San Luis Obispo city, California
CityPopulation: 48,039 (2023 estimate)
Located in California , California
Census Bureau data for San Luis Obispo city from the American Community Survey. "Cities" in Census data include incorporated places, towns, villages, and census-designated places (CDPs) — all places where the Census collects community-level estimates.
Data: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates, 2023 (released December 2024).
Quick Facts — San Luis Obispo city
- What is the median household income in San Luis Obispo city?
- The median household income in San Luis Obispo city is $66,711 (U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year Estimates, 2023).
- What is the poverty rate in San Luis Obispo city?
- The poverty rate in San Luis Obispo city is 6.5% (U.S. Census Bureau ACS 2023).
- What is the median home value in San Luis Obispo city?
- $896,500 (U.S. Census Bureau ACS 2023).
- What is the average rent in San Luis Obispo city?
- The median gross rent in San Luis Obispo city is $1,906 per month (U.S. Census Bureau ACS 2023).
- What percentage of San Luis Obispo city residents have a college degree?
- 54.4% of adults in San Luis Obispo city hold a bachelor's degree or higher (U.S. Census Bureau ACS 2023).
Population
48,039
Median Income
$66,711
Median Home Value
$896,500
Poverty Rate
6.5%
Unemployment (ACS 2023)
6.7%
Median Age
26.0 yrs
Since 2019
Median Income:
+$10,640 (+19%)
Home Value:
+$253,300 (+39.4%)
Poverty Rate:
+1.0 pp (+18.2%)
Bachelor's+:
+4.4 pp (+8.8%)
Unemployment:
+3.0 pp (+81.1%)
Demographics
Total Population
48,039
Median Age
26.0
Female
50.1%
Race & Ethnicity
Hispanic or Latino 17.3%
White (non-Hisp.) 70.5%
Black 1.2%
Asian 5.4%
Two or More 11.7%
Other 5.2%
Asian Subgroups (% of total pop.)
Chinese
1.8%
Filipino
0.8%
Vietnamese
0.7%
Indian
0.6%
Korean
0.6%
Japanese
0.2%
Hispanic Subgroups (% of total pop.)
Mexican
13.3%
Cuban
0.3%
Puerto Rican
0.2%
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates, 2023
Income & Poverty
Median Household Income
$66,711
±$6,425
-$29,623 vs. state
Per Capita Income
$103,975
Median Family Income
$121,671
Poverty Rate
6.5%
-1.9 pp vs. state
Child Poverty Rate
8.2%
Working-Age Poverty Rate
—
SNAP Recipients
6.1%
Social Security Income
—
Retirement Income
20.5%
Household Income Distribution
< $10k
8.7%
$10–15k
4.9%
$15–25k
9.2%
$25–35k
7.2%
$35–50k
10.1%
$50–75k
12.8%
$75–100k
8.1%
$100–150k
16.2%
$150–200k
7.0%
$200k+
15.8%
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates, 2023
Housing
Total Housing Units
21,783
Owner-Occupied
39.0%
Renter-Occupied
61.0%
Vacancy Rate
8.2%
Median Home Value
$896,500
+$201,100 vs. state
Median Gross Rent
$1,906
Owner Cost Burden (30%+)
27.2%
Renter Cost Burden (30%+)
61.5%
Home Value Distribution
< $50k
1.1%
$50–100k
1.2%
$100–200k
1.4%
$200–300k
3.1%
$300–500k
6.5%
$500k–$1M
49.0%
$1M+
35.9%
Gross Rent Distribution
< $500
2.8%
$500–1k
5.1%
$1–1.5k
22.4%
$1.5–2k
24.2%
$2–2.5k
20.8%
$2.5–3.5k
7.9%
$3.5k+
16.7%
Vehicle Availability
No vehicle
7.4%
1 vehicle
32.8%
2 vehicles
35.1%
3+
24.7%
Housing Type
Single-fam. det.
45.2%
Single-fam. att.
8.3%
2–4 units
4.7%
5–19 units
6.8%
20+ units
11.8%
Mobile home
5.3%
Housing Age
Pre-1940
10.3%
1940–1969
5.1%
1970–1999
20.9%
2000–2009
9.6%
2010+
5.8%
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates, 2023
Education
High School or Higher
96.0%
Bachelor's or Higher
54.4%
+17.9 pp vs. state
Graduate Degree
23.2%
Some College / Associate
21.3%
Less Than High School
1.8%
Enrolled in School
—
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates, 2023
Employment
Labor Force Participation
63.6%
Unemployment Rate
6.7%
+0.3 pp vs. state
Work from Home
15.9%
Self-Employed
5.5%
Government Workers
22.1%
Private For-Profit
72.2%
Industry
Edu/Health
26.0%
Arts/Entmt.
17.1%
Prof. Services
16.4%
Retail
11.0%
Manufacturing
7.3%
Public Admin
4.9%
Construction
4.1%
Transportation
3.3%
Finance
2.9%
Information
1.2%
Agriculture
1.1%
Wholesale
0.8%
Occupation
Management
49.3%
Food Prep
22.0%
Sales
17.0%
Production
7.3%
Construction
4.4%
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates, 2023
Commute
Median Travel Time
15.6 min
Drove Alone
64.0%
Carpool
6.7%
Public Transit
1.4%
Work from Home
15.9%
Walked
6.9%
Bicycle
—
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates, 2023
Households & Families
Total Households
20,005
Avg. Household Size
2.00
Avg. Family Size
—
Married-Couple Households
30.9%
Single-Mother Households
—
Single-Father Households
—
Living Alone
—
Households with Children
10.9%
Multigenerational
—
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates, 2023
Age Distribution
Under 5
2.9%
5–9
3.0%
10–14
3.0%
15–19
7.5%
20–24
31.3%
25–34
13.8%
35–44
8.8%
45–54
6.9%
55–64
3.8%
65–74
5.3%
75–84
7.8%
85+
4.1%
Under 18: 10.8%
Working age (18–64): 89.2%
65 and over: 13.7%
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates, 2023
Social Characteristics
Immigration
Foreign Born
7.8%
Naturalized Citizen
55.5%
Speaks English Less Than Very Well
3.0%
Foreign-Born Origin
Latin America
34.1%
Asia
29.3%
Europe
25.4%
Africa
2.0%
Veterans & Disability
Veteran
3.3%
With a Disability
9.4%
Cognitive Difficulty
—
Ambulatory Difficulty
—
Health Insurance
Insured
94.4%
Uninsured
5.6%
Employer Insurance
—
Medicaid
—
Medicare
—
Technology & Mobility
Broadband Internet
92.1%
Has a Computer
96.5%
Same House 1 Year Ago
66.9%
Moved from Abroad
0.6%
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates, 2023