Delano, CA vs San Marcos, CA

Side-by-side comparison of housing, income, commute, safety, and quality of life.

Score Snapshot

No universal winner

Scores summarize the published model. Use the objective metric differences below and your own priorities to choose.

Delano

70.6

#1087 nationally

San Marcos

62.2

#1870 nationally

San Marcos leads in median household income ($99,413 vs $53,639). San Marcos leads in crime level (6.1 vs 9.4). Delano leads in cost of living index (114 vs 166).

Metric-by-Metric Breakdown

Metric	Delano, CA	San Marcos, CA
WhereAtHome Score	70.6 (#1087)	62.2 (#1870)
Population	51,500	94,188
Typical Home Value (ZHVI)	$335,883	$953,736
Median Household Income	$53,639	$99,413
Average Commute	20.2 min	26.7 min
Walk Score	35	33
Crime Level	9.4	6.1
School Rating	N/A	N/A
Cost of Living Index	114	166
Political lean County 2024 presidential margin — context only, not scored	R+21.1	D+16.8