San Luis Obispo, California Demographics
Population trends, housing costs, income, commuting, and health, all on one page.
San Luis Obispo, CA Population Density Map and Area Scores
Area Score
Health, income and education, each graded from F to A+. Explore interactive maps for deeper analysis.
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A
Health Above average
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D
Income Well below average
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B
Education Around average
Source: Map AI Methodology
Population
| Metric | San Luis Obispo | California Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 30,231 | 39,245,658 | 337,468,954 |
| Population density (per sq mi) | 2192.7 | 239.4 | 86.4 |
| Population growth (%/yr) | 1.14% | 0.19% | 0.59% |
| Median age | 27.6 | 35.5 | 37.3 |
| Households | 12,689 | 13,531,619 | 130,235,071 |
Population in San Luis Obispo grew by 16.1% from 2009 to 2024, reaching 30,231 in 2024.
Population Growth 2009–2024
Race & Ethnicity
Age & Sex
The largest generation in San Luis Obispo is Gen Z, aged 13–28, at 48.4% of residents. That is 26.7 points above California as a whole.
- Gen Z 13–28 14,642 48.4% +26.7 pts
- Millennials 29–44 5,029 16.6% -7.0 pts
- Gen X 45–60 3,682 12.2% -7.7 pts
- Boomers 61–79 3,671 12.1% -3.1 pts
Residents by birth cohort, from the 2025 age distribution. The right-hand figure is how far each cohort's share sits above or below California, in percentage points. Children younger than Gen Z and the generations before the Boomers are counted in the population but not shown here, so these shares do not add up to 100%.
Male and female share
Women are 49.3% of the people living in San Luis Obispo and men 50.7%.
- Women 49.3% California 49.9%
- Men 50.7% California 50.1%
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Economy
San Luis Obispo has a the economy index of D, which means it is barely prosperous.
| Metric | San Luis Obispo | California Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $72,306 | $99,161 | $80,455 |
| Income growth (%/yr) | 5.83% | 5.57% | 4.80% |
| Unemployment rate | 6.9% | 6.6% | 5.2% |
The median household income in San Luis Obispo is about 27% lower than in California.
Housing
| Metric | San Luis Obispo | California Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home price | $1,675,073 | $650,794 | $248,835 |
| Median rent | $1,927 | $2,036 | $1,407 |
| Homeownership rate | 37.0% | 55.9% | 65.2% |
The median home price in San Luis Obispo is about 72.4 years' worth of rent — buying at the median price costs roughly as much as paying the median rent of $1,927 per month for that long.
Commute Time & Mobility
Commuters in San Luis Obispo spend about 27 minutes on the road round trip each working day. Over a typical 250-day work year, that adds up to roughly 111 hours, about 4.6 full days, spent commuting.
| Metric | San Luis Obispo | California Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| One-way commute (min) | 13.3 | 23.5 | 22.4 |
| Round-trip commute (min) | 26.6 | 47.0 | 44.8 |
| Yearly time spent (hours) | 111 | 196 | 187 |
| Estimated yearly cost | $3,433 | $6,065 | $5,790 |
| Work from home | 16.4% | 17.2% | 15.0% |
| Highway traffic (vehicles/day) | 11,988 | 16,509 | 8,813 |
| Local road traffic (vehicles/day) | 2,866 | 2,449 | 1,355 |
The average commute time in San Luis Obispo is 13 minutes, shorter than the 23 minutes in California.
Estimated yearly cost applies a single national wage rule of thumb (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics average hourly earnings), not a measurement of wages in this area. Traffic volume figures come from proprietary Ticon and TrafficZoom data.
Education & Households
San Luis Obispo has a education index of B, which means it is quite educated.
| Metric | San Luis Obispo | California Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 36.0% | 33.0% | 31.6% |
| Average household size | 2.25 | 2.84 | 2.53 |
Health
San Luis Obispo has a health index of A, which means it is very healthy.
| Metric | San Luis Obispo | California Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life expectancy (years) | 78.1 | 79.6 | 78.3 |
| Self-rated poor health | 12.7% | 16.4% | 16.3% |
| Smokers | 11.4% | 13.9% | 19.0% |
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about San Luis Obispo, California.
How many people live in San Luis Obispo, California?
About 30,231 people live in San Luis Obispo, California, in 12,689 households of 2.3 people on average. The median age is 27.6, so residents are younger than the U.S. median of 37.3 by about 10 years.
Is San Luis Obispo, California mostly urban or rural?
Averaged over its land area, San Luis Obispo, California has 2,193 people per square mile, a density typical of urban and suburban areas. That is about 25 times the U.S. average of 86.
Is San Luis Obispo, California an affordable place to live?
The median home costs 23.2 times the median household income ($1,675,073 against $72,306), compared with 3.1 times nationally. A ratio of about 3 is traditionally considered affordable. Median rent of $1,927 a month takes about 32% of the median household's income, above the 30% level at which HUD considers renters cost-burdened.
Is unemployment high in San Luis Obispo, California?
Unemployment in San Luis Obispo, California is 6.9%, well above the U.S. rate of 5.2%, so job seekers may face more competition than elsewhere.
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