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METRO AREA · 2010 ACS

San Luis Obispo Metro

San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles, CA · 1 counties · 269,637 residents · 3,301 sq mi
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The short version

With 269,637 people, San Luis Obispo is a metro area. The typical home is worth $513,900, having more than doubled since 2000. Median rent is $1,118 a month. Owners hold 60% of the housing stock. The population has held roughly steady since 2000. About 31% of adults have finished a four-year degree.

At a glance
Wealthier
above the US median
US median: $52,703
Older
median age 39.4
US median: 37.2
Average education
31% hold a bachelor's degree
US average: 28%
Less affordable
home values up 86%, inflation adjusted
US median home: $225,659
Section 01

Population & growth

Total population
269,637
+9%since 2000
from 246,681 in 2000
1990 – 2025
Population density
82 / sq mi
+9%since 2000
from 75 / sq mi in 2000
Median age
39.4
+6%since 2000
from 37.3 in 2000
US average: 37.2
Land area
3,301 sq mi
Population, 1990 – 2024
211K230K250K270K289K19902000201020202024San Luis Obispo
2024282K
1990201020202024
Age distribution, 2010
Under 54.9%(13,343)
US avg: 6.5%
5 to 95.1%(13,773)
US avg: 6.6%
10 to 145.3%(14,201)
US avg: 6.7%
15 to 198.1%(21,727)
US avg: 7.1%
20 to 2410.1%(27,342)
US avg: 7%
25 to 3411.9%(32,108)
US avg: 13.3%
35 to 4411%(29,752)
US avg: 13.3%
45 to 5414.6%(39,253)
US avg: 14.6%
55 to 6413.8%(37,116)
US avg: 11.8%
65 to 747.9%(21,187)
US avg: 7%
75 to 845%(13,531)
US avg: 4.2%
85 and over2.3%(6,304)
US avg: 1.8%
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Section 02

Income & economy

Median household income
$57,365
+7%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $42,428 in 2000
US average: $52,703
1990 – 2024
Per capita income
$29,790
+36%since 2000
from $21,864 in 2000
US average: $27,286
Households earning $100K+
37.2%
+1.4 ptssince 2009
from 35.8% in 2009
US average: 33.3%
Poverty rate
12.9%
+0.1 ptssince 2000
from 12.8% in 2000
US average: 13.8%
Income inequality (Gini)
0.456
US average: 0.461
Workforce by industry, 2010
Information12.3%
US avg: 11.5%
Wholesale trade7.6%
US avg: 7.2%
Retail trade6.2%
US avg: 10.9%
Other services5.6%
US avg: 7%
Finance & insurance4.1%
US avg: 5.1%
Agriculture, forestry, fishing3.4%
US avg: 1.9%
Public administration2.9%
US avg: 4.9%
Construction2.9%
US avg: 1.4%
Transportation & warehousing2.4%
US avg: 3.1%
Professional, scientific, technical2%
US avg: 4.2%
Education & health services2%
US avg: 0.9%
Arts, entertainment, food1.9%
US avg: 2.4%
Manufacturing0.5%
US avg: 0.5%
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Section 03

Housing

Median home value
$513,900
+86%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $218,600 in 2000
US average: $225,659
1990 – 2024
Median gross rent
$1,118
+23%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $719 in 2000
US average: $853
Owner-occupied
59.7%
−1.7 ptssince 2000
from 61.5% in 2000
40.3% rent
Vacancy rate
11.9%
+0.9 ptssince 2009
from 11.0% in 2009
US average: 12.1%
Persons per household
2.43 people
+2%since 2009
from 2.39 people in 2009
US average: 2.60
Owner cost-burdened
41.4%
+0.1 ptssince 2009
from 41.3% in 2009
US average: 30.9%
Renter cost-burdened
55.6%
−1.6 ptssince 2009
from 57.2% in 2009
US average: 46.8%
Afford Score
9.0
−7%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.
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%
2010
White, non-Hispanic71.1%(191,696)
Black1.9%(5,128)
Hispanic / Latino20.8%(55,973)
Asian3%(8,106)
Other3%(8,128)

No data for the years selected.

Section 04 · Origins

Detailed origins & ancestry

Hispanic origin
Mexican16.9%(44,791)
Spaniard0.6%(1,631)
Central American0.5%(1,233)
South American0.4%(1,014)
Puerto Rican0.3%(687)
Salvadoran0.2%(616)
Cuban0.2%(414)
Guatemalan0.1%(316)
Peruvian0.1%(315)
Colombian0.1%(289)
Ecuadorian0.1%(136)
+ 8 more hispanic origin groups with data
Chilean0%(75)
Honduran0%(73)
Dominican0%(68)
Bolivian0%(59)
Argentine0%(53)
Ancestry
German17.2%(45,786)
English13%(34,599)
Irish12.4%(32,940)
Italian6.1%(16,261)
American3.7%(9,767)
French3.5%(9,400)
Scottish3.2%(8,607)
Scotch-Irish2.6%(6,839)
Swedish2.4%(6,459)
Dutch2.4%(6,302)
Portuguese2.3%(6,139)
Norwegian2.3%(5,984)
+ 43 more ancestry groups with data
Polish2%(5,268)
Danish1.4%(3,697)
Russian1.2%(3,074)
Swiss1%(2,740)
Welsh1%(2,712)
British0.8%(2,252)
French Canadian0.6%(1,548)
Czech0.6%(1,516)
Hungarian0.5%(1,374)
Arab0.5%(1,317)
Greek0.5%(1,306)
Canadian0.4%(1,040)
Austrian0.3%(918)
Lithuanian0.3%(717)
Armenian0.2%(617)
Croatian0.2%(490)
Finnish0.2%(485)
Ukrainian0.2%(443)
Egyptian0.2%(411)
West Indian0.2%(405)
Romanian0.1%(326)
Lebanese0.1%(318)
Iranian0.1%(291)
Belgian0.1%(266)
Slovak0.1%(227)
Australian0.1%(222)
Jamaican0.1%(185)
Serbian0.1%(158)
Brazilian0.1%(144)
Israeli0.1%(140)
Slovene0.1%(136)
Syrian0%(123)
Latvian0%(123)
Jordanian0%(116)
Turkish0%(94)
Haitian0%(66)
Ethiopian0%(48)
Nigerian0%(33)
Ghanaian0%(16)
Bulgarian0%(14)
Section 05

Education

Bachelor's degree or higher
30.6%
+3.9 ptssince 2000
from 26.7% in 2000
US average: 27.9%
High school or higher
88.2%
+2.6 ptssince 2000
from 85.6% in 2000
US average: 84.9%
Graduate degree
11.4%
+2.0 ptssince 2000
from 9.3% in 2000
US average: 10.2%
Section 06

Commute & transportation

Average commute
20.3 min
+46%since 2000
from 14.0 min in 2000
US average: 25.2
Drive alone to work
74.1%
+0.2 ptssince 2009
from 73.9% in 2009
US average: 76.2%
Carpooled to work
11.5%
Unchangedsince 2009
from 11.5% in 2009
US average: 10.4%
Public transit
1.1%
−0.1 ptssince 2009
from 1.2% in 2009
US average: 4.7%
Worked from home
6.1%
Unchangedsince 2009
from 6.1% in 2009
US average: 4.1%
Walked to work
4.0%
−0.2 ptssince 2009
from 4.2% in 2009
US average: 2.8%
Biked to work
2.0%
+0.2 ptssince 2009
from 1.8% in 2009
US average: 0.5%
No vehicle available
4.4%
Unchangedsince 2009
from 4.5% in 2009
US average: 8.7%
Section 07

Work & employment

Self-employed
14.6%
+0.3 ptssince 2009
from 14.3% in 2009
US average: 12.9%
Management & professional
35.9%
+1.3 ptssince 2009
from 34.6% in 2009
US average: 35.2%
Section 08

People & community

Male
51.3%
Unchangedsince 2009
from 51.3% in 2009
Female
48.7%
Unchangedsince 2009
from 48.7% in 2009
Foreign born
10.0%
+0.4 ptssince 2009
from 9.6% in 2009
US average: 12.8%
Veterans
11.0%
−0.1 ptssince 2009
from 11.1% in 2009
US average: 9.9%
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
Section 09

Health coverage

Showing 2024 (the nearest year with coverage data).

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
Places similar to San Luis Obispo
Head to head

Compare San Luis Obispo side by side

SAN LUIS OBISPO VS
Lacey
Income$96,563+68%
Home value$480,300−7%
Population304,261+8%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
SAN LUIS OBISPO VS
Bremerton
Income$104,158+82%
Home value$555,100+8%
Population283,374same
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
SAN LUIS OBISPO VS
Bend
Income$90,045+57%
Home value$605,107+18%
Population266,376−6%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
SAN LUIS OBISPO VS
Norwich
Income$86,586+51%
Home value$323,400−37%
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 269,637 residents according to the 2010 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 $57,365 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 $513,900, and the typical rent is about $1,118 a month.

How educated are people in San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles, CA?

About 30.6% 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 52,475 residents, a change of about 24 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 →