San Marcos Market Report

San Marcos sits between Carlsbad and Escondido, with newer master-planned neighborhoods, older homes near the Cal State campus and hillside homes on the edges of town. Here is what September's closed sales tell us.

Each month, we review the latest closed sales for San Marcos and explain what those numbers mean for buyers and sellers. A citywide median is a starting point, not the whole story. Recent sales of homes like yours give the more specific picture, and we're always glad to pull them.

Two-story homes in a newer hillside neighborhood

San Marcos · Detached + Attached Homes

October 2026 Market Update

Based on September 2026 closed sales · Published October 2026

Team Ratcliffe's Take

Up from last September at $930,000, after a spike in August.

The September median was $930,000, up 9.2% from $851,900 a year ago and down 13.1% from August's $1,070,000.

September 2026 Closed Sales

Median Sales Price

San Marcos · Detached and attached homes combined

September Median Price

$930,000

↑ 9.2% vs. September 2025

Change From August

↓ 13.1%

August median $1,070,000

12-Month High

$1,070,000

August 2026

12-Month Low

$800,000

December 2025

2026 Average to Date

about $914,000

↓ 5.1% vs. same months of 2025

September 2025

$851,900

Same month last year

Since September 2021

↑ 22.5%

From $759,000

Highest Since 2021

$1,150,000

June 2025

Over the past 12 months the median has ranged from $800,000 in December 2025 to $1,070,000 in August 2026. Most months in 2026 have landed between $835,000 and $940,000; August was the outlier.

Across the first nine months of 2026 the monthly median averages about $914,000, down 5.1% from the same months of 2025. Compared with September 2021, when it was $759,000, the median is up 22.5%.

For Buyers

Newer San Marcos neighborhoods often carry Mello-Roos and HOA dues, so compare the full monthly payment, not just the price.

For Sellers

September was up from a year ago, but the year as a whole is a little behind 2025. Price from recent nearby sales, not from August's spike.

A lakeside walking path with homes and hills beyond at sunset

Since 2021

Price Trend

$600K $700K $800K $900K $1M $1.1M $1.2M 2021 2022 2023 2024 2025 2026 September 2021: $759,000 September 2022: $820,500 September 2023: $900,000 September 2024: $875,000 September 2025: $851,900 September 2026: $930,000 $930,000
Monthly median sales price in San Marcos, January 2021 to September 2026. Gold circles mark each September; the filled circle is September 2026. Swipe right for earlier years.

Looking Ahead

Next update: November 2026

Each month's report covers the month before it, because closed sales take a few weeks to be recorded. The November 2026 update will cover October's closed sales and show how San Marcos heads into the slower holiday stretch.


Have a Question About Your Home?

Find out where your home fits.

A median covers every kind of home in San Marcos at once. If you'd like to see the recent sales that apply to your home, or to a home you're thinking about buying, we're glad to pull them for you.

Pamela Ratcliffe · Team Ratcliffe · Coldwell Banker West
DRE #01152227 · 619.981.5606 · pam@teamratcliffe.com

Contact Team Ratcliffe

Data source: California Regional Multiple Listing Service, Inc. (CRMLS) via InfoSparks, © 2026 ShowingTime Plus, LLC. This October 2026 report is based on September 2026 closed sales, pulled October 29, 2026 for San Marcos, property type Residential, so detached and attached homes are counted together. Median sales price is based on closed sales. The year-to-date average is a simple average of monthly medians, not the median of every sale. Monthly medians can move sharply when few homes sell. This report is provided for information only and is not financial, legal or tax advice. Each office is independently owned and operated. Equal Housing Opportunity.