The Town Files

San Luis Obispo County, California

281,555 people. The median home is worth $824,700 (typical California town: $596,900) and the median household earns $97,446.

Towns in San Luis Obispo County

Towns in San Luis Obispo County

TownPeopleMedian homeIncomeMedian age
San Luis Obispo47,063$935,100$73,68526.3
El Paso de Robles (Paso Robles)31,490$687,200$92,22838.7
Atascadero29,773$716,500$91,42940.4
Arroyo Grande18,441$814,200$102,55345.8
Nipomo18,176$723,700$110,02237.8
Los Osos14,465$805,800$108,93248.6
Grover Beach12,701$727,500$86,45840.5
Morro Bay10,757$918,200$95,84354.3
California Polytechnic State University8,583$564,700—19.2
Templeton8,386$810,400$117,06339.7
Pismo Beach8,072$1,021,300$118,07255.1
Oceano7,183$556,100$71,59846.4
Cambria5,678$930,200$99,14761.9
San Miguel3,172$539,700$95,45830.4
Lake Nacimiento2,956$504,200$91,61539.2
Cayucos2,505$1,011,900$87,23559.4

People and housing

San Luis Obispo CountyTypical California town
Median home value$824,700$596,900
Median rent$1,992$1,827
Median household income$97,446$91,557
Median age40.440.2
Bachelor's degree or higher39.8%27.7%
Below the poverty line12.9%10.3%

Jobs and pay

121,958 jobs in 2024, average pay $61,334 a year.

Largest industries in San Luis Obispo CountyHotels & restaurants18,585 jobs · $30,411Health care & social assistan…15,923 jobs · $61,183Retail13,392 jobs · $43,803Construction8,820 jobs · $78,745Manufacturing8,323 jobs · $67,441Agriculture, forestry & fishi…5,682 jobs · $39,914
BLS QCEW 2024.
Unemployment rate in San Luis Obispo County0%2%4%6%8%10%12%2000200420082012201620202023 3.5%
BLS LAUS via USDA ERS, annual averages.

Storms since 1996

NOAA recorded 118 storm events in San Luis Obispo County from 1996 to 2026, with 3 deaths.

Storm events in San Luis Obispo County by type since 1996Hail5Flood11Tornado4Wildfire6High Wind30Heavy Rain8Waterspout2Debris Flow3Flash Flood29Frost/Freeze1
NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database.

Federal disaster declarations

San Luis Obispo County has been included in 28 FEMA declarations since 1953.

DeclaredIncidentDeclaration
April 13, 2024Severe StormDR-4769: Severe Winter Storms, Tornadoes, Flooding, Landslides, And Mudslides
April 3, 2023Severe StormDR-4699: Severe Winter Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Flooding, Landslides, And Mudslides
March 10, 2023FloodEM-3592: Severe Winter Storms, Flooding, Landslides, And Mudslides
January 14, 2023FloodDR-4683: Severe Winter Storms, Flooding, Landslides, And Mudslides
January 9, 2023FloodEM-3591: Severe Winter Storms, Flooding, And Mudslides
March 22, 2020BiologicalDR-4482: Covid-19 Pandemic
Sources: U.S. Census Bureau ACS 2020–2024; BLS QCEW and LAUS; NOAA Storm Events; FEMA OpenFEMA (not endorsed by FEMA).