Pismo Beach, CA
Census place 0657414 · pop 8,014
Sales & income are statewide.
The breakdown — worst first
U.S. median $214,900 · worse than most cities
$1,021,300 median home value · Median home value — how expensive it is to buy in. Higher = less affordable.
U.S. median $1,756/mo · worse than most cities
$3,013/mo typical rent · Typical monthly rent (Zillow Observed Rent Index, all home types).
U.S. median +2.4% · worse than most cities
-2.0% population change (5yr) · 5-year population change — are people moving in, or fleeing?
U.S. median 1 days · worse than most cities
10 unhealthy-air days per year · Days per year with unhealthy air (AQI above 100). Published by county, not city — every city in the county shares this figure.
U.S. median 152/100k · worse than most cities
379 violent crimes per 100k · Violent crimes (murder, rape, robbery, aggravated assault) per 100,000 residents.
U.S. median 42 AQI · worse than most cities
49 median AQI · Median air quality index — lower is cleaner air. Published by county, not city — every city in the county shares this figure.
U.S. median 964/100k · worse than most cities
2035 property crimes per 100k · Burglary, theft, motor-vehicle theft and arson per 100,000 residents.
U.S. median 0.43 · worse than most cities
Gini 0.46 (0 = equal, 1 = unequal) · Gini index of household income (0 = equal, 1 = unequal).
U.S. median 77/100 · worse than most cities
93/100 FEMA risk (higher = riskier) · FEMA National Risk Index — wildfire, flood, earthquake, heat and more. Published by county, not city — every city in the county shares this figure.
U.S. median 3.6% · worse than most cities
3.8% unemployment · Share of the labor force out of work. Published by county, not city — every city in the county shares this figure.
U.S. median 67.2% · better than most cities
64.6% own their home · Share of occupied homes that are owner-occupied.
U.S. median 24 min · better than most cities
23 min average one-way commute · Average one-way commute to work, in minutes.
U.S. median 90.0% · better than most cities
94.3% of homes have broadband · Share of households with a broadband internet subscription.
U.S. median 0.99% · better than most cities
0.69% of home value paid in property tax · Median real-estate taxes paid as a share of home value.
U.S. median 12.1% · better than most cities
6.9% live in poverty · Share of residents living below the federal poverty line.
U.S. median 24.3% · better than most cities
51.7% have a bachelor's degree or higher · Share of adults 25+ with a bachelor's degree or higher.
U.S. median $67,857 · better than most cities
$118,072 median household income · Median household income — a proxy for local economic health.
U.S. median 26.5% · better than most cities
17.8% of adults · Adults with no leisure-time physical activity.
U.S. median 14.6% · better than most cities
8.7% of adults · Share of adults who currently smoke.
U.S. median 17.4% · better than most cities
13.7% of adults · Adults reporting frequent poor mental health (14+ days a month).
U.S. median 36.5% · better than most cities
25.1% of adults · Share of adults with obesity (BMI ≥ 30).
U.S. median 9.3% · better than most cities
4.5% of adults · Adults 18–64 without health insurance.
Frequently asked
- Is Pismo Beach, CA a good place to live?
- By the numbers, Pismo Beach scores 49/100 — a D− (Rough) on Shcity, which ranks U.S. cities on public data across 22 metrics like crime, cost, jobs and health. Its strongest area is uninsured adults and its weakest is housing cost. California overall ranks #49 of 50 states. Whether it's "good" depends on what you value — re-weight the factors to score it your way.
- How safe is Pismo Beach, CA?
- Pismo Beach reports 379 violent crimes per 100k and 2035 property crimes per 100k — worse than most U.S. cities on violent crime.
- Is Pismo Beach, CA expensive to live in?
- Pismo Beach has a median home value of $1,021,300 and typical rent around $3,013/mo — pricier than most U.S. cities.
- What's the biggest downside of living in Pismo Beach, CA?
- Its weakest measured area is housing cost ($1,021,300) — 3/100, worse than most U.S. cities.
- What is Pismo Beach, CA best at?
- Its strongest measured area is uninsured adults (4.5%) — 95/100, better than most U.S. cities.
Sources: U.S. Census (ACS), CDC PLACES, FBI Crime Data Explorer, BLS, EPA AirData, FEMA National Risk Index, and Zillow.