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Place dossier plate
SheetCA-SAN-LUIS-OBISPO-CA · San Luis Obispo, CA 48,039 pop · income 45th pct
Instrument codes from this place’s ACS population and household income, BEA state COL, FBI safety, national income percentile, photo-finish peer city, home-value band, and matched Census-tract book - not a moving recommendation.
Income neighbourhood around San Luis Obispo
Lowest/highest poles plus peers nearest San Luis Obispo on median household income. Full ladder: /browse and /rankings.
median HH income
Fort Pierce · lowest
46,745
Fort Pierce · lowest
46,745 median HH income
31.8% of the leader · rank #1
Hanover · near
66,705
Hanover · near
66,705 median HH income
45.4% of the leader · rank #2
San Luis Obis… · this city
66,711
San Luis Obis… · this city
66,711 median HH income
45.4% of the leader · rank #3
Woodlawn · near
66,712
Woodlawn · near
66,712 median HH income
45.4% of the leader · rank #4
Manlius · near
66,714
Manlius · near
66,714 median HH income
45.4% of the leader · rank #5
Salem · near
66,716
Salem · near
66,716 median HH income
45.4% of the leader · rank #6
Rancho Santa… · highest
146,827
Rancho Santa… · highest
146,827 median HH income
100.0% of the leader · rank #7
What this shows Neighbourhood peers only - not a full nationwide city board. Open a near peer when the gap is small; open the poles when the spread is wide.
Compare beyond this state
Nationwide peers by population, income, and FBI crime rate
Out-of-state nearest neighbors for San Luis Obispo on ACS population and median household income
, plus FBI UCR reporting rate when the extract covers this place. Link sets are deduped so each column is a distinct comparison path, not a forecast that peers share a labor market or climate.
Similar population
Nearest out-of-state cities by ACS population. This city: 48,039.
Agency-reported UCR totals per 100,000 population, not a neighborhood safety grade or a prediction of personal risk.
San Luis Obispo - the verdict
San Luis Obispo ranks in the 45th percentile for household income and the 15th percentile for safety nationally, out of every US city with at least 1,000 residents. Source: Census ACS + FBI UCR.
45th
percentile, household income
96th
percentile, home value
88th
percentile, median rent
15th
percentile, safety
📝 How we sourced this
Population, income, and housing-cost figures come from the U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey 5-year estimates (B-series tables). Crime data uses FBI UCR; climate uses NOAA Climate Normals; school counts come from NCES Common Core of Data; permits use the Census Building Permits Survey (BPS). See our methodology page for the full ETL pipeline and OMB / FIPS join keys.
Data Snapshot: San Luis Obispo, CA
Census ACS 2023 estimates count 48,039 residents in San Luis Obispo, a small city within California. San Luis Obispo households earn a median of $66,711 annually, below the median for U.S. cities on this measure, with a poverty rate of 6.5%. Typical homes in San Luis Obispo are valued around $896,500, and the median resident age is 26.2 years. Educational attainment runs 54.4% of adults with a bachelor's degree or higher. Separately, 59.3% of working-age residents are in the labor force.
In 2024, 208 residential building permits were authorized in San Luis Obispo (Construction Slowdown), down 59% from five years earlier, per Census BPS data. San Luis Obispo's reported crime rate runs above the national norm: per-100,000 total crime stands at 3093.2 in FBI UCR data, above the national average (a voluntary reporting program, read this as reporting activity, not a definitive danger score). The annual average temperature per NOAA climate normals runs 59.7°F with 17.9 inches of precipitation per year.
California carries a cost-of-living premium: the state registers 110.7 on a 100-equals-national-average index (Well Above Average) per BEA Regional Price Parities 2024. A typical two-bedroom carries a HUD Fair Market Rent of $2,053 per month statewide. Statewide, average monthly utility bills in California run around $275, per EIA 2023 residential energy data. On FEMA's National Risk Index, this area rates 88.7 out of 100 for natural-hazard exposure (Very High).
A decision-led reading path
Useful questions to ask of San Luis Obispo's data
How this reading path is ordered
This is not a composite city score. It is a city-specific route through the available public records, ordered for this profile so the page starts with questions the joined data can actually answer. The route here runs from population change to work and mobility to housing and income to schools and households to climate and hazard context to comparison shortlist to reported crime; another city can have a different sequence or fewer supported layers because the source joins are not uniform.
For San Luis Obispo, city-specific coverage includes commute-mode shares, FBI reported-crime rates, annual population history, local building permits, matched public-school count.
No matched row is reported here for within-city Census tract profiles; the page leaves those layers out instead of substituting a statewide or national value.
1. Population change
Is San Luis Obispo growing, shrinking, or holding steady?
Recent estimates point upward. Growth can increase housing demand and service needs, but the permit record must move in the same direction before calling it a supply response; the two series measure different things.
Census PEP estimates show the population grew by +3,452 residents from 2020 to 2025, a +7.3% change. Separately, Census BPS recorded 208 housing units authorized in 2024. PEP and ACS are different Census series, so the trend is kept separate from the headline ACS population.
What does the journey to work look like in San Luis Obispo?
Mode share answers how workers usually travel; it does not measure congestion, reliability, distance to a particular job, or the quality of transit service. Remote work has a visible role in the local pattern. That can reduce commute exposure for some workers, but it says nothing about job availability or broadband quality; read it alongside income and housing rather than as a stand-alone lifestyle score.
Driving alone is the largest reported mode at 64.0%. A reliable mean commute time is not available for this row, so the mode shares carry the comparison.
How far does income reach against housing in San Luis Obispo?
The home-value-to-income reference is comparatively stretched: the ACS median home value is 13.4 times median household income. The ACS poverty estimate is 6.5%, which keeps the citywide median from describing every household.
This is a citywide price-to-income reference, not a mortgage-affordability test; it does not include interest rates, taxes, insurance, household size, or an individual buyer's down payment. Housing value is high relative to the citywide income median. That flags a question for comparison, not a verdict: tenure, household composition, financing costs, and the age of the ACS estimate can all change what a resident actually pays.
Which cities make useful reference points for San Luis Obispo?
Within California, the closest population matches are North Highlands (47,900 residents, $65,090 income); Cerritos (48,340 residents, $133,953 income); Poway (48,515 residents, $143,825 income). Outside the state, the closest population matches in this dataset are Prescott Valley, AZ (48,048 residents); Fort Pierce, FL (48,094 residents); Minot, ND (47,922 residents). A third, income-matched reference set of 6 out-of-state cities sits in the income neighbourhood chart near the Place Dossier plate. These are mechanical peer sets, not claims that the places share a labor market, climate, culture, or metro context.
Use the in-state set to hold state policy and broad price conditions more nearly constant. Use the nationwide size set to ask whether cities with a similar resident count produce different housing, income, or commute outcomes. The income set is a third lens, deliberately separate from population matching. The nationwide peer panel below adds a fourth FBI UCR reporting-rate lens, not personal risk.
These joined records add useful context, but they do not need another full-size panel. Each remains a separate measure with its own geography and source boundary.
Schools and households
What does the education layer cover for San Luis Obispo?
The NCES join finds 16 public schools within the city match. 54.4% of adults age 25+ hold a bachelor's degree or higher in the ACS estimate. These measures answer different questions: the school count describes local institutions, while adult attainment describes residents and cannot be used as a school-quality rating.
The city has a broader matched school footprint, but count alone does not describe performance, capacity, program availability, or attendance boundaries. This profile deliberately avoids converting it into an unsupported family-friendliness score.
Matched public schools
16
Bachelor's degree+
54.4%
Poverty estimate
6.5%
NCES Common Core of Data school locations plus Census ACS resident characteristics.
What physical conditions frame life in San Luis Obispo?
NOAA normals put the annual mean temperature at 59.7°F, with 17.9 inches of precipitation. FEMA's state-averaged National Risk Index score for California is 88.7 out of 100. Climate normals describe long-run weather; the FEMA score on PlainCities is a state average of county NRI inputs and combines hazards, exposure, vulnerability, and resilience.
The two sources should not be blended into one comfort or safety score. Use the climate values for baseline conditions and the risk index as a prompt to inspect specific hazards, insurance, and local emergency guidance for a particular address.
Mean temperature
59.7°F
Annual precipitation
17.9 in
FEMA risk index (state avg)
88.7
NOAA Climate Normals and FEMA National Risk Index (state-averaged on PlainCities). Hazard context is not address-level.
What can the FBI record say about safety in San Luis Obispo?
Treat this as a reporting-rate comparison, not a prediction of personal risk or a neighborhood-level safety grade. Tourism, daytime population, reporting practices, and variation inside the city are not adjusted away. The state rank and same-state peer table are the narrower comparisons available on this page.
The joined FBI UCR record reports 3093.2 violent and property crimes per 100,000 residents, above the 2280.5 national reference used here. The difference is 36% higher in arithmetic terms, but agency participation is voluntary and reporting completeness varies.
Property rate
2668.8
Violent rate
424.4
Total reported rate
3093.2
FBI Uniform Crime Reporting, incidents per 100,000. Voluntary agency reporting; not a danger score.
Below median income · poverty 6.5% (Below-median poverty)
Cost of Living Index (state)
110.7 (US=100)
Highest-decile cost · BEA RPP 2024, California average
D
City profile score · San Luis Obispo, CA
41/100
5 published dimensions · ACS/FBI 2023
Comparative score against U.S. cities with population of 1,000 or more on Census ACS medians
(income, poverty, bachelor's share, cost of living) and FBI UCR violent-crime rates when
published. Higher means a stronger standing on those published figures, not a livability
rating, not a recommendation to move, buy, or pick a "best" city. Missing inputs drop out
and redistribute weight.
How it is calculated.
Bachelor's+ share A
54.4%
Adults with a bachelor's degree or higher; ACS.
Poverty rate C
6.5%
Share of residents below the poverty line; lower scores better on this axis.
Household income D
$66,711
Median household income vs U.S. cities (pop ≥1,000); ACS.
Violent crime F
424 /100k
FBI UCR violent offenses per 100,000 residents; lower is stronger on this axis.
Cost of living F
110.7 index
BEA state Regional Price Parities index (100 ≈ national average); lower is stronger on this axis. Same value for every city in the state.
San Luis Obispo profile (scored ACS/FBI dimensions)Read the chart values
Bachelor's+ share: 88/100 (A) · 54.4%
Poverty rate: 56/100 (C) · 6.5%
Household income: 44/100 (D) · $66,711
Violent crime: 21/100 (F) · 424 /100k
Cost of living: 6/100 (F) · 110.7 index
Where San Luis Obispo sits on home value vs crime among peer cities
San Luis Obispo's median home value and FBI crime rate plotted with similar-size and
same-state peers (padded with large cities when the peer set is thin). The second
read: pricey does not always mean safer, check which quadrant this city lands in.
Census ACS median home value vs FBI UCR crime rate - San Luis Obispo highlighted among 10 peers.Read the chart values
San Luis Obispo, CA (this city): home $896,500, crime 3,093/100k
Prescott Valley, AZ : home $376,300, crime 994/100k
Minot, ND : home $254,400, crime 1,722/100k
Charleston, WV : home $187,300, crime 3,663/100k
Cleveland, TN : home $241,800, crime 2,837/100k
Cerritos, CA : home $908,600, crime 5,683/100k
Poway, CA : home $971,500, crime 718/100k
Brea, CA : home $874,300, crime 3,076/100k
Rancho Santa Margarita, CA : home $907,900, crime 605/100k
Ceres, CA : home $397,200, crime 2,245/100k
How does San Luis Obispo compare to other US cities?
Here's how San Luis Obispo stacks up against the full field of US cities (population 1,000+), computed live from Census and FBI data.
Household income45% higher than other cities
Home value96% pricier than other cities
Median rent88% pricier than other cities
Safety15% safer than other cities
"Safer than" reflects total crime rate from FBI UCR; the others use Census ACS estimates.
Zoom in to just California and the picture shifts: San Luis Obispo ranks #367 of 441 California cities by lowest crime rate, a different read than the national percentile above.
How we calculate these percentiles & ranks
Each percentile compares San Luis Obispo against every qualifying US city; each in-state rank narrows that to California only. Full formula and direction notes: methodology.
California-relative analysis
Median Gross Rent places San Luis Obispo near the bottom of California's cities
Among the 1,458 California cities PlainCities tracks with reported median gross rent data, San Luis Obispo ranks #1 - the 0th percentile within the state. This is a different, narrower cut than the nationwide percentiles above: it compares San Luis Obispo only against its own state's cities, not the full US field.
Median Household Income
#964 of 1,338
28th percentile in California
Median Gross Rent
#1 of 1,458
0th percentile in California
Median Home Value
#292 of 1,343
78th percentile in California
Poverty Rate
#723 of 1,450
50th percentile in California
Bachelor's Degree or Higher
#226 of 1,458
84th percentile in California
How in-state ranks are ordered
Ranked by raw value (highest first); a higher rank is not automatically "better" for every measure, see each metric's own context above. This is a comparison within California only, not a livability score. See the methodology for the source and calculation.
Gauge source note
45th percentile nationally for median household income · 15th percentile for safety (lower crime rate). Source: Census ACS 2023 / FBI UCR 2023.
San Luis Obispo's profile vs. every US city
Income, affordability, and safety percentile
San Luis Obispo's percentile rank on 3 favorable-direction measures (income, affordability, safety) vs. every tracked US city -- higher on every axis is more favorable. Not a composite quality score, just the arithmetic mean of the axes shown.
How San Luis Obispo's home value compares nationally
Median home value vs. every US city (population 1,000+)
$896,5004th percentilemore affordable than 4% of 15,600 US cities
Show national distribution
Each bar is a $25K-wide band; taller bars hold more US cities. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count, share, and where it sits relative to this entry.
Source U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year Estimates · 2023
San Luis Obispo's home-value-to-income ratio: 13.4×
ACS median home value divided by median household income.
Band
pressured
> 5.0×
National rank
#15,479 of 15,516
More affordable than 0% of tracked cities (pop. 1,000+)
Size class
#3,310 of 3,317
Small cities (10,000–49,999)
At 13.4×, San Luis Obispo sits in the pressured band:
national rank #15,479 of 15,516 and #3,310 of 3,317small cities (10,000–49,999).
Housing value is high relative to the citywide income median, a comparison flag, not a verdict on any household.
How this ratio is calculated
Ratio = Census ACS 2023 median home value ÷ median household income for cities with both fields and population ≥ 1,000.
Rank 1 = lowest ratio (most compact). Bands match the fleet affordability thresholds used on guides (<3.0 / 3.0–5.0 / >5.0).
This is not a mortgage payment estimate and does not include rates, taxes, insurance, or down payment.
Income distribution context
$66,711San Luis Obispo, CA median household income (Census ACS)
Show U.S. national quintile / Lorenz context San Luis Obispo, CA median household income (Census ACS 5-year) with U.S. national quintile shares for context. Diagonal = equality; the curve is national, not computed for San Luis Obispo, CA.
Key socioeconomic indicators
Bachelor's degree or higher (adults 25+)54.4%
Census ACS S1501, educational attainment
Poverty rate (households below FPL)6.5%
Census ACS S1701, poverty status
Labor force participation (adults 16+)59.3%
Census ACS S2301, share of working-age residents in the labor force
Population
48,039
Median Income
$66,711
Median Home Value
$896,500
Median Age
26.2
Poverty Rate
6.5%
Labor force participation
59.3%
Bachelor's Degree+
54.4%
Safety & Crime
Total Crime Rate
3093.2
per 100,000 residents
Violent Crime
424.4
per 100,000 residents
Property Crime
2668.8
per 100,000 residents
Crime reporting caveat
Reflects incidents reported to the FBI's Uniform Crime Reporting program — agency participation is voluntary and reporting completeness varies by jurisdiction and year, so this reflects reporting activity, not a definitive danger score. Not adjusted for tourism, commuter, or daytime population.
Climate
Avg Temperature
59.7°F
Annual Precipitation
17.9"
Annual Snowfall
N/A
Schools
Total Schools
16
Public schools in this city
Population Change
PEP vintage
Annual U.S. Census Bureau Population Estimates Program (PEP) estimates, 2020–2025
San Luis Obispo's Census PEP population estimates, 2020–2025.Read the chart as text
Period
Population
2020
47,184 residents
2021
47,886 residents
2022
48,474 residents
2023
49,090 residents
2024
49,835 residents
2025
50,636 residents
Housing Supply
BPS source
Census Bureau Building Permits Survey (BPS) - annual residential permits authorized
📉 Construction Slowdown
Total Permits (2024)
208
housing units authorized
Single-Family
189
detached homes
Multifamily
19
apartments & condos
Supply Intensity
4.3
permits per 1,000 residents
5-Year Permit Trend (2019–2024)
Year
Total
Single-Family
Multifamily
Est. Value
2019
511
171
340
$77.7M
2020
440
290
150
$79.5M
2021
602
287
315
$102.4M
2022
472
238
234
$86.0M
2023
353
208
145
$62.9M
2024
208
189
19
$50.6M
Permit volume decreased 59% from 2019 to 2024.
Commute Patterns
Commute source
How workers travel to work, Census ACS 2023
Drive Alone
64.0%
Carpool
6.7%
Public Transit
1.4%
Walk
6.9%
Work from Home
15.9%
Other
5.1%
Based on 25,145 workers 16 and over.
Monthly Utility Costs
California statewide monthly utility average (EIA 2023): $275
EIA 2023 residential energy data puts average monthly utilities across California at $275 (electricity about $150 , water and sewer about $70 ).
These are California statewide averages, not a meter reading for San Luis Obispo. Actual bills vary by home size, usage, and local rates. Source: U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) 2023.
Living Costs & Risk
California's BEA cost-of-living index is 110.7 (Well Above Average; US average = 100, RPP 2024). HUD Fair Market Rent for a typical two-bedroom in the county around San Luis Obispo is $2,053/mo. FEMA's National Risk Index, averaged to California statewide on PlainCities, rates natural-hazard exposure at 88.7 / 100 (Very High).
Cost/risk geography note
Cost of living is a California statewide BEA average; rent is a county-level HUD Fair Market Rent for the county San Luis Obispo sits in; the FEMA hazard score shown here is a statewide average of county NRI inputs, not a parcel-level reading.
How San Luis Obispo compares to similar-size California cities
Same-state peer method
Closest same-state population matches, not geographic neighbors. Population + median household income come from Census Bureau ACS 5-year B01001 and B19013.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year 2023, FBI UCR, NOAA Climate Normals, NCES CCD, Census BPS 2024, Census ACS B08301/B08136, U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) 2023, BEA Regional Price Parities 2024, HUD Fair Market Rents 2026, FEMA National Risk Index.