersanmarcostx.com