Population
Lakeland
117,030
San Marcos
68,920
Median Income
Lakeland
$60,947
San Marcos
$51,030
Home Value
Lakeland
$229,100
San Marcos
$269,700
Rent
Lakeland
$1,299
San Marcos
$1,299
Crime Rate
Lakeland
3.55
San Marcos
3.59
Cost of Living
Lakeland
107.5
San Marcos
108.6
Avg Temp
Lakeland
N/A
San Marcos
N/A
Unemployment
Lakeland
5.1%
San Marcos
6.1%
How Similar Are Lakeland & San Marcos?
San Marcos is Lakeland's #10 most similar city
6 of 10 key metrics match within 10%
Population
Lakeland
117,030
San Marcos
68,920
Lakeland has a 41% larger population than San Marcos.
Violent Crime
Lakeland
3.55
San Marcos
3.59
Both cities have similar violent crime — just a 1% difference.
Property Crime
Lakeland
24.70
San Marcos
22.58
Both cities have similar property crime — just a 9% difference.
Political Leaning
Lakeland
59.9%
San Marcos
64.3%
Both cities lean Republican with similar vote shares — 7% difference.
Unemployment
Lakeland
5.1%
San Marcos
6.1%
San Marcos has a 17% higher unemployment than Lakeland.
Median Income
Lakeland
$60,947
San Marcos
$51,030
Lakeland has a 16% higher median income than San Marcos.
Home Values
Lakeland
$229,100
San Marcos
$269,700
San Marcos has a 15% higher home values than Lakeland.
Education
Lakeland
19.1%
San Marcos
19.3%
Both cities have similar education — just a 1% difference.
Demographics
Lakeland
62.7%
San Marcos
63.3%
Both cities have similar demographics — just a 1% difference.
Cost of Living
Lakeland
107.5
San Marcos
108.6
Both cities have similar cost of living — just a 1% difference.
6 out of 10 key metrics match within 10%. Lakeland and San Marcos share several key characteristics.
At a Glance
0
Lakeland
0
San Marcos
Cost of Living & Affordability — San Marcos leads
Source: City Stats Index / HUDSan Marcos scores 78.0 on the transportation index (100 = national avg) vs 93.5 in Lakeland. Lakeland scores 128.4 on the housing index (100 = national avg) vs 149.7 in San Marcos. San Marcos scores 89.0 on the food index (100 = national avg) vs 96.6 in Lakeland.
Overall Cost Index
Housing Index
Food Index
Transportation Index
Healthcare Index
Utilities Index
Living Wage (1 Adult)
Living Wage (Family of 4)
Fair Market Rent (1BR)
Fair Market Rent (2BR)
Housing Market — Lakeland leads
Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACSLakeland has a owner-occupied of 56.1% compared to 30.5% in San Marcos. San Marcos has a vacancy rate of 7.7% compared to 14.1% in Lakeland. Lakeland has a median property tax of $1,669 vs $4,377 in San Marcos (62% lower).
Median Home Value
Median Rent
Median Property Tax
Owner-Occupied
Vacancy Rate
Single-Family Homes
Jobs & Economy — Lakeland leads
Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACSLakeland has a poverty rate of 14.5% compared to 26.7% in San Marcos. Lakeland: 54,353 vs San Marcos: 41,180 for labor force. Lakeland has a per capita income of $34,313 vs $26,576 in San Marcos (29% higher).
Median Household Income
Per Capita Income
Poverty Rate
Unemployment Rate
Labor Force
Mean Commute
Work from Home
Private Sector
Government Sector
Crime & Safety — San Marcos leads
Source: FBI UCRSan Marcos has a robbery rate (per 1k) of 0.37 compared to 0.70 in Lakeland. San Marcos has a larceny rate (per 1k) of 16.01 compared to 19.98 in Lakeland. San Marcos has a property crime rate (per 1k) of 22.58 compared to 24.70 in Lakeland.
Violent Crime Rate (per 1K)
Property Crime Rate (per 1K)
Murder Rate (per 1K)
Robbery Rate (per 1K)
Assault Rate (per 1K)
Burglary Rate (per 1K)
Larceny Rate (per 1K)
Violent Crime Clearance
Property Crime Clearance
Weather & Climate
Source: NOAA / Open-MeteoAvg Annual Temperature
Avg Annual High
Avg Annual Low
Sunny Days per Year
Annual Rainfall
Annual Snowfall
Avg Humidity
Schools & Education
Source: NCES / U.S. Census BureauLakeland has a high school diploma or higher of 41.1% compared to 31.3% in San Marcos.
Public Schools
Avg Student-Teacher Ratio
Colleges & Universities
Bachelor's Degree or Higher
High School Diploma or Higher
Demographics & Community
Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACSLakeland has a population of 117,030, about 1.7x the size of San Marcos (68,920). San Marcos skews younger with a median age of 25.5 vs 39.9.
Population
Median Age
Avg Household Size
Married Population
Foreign Born
White
Black
Hispanic
Asian
Lakeland
San Marcos
Healthcare — San Marcos leads
Source: CMS Hospital CompareSan Marcos: 4.0 vs Lakeland: 2.8 for avg cms rating (out of 5).
Nearby Hospitals
Avg CMS Rating (out of 5)
With Emergency Services
Transportation & Commute — Lakeland leads
Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACSLakeland has a bicycle of 1.2% compared to 0.8% in San Marcos. San Marcos has a public transit of 1.2% compared to 0.5% in Lakeland. Lakeland has a work from home of 11.6% compared to 10.1% in San Marcos.
Mean Commute Time
Drive Alone
Public Transit
Bicycle
Work from Home
Airports
Cities Similar to Lakeland, FL
Compare Lakeland against its closest statistical matches across demographics, income, crime, health, and more.
City Comparison
8-axis fingerprint: population, income, housing, crime, education, age, climate, and cost of living. Click legend items to toggle.