San Luis Obispo, CA
Census place 0668154 · pop 48,491
Home of Cal Poly and the site of the Motel Inn, opened in 1925 as the world's first motel; also famous for gooey Bubblegum Alley.
Source ↗Sales & income are statewide.
The breakdown — worst first
U.S. median 12.1% · worse than most cities
30.4% live in poverty · Share of residents living below the federal poverty line.
U.S. median 0.43 · worse than most cities
Gini 0.53 (0 = equal, 1 = unequal) · Gini index of household income (0 = equal, 1 = unequal).
U.S. median 67.2% · worse than most cities
40.3% own their home · Share of occupied homes that are owner-occupied.
U.S. median $214,900 · worse than most cities
$935,100 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
$3,203/mo typical rent · Typical monthly rent (Zillow Observed Rent Index, all home types).
U.S. median 17.4% · worse than most cities
20.3% of adults · Adults reporting frequent poor mental health (14+ days a month).
U.S. median 964/100k · worse than most cities
2673 property crimes per 100k · Burglary, theft, motor-vehicle theft and arson per 100,000 residents.
U.S. median 152/100k · worse than most cities
424 violent crimes per 100k · Violent crimes (murder, rape, robbery, aggravated assault) per 100,000 residents.
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 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 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 +2.4% · worse than most cities
+2.5% population change (5yr) · 5-year population change — are people moving in, or fleeing?
U.S. median $67,857 · worse than most cities
$73,685 median household income · Median household income — a proxy for local economic health.
U.S. median 90.0% · better than most cities
92.7% of homes have broadband · Share of households with a broadband internet subscription.
U.S. median 14.6% · better than most cities
11.0% of adults · Share of adults who currently smoke.
U.S. median 9.3% · better than most cities
7.3% of adults · Adults 18–64 without health insurance.
U.S. median 26.5% · better than most cities
20.3% of adults · Adults with no leisure-time physical activity.
U.S. median 0.99% · better than most cities
0.63% of home value paid in property tax · Median real-estate taxes paid as a share of home value.
U.S. median 24.3% · better than most cities
54.4% have a bachelor's degree or higher · Share of adults 25+ with a bachelor's degree or higher.
U.S. median 36.5% · better than most cities
26.4% of adults · Share of adults with obesity (BMI ≥ 30).
U.S. median 24 min · better than most cities
16 min average one-way commute · Average one-way commute to work, in minutes.
Frequently asked
- Is San Luis Obispo, CA a good place to live?
- By the numbers, San Luis Obispo scores 37/100 — 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 commute time and its weakest is poverty rate. 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 San Luis Obispo, CA?
- San Luis Obispo reports 424 violent crimes per 100k and 2673 property crimes per 100k — worse than most U.S. cities on violent crime.
- Is San Luis Obispo, CA expensive to live in?
- San Luis Obispo has a median home value of $935,100 and typical rent around $3,203/mo — pricier than most U.S. cities.
- What's the biggest downside of living in San Luis Obispo, CA?
- Its weakest measured area is poverty rate (30.4%) — 3/100, worse than most U.S. cities.
- What is San Luis Obispo, CA best at?
- Its strongest measured area is commute time (16 min) — 93/100, better than most U.S. cities. Fun fact: Home of Cal Poly and the site of the Motel Inn, opened in 1925 as the world's first motel; also famous for gooey Bubblegum Alley.
Sources: U.S. Census (ACS), CDC PLACES, FBI Crime Data Explorer, BLS, EPA AirData, FEMA National Risk Index, and Zillow.