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METRO AREA

San Luis Obispo Metro

San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles, CA · 1 counties · 282,367 residents (2025 est.) · 3,301 sq mi
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The short version

San Luis Obispo is a metro area of 281,555 people. The typical home is worth $824,700, having more than tripled since 2000. Few US metro areas rank higher on income. Renters pay $1,992 a month at the median. 34,874 more people live here than in 2000. Density works out to 85 people per square mile.

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

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
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
2009 – 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
73
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
2009 – 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
In this metro

Largest cities

San Luis ObispoCENTRAL50,636El Paso de Robles (Paso Robles)CENTRAL31,626Atascadero29,464Arroyo Grande18,123Nipomo17,516Los Osos14,166Grover Beach12,456Morro Bay10,613Templeton9,580California Polytechnic State University7,915Pismo Beach7,911Oceano7,128Cambria5,978Lake Nacimiento3,339San Miguel CDP (San Luis Obispo County)3,227Cayucos2,427Callender2,230Woodlands2,061Los Ranchos1,467Avila Beach1,303Shandon1,169Santa Margarita1,149Blacklake983Edna330Whitley Gardens244Garden Farms241San Simeon217Los Berros145Oak Shores128Creston0
What's inside

1 component county

San Luis Obispo CountyCENTRAL282,367
Drill deeper

Metros similar to San Luis Obispo

Lacey
Pop 304,261
Bremerton
Pop 283,374
Bend
Pop 266,376
Norwich
Pop 284,015
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Head to head

Compare San Luis Obispo side by side

SAN LUIS OBISPO VS
Lacey
Income$96,563−1%
Home value$480,300−42%
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SEE FULL COMPARISON →
SAN LUIS OBISPO VS
Bremerton
Income$104,158+7%
Home value$555,100−33%
Population283,374same
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SAN LUIS OBISPO VS
Bend
Income$90,045−8%
Home value$605,107−27%
Population266,376−6%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
SAN LUIS OBISPO VS
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Income$86,586−11%
Home value$323,400−61%
Population284,015+1%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
Frequently asked

How many people live in San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles, CA?

San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles, CA has about 281,555 residents according to the 2024 American Community Survey.

What is the median household income in San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles, CA?

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

Is San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles, CA expensive?

In San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles, CA, 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-Paso Robles, CA?

About 39.8% of adults age 25 and over in San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles, CA hold a bachelor's degree or higher.

What is the poverty rate in San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles, CA?

About 12.9% of people in San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles, CA live below the federal poverty line.

Has San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles, CA grown since 1990?

Yes, San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles, CA 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 · METRO ROLLUP OF COMPONENT COUNTIES · UPDATED 2024

How we source and harmonize this data →