San Luis Obispo, CA in figures

A profile of San Luis Obispo, CA from official statistics: 11 figures in 3 sections, each with its period, its change from a year earlier, its rank among similar places where a ranking exists, and its source.

Figures last updated on 2026-10-12.

People
Work and income
Prices and housing
Sources and citations

People

Population in San Luis Obispo, CA was 50,636 in 2025, up 1.6% from 2024, and the 177th highest of 376 cities in California.

Population50,6362025Up 1.6% from 2024The 177th highest of 376 cities in California

Median age26.3 years2024Up 0.1 years from 2023Tied for the 3rd lowest of 376 cities in California

Foreign-born population share8.2%2024Up 0.4 percentage points from 2023The 20th lowest of 376 cities in California

Bachelor's degree or higher, population 25 and over54.4%2024Down 0.1 percentage points from 2023

Population, 2020 to 2025. persons. Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Annual estimates of the resident population for incorporated places, 1 July (Population Estimates Program, subcounty totals).

Sources: U.S. Census Bureau, Annual estimates of the resident population for incorporated places, 1 July (Population Estimates Program, subcounty totals); U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-year estimates, table B01002: median age, total population, US cities (incorporated places of 10,000 or more); U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-year estimates, table B05002: foreign-born population as a percentage of the total population, calculated with stored inputs, US cities (incorporated places of 10,000 or more); U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-year estimates, table B15003: population 25 years and over with a bachelor's degree or higher as a percentage of the population 25 years and over, calculated with stored inputs, US cities (incorporated places of 10,000 or more). Population and demography statistics and rankings

Work and income

Unemployment rate in San Luis Obispo, CA was 4.1% (provisional) in August 2026, unchanged from August 2025, and tied for the 20th lowest of 285 cities in California.

Unemployment rate4.1%August 2026, provisionalUnchanged from August 2025Tied for the 20th lowest of 285 cities in California

Median household income$73,6852024Up 10.5% from 2023The 74th lowest of 376 cities in California

Gini index53.22024Down 0.1 points from 2023The 11th highest of 376 cities in California

Unemployment rate, July 2021 to August 2026. %. Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Local Area Unemployment Statistics, cities and towns, not seasonally adjusted: unemployment rate (measure 03).

Sources: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Local Area Unemployment Statistics, cities and towns, not seasonally adjusted: unemployment rate (measure 03); U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-year estimates, table B19013: median household income in the past 12 months, US cities (incorporated places of 10,000 or more); U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-year estimates, table B19083: Gini index of household income inequality (coefficient multiplied by 100), US cities (incorporated places of 10,000 or more). Labor market statistics and rankings

Prices and housing

Median home value in San Luis Obispo, CA was $935,100 in 2024, up 4.3% from 2023, and the 114th highest of 376 cities in California.

Median home value$935,1002024Up 4.3% from 2023The 114th highest of 376 cities in California

Median gross rent (monthly)$1,9652024Up 3.1% from 2023The 167th lowest of 376 cities in California

Homeownership rate (US, housing units)40.3%2024Up 1.3 percentage points from 2023The 29th lowest of 376 cities in California

Housing units authorized by building permits1842025, estimatedDown 11.5% from 2024

Median home value, 2021 to 2024. USD. Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-year estimates, table B25077: median value (dollars), owner-occupied housing units, US cities (incorporated places of 10,000 or more).

Sources: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-year estimates, table B25077: median value (dollars), owner-occupied housing units, US cities (incorporated places of 10,000 or more); U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-year estimates, table B25064: median gross rent (dollars), renter-occupied housing units paying cash rent, US cities (incorporated places of 10,000 or more); U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-year estimates, table B25003: owner-occupied housing units as a percentage of occupied housing units, calculated with stored inputs, US cities (incorporated places of 10,000 or more); U.S. Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey: final annual estimates of new privately owned housing units authorized by permit-issuing place, including imputation. Housing statistics and rankings

Sources and citations

Each figure comes from the table cited here. Cite the publisher; these citations include any notice the publisher requires.

U.S. Census Bureau. Annual estimates of the resident population for incorporated places, 1 July (Population Estimates Program, subcounty totals). https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/popest/datasets/2020-2025/. Retrieved 2026-10-12.
U.S. Census Bureau. American Community Survey 5-year estimates, table B01002: median age, total population, US cities (incorporated places of 10,000 or more). https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/acs/summary_file/2024/table-based-SF/data/5YRData/acsdt5y2024-b01002.dat. Retrieved 2026-10-12.
U.S. Census Bureau. American Community Survey 5-year estimates, table B05002: foreign-born population as a percentage of the total population, calculated with stored inputs, US cities (incorporated places of 10,000 or more). https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/acs/summary_file/2024/table-based-SF/data/5YRData/acsdt5y2024-b05002.dat. Retrieved 2026-10-12.
U.S. Census Bureau. American Community Survey 5-year estimates, table B15003: population 25 years and over with a bachelor's degree or higher as a percentage of the population 25 years and over, calculated with stored inputs, US cities (incorporated places of 10,000 or more). https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/acs/summary_file/2024/table-based-SF/data/5YRData/acsdt5y2024-b15003.dat. Retrieved 2026-10-12.
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Local Area Unemployment Statistics, cities and towns, not seasonally adjusted: unemployment rate (measure 03). https://download.bls.gov/pub/time.series/la/la.data.0.CurrentU25-29. Retrieved 2026-10-12.
U.S. Census Bureau. American Community Survey 5-year estimates, table B19013: median household income in the past 12 months, US cities (incorporated places of 10,000 or more). https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/acs/summary_file/2024/table-based-SF/data/5YRData/acsdt5y2024-b19013.dat. Retrieved 2026-10-12.
U.S. Census Bureau. American Community Survey 5-year estimates, table B19083: Gini index of household income inequality (coefficient multiplied by 100), US cities (incorporated places of 10,000 or more). https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/acs/summary_file/2024/table-based-SF/data/5YRData/acsdt5y2024-b19083.dat. Retrieved 2026-10-12.
U.S. Census Bureau. American Community Survey 5-year estimates, table B25077: median value (dollars), owner-occupied housing units, US cities (incorporated places of 10,000 or more). https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/acs/summary_file/2024/table-based-SF/data/5YRData/acsdt5y2024-b25077.dat. Retrieved 2026-10-12.
U.S. Census Bureau. American Community Survey 5-year estimates, table B25064: median gross rent (dollars), renter-occupied housing units paying cash rent, US cities (incorporated places of 10,000 or more). https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/acs/summary_file/2024/table-based-SF/data/5YRData/acsdt5y2024-b25064.dat. Retrieved 2026-10-12.
U.S. Census Bureau. American Community Survey 5-year estimates, table B25003: owner-occupied housing units as a percentage of occupied housing units, calculated with stored inputs, US cities (incorporated places of 10,000 or more). https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/acs/summary_file/2024/table-based-SF/data/5YRData/acsdt5y2024-b25003.dat. Retrieved 2026-10-12.
U.S. Census Bureau. Building Permits Survey: final annual estimates of new privately owned housing units authorized by permit-issuing place, including imputation. https://www2.census.gov/econ/bps/Place/West%20Region/we2025a.txt. Retrieved 2026-10-12.

Use this data in your AI agent

Invokely serves this figure to AI assistants through MCP and to code through a REST API, with the source and citation attached. Ask your assistant:

Give me an overview of San Luis Obispo, CA with the latest official figures and their sources.

get_place_profile {"place":"San Luis Obispo, CA"}
GET https://invokely.ai/api/v1/profile?place=us-place-0668154

Connect Claude, ChatGPT or Cursor in one step. The trial answers 25 calls a day without an account.

All statistics for San Luis Obispo, CA