The Town FilesPismo Beach, California
City in San Luis Obispo County · population 8,072 (2020 Census)
- Median home
- $1,021,300
- Household income
- $118,072
- Jan low / Jul high
- 44° / 70°
- Snow a year
- 0 in
- Tornadoes ≤10 mi since 1950
- 4
- Median age
- 55.1
Pismo Beach is a city of 8,072 people in San Luis Obispo County, California. The median home is worth $1,021,300, above the typical California town ($596,900). It ranks better for a vacation home than 97% of California towns, more seaside character than 93% of California towns, more upscale than 83% of California towns.
How Pismo Beach ranks
Percentile among California towns with at least 500 people on The Town Files lifestyle rankings. 50 is typical for the state; 90 means better than 90% of California towns.
Homes and cost of living
The median home in Pismo Beach is worth $1,021,300, above the typical California town ($596,900). Homes cost about 8.6 times the median household income of $118,072, which is more affordable than 19% of California towns. Median rent is $2,232 a month. 64.6% of households own their home.
| Housing | Pismo Beach | Typical California town |
|---|---|---|
| Median home value | $1,021,300 | $596,900 |
| Median rent | $2,232 | $1,827 |
| Median household income | $118,072 | $91,557 |
| Home value ÷ income | 8.6× | 6.4× |
| Homeownership | 64.6% | 67.4% |
| Median year built | 1986 | 1977 |
| Seasonal / vacation homes | 25.6% | — |
Who lives in Pismo Beach
| People | Pismo Beach | Typical California town |
|---|---|---|
| Median age | 55.1 | 40.2 |
| Age 65 and over | 32.7% | 17.7% |
| Under 18 | 11.7% | — |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 51.7% | 27.7% |
| Below the poverty line | 6.9% | 10.3% |
| Veterans | 8.2% | — |
| Born outside the U.S. | 5.7% | — |
| Work from home | 16.7% | 13.4% |
| Average commute | 23.0 min | 27.5 min |
| Homes with broadband | 94.3% | 93.3% |
Weather in Pismo Beach
July highs average 70.3°F and January lows 44.2°F. About 17.9 inches of rain and melted snow fall a year, with 0.0 inches of snow (typical California town: 0.0 in). Expect about 3 days a year at 90°F or hotter and 2 nights at or below freezing.
Tornadoes, storms and disasters
4 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Pismo Beach since 1950, compared with 2 for the typical California town. The strongest, an EF1, struck on February 7, 2024 about 3.7 miles from the town center. The most recent was on February 7, 2024.
Severe weather in San Luis Obispo County since 1996
San Luis Obispo County has been included in 28 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1953, most often for fire, flood, drought.
| Declared | Incident | Declaration |
|---|---|---|
| April 13, 2024 | Severe Storm | DR-4769: Severe Winter Storms, Tornadoes, Flooding, Landslides, And Mudslides |
| April 3, 2023 | Severe Storm | DR-4699: Severe Winter Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Flooding, Landslides, And Mudslides |
| March 10, 2023 | Flood | EM-3592: Severe Winter Storms, Flooding, Landslides, And Mudslides |
| January 14, 2023 | Flood | DR-4683: Severe Winter Storms, Flooding, Landslides, And Mudslides |
| January 9, 2023 | Flood | EM-3591: Severe Winter Storms, Flooding, And Mudslides |
Jobs and pay in San Luis Obispo County
San Luis Obispo County had 121,958 jobs in 2024, paying an average of $61,334 a year. Unemployment was 3.5% in 2023; in Pismo Beach itself the ACS puts it at 4.4%.
Public schools in Pismo Beach
2 public schools with 797 students, about 19.0 students per teacher.
| School | Grades | Students | Per teacher |
|---|---|---|---|
| Judkins Middle | 7-8 | 450 | 18.0 |
| Shell Beach Elementary | K-6 | 347 | 20.4 |
Towns near Pismo Beach
- Grover Beach, CA3.8 mi · 12,701 people · home $727,500
- Oceano, CA5.1 mi · 7,183 people · home $556,100
- Arroyo Grande, CA5.4 mi · 18,441 people · home $814,200
- San Luis Obispo, CA7.8 mi · 47,063 people · home $935,100
- California Polytechnic State University, CA10.6 mi · 8,583 people · home $564,700
- Nipomo, CA13.1 mi · 18,176 people · home $723,700
- Los Osos, CA13.6 mi · 14,465 people · home $805,800
- Guadalupe, CA14.2 mi · 8,057 people · home $495,600
Pismo Beach questions
Is Pismo Beach, California a good place to retire?
On The Town Files lifestyle rankings, Pismo Beach scores better for retirees than 79% of California towns and quieter than 64%. 32.7% of residents are 65 or older (median age 55.1).
How much does a house cost in Pismo Beach?
The median owner-occupied home in Pismo Beach is valued at $1,021,300 (Census ACS 2020–2024), against a median household income of $118,072, so homes cost about 8.6 times income. Median rent is $2,232 a month.
What is the weather like in Pismo Beach?
July highs average 70.3°F and January lows 44.2°F (NOAA 1991–2020 normals). It gets about 17.9 inches of precipitation a year and 0.0 inches of snow.
Does Pismo Beach get tornadoes?
4 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Pismo Beach since 1950 (NOAA Storm Events); the strongest was an EF1 on February 7, 2024. The typical California town has had 2.
- U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-year estimates (2020–2024)
- U.S. Census Bureau, 2020 Census and 2025 Gazetteer (2020 / 2025)
- NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals (1991–2020)
- NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database (1950–2026)
- FEMA OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations (this product uses the FEMA OpenFEMA API but is not endorsed by FEMA) (1953–2026)
- NCES Common Core of Data (2023–24)
- BLS Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages; USDA ERS county unemployment (BLS LAUS) (2000–2024)
- The Town Files lifestyle rankings, built from federal demographic, school, crime and housing data (2025)