San Marcos is seeing few effects from the state’s economic downturn. The city, located on the Interstate-15 inland corridor, has developed a unique niche approach to its economic development. It tries to attract industries and retailers that are not overly represented in the surrounding areas. This strategy means that San Marcos is rapidly becoming a regional hub for such products as electronics, home furnishings, recreation vehicles and motorcycles.
Fry’s and Best Buy both recently opened up large stores in San Marcos, offering the area access to large selections of electronic merchandise at discount prices. There are two large RV dealerships and several motorcycle dealers within the city limits. Residents and visitors can find a large selection of furniture stores and designer outlets along the frontage road that borders I-15 in San Marcos. Lowe’s, Staples and Kohl’s are all currently under construction and will open sometime this year.
San Marcos also aggressively pursued the development of the California State University San Marcus campus. The city wants to be the North County hub for education and CSU San Marcos is key to that effort. The university is rapidly expanding its campus and will be adding a new library and student union in 2004. It currently has an enrollment of 5,900 students and that is projected to grow to 9,500 students by 2007. In addition to CSU San Marcos, Palomar College has an enrollment of more than 18,000 students on its San Marcos campus.
Land in San Marcos is 20 to 30 percent less than the surrounding areas of the county, making it attractive to developers. Also, about 40 percent of land suitable for future projects is still open and available. The city has excellent access to I-15 and Highway 78. Plans to build a commuter railway connection from Escondido to Oceanside include several stops in Escondido.
San Marcos is also home to a thriving restaurant row that offers a variety of food choices. Started in 1977 by Jim Eubanks, Old California Restaurant Row is a collection of restaurants and shops with something for just about everyone, including a recently opened wine bar. Its proximity to the Edwards San Marcos Stadium 18 movie theater makes it a bustling place on evenings and weekends.
A business-friendly government has battled for infrastructure improvements that include $30 million in road construction currently under way and another $20 million in the planning process.
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Top Home Sales in San Marcos
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Dwelling
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Street Address
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Zip
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Record Date
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Tax Value
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house
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570 Quarry Rd
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92069
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03/26/08
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$2,150,000
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house
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420 Cassou Rd
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92069
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07/20/09
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$1,935,500
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house
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2171 Rocky Point
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92078
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10/21/08
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$1,000,000
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house
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1665 La Plaza Dr
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92078
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07/17/08
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$975,000
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house
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1794 Camden Pl
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92069
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05/30/08
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$975,000
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house
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640 Richland View Ct
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92069
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04/30/09
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$970,000
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house
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1647 Milan Way
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92078
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03/10/08
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$950,000
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house
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2165 Coast Ave
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92078
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06/16/08
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$945,000
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house
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1478 Schoolhouse Way
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92078
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06/19/09
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$940,000
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house
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1164 Sunrise Way
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92078
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01/28/08
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$925,000
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house
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2172 Rocky Point Way
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92078
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09/04/09
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$904,000
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house
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1271 Holmgrove Dr
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92078
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02/15/08
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$903,000
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condo
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1012 Norte Vista , Unit #30
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92078
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04/22/09
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$900,000
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house
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1159 Via Vera Cruz
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92078
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09/10/08
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$880,000
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house
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1742 Cuadro Vista
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92078
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06/03/08
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$879,000
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house
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1458 Kingsport Way
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92078
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10/31/08
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$871,500
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house
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1472 Schoolhouse Way
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92078
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08/05/08
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$865,000
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house
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1783 Savannah Way
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92069
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07/03/08
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$865,000
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house
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1480 Schoolhouse Way
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92078
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02/01/08
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$860,000
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house
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1405 Schoolhouse Way
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92078
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03/27/09
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$855,000
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house
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1277 Holmgrove Dr
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92078
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05/23/08
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$850,500
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house
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1273 Holmgrove Dr
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92078
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04/17/08
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$843,000
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house
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1402 Schoolhouse Way
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92078
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09/25/09
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$835,000
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house
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1803 La Plaza Dr
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92069
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07/15/09
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$830,000
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house
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1794 Camden Pl
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92069
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10/02/09
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$829,000
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house
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1476 Misty Sea Way
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92078
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07/24/08
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$824,000
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house
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2522 Rockdale Pl
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92078
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06/27/08
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$810,000
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house
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1654 Milan Way
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92078
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01/15/08
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$808,000
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house
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1091 Crimson Dr
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92069
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04/02/08
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$800,000
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house
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1373 Rock Ct
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92078
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04/03/08
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$800,000
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Top 30 Employers in San Marcos
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| Ranked by number of employees |
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Company
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Industry
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Employees
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Palomar College
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N/A
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3,070
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San Marcos Unified School District
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N/A
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1,286
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Hunter Industries Inc.
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N/A
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814
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Signet Armorlite Inc.
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N/A
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425
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Lusardi Construction Co.
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N/A
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296
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Walker Wood Products Inc.
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N/A
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275
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North County Health Services
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N/A
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254
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Costco Wholesale (San Marcos)
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N/A
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251
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RB III Associates
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N/A
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250
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South Coast Framers
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N/A
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230
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City of San Marcos
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N/A
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200
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Lake San Marcos Resort and Country Club
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N/A
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200
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The Home Depot (San Marcos)
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N/A
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200
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Stonecraft Industries
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N/A
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198
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Lancer Orthodontics Inc.
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N/A
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150
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Amistar Corp.
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N/A
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95
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Vallecitos Water District
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N/A
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92
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LawInfo.com Inc.
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N/A
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70
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Discovery Bank (Inactive as of 7/24/09, merged w/CommerceWest Bank)
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N/A
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43
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Richard and Richard Construction
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N/A
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30
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First Nat'l Bank of Southern California
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N/A
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28
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PIM Financial Services Inc.
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N/A
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24
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Target Billing & Collections
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N/A
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21
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Rancho Santa Fe Thrift and Loan
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N/A
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19
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Quantum Communications
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N/A
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14
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Cole Office Products Inc.
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N/A
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12
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Separation Processes, Inc.
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N/A
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12
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Academy Engineering
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N/A
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7
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Tracer ES&T
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N/A
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5
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The Write Stuff Studios
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N/A
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1
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NORTH COUNTY
SPOTLIGHTS
Carlsbad
Escondido
Oceanside
Poway
San Marcos - More Info
Neighboring Locales
- Vista
- Carlsbad
- Escondido
BUSINESS LISTINGS
CITIES
TROLLEY STOPS
ECONOMIC STATISTICS
ARTICLES
The Promise of Economic Growth for 2004
Expected population growth in San Marcos
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San Marcos
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2000:
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Total pop:
Hispanic pop:
Non-hispanic pop:
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54,977
20,271
34,706
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2010:
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Total pop:
Hispanic pop:
Non-hispanic pop:
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74,979
31,283
43,696
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2020:
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Total pop:
Hispanic pop:
Non-hispanic pop:
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87,960
42,481
45,479
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2030:
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Total pop:
Hispanic pop:
Non-hispanic pop:
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106,772
57,550
49,222
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Source
Sandag
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