METRO AREA · 2020 ACS
San Luis Obispo Metro
San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles, CA · 1 counties · 282,424 residents · 3,301 sq mi
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The short version
With 282,424 people, San Luis Obispo is a metro area. The typical home is worth $605,200, having more than doubled since 2000. Renters pay $1,535 a month at the median. 35,743 more people live here than in 2000. Median household income runs $77,948, well clear of the $66,278 US median. About 36% of adults have finished a four-year degree.
At a glance
Wealthier
above the US median
US median: $66,278
Older
median age 41.4
US median: 38.8
Average education
36% hold a bachelor's degree
US average: 33%
Less affordable
home values up 84%, inflation adjusted
US median home: $265,253
Section 01
Population & growth
Land area
3,301 sq mi
Population, 1990 – 2024
2024282K
Age distribution, 2020
Under 54.4%(12,536)
5 to 94.9%(13,967)
10 to 145.3%(15,072)
15 to 196.2%(17,544)
20 to 249.5%(26,792)
25 to 3411.7%(32,916)
35 to 4411.7%(33,134)
45 to 5410.6%(29,909)
55 to 6413.9%(39,301)
65 to 7413.2%(37,223)
75 to 846.1%(17,187)
85 and over2.4%(6,843)
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Section 02
Income & economy
$77,948
+22%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $42,428 in 2000
US average: $66,278
1990 – 2024
Households earning $100K+
51.7%
+16.0 ptssince 2009
from 35.8% in 2009
US average: 43.9%
Workforce by industry, 2020
Information11.2%
Wholesale trade8.4%
Retail trade7.4%
Other services5%
Finance & insurance4.7%
Agriculture, forestry, fishing3%
Construction2.7%
Professional, scientific, technical2.7%
Public administration2.7%
Transportation & warehousing2.2%
Arts, entertainment, food1.9%
Education & health services1.9%
Manufacturing0.3%
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Section 03
Housing
$605,200
+84%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $218,600 in 2000
US average: $265,253
1990 – 2024
7.8
−19%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%
2020
White, non-Hispanic65%(183,468)
Black1.5%(4,330)
Hispanic / Latino24%(67,921)
Asian3.5%(10,001)
Other3.8%(10,807)
25
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
Mexican19.6%(55,483)
Spaniard0.6%(1,836)
Central American0.6%(1,661)
Puerto Rican0.4%(1,251)
South American0.4%(1,186)
Guatemalan0.2%(677)
Argentine0.1%(419)
Salvadoran0.1%(378)
Cuban0.1%(293)
Honduran0.1%(220)
Colombian0.1%(195)
Peruvian0.1%(159)
+ 8 more hispanic origin groups with data
Nicaraguan0.1%(158)
Costa Rican0.1%(156)
Uruguayan0%(127)
Ecuadorian0%(117)
Dominican0%(87)
Panamanian0%(72)
Chilean0%(33)
Venezuelan0%(29)
Asian origin
Filipino1.2%(3,326)
Chinese0.8%(2,381)
Asian Indian0.4%(1,046)
Japanese0.3%(875)
Korean0.3%(868)
Vietnamese0.3%(834)
Pakistani0.1%(251)
Cambodian0%(121)
Thai0%(117)
Taiwanese0%(92)
Sri Lankan0%(56)
Burmese0%(39)
Ancestry
German14.9%(42,031)
Irish12.1%(34,215)
English12%(33,990)
Italian5.9%(16,716)
American3.6%(10,106)
French3.2%(8,957)
Scottish2.7%(7,701)
Portuguese2%(5,727)
Polish1.7%(4,850)
Swedish1.7%(4,797)
Norwegian1.7%(4,790)
Dutch1.5%(4,310)
+ 45 more ancestry groups with data
Russian1.1%(3,158)
Scotch-Irish1%(2,685)
British0.9%(2,488)
Danish0.9%(2,456)
Welsh0.8%(2,345)
Swiss0.7%(2,062)
Subsaharan African0.5%(1,274)
Greek0.4%(1,246)
French Canadian0.4%(1,208)
Hungarian0.4%(1,204)
Czech0.4%(1,113)
Austrian0.3%(846)
Canadian0.3%(845)
Armenian0.3%(789)
Croatian0.2%(645)
Finnish0.2%(633)
Iranian0.2%(542)
Ukrainian0.2%(530)
Belgian0.2%(510)
Lithuanian0.2%(447)
Lebanese0.2%(441)
Nigerian0.1%(408)
Serbian0.1%(369)
Romanian0.1%(343)
Syrian0.1%(289)
Australian0.1%(280)
Turkish0.1%(235)
Egyptian0.1%(217)
Bulgarian0.1%(189)
West Indian0.1%(185)
Slovak0.1%(175)
Palestinian0.1%(158)
Brazilian0%(126)
Slovene0%(105)
Arab0%(98)
Iraqi0%(96)
Jordanian0%(74)
Jamaican0%(71)
Moroccan0%(64)
Latvian0%(59)
Israeli0%(40)
Ethiopian0%(36)
Kenyan0%(20)
Barbadian0%(14)
Haitian0%(7)
Section 05
Education
High school or higher
91.8%
+6.3 ptssince 2000
from 85.6% in 2000
US average: 88.5%
Section 06
Commute & transportation
Section 07
Work & employment
Women 20-64 in the labor force
71.9%
US average: 73.3%
Section 08
People & community
Computer in household
94.8%
US average: 91.9%
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
Direct-purchase
18.4%
US average: 13.7%
VA health care
2.3%
US average: 2.3%
Any private
74.1%
US average: 68.1%
Any public
36.1%
US average: 35.2%
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, 2020
Gulf War (2001 or later)13.8%(2,363)
Gulf War (1990s)12.7%(2,168)
Vietnam era45%(7,703)
Korean War12.1%(2,064)
World War II3.1%(526)
Share of the 17,118 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.
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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
Drill deeper
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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 282,424 residents according to the 2020 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 $77,948 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 $605,200, and the typical rent is about $1,535 a month.
How educated are people in San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles, CA?
About 36.1% 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 11.1% 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 65,262 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