Lake San Marcos, CA Demographics

A map of Lake San Marcos's Population by Race

Race	2024 Pop	2020 Pop	2024 %	2020 %
White	3,100	4,068	66.1%	76.4%
Hispanic	1,045	686	22.3%	12.9%
Multiracial	270	218	5.8%	4.1%
Asian	242	296	5.2%	5.6%
Black	21	29	0.4%	0.5%
Native American/Other	15	31	0.3%	0.6%

Lake San Marcos, California has an estimated population of 4,693, a large decrease from the 5,328 recorded in the 2020 Census. The population is 66.1% White, 22.3% Hispanic, 5.8% Multiracial, 5.2% Asian, 0.4% Black, and 0.3% Native American/Other. This demographic dot map shows the population of Lake San Marcos, with one dot drawn for each person counted by the Census, color-coded by race.

Lake San Marcos has become considerably more racially diverse since the 2020 Census. It is considerably less diverse than California overall. Demographers use a diversity index to measure the probability that two randomly selected individuals belong to different racial or ethnic groups. In Lake San Marcos, that probability was 39.6% in 2020 and 50.8% in the most recent ACS estimates.

Lake San Marcos is ranked the 677th most populous place in California, out of 1,618 places. This ranking is based on the Census definition of a place, which includes incorporated places like cities, towns, and villages, as well as unincorporated census-designated places (CDPs). Lake San Marcos was ranked the 645th most populous place in the 2020 Census.

Lake San Marcos's White Population

3,100 residents of Lake San Marcos, or 66.1% of the population, identify as White. The share of White residents in Lake San Marcos is significantly higher than in California overall, where 33.8% of the population is White. Lake San Marcos ranks 359th statewide in terms of White residents as a share of the population, out of 1,618 places.

Since the 2020 Census, Lake San Marcos's White population has declined by an estimated 23.8%. White residents' share of Lake San Marcos's population has decreased from 76.4% to 66.1%.

Lake San Marcos is more White than neighboring San Marcos (43.8% White), Harmony Grove (45.8% White), Carlsbad (65.7% White), and Vista (36.2% White). Lake San Marcos is less White than neighboring Elfin Forest (83.4% White).

Lake San Marcos's Black Population

21 residents of Lake San Marcos, or 0.4% of the population, identify as Black. The share of Black residents in Lake San Marcos is slightly lower than in California overall, where 5.2% of the population is Black. Lake San Marcos ranks 1020th statewide in terms of Black residents as a share of the population, out of 1,618 places.

Since the 2020 Census, Lake San Marcos's Black population has declined by an estimated 27.6%. Black residents' share of Lake San Marcos's population has remained roughly unchanged at 0.4%.

Lake San Marcos is more Black than neighboring Elfin Forest (0% Black), and Harmony Grove (0% Black). Lake San Marcos is less Black than neighboring San Marcos (1.2% Black), Carlsbad (1.3% Black), and Vista (2.7% Black).

Lake San Marcos's Asian Population

242 residents of Lake San Marcos, or 5.2% of the population, identify as Asian. The share of Asian residents in Lake San Marcos is considerably lower than in California overall, where 15.3% of the population is Asian. Lake San Marcos ranks 447th statewide in terms of Asian residents as a share of the population, out of 1,618 places.

Since the 2020 Census, Lake San Marcos's Asian population has declined by an estimated 18.2%. Asian residents' share of Lake San Marcos's population has remained roughly unchanged at 5.2%.

Lake San Marcos is more Asian than neighboring Elfin Forest (3.2% Asian). Lake San Marcos is less Asian than neighboring San Marcos (11.7% Asian), Harmony Grove (13.3% Asian), Carlsbad (8% Asian), and Vista (5.6% Asian).

Lake San Marcos's Hispanic Population

1,045 residents of Lake San Marcos, or 22.3% of the population, identify as Hispanic. The share of Hispanic residents in Lake San Marcos is significantly lower than in California overall, where 40.2% of the population is Hispanic. Lake San Marcos ranks 1116th statewide in terms of Hispanic residents as a share of the population, out of 1,618 places.

Since the 2020 Census, Lake San Marcos's Hispanic population has grown by an estimated 52.3%. Hispanic residents' share of Lake San Marcos's population has increased from 12.9% to 22.3%.

Lake San Marcos is more Hispanic than neighboring Elfin Forest (0% Hispanic), Harmony Grove (20.6% Hispanic), and Carlsbad (17.4% Hispanic). Lake San Marcos is less Hispanic than neighboring San Marcos (36.8% Hispanic), and Vista (49.4% Hispanic).

Lake San Marcos's Native American/Other Population

15 residents of Lake San Marcos, or 0.3% of the population, identify as American Indian/Alaska Native/Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander/Other. The share of Native American/Other residents in Lake San Marcos is comparable to the share in California overall, where 1.2% of the population is Native American/Other. Lake San Marcos ranks 1381st statewide in terms of Native American/Other residents as a share of the population, out of 1,618 places.

Since the 2020 Census, Lake San Marcos's Native American/Other population has declined by an estimated 51.6%. Native American/Other residents' share of Lake San Marcos's population has remained roughly unchanged at 0.3%.

Lake San Marcos is more Native American/Other than neighboring Elfin Forest (0% Native American/Other), and Harmony Grove (0% Native American/Other). Lake San Marcos is less Native American/Other than neighboring San Marcos (0.7% Native American/Other), Carlsbad (0.8% Native American/Other), and Vista (1.3% Native American/Other).

Lake San Marcos's Multiracial Population

270 residents of Lake San Marcos, or 5.8% of the population, identify as Multiracial. The share of Multiracial residents in Lake San Marcos is comparable to the share in California overall, where 4.4% of the population is Multiracial. Lake San Marcos ranks 950th statewide in terms of Multiracial residents as a share of the population, out of 1,618 places.

Since the 2020 Census, Lake San Marcos's Multiracial population has grown by an estimated 23.9%. Multiracial residents' share of Lake San Marcos's population has increased from 4.1% to 5.8%.

Lake San Marcos is more Multiracial than neighboring Vista (4.9% Multiracial). Lake San Marcos is less Multiracial than neighboring San Marcos (5.9% Multiracial), Elfin Forest (13.3% Multiracial), Harmony Grove (20.3% Multiracial), and Carlsbad (6.8% Multiracial).

Sources: Most recent population estimates are from the 2020-2024 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates. 2020 population counts and map data are from 2020 Census State Redistricting Data. Geographic data are from Census TIGER/Line Shapefiles.