All Countries
San Luis Obispo, CA
Full City Profile · California · San Luis Obispo County County
2.7
/5.0
C+
Fair
48,039
Population
3,522/sq mi density
$66,711
Median Income
$45,462 per capita
$896,500
Home Value
$1,077,043 Zillow
$1,906
Median Rent
46.5% income on rent
60°F
Avg Temperature
330 sunny days/yr
402
Violent Crime/100K
3,641 property/100K
C+
Overall
2.7 / 5.0
Fair overall score based on economy, affordability, safety and education
B+
Economy
3.9 / 5.0
$66,711 median income, 4.2% unemployment
F
Affordability
1.0 / 5.0
$896,500 home value, $1,906/mo rent
F
Safety
1.0 / 5.0
402 violent crimes/100K (6% above avg)
A+
Education
5.0 / 5.0
54.4% bachelor's degree or higher
Change Over Time (2013–2023)
Population Change
+6.5%
46,132 → 49,110
over 10 years
Annual Pop. Growth
+0.63%
Compound annual growth rate
Median Income Change
+48.1%
$45,032 → $66,711
nominal, not inflation-adjusted
Annual Income Growth
+4.01%
Compound annual growth rate
Population Over Time
Total population for San Luis Obispo across each available Census ACS release.
Median Household Income Over Time
Median household income reported by U.S. Census ACS. Values are nominal (not adjusted for inflation).
Projected 2030
Simple projections extrapolating the 2013–2023 compound annual growth rate forward. These are mathematical extensions of recent trends, not forecasts — real outcomes depend on migration, policy and economic shifts.
Projected Population 2030
51,317
+2,207 from 2023 (49,110)
Projected Median Income 2030
$87,846
+$21,135 from 2023 ($66,711)
Year-by-Year Detail
| Year | Population | YoY % | Median Income | YoY % |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2013 | 46,132 | — | $45,032 | — |
| 2015 | 46,906 | +1.7% | $46,058 | +2.3% |
| 2017 | 47,442 | +1.1% | $49,640 | +7.8% |
| 2019 | 47,408 | -0.1% | $56,071 | +13% |
| 2021 | 47,545 | +0.3% | $61,862 | +10.3% |
| 2023 | 49,110 | +3.3% | $66,711 | +7.8% |
Source: U.S. Census ACS 5-Year Estimates (Data Commons). Home value and rent are not yet available historically.