San Marcos, CA 1 of 6 Best North County San Diego Retirement Locations

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Ivan Gillis

18 Retirement Locations for Bicyclists

STATE: California

CITY: San Diego North County--San Marcos (See videos at end of article)

San Marcos is a city located in the northern portion of San Diego County, California, USA. As of 2009, the city had a total population of 82,743. Outside the San Diego region, it is best known as the home of California State University, San Marcos.

The original town of San Marcos was at the intersection of what is now Grand Avenue and Rancho Santa Fe Road. In 1887 the Santa Fe Railroad announced that it was going to lay tracks going through the valley, but to the disappointment of the citizens, the tracks were laid one mile (1.6 km) away from the center of the town. By 1896, San Marcos was a community with its own stores, post office, blacksmith and railroad depot. In 1903, the town appeared to be going downhill so the people of San Marcos picked up their homes and moved along the railroad tracks to what now are Mission Road and Pico Avenue. In 1905, the town had every convenience, including rural mail delivery and telephone service. The first school in the area, which had started in Barham in 1880, was moved in 1889 to San Marcos. Later that same year, the Richland School was built, being the second school in San Marcos. The main business in San Marcos in the 1800s and early 1900s was farming. Then in the mid-1900s, dairies and poultry production became a big part of the business in the town.

San Marcos experienced a period of growth from 1956 onward, when the first water from the Colorado River arrived. Several small businesses were founded and the population rapidly increased to 2,500. San Marcos became an incorporated city on January 28, 1963. In the 1970s, San Marcos was flourishing as the third fastest-growing city in the state with a population of 17,479 by 1980. The population continued to boom over the next two decades, reaching 33,800 in 1990 and 82,743 in 2000.

San Marcos is home to California State University, San Marcos (Cal State San Marcos), as well Palomar College and Coleman College.

San Marcos is known for having some of the best restaurants in North County. Old California Restaurant Row features a large concentration of restaurants offering a variety of cuisines.

San Marcos features several golf courses, notably Lake San Marcos, which itself is a recreational venue. Recently, the growth of Cal State San Marcos has led to great opportunities for youth (such as the high-tech sector) are increasingly setting up workshop in the city's robust economy.

San Marcos is home to a large population of retired persons and older adults. There are a variety of businesses offering services to this population.

Bicycling Overview & Links:

http://www.mapmyride.com/find-ride/united-states/ca/san+marcos

http://northcountycycleclub.com

http://www.bikelink.com/clubs.asp?sort=city&s=

Income & Housing Costs Numbers:

Estimated median household income in 2007: $60,786 (it was $45,908 in 2000)

San Marcos:

$60,786

California:

$59,948