METRO AREA · 1990 CENSUS
San Luis Obispo Metro
San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles, CA · 1 counties · 217,162 residents · 3,300.842 sq mi
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The short version
San Luis Obispo has roughly average household income, with a median household income of $31,164. Population has declined 12% since 2000. Median home value is $213,200.
At a glance
Average income
near the US median
US median: $30,130
Mid-age
median age 33.3
US median: 33.0
More educated
23% hold a bachelor's degree
US average: 20%
Less affordable
home values up 28%, inflation adjusted
US median home: $93,722
Section 01
Population & growth
Population, 1990 – 2024
2024282K
Age distribution, 1990
Under 56.3%(13,766)
5 to 96.7%(14,611)
10 to 145.5%(11,955)
15 to 197.3%(15,814)
20 to 2410.1%(22,030)
25 to 3417%(37,001)
35 to 4416.4%(35,675)
45 to 548.5%(18,518)
55 to 647.9%(17,180)
65 to 748.5%(18,490)
75 to 844.4%(9,520)
85 and over1.2%(2,602)
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Section 02
Income & economy
$31,164
−3%inflation adjusted, since 2000
vs $42,428 in 2000
US average: $30,130
1990 – 2024
Section 03
Housing
$213,200
+28%inflation adjusted, since 2000
vs $218,600 in 2000
US average: $93,722
1990 – 2024
RELATED:See current rent listings in San Luis Obispo 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%
1990
White, non-Hispanic89.2%(193,793)
Black2.6%(5,655)
Hispanic / Latino12.4%(26,869)
Asian2.9%(6,319)
Other5.2%(11,395)
No data for the years selected.
Section 04 · Origins
Detailed origins & ancestry
Detailed origin tables are available for 2024; showing 2024 data.
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
83.3%
−2.2 ptsvs 2000
vs 85.6% in 2000
US average: 75.2%
Section 06
Commute & transportation
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 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
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
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Frequently asked
How many people live in San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles, CA?
San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles, CA has about 217,162 residents according to the 1990 Census.
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 $31,164 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 $213,200, and the typical rent is about $573 a month.
How educated are people in San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles, CA?
About 22.9% 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 13.0% of people in San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles, CA live below the federal poverty line.
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DATA: US CENSUS BUREAU ACS 5-YEAR + DECENNIAL CENSUS · METRO ROLLUP OF COMPONENT COUNTIES · UPDATED 2024