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COUNTY

San Luis Obispo County

California · 282,367 residents (2025 est.) · 3,301 sq mi
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Part of the San Luis Obispo metro area
The short version

With 281,555 people, San Luis Obispo County is a county in California. Home values have more than tripled since 2000, reaching $824,700. That puts it in the top 1% of US counties for household income. Median rent is $1,992 a month. Growth has run 14% since 2000, or 34,874 more people. There are 85 people per square mile.

At a glance
Wealthier
median household income $97,446, above the US median
US median: $82,259
Mid-age
median age 40.4
US median: 38.9
More educated
40% hold a bachelor's degree
US average: 36%
Less affordable
home values up 107%, inflation adjusted
US median home: $376,019
Unique to this place

What stands out about San Luis Obispo County

Among the 58 counties in California

  • 20th in household income$97,446
  • 15th in share with a bachelor's degree39.8%
  • 12th in home value$824,700
  • 41st in diversity score64.6
Section 01

Population & growth

Total population
281,555
+14%since 2000
from 246,681 in 2000
282,367 in 2025 (Census Bureau estimate)
1990 – 2025
Population density
85 / sq mi
+14%since 2000
from 75 / sq mi in 2000
US average: 281
Median age
40.4
+8%since 2000
from 37.3 in 2000
US average: 38.9
Land area
3,301 sq mi
Population, 1990 – 2024
211K230K250K270K289K19902000201020202024San Luis Obispo County
2024282K
1990201020202024
Age distribution, 2024
Under 54.4%(12,304)
US avg: 5.6%
5 to 94.8%(13,434)
US avg: 6%
10 to 145.1%(14,447)
US avg: 6.4%
15 to 198.2%(22,949)
US avg: 6.6%
20 to 2410%(28,069)
US avg: 6.5%
25 to 3411%(31,107)
US avg: 13.7%
35 to 4411.7%(32,802)
US avg: 13.2%
45 to 5410.4%(29,187)
US avg: 12.2%
55 to 6412.4%(34,918)
US avg: 12.7%
65 to 7413.1%(36,972)
US avg: 10.2%
75 to 846.7%(18,744)
US avg: 5.1%
85 and over2.4%(6,622)
US avg: 1.9%
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Section 02

Income & economy

Median household income
$97,446
+26%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $42,428 in 2000
US average: $82,259
1990 – 2024
Per capita income
$51,592
+136%since 2000
from $21,864 in 2000
US average: $44,673
Households earning $100K+
60.8%
+25.1 ptssince 2009
from 35.8% in 2009
US average: 53.3%
Poverty rate
12.9%
+0.1 ptssince 2000
from 12.8% in 2000
US average: 12.5%
Income inequality (Gini)
0.475
+4%since 2010
from 0.456 in 2010
US average: 0.476
Workforce by industry, 2024
Information10.9%
US avg: 10.8%
Wholesale trade7.8%
US avg: 6.9%
Retail trade7.7%
US avg: 9.9%
Finance & insurance4.6%
US avg: 5.9%
Other services4.2%
US avg: 6.7%
Agriculture, forestry, fishing3.3%
US avg: 1.6%
Construction3.2%
US avg: 1.2%
Professional, scientific, technical2.8%
US avg: 5.1%
Public administration2.3%
US avg: 4.8%
Education & health services1.8%
US avg: 0.9%
Arts, entertainment, food1.8%
US avg: 1.9%
Transportation & warehousing1.4%
US avg: 2.2%
Manufacturing0.1%
US avg: 0.4%
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Section 03

Housing

Median home value
$824,700
+107%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $218,600 in 2000
US average: $376,019
1990 – 2024
Median gross rent
$1,992
+52%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $719 in 2000
US average: $1,442
Owner-occupied
62.1%
+0.6 ptssince 2000
from 61.5% in 2000
37.9% rent
Vacancy rate
12.9%
+1.9 ptssince 2009
from 11.0% in 2009
US average: 10.0%
Persons per household
2.43 people
+2%since 2009
from 2.39 people in 2009
US average: 2.54
Owner cost-burdened
30.6%
−10.6 ptssince 2009
from 41.3% in 2009
US average: 22.9%
Renter cost-burdened
54.0%
−3.1 ptssince 2009
from 57.2% in 2009
US average: 47.4%
Afford Score
8.5
−12%since 2009
from 9.6 in 2009
1990 – 2024
Years of local income it takes to buy a local home, on a scale of about 0 to 15. Lower is more affordable.
Gentrification Score
70
Our index, 0 to 100. Higher means faster recent growth in incomes, home values, and college degrees.
Section 04

Race & ethnicity

2000
White, non-Hispanic76.1%(187,840)
Black1.9%(4,743)
Hispanic / Latino16.3%(40,196)
Asian2.6%(6,342)
Other0%
2024
White, non-Hispanic64.5%(181,605)
Black1.1%(3,058)
Hispanic / Latino25%(70,318)
Asian3.4%(9,614)
Other6%(16,960)
Diversity Score
65
+22%since 2009
from 53 in 2009
1990 – 2024
Our index, 0 to 100. Higher means a more even mix of racial and ethnic groups.
Segregation Score
25
−1%since 2020
from 25 in 2020
Our index, 0 to 100. Higher means White and non-White residents are more separated across neighborhoods.
Section 04 · Origins

Detailed origins & ancestry

Hispanic origin
Mexican21%(59,002)
Central American0.7%(2,023)
Spaniard0.6%(1,822)
South American0.5%(1,349)
Puerto Rican0.4%(1,199)
Salvadoran0.3%(830)
Cuban0.2%(683)
Guatemalan0.2%(493)
Peruvian0.2%(464)
Colombian0.1%(350)
Honduran0.1%(291)
Nicaraguan0.1%(210)
+ 9 more hispanic origin groups with data
Ecuadorian0.1%(146)
Argentine0%(132)
Chilean0%(71)
Dominican0%(56)
Uruguayan0%(11)
Asian origin
Filipino0.8%(2,343)
Chinese0.8%(2,336)
Japanese0.5%(1,319)
Korean0.4%(1,085)
Asian Indian0.3%(975)
Vietnamese0.2%(698)
Taiwanese0.1%(218)
Pakistani0%(140)
Thai0%(136)
Cambodian0%(67)
Laotian0%(62)
Hmong0%(49)
+ 7 more asian origin groups with data
Nepalese0%(27)
Burmese0%(21)
Malaysian0%(19)
Uzbek0%(9)
Kazakh0%(5)
Pacific Islander origin
Samoan0.1%(319)
Chamorro0%(87)
Guamanian0%(45)
Fijian0%(7)
Ancestry
German14.9%(41,942)
English14.4%(40,667)
Irish12.7%(35,627)
Italian6.3%(17,780)
Scottish2.8%(7,949)
French2.5%(7,153)
American2.2%(6,323)
Portuguese2.1%(5,983)
Norwegian1.8%(5,059)
Polish1.8%(4,972)
Swedish1.6%(4,601)
Dutch1.5%(4,245)
+ 47 more ancestry groups with data
Russian1%(2,834)
Scotch-Irish0.9%(2,618)
Danish0.8%(2,305)
Welsh0.8%(2,193)
Arab0.7%(1,838)
British0.6%(1,791)
Swiss0.6%(1,607)
Hungarian0.5%(1,368)
Greek0.4%(1,049)
Croatian0.3%(849)
Ukrainian0.3%(813)
Czech0.3%(769)
Finnish0.3%(723)
Austrian0.3%(717)
Lebanese0.2%(662)
Canadian0.2%(629)
Armenian0.2%(614)
Lithuanian0.2%(509)
Iranian0.2%(478)
Belgian0.1%(375)
Syrian0.1%(362)
Australian0.1%(359)
Serbian0.1%(338)
Slovak0.1%(310)
Egyptian0.1%(274)
Romanian0.1%(265)
West Indian0.1%(253)
Turkish0.1%(198)
Brazilian0.1%(179)
Palestinian0.1%(160)
Slovene0.1%(156)
Nigerian0.1%(145)
Moroccan0%(117)
Jamaican0%(101)
Bulgarian0%(86)
Israeli0%(49)
Latvian0%(47)
Guyanese0%(29)
Barbadian0%(23)
Ghanaian0%(21)
Haitian0%(6)
Section 05

Education

Bachelor's degree or higher
39.8%
+13.1 ptssince 2000
from 26.7% in 2000
US average: 35.6%
High school or higher
92.2%
+6.6 ptssince 2000
from 85.6% in 2000
US average: 89.6%
Graduate degree
15.6%
+6.3 ptssince 2000
from 9.3% in 2000
US average: 14.0%
Section 06

Commute & transportation

Average commute
22.3 min
+60%since 2000
from 14.0 min in 2000
US average: 26.5
Drive alone to work
70.5%
−3.3 ptssince 2009
from 73.9% in 2009
US average: 68.9%
Carpooled to work
7.7%
−3.9 ptssince 2009
from 11.5% in 2009
US average: 8.5%
Public transit
0.6%
−0.6 ptssince 2009
from 1.2% in 2009
US average: 3.2%
Worked from home
15.2%
+9.1 ptssince 2009
from 6.1% in 2009
US average: 15.0%
Walked to work
3.8%
−0.4 ptssince 2009
from 4.2% in 2009
US average: 2.4%
Biked to work
1.3%
−0.5 ptssince 2009
from 1.8% in 2009
US average: 0.4%
No vehicle available
3.8%
−0.7 ptssince 2009
from 4.5% in 2009
US average: 8.3%
Section 07

Work & employment

Unemployment rate
5.5%
−2.6 ptssince 2011
from 8.1% in 2011
US average: 5.2%
Labor force participation
58.2%
−1.3 ptssince 2011
from 59.4% in 2011
US average: 63.5%
Women 20-64 in the labor force
72.8%
+0.9 ptssince 2020
from 71.9% in 2020
US average: 74.6%
Self-employed
15.5%
+1.2 ptssince 2009
from 14.3% in 2009
US average: 13.1%
Management & professional
43.1%
+8.5 ptssince 2009
from 34.6% in 2009
US average: 42.5%
Section 08

People & community

Male
50.4%
−0.9 ptssince 2009
from 51.3% in 2009
Female
49.6%
+0.9 ptssince 2009
from 48.7% in 2009
Foreign born
9.9%
+0.2 ptssince 2009
from 9.6% in 2009
US average: 14.1%
Veterans
6.3%
−4.8 ptssince 2009
from 11.1% in 2009
US average: 6.2%
With a disability
13.3%
+2.2 ptssince 2012
from 11.1% in 2012
US average: 13.3%
Uninsured
5.7%
−8.1 ptssince 2013
from 13.8% in 2013
US average: 8.4%
Broadband at home
93.1%
+8.1 ptssince 2017
from 85.0% in 2017
US average: 91.0%
Computer in household
97.0%
+2.2 ptssince 2020
from 94.8% in 2020
US average: 95.5%
Same house as last year
82.8%
+0.6 ptssince 2020
from 82.2% in 2020
US average: 87.7%
English only at home
82.5%
+1.0 ptssince 2016
from 81.4% in 2016
US average: 77.7%
Spanish at home
13.0%
−1.2 ptssince 2016
from 14.2% in 2016
US average: 13.6%
Marital status
Men 15+
Never married39.7%(48,235)
Married49.9%(60,585)
Widowed2.4%(2,871)
Divorced8.1%(9,805)
Women 15+
Never married32.1%(38,442)
Married48.3%(57,941)
Widowed7.5%(8,954)
Divorced12.1%(14,537)
SHARE WITHIN EACH SEX · POPULATION 15 AND OVER · 2024
Section 09

Health coverage

Uninsured
5.7%
−8.1 ptssince 2013
from 13.8% in 2013
US average: 8.4%
Employer-based
57.1%
−0.8 ptssince 2020
from 57.9% in 2020
US average: 54.8%
Direct-purchase
18.1%
−0.3 ptssince 2020
from 18.4% in 2020
US average: 13.8%
Medicare
22.9%
+1.8 ptssince 2020
from 21.1% in 2020
US average: 18.4%
Medicaid
17.6%
+0.6 ptssince 2020
from 17.0% in 2020
US average: 20.9%
VA health care
2.1%
−0.2 ptssince 2020
from 2.3% in 2020
US average: 2.2%
Any private
72.3%
−1.8 ptssince 2020
from 74.1% in 2020
US average: 67.1%
Any public
38.1%
+2.0 ptssince 2020
from 36.1% in 2020
US average: 36.7%

Shares are "alone or in combination": a person with both Medicare and Medicaid counts in each, so categories overlap and do not sum to 100%.

Section 09 · Service history

Veterans

Veterans by period of service, 2024
Gulf War (2001 or later)17.8%(2,591)
US avg: 26.4%
Gulf War (1990s)16.1%(2,350)
US avg: 24.3%
Vietnam era41.4%(6,022)
US avg: 33.1%
Korean War8.2%(1,196)
US avg: 4.5%
World War II0.9%(134)
US avg: 1%

Share of the 14,563 veterans here. A veteran who served across eras counts in each, so shares can total more than 100%. Peacetime-only service is included in the total but not shown as an era.

BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Over time

San Luis Obispo County, decade by decade

San Luis Obispo County population, inflation-adjusted income and home value, education, and diversity by year
YearPopulationMedian household incomeMedian home valueBachelor's degree+Diversity score
1990217,162$74,796$511,69522.9%39.8
2000246,681$77,289$398,21426.7%49.0
2010269,637$82,524$739,28230.6%56.2
2020282,424$94,476$733,52636.1%64.7
2024281,555$97,446$824,70039.8%64.6

Census years come from the decennial census and the latest year from the American Community Survey, so part of any change between those two rows can reflect the different surveys. Dollar figures are adjusted for inflation to 2024 dollars; a figure ending in "+" was at the Census Bureau's reporting cap that year. The diversity score runs from 0 to 100; see how it's calculated.

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Head to head

Compare San Luis Obispo County to nearby counties

SAN LUIS OBISPO COUNTY VS
Kings County
Income$70,995−27%
Home value$324,300−61%
Population154,327−45%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
SAN LUIS OBISPO COUNTY VS
Santa Barbara County
Income$98,161+1%
Home value$790,700−4%
Population442,065+57%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
SAN LUIS OBISPO COUNTY VS
Monterey County
Income$97,230same
Home value$781,000−5%
Population433,729+54%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
SAN LUIS OBISPO COUNTY VS
San Benito County
Income$114,394+17%
Home value$793,400−4%
Population70,082−75%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
Frequently asked

How many people live in San Luis Obispo County, California?

San Luis Obispo County, California has about 281,555 residents according to the 2024 American Community Survey.

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

The typical household in San Luis Obispo County, California earns about $97,446 a year. Half of households make more than that, and half make less.

Is San Luis Obispo County, California expensive?

In San Luis Obispo County, California, the median home is worth about $824,700, and the typical rent is about $1,992 a month.

How educated are people in San Luis Obispo County, California?

About 39.8% of adults age 25 and over in San Luis Obispo County, California hold a bachelor's degree or higher.

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

About 12.9% of people in San Luis Obispo County, California live below the federal poverty line.

Has San Luis Obispo County, California grown since 1990?

Yes, San Luis Obispo County, California has grown since 1990. The population has added about 64,393 residents, a change of about 30 percent over that period.

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

How we source and harmonize this data →