San Luis Obispo, CA

Census Place

2024 Population

48,491

US Senator

Alex Padilla

Democratic Party

US Senator

Adam Schiff

Democratic Party

2024 Median Age

26.3

0.382% 1-year increase

2024 Poverty Rate

30.4%

1.26% 1-year increase

2024 Median Household Income

$73,685

10.5% 1-year growth

2024 Median Property Value

$935,100

Population & Diversity

San Luis Obispo, CA is home to a population of 48.5k people, from which 96.7% are citizens.

As of 2024, 8.15% of San Luis Obispo, CA residents were born outside of the country (3.95k people).

In 2024, there were 9.52 times more White (Non-Hispanic) residents (33.5k people) in San Luis Obispo, CA than any other race or ethnicity. There were 3.52k Two Races Including Other (Hispanic) and 2.56k Asian (Non-Hispanic) residents, the second and third most common ethnic groups.

Population & Diversity

Citizenship

96.7%

2024 Citizenship

96.5%

2023 Citizenship

As of 2024, 96.7% of San Luis Obispo, CA residents were US citizens, which is higher than the national average of 93.2%. In 2023, the percentage of US citizens in San Luis Obispo, CA was 96.5%, meaning that the rate of citizenship has been increasing.

The following chart shows US citizenship percentages in San Luis Obispo, CA compared to that of it's neighboring and parent geographies.

Diversity

Race and Ethnicity

The 3 largest ethnic groups in San Luis Obispo, CA

White (Non-Hispanic)
33.5k ± 884
Two Races Including Other (Hispanic)
3.52k ± 576
Asian (Non-Hispanic)
2.56k ± 443

18.4%

Hispanic Population

8.93k people

18.4% of the people in San Luis Obispo, CA are hispanic (8.93k people).

The following chart shows the 8 races represented in San Luis Obispo, CA as a share of the total population.

Global Diversity

The PUMS dataset is not available at the Place level, so we are showing data for California.

Most Common Origin

Mexico
3,877,888 ± 45,899 people
Philippines
827,719 ± 22,100 people
China
695,724 ± 20,296 people

In 2024, the most common birthplace for the foreign-born residents of California was Mexico, the natal country of 3,877,888 California residents, followed by Philippines with 827,719 and China with 695,724.

Foreign-Born Population

8.15%

2024 Foreign-Born Population

3.95k people

7.8%

2023 Foreign-Born Population

3.75k people

As of 2024, 8.15% of San Luis Obispo, CA residents (3.95k people) were born outside of the United States, which is approximately the same as the national average of 14%. In 2023, the percentage of foreign-born citizens in San Luis Obispo, CA was 7.8%, meaning that the rate has been increasing.

The following chart shows the percentage of foreign-born residents in San Luis Obispo, CA compared to that of it's neighboring and parent geographies.

Military

Veterans

Most Common Service Period

Vietnam
611 ± 192
Gulf War (2001-)
195 ± 103
Korea
180 ± 127

San Luis Obispo, CA has a large population of military personnel who served in Vietnam, 3.13 times greater than any other conflict.

The chart shows the distribution of veterans by conflict in San Luis Obispo, CA.

Economy

The economy of San Luis Obispo, CA employs 25.7k people. In 2024, the largest industries in San Luis Obispo, CA were Educational Services (3,846 people), Accommodation & Food Services (3,647 people), and Professional, Scientific, & Technical Services (3,341 people), and the highest paying industries were Utilities ($120,375), Finance & Insurance ($99,293), and Professional, Scientific, & Technical Services ($86,424).

Employment

Occupations

25.7k

2024 Value

± 1,299

−0.31%

1 Year decline

± 7.24%

From 2023 to 2024, employment in San Luis Obispo, CA declined at a rate of −0.31%, from 25.8k employees to 25.7k employees.

The most common job groups, by number of people living in San Luis Obispo, CA, are Food Preparation & Serving Related Occupations (3,015 people), Management Occupations (2,902 people), and Education Instruction, & Library Occupations (2,539 people). This chart illustrates the share breakdown of the primary jobs held by residents of San Luis Obispo, CA.

Unemployment Insurance Claims

Data is only available at the state level. Showing data for California.

This chart shows weekly unemployment insurance claims in California (not-seasonally adjusted) compared with the four states with the most similar impact.

The most recent data point uses Advance State Claims data, which can be revised in subsequent weeks.

Industries

Employment by Industries

25.7k

2024 Value

± 1,299

−0.31%

1 Year decline

± 7.24%

From 2023 to 2024, employment in San Luis Obispo, CA declined at a rate of −0.31%, from 25.8k employees to 25.7k employees.

The most common employment sectors for those who live in San Luis Obispo, CA, are Educational Services (3,846 people), Accommodation & Food Services (3,647 people), and Professional, Scientific, & Technical Services (3,341 people). This chart shows the share breakdown of the primary industries for residents of San Luis Obispo, CA, though some of these residents may live in San Luis Obispo, CA and work somewhere else. Census data is tagged to a residential address, not a work address.

Median Earnings by Industry

$43,386

Median earning men ± $5,260

$31,812

Median earning women ± $5,278

The industries with the best median earnings for men in 2024 are Information ($90,364), Professional, Scientific, & Management, & Administrative & Waste Management Services ($86,632), and Public Administration ($84,531).

The industries with the best median earnings for women in 2024 are Finance & Insurance, & Real Estate & Rental & Leasing ($76,818), Manufacturing ($70,265), and Professional, Scientific, & Management, & Administrative & Waste Management Services ($61,003).

Education

The student population of San Luis Obispo, CA in 2024 is skewed towards men, with 927 male students and 230 female students.

Most students graduating from Universities in San Luis Obispo, CA are Hispanic or Latino (57 and 35.2%), White (41 and 25.3%), Asian (37 and 22.8%), and Black or African American (16 and 9.88%).

The largest universities in San Luis Obispo, CA by number of degrees awarded are Laurus College (111 and 68.5%) and Central California School of Continuing Education (51 and 31.5%).

The most popular majors in San Luis Obispo, CA are General Business Administration & Management (46 and 28.4%), Diagnostic Medical Sonography & Ultrasound Technician (26 and 16%), and Computer Support Specialist (26 and 16%).

Admissions & Enrollments

Enrollments by Gender and Races

In 2024 there were 1,157 students enrolled in San Luis Obispo, CA, 80.1% men and 19.9% women.

By race, the largest number of students enrolled was concentrated in Asian with 635 records, of which 11.3% were women and 88.7% men.

Completions

Concentrations

Most Common

General Business Administration & Management
29 degrees awarded
Computer Support Specialist
15 degrees awarded
Medical Insurance Specialist
14 degrees awarded

In 2024, the most common concentation for Associates Degree recipients in San Luis Obispo, CA was General Business Administration & Management with 29 degrees awarded.

This visualization illustrates the percentage of students graduating with a Associates Degree from schools in San Luis Obispo, CA according to their major.

Universities

Gender

Race

Largest Universities by degrees awarded

Laurus College
111 degrees awarded
Central California School of Continuing Education
51 degrees awarded

In 2024, the institution with the largest number of graduating students was Laurus College with 111 degrees awarded.

Student Diversity

In 2024, 80 men were awarded degrees from institutions in San Luis Obispo, CA, which is 0.976 times less than the 82 female students who received degrees in the same year.

In 2024, the most common race/ethnicity group awarded degrees at institutions was Hispanic or Latino students. These 57 degrees mean that there were 1.39 times more degrees awarded to Hispanic or Latino students then the next closest race/ethnicity group, White, with 41 degrees awarded.

Awarded Degrees over Time

The graph shows the evolution of awarded degrees by degrees. Under the paragraphs, the average number of awarded degrees by university in each degree is shown.

Tuition

Average Net Price by Sector

Private for-profit, 2-year ($9,820) is the sector with the highest median state tuition in 2024.

Private for-profit, 2-year ($75) is the sector with the highest median state fee in 2024.

Private for-profit, 2-year ($500) is the sector with the highest average net price of books and supplies.

The graph shows the average net price by sector and year.

Housing & Living

The median property value in San Luis Obispo, CA was $935,100 in 2024, which is 2.81 times larger than the national average of $332,700. Between 2023 and 2024 the median property value increased from $896,500 to $935,100, a 4.31% increase. The homeownership rate in San Luis Obispo, CA is 40.3%, which is lower than the national average of 65.2%.

People in San Luis Obispo, CA have an average commute time of 16.1 minutes, and they drove alone to work. Car ownership in San Luis Obispo, CA is approximately the same as the national average, with an average of 2 cars per household.

Housing

Property

$935,100

Median Property Value 2024

±$25,045

$8,228

Median Property Taxes

±$514

The following chart display owner-occupied housing units distributed between a series of property tax buckets compared to the national averages for each bucket. In San Luis Obispo, CA the largest share of households pay taxes in the $3k+ range.

The chart underneath the paragraph shows the property taxes in San Luis Obispo, CA compared to it's parent and neighbor geographies.

Rent vs Own

40.3%

Homeownership

2024

68.1%

Homeowners with Mortgage

2024

In 2024, 40.3% of the housing units in San Luis Obispo, CA were occupied by their owner. This percentage grew from the previous year's rate of 39%.

This chart shows the percentage of owner in San Luis Obispo, CA compared it's parent and neighboring geographies.

Equity

Household Income

Please note that the buckets used in this visualization were not evenly distributed by ACS when publishing the data.

$73,685

Median Household Income

± $7,262

20.4k

Number of Households

± 1,086

In 2024, the median household income of the 20.4k households in San Luis Obispo, CA grew to $73,685 from the previous year's value of $66,711.

The following chart displays the households in San Luis Obispo, CA distributed between a series of income buckets compared to the national averages for each bucket. The largest share of households have an income in the $200k+ range.

Wage Distribution

The closest comparable wage GINI for San Luis Obispo, CA is from California.

0.493

2024 Wage GINI in California

0.495

2023 Wage GINI in California

In 2024, the income inequality in California was 0.493 according to the GINI calculation of the wage distribution. Income inequality had a 0.424% decline from 2023 to 2024, which means that wage distribution grew somewhat more even. The GINI for California was higher than than the national average of 0.474. In other words, wages are distributed less evenly in California in comparison to the national average.

This chart shows the number of workers in California across various wage buckets compared to the national average.

Transportation

Commuter Transportation

Most Common Commute in 2024

Drove Alone (63.8%)
Worked At Home (17.1%)
Carpooled (6.81%)

In 2024, 63.8% of workers in San Luis Obispo, CA drove alone to work, followed by those who worked at home (17.1%) and those who carpooled to work (6.81%).

The following chart shows the number of households using each mode of transportation over time, using a logarithmic scale on the y-axis to help better show variations in the smaller means of commuting.

Commute Time

16.1 minutes

Average Travel Time

Using averages, employees in San Luis Obispo, CA have a shorter commute time (16.1 minutes) than the normal US worker (26.4 minutes). Additionally, 1.9% of the workforce in San Luis Obispo, CA have "super commutes" in excess of 90 minutes.

The chart below shows how the median household income in San Luis Obispo, CA compares to that of it's neighboring and parent geographies.

Car Ownership

2 cars

Average Number

The following chart displays the households in San Luis Obispo, CA distributed between a series of car ownership buckets compared to the national averages for each bucket. The largest share of households in San Luis Obispo, CA have 2 cars.

Poverty

Poverty & Diversity

30.4% of the population for whom poverty status is determined in San Luis Obispo, CA (14.5k out of 47.6k people) live below the poverty line, a number that is higher than the national average of 12.5%. The largest demographic living in poverty are Females 18 - 24, followed by Males 18 - 24 and then Females 25 - 34.

The most common racial or ethnic group living below the poverty line in San Luis Obispo, CA is White, followed by Hispanic and Two Or More.

The Census Bureau uses a set of money income thresholds that vary by family size and composition to determine who classifies as impoverished. If a family's total income is less than the family's threshold than that family and every individual in it is considered to be living in poverty.

Social Needs

Data only available at the state level.

Most prevalent states

California
35,798 individuals
New York
5,087 individuals

In 2017, California had the highest estimated number of chronically homeless individuals in the nation, at 35,798, followed by New York (5,087).

The following map shows the estimated number of chronically homeless individuals by state over multiple years.

Keep Exploring