COUNTY
San Luis Obispo County
California · 282,367 residents (2025 est.) · 3,300.842 sq mi
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The short version
San Luis Obispo County is wealthier than most US places, with a median household income of $97,446. Population has held roughly steady since 2000. Median home value has more than tripled since 2000, reaching $824,700. It ranks in the top 1% of US counties for household income.
At a glance
Wealthier
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
Section 01
Population & growth
PEP 2025 EST:282,367 residents (Census Bureau Vintage 2025, released March 2026)
Population, 1990 – 2024
2024282K
Age distribution, 2024
Under 54.4%(12,304)
5 to 94.8%(13,434)
10 to 145.1%(14,447)
15 to 198.2%(22,949)
20 to 2410%(28,069)
25 to 3411%(31,107)
35 to 4411.7%(32,802)
45 to 5410.4%(29,187)
55 to 6412.4%(34,918)
65 to 7413.1%(36,972)
75 to 846.7%(18,744)
85 and over2.4%(6,622)
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Section 02
Income & economy
$97,446
+26%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $42,428 in 2000
US average: $82,259
1990 – 2024
Households earning $100K+
60.8%
+25.1 ptssince 2009
from 35.8% in 2009
US average: 53.3%
Workforce by industry, 2024
Information10.9%
Wholesale trade7.8%
Retail trade7.7%
Finance & insurance4.6%
Other services4.2%
Agriculture, forestry, fishing3.3%
Construction3.2%
Professional, scientific, technical2.8%
Public administration2.3%
Education & health services1.8%
Arts, entertainment, food1.8%
Transportation & warehousing1.4%
Manufacturing0.1%
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Section 03
Housing
$824,700
+107%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $218,600 in 2000
US average: $376,019
1990 – 2024
8.5
−12%since 2009
from 9.6 in 2009
2009 – 2024
Our index: median home value divided by median household income. Lower is more affordable.
70
Our index, 0 to 100. Higher means faster recent growth in incomes, home values, and college degrees.
RELATED:See current rent listings in San Luis Obispo County on RentDataNow
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)
65
+22%since 2009
from 53 in 2009
2009 – 2024
Our index, 0 to 100. Higher means a more even mix of racial and ethnic groups.
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)
Costa Rican0%(116)
Panamanian0%(83)
Chilean0%(71)
Venezuelan0%(71)
Dominican0%(56)
Uruguayan0%(11)
Bolivian0%(6)
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
Pacific Islander origin
Samoan0.1%(319)
Native Hawaiian0.1%(304)
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)
French Canadian0.3%(788)
Czech0.3%(769)
Finnish0.3%(723)
Austrian0.3%(717)
Lebanese0.2%(662)
Subsaharan African0.2%(633)
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)
Trinidadian & Tobagonian0%(16)
Macedonian0%(13)
Haitian0%(6)
Cape Verdean0%(3)
Ethiopian0%(3)
Section 05
Education
High school or higher
92.2%
+6.6 ptssince 2000
from 85.6% in 2000
US average: 89.6%
Section 06
Commute & transportation
Section 07
Work & employment
Section 08
People & community
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
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Compare San Luis Obispo County to nearby counties
SAN LUIS OBISPO COUNTY VS
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Income$70,995−27%
Home value$324,300−61%
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SAN LUIS OBISPO COUNTY VS
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Income$98,161+1%
Home value$790,700−4%
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SAN LUIS OBISPO COUNTY VS
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Income$97,230same
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SAN LUIS OBISPO COUNTY VS
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Income$114,394+17%
Home value$793,400−4%
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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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70 census tracts (top 20 by population)
Census Tract 118Census Tract 109.03Census Tract 113Census Tract 119.04Census Tract 123.02Census Tract 131Census Tract 124.04Census Tract 127.05Census Tract 126.01Census Tract 107.07Census Tract 125.03Census Tract 102.02Census Tract 125.02Census Tract 102.05Census Tract 100.16Census Tract 123.05Census Tract 121.02Census Tract 102.04Census Tract 115.05Census Tract 110.0123 ZIP codes
ZIP 93446ZIP 93422ZIP 93420ZIP 93401ZIP 93405ZIP 93444ZIP 93402ZIP 93433ZIP 93442ZIP 93465ZIP 93449ZIP 93410ZIP 93445ZIP 93428ZIP 93430ZIP 93409ZIP 93453ZIP 93461ZIP 93432ZIP 93424ZIP 93407ZIP 93452ZIP 93408Up the hierarchy
All counties in CaliforniaDATA: US CENSUS BUREAU ACS 5-YEAR + DECENNIAL CENSUS · UPDATED 2024