Assisted Living in San Marcos, CA
San Marcos has 21 state-licensed assisted living communities: 3 larger communities and 18 small residential homes (16 or fewer residents). The median cost of assisted living in California is $7,000 a month (CareScout 2025), against $6,200 nationally.
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Choosing Assisted Living
A practical guide for families, with checklists to take on your tours.
- What assisted living costs and the ways to pay
- Signs it may be time
- Tour checklists to print and take with you
- What residents and families told us matters most
Two kinds of assisted living in San Marcos
Both are licensed by California as assisted living. Larger communities suit people who want social life and on-site services; small homes suit people who do better with quiet, familiar routines, including many people with dementia. California words these licenses as “Residential Care Elderly” (21).
All 21 licensed assisted living communities in San Marcos
Every assisted living community California licenses in San Marcos, from state records. Being listed is not a rating: Lilisity scores only communities with verified interviews (the Top Communities). Communities with verified testimonials are listed first, then by size.
21 shown
| Community | Size | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Marbella San Marcos1590 W San Marcos BLVD | Large245 residents | $4,350 to $7,000/moLilisity estimate |
| The Meridian at Lake San Marcos1177 San Marino Dr Bldg 1 & 2 | Large170 residents | $4,350 to $7,000/moLilisity estimate |
| Silvergate San Marcos Retirement Residence1550/1560 Security Place | Large160 residents | $4,350 to $7,000/moLilisity estimate |
| Chateau Lake San Marcos Community Care Center1560 Circa Del Lago | Small home15 residents | from $2,705/mo |
| Country Rose Estate Memory Care1255 Adventure Ln | Small home15 residents | $4,350 to $7,000/moLilisity estimate |
| Majella Assisted Living of San Marcos558 Smilax Rd. | Small home11 residents | $4,350 to $7,000/moLilisity estimate |
| Alma's Joyful Living Home Care802 Orla Street | Small home6 residents | $4,800 to $7,750/moLilisity estimate |
| Blue Skies of San Marcos1119 Via Vera Cruz | Small home6 residents | $4,800 to $7,750/moLilisity estimate |
| Love & Care Residential Facility II603 Maybritt Cir | Small home6 residents | $4,800 to $7,750/moLilisity estimate |
| Mercy Villa651 Alder Drive | Small home6 residents | $4,800 to $7,750/moLilisity estimate |
| San Marcos Cottage1326 Granite Road | Small home6 residents | $4,800 to $7,750/moLilisity estimate |
| San Marcos Villa3728 Linda Vista Drive | Small home6 residents | $4,800 to $7,750/moLilisity estimate |
| Sapphire Chardonnay484 Chardonnay Court | Small home6 residents | $4,800 to $7,750/moLilisity estimate |
| Sapphire Lake San Marcos839 la Tierra Drive | Small home6 residents | $4,800 to $7,750/moLilisity estimate |
| Twin Oaks Garden1965 Edwin Lane | Small home6 residents | $4,800 to $7,750/moLilisity estimate |
| Twin Oaks Garden II1961 Edwin Lane | Small home6 residents | $4,800 to $7,750/moLilisity estimate |
| Twin Oaks Garden III1950 Edwin Lane | Small home6 residents | $4,800 to $7,750/moLilisity estimate |
| Villa Ambrosia1537 Brighton Glen Road | Small home6 residents | $4,800 to $7,750/moLilisity estimate |
| Weaver's Twin Oaks Villa2115 Twin Oaks Valley Road | Small home6 residents | $4,800 to $7,750/moLilisity estimate |
| Woodland Borden Care819 Wulff Street | Small home6 residents | $4,800 to $7,750/moLilisity estimate |
| Twin Oaks Manor1719 Medinah | Small home5 residents | $4,800 to $7,750/moLilisity estimate |
How much does assisted living cost in San Marcos?
The median cost of assisted living in California is $7,000 a month ($84,000 a year), above the national median of $6,200. That’s CareScout’s 2025 survey, collected July to November 2025. If more care is needed: nursing home costs in California, with CareScout medians and the private-pay rates nursing homes publish. Small residential homes often cost less than larger communities, though care needs, room type and services move the price more than the building does.
Medicare does not pay for assisted living. People pay from savings and income, long-term care insurance, or VA Aid and Attendance (up to $29,093 a year for a veteran in 2026), and some qualify for Medicaid help with care costs at communities that accept it. Who actually pays for long-term care.
Free tools: how long will the money last? · home care or assisted living? · VA Aid and Attendance estimator
Three questions to ask on every San Marcos tour
From about 23,000 concerns residents and families raised in Senior Living Alliance phone interviews, the most common are about dining, housekeeping and hearing back from management.
- Can I come back and eat a meal here, unannounced?Dining was 23% of all concerns: quality that changes day to day.
- How is laundry labeled and tracked, and what happens when something goes missing?Housekeeping was 17%.
- Who is my main contact, and how often will I hear from them?Communication with management was 15%.
All 8 tour questions, with a free printable tour card (PDF).
Check a San Marcos community’s license
California publishes licensing records, and in most cases inspection or complaint reports, for every community on this page. Look up any community on the state’s site: ccld.dss.ca.gov. Ask the community for its most recent inspection report too; they have to keep it.
San Marcos assisted living questions
California licenses 21 assisted living communities in San Marcos as of November 2026: 3 larger communities and 18 small residential homes of 16 or fewer residents, with about 705 licensed spots in all.
The median cost of assisted living in California is $7,000 a month (CareScout 2025), compared with $6,200 nationally. Prices vary with the room, the level of care and the community, so ask each one for its current rate sheet. The table on this page shows each community's published price or a Lilisity estimate where we have one, and our free guide lists the questions to ask about cost.
Medicaid doesn't pay rent or meals in assisted living. Most states offer a Medicaid waiver or program that can pay for care services at participating communities for people who qualify; not every community takes it, so ask each one. California's Medicaid agency or your local Area Agency on Aging can tell you what's available.
California publishes its licensing records at ccld.dss.ca.gov. You can also ask any community for its most recent state inspection report.