Apartments for Rent in San Marcos, CA

Prices and availability in San Marcos, CA were last updated on 2 Sep 2026.

The best apartments in San Marcos, CA are: 222 North City, Marc San Marcos, Palomar Station, Whispering Oaks and Vista Flores Apartments.

The average rent in San Marcos, CA is $2,734.

The price range for a studio apartment in San Marcos, CA is between $2,315 and $5,000.

The price range for a 1-bedroom apartment in San Marcos, CA is between $2,315 and $5,408.

The price range for a 2-bedroom apartment in San Marcos, CA is between $2,400 and $10,331.

The price range for a 3-bedroom apartment in San Marcos, CA is between $2,347 and $12,909.

In San Marcos, 36% of the residents are renting compared to 64% owning a home, according to data from the U.S. Census Bureau. Large-scale apartment buildings with more than 50 units represent 24% of San Marcos's rentals, 50% are small-scale complexes with under 50 units, and 20% are single-family rentals.

The age and size of multifamily buildings are among the most visible characteristics of the rental market in a city. In this case, the apartment buildings in San Marcos are about 24 years old, on average. Of these, 58% have been built since 2000, representing the newer options on the market and typically offering more amenities. Rental buildings in the city have an average height of 3 stories. About 96% of the rental communities here are low-rise, garden-style communities, 4% are mid-rises, and none are high-rise buildings. These are true especially for large-scale multifamily buildings with over 50 apartments.

Rental apartments in San Marcos come in a range of sizes and floorplans. Studio apartments represent 2% of units for rent, ideal for singles, renters on a budget and people who value central locations more than space. Rentals with 1-bedroom floorplans make up 31% of the total apartments in the city, while 2-bedroom floorplans represent around 52% of all rentals in San Marcos. The rest are larger floorplans with 3 bedrooms or more, typically preferred by families, larger households or roommates sharing space.