Health Profile of San Luis Obispo, California
San Luis Obispo Health Score
The Map AI Health Index is a score that reflects local life expectancy, disease rates, healthcare access, and physical environment to help you quickly compare the overall health and well-being of different areas.
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A
San Luis Obispo Above average
Source: Map AI Methodology
General Health Overview
| Metric | San Luis Obispo | California Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life Expectancy (years) | 78.1 | 79.6 | 78.3 |
| Uninsured Population (%) | 5.4% | 6.6% | 8.4% |
| Self-Rated Poor Health | 12.7% | 16.4% | 16.3% |
Life expectancy in San Luis Obispo is 78.1 years, about 1.6 years shorter than the California average of 79.6 years. The uninsured rate is 5.4%, lower than the California average of 6.6%. Self-rated poor health is reported by 12.7% of residents, lower than the California average of 16.4%.
Population by Age
Older residents
7,270 residents in San Luis Obispo are age 50 or older.
- 85+ 540 221 men · 319 women
- 75–84 1,069 422 men · 646 women
- 65–74 1,901 896 men · 1,005 women
- 50–64 3,761 1,844 men · 1,917 women
Younger residents
2,910 residents in San Luis Obispo are age 17 or younger.
- 12–17 831 429 boys · 402 girls
- 7–12 816 398 boys · 417 girls
- 3–7 710 378 boys · 332 girls
- 0–3 554 307 boys · 247 girls
About 1,219 residents in San Luis Obispo (4.0% of the population) are older than the area's life expectancy of 78.1 years.
The highlighted slice of the age axis is the share of residents older than the life-expectancy mark.
Disease Prevalence
| Disease / Condition | San Luis Obispo | California Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Diabetes | 7.0% | 10.5% | 11.3% |
| Cancer | 4.9% | 6.3% | 6.9% |
| Heart Diseases | 4.7% | 6.4% | 7.1% |
| Adult Obesity | 25.8% | 30.6% | 34.3% |
The rate of diabetes in San Luis Obispo is about 34% lower than in California. The rate of heart disease in San Luis Obispo is about 26% lower than in California. The rate of cancer in San Luis Obispo is about 23% lower than in California.
Health Behaviors
| Behavior | San Luis Obispo | California Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Smokers | 11.4% | 13.9% | 19.0% |
| Binge Drinking | 21.2% | 18.0% | 16.5% |
| Sedentary Lifestyle | 17.7% | 21.9% | 25.1% |
The rate of sedentary lifestyle in San Luis Obispo is about 19% lower than in California. The rate of smoking in San Luis Obispo is about 19% lower than in California. The rate of binge drinking in San Luis Obispo is about 18% higher than in California.
Assuming each smoker smokes 10 cigarettes a day, that's about 31,138 cigarettes a day, 934,135 a month, or 11.4 million a year! At 11 minutes* of life lost per cigarette, that's about 342,516 minutes a day and 125.0 million a year lost to smoking overall - and since life expectancy in San Luis Obispo is 78.1 years, that's roughly equivalent to 0.01 lifetimes a day, or 3.05 lifetimes a year.
* Source: Shaw M, Mitchell R, Dorling D. "Time for a smoke? One cigarette reduces your life by 11 minutes." BMJ. 2000;320:53.
Illustrative only. This is not an estimate of how many people actually die from smoking each day or year - it's a rough, order-of-magnitude comparison meant to help grasp the scale of smoking in this area. We take no responsibility for any decisions made based on this figure.
Air Quality
| Metric | San Luis Obispo | California Avg | US Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Air Pollution (μg/m³) | 6.53 | 7.63 | 6.09 |
With an annual average of 6.5 µg/m³ of fine particulate matter (PM2.5), air quality in San Luis Obispo is good — generally safe air quality for the vast majority of residents.
Conclusion
Considering all these factors, San Luis Obispo, California has an overall health index grade of A, making it somewhat better than California, and notably better than the country as a whole.
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about health in San Luis Obispo, California.
Is San Luis Obispo, California a healthy place to live?
San Luis Obispo, California has a Map AI Health Index grade of A, based on life expectancy, disease rates, healthcare access, and the physical environment; an A grade means residents are much healthier than the U.S. average.
What is the average lifespan in San Luis Obispo, California?
People in San Luis Obispo, California can expect to live 78.1 years on average, 1.6 years shorter than the California average of 79.6.
What percentage of San Luis Obispo, California residents are uninsured?
5.4% of residents in San Luis Obispo, California have no health insurance, about 1 in 19 people, 1.2 points below the California rate of 6.6%.
How common is obesity in San Luis Obispo, California?
25.8% of adults in San Luis Obispo, California are classified as obese, about 1 in 4, 4.8 points below the California rate of 30.6%.
How many cigarettes do smokers in San Luis Obispo, California go through, and how much life does that cost?
Assuming each smoker smokes 10 cigarettes a day, that's about 31,138 cigarettes a day, 934,135 a month, or 11.4 million a year! At 11 minutes* of life lost per cigarette, that's about 342,516 minutes a day and 125.0 million a year lost to smoking overall - and since life expectancy in San Luis Obispo is 78.1 years, that's roughly equivalent to 0.01 lifetimes a day, or 3.05 lifetimes a year.
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