The population of San Marcos is diverse, with about 44% of residents being White. Another 40% of the population is Hispanic, and 9% are Asian. The following table shows the race and ethnic makeup of San Marcos. This information is based on Census data, which is tagged to residential addresses. In addition, you can also view the percentage of black residents, which is around 2% of the population.
The city has five residential historic districts, with 40 homes listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The city has two local news stations, which are owned by different companies. San Marcos is a family-oriented city, with seventy-five percent of adults over the age of 15 being married and four percent with children under 18 years old. It also boasts a thriving arts and entertainment scene, including several theaters and two public libraries.
There were 28,641 housing units in the city, with a density of 1,174.3 per square mile. Of these, 17,094 were owner-occupied, while 10,108 were rented. The homeowner vacancy rate was 2.1%, while the rental vacancy rate was 5.7%. A median age was twenty-three years old, and males outnumbered females by 96.8 to one.
In the early days of San Marcos, the town was a stopover for settlers. By 1890, the city had a population of 2,335 residents. The International Great-Northern Railroad, which extended from Austin to San Antonio, began to run through the town. In 1893, the Texas Legislature established a teachers college. The Southwest Texas Normal School opened its doors in 1903, and was eventually chartered by the Texas Legislature.