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CITY · 1990 CENSUS

San Luis Obispo

California · 41,958 residents · 13.469 sq mi
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The short version

San Luis Obispo has lower-than-average household income, with a median household income of $25,982. Population has declined 5% since 2000. 35% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, well above the national rate of 20%. Median home value is $239,900. At a median age of 26.6, residents skew younger than the country as a whole. Households here earn about 27% less than the California median.

At a glance
Lower income
below the US median
US median: $30,130
Younger
median age 26.6
US median: 33.0
More educated
35% hold a bachelor's degree
US average: 20%
Stable housing
home values roughly flat, inflation adjusted
US median home: $93,722
Section 01

Population & growth

Total population
41,958
−5%vs 2000
vs 44,174 in 2000
1990 – 2025
Median age
26.6
+2%vs 2000
vs 26.2 in 2000
US average: 33.0
Population, 1990 – 2024
41K43K45K47K49K1990201020202024San Luis Obispo
202448K
1990201020202024
Age distribution, 1990
Under 53.8%(1,603)
US avg: 7.3%
5 to 94.2%(1,758)
US avg: 7.3%
10 to 143.2%(1,354)
US avg: 6.9%
15 to 198.6%(3,594)
US avg: 7.1%
20 to 2426.9%(11,289)
US avg: 7.5%
25 to 3416.8%(7,039)
US avg: 17.5%
35 to 4412.1%(5,090)
US avg: 15.1%
45 to 546.5%(2,746)
US avg: 10.2%
55 to 645.5%(2,322)
US avg: 8.5%
65 to 746.4%(2,679)
US avg: 7.3%
75 to 844.5%(1,880)
US avg: 4%
85 and over1.4%(604)
US avg: 1.2%
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Section 02

Income & economy

Median household income
$25,982
+7%inflation adjusted, since 2000
vs $31,926 in 2000
US average: $30,130
1990 – 2024
Per capita income
$14,760
−28%vs 2000
vs $20,386 in 2000
US average: $14,340
Poverty rate
27.4%
+0.8 ptsvs 2000
vs 26.6% in 2000
US average: 13.2%
Section 03

Housing

Median home value
$239,900
+25%inflation adjusted, since 2000
vs $252,900 in 2000
US average: $93,722
1990 – 2024
Median gross rent
$599
+9%inflation adjusted, since 2000
vs $724 in 2000
US average: $450
Owner-occupied
44.1%
+2.2 ptsvs 2000
vs 41.9% in 2000
55.9% rent
RELATED:See current rent listings in San Luis Obispo on RentDataNow
Section 04

Race & ethnicity

2000
White, non-Hispanic78.7%(34,756)
Black1.3%(594)
Hispanic / Latino11.7%(5,147)
Asian5.2%(2,286)
Other0%
1990
White, non-Hispanic88.7%(37,227)
Black1.9%(818)
Hispanic / Latino9.1%(3,804)
Asian5.1%(2,122)
Other4.3%(1,791)

No data for the years selected.

Section 04 · Origins

Detailed origins & ancestry

Detailed origin tables are available for 2024; showing 2024 data.

Hispanic origin
Mexican14%(6,808)
Spaniard0.8%(370)
Salvadoran0.5%(260)
Guatemalan0.4%(196)
Cuban0.2%(114)
Puerto Rican0.2%(111)
Colombian0.2%(111)
Peruvian0.2%(100)
Nicaraguan0.2%(78)
Honduran0.1%(39)
+ 8 more hispanic origin groups with data
Costa Rican0.1%(38)
Chilean0.1%(38)
Argentine0.1%(28)
Ecuadorian0.1%(28)
Uruguayan0%(11)
Asian origin
Chinese2%(959)
Filipino0.8%(396)
Vietnamese0.7%(360)
Asian Indian0.7%(353)
Korean0.5%(249)
Japanese0.3%(130)
Thai0.1%(27)
Laotian0.1%(26)
Taiwanese0%(24)
Burmese0%(12)
Uzbek0%(9)
+ 3 more asian origin groups with data
Pacific Islander origin
Chamorro0.1%(58)
Fijian0%(7)
Ancestry
English13.8%(6,716)
German13.8%(6,700)
Irish13.5%(6,532)
Italian7.6%(3,683)
Scottish2.8%(1,340)
French2.5%(1,229)
Norwegian2.2%(1,072)
Polish2.2%(1,065)
Swedish2.1%(1,023)
Dutch1.6%(788)
American1.4%(682)
British1.4%(679)
+ 41 more ancestry groups with data
Portuguese1.3%(622)
Arab1%(502)
Russian1%(468)
Scotch-Irish0.9%(457)
Danish0.9%(448)
Welsh0.9%(427)
Swiss0.8%(393)
Greek0.7%(333)
Iranian0.5%(260)
Hungarian0.5%(220)
Ukrainian0.4%(216)
Finnish0.3%(134)
Palestinian0.3%(133)
Lebanese0.3%(126)
Romanian0.2%(111)
Czech0.2%(98)
West Indian0.2%(94)
Armenian0.2%(89)
Croatian0.2%(85)
Austrian0.2%(84)
Egyptian0.2%(83)
Brazilian0.2%(82)
Syrian0.2%(80)
Turkish0.2%(79)
Canadian0.1%(69)
Jamaican0.1%(68)
Bulgarian0.1%(61)
Lithuanian0.1%(55)
Slovak0.1%(49)
Nigerian0.1%(48)
Australian0.1%(47)
Serbian0.1%(47)
Moroccan0.1%(33)
Belgian0%(22)
Slovene0%(15)
Ghanaian0%(11)
Israeli0%(7)
Haitian0%(6)
RANKED:Largest Mexican population · Largest English population · Largest German population · Largest Irish population · Largest Italian population
Section 05

Education

Bachelor's degree or higher
34.9%
−6.0 ptsvs 2000
vs 40.9% in 2000
US average: 20.3%
High school or higher
89.0%
−2.1 ptsvs 2000
vs 91.1% in 2000
US average: 75.2%
Graduate degree
13.4%
−1.9 ptsvs 2000
vs 15.3% in 2000
US average: 7.1%
Section 06

Commute & transportation

Average commute
13.2 min
+22%vs 2000
vs 10.8 min in 2000
US average: 21.9
Section 07

Work & employment

No data for the years selected.

Section 08

People & community

No data for the years selected.

Marital status (2024)
Men 15+
Never married61.4%(13,192)
Married31.7%(6,815)
Widowed1.9%(411)
Divorced5%(1,074)
Women 15+
Never married56.3%(12,876)
Married29.4%(6,726)
Widowed5.3%(1,217)
Divorced9%(2,052)
SHARE WITHIN EACH SEX · POPULATION 15 AND OVER · 2024
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Compare San Luis Obispo to nearby cities

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SAN LUIS OBISPO VS
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SAN LUIS OBISPO VS
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SAN LUIS OBISPO VS
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Frequently asked

How many people live in San Luis Obispo, California?

San Luis Obispo, California has about 41,958 residents according to the 1990 Census.

What is the median household income in San Luis Obispo, California?

The typical household in San Luis Obispo, California earns about $25,982 a year. Half of households make more than that, and half make less.

Is San Luis Obispo, California expensive?

In San Luis Obispo, California, the median home is worth about $239,900, and the typical rent is about $599 a month.

How educated are people in San Luis Obispo, California?

About 34.9% of adults age 25 and over in San Luis Obispo, California hold a bachelor's degree or higher.

What is the poverty rate in San Luis Obispo, California?

About 27.4% of people in San Luis Obispo, California live below the federal poverty line.

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DATA: US CENSUS BUREAU ACS 5-YEAR + DECENNIAL CENSUS · UPDATED 2024

How we source and harmonize this data →