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Living in San Luis Obispo

San Luis Obispo is a city in the United States. Its population was 48,491 in July 2026. Median household income was US$73,685 a year in July 2026. The city had 16 schools in 2026. For San Luis Obispo, owner occupation was 40.3%, and the vacancy rate was 8.13% in July 2026.

More recorded crime than 83% of American cities that publish it and cleaner air than 97% of American cities that publish it.

Which United States-wide rules apply when you move to San Luis Obispo?

National rules stay on the country page instead of being relabelled as city data.

Visa and entry rulesPassport-specific entry and national residence context.BenefitsCountry-wide eligibility and official application routes.Taxes in United StatesNational rates and thresholds that apply in San Luis Obispo.Healthcare eligibilityCountry-wide insurance and residence conditions.

Housing and cost

Median gross rent was US$1,965 per month, while the median home value was US$935,100 in July 2026. 67% of renter households spent at least 30% of income on housing in July 2026.

What recurs every month5 published recurring costs, € per month
San Luis Obispo recurring monthly costs, € per month€2003Private kindergarten€222Utilities, 85 m² flat€58Internet, 60 Mbps€48Fitness club€47Mobile plan, 10 GB€ / month

Supplemental estimate lane; these items are not official statistics.

MetricValuePeriodSource
Fitness club membership, monthly47.89 EUR/month31 Dec 2025Numbeo - Cost of Living in San Luis Obispo (Wayback Machine capture 20251214164441)22Supplemental estimate · Supplemental context
Internet, 60 Mbps unlimited57.99 EUR/month31 Dec 2025Numbeo - Cost of Living in San Luis Obispo (Wayback Machine capture 20251214164441)22Supplemental estimate · Supplemental context
Private kindergarten, monthly2,003 EUR/month31 Dec 2025Numbeo - Cost of Living in San Luis Obispo (Wayback Machine capture 20251214164441)22Supplemental estimate · Supplemental context
Mobile plan, 10 GB46.8 EUR/month31 Dec 2025Numbeo - Cost of Living in San Luis Obispo (Wayback Machine capture 20251214164441)22Supplemental estimate · Supplemental context
Basic utilities, 85 m² home222 EUR/month31 Dec 2025Numbeo - Cost of Living in San Luis Obispo (Wayback Machine capture 20251214164441)22Supplemental estimate · Supplemental context
G02 Median Gross Rent Usd$1,965/month4 Jul 2026ACS median gross rent1Official
Households spending over 30% of income on rent67.02 %4 Jul 2026ACS median gross rent1Official
G02 Vacancy Rate Pct8.13 %4 Jul 2026ACS median gross rent1Official
Property crime per 100,000 residents3,641 per 100,000 people1 Jul 2026FBI CDE/UCR crime statistics9Official
Median monthly rent1,727 EUR/month31 Dec 2024Census Reporter mirror of ACS 2024 5-year tables21Supplemental estimate · Supplemental context
Safety City Property Crime Count1,032 offenses/year31 Dec 2025FBI CIUS Table 8 by City 2025 (CDE offenses-known-to-le-2025.zip)10Official

Worked out from these numbers

How international is the population?

7.8% of residents hold a foreign nationality — 3,953 people of 50,636 people. This counts nationality, not place of birth, so long-settled residents who naturalised are not in it.

Uses a supplemental estimate, so treat it as indicative.

Work and income

Unemployment across cities in United StatesUnemployment in San Luis Obispo is 7.0%. Of 2,065 cities with data, 1,200 have unemployment of 0 to under 5%.
unemployment rate, % · measured cities in United States per band1200 cities: 0% to under 5%12000–5742 cities: 5% to under 10%7425–10San Luis Obispo 7.0%95 cities: 10% to under 15%9510–1525 cities: 15% to under 20%2515–202 cities: 20% to under 25%220–251 city: 25% to under 30%125–30

Unemployment rate (%)

MetricValuePeriodSource
G03 Median Household Income Usd73,685 USD/year4 Jul 2026ACS total population2Official
G10 Broadband Cable Fiber Dsl Pct81.72 %4 Jul 2026ACS total population2Official
G10 Broadband Subscription Pct92.69 %4 Jul 2026ACS total population2Official
G10 Internet Without Subscription Pct3.28 %4 Jul 2026ACS total population2Official
G10 No Internet Pct4.03 %4 Jul 2026ACS total population2Official
G10 Satellite Internet Pct6.84 %4 Jul 2026ACS total population2Official
Median gross salary1,849 EUR/month31 Dec 2024Census Reporter ACS 2020-2024 5-year, table B20002 (underlying U.S. Census Bureau ACS)20Community estimate · Supplemental context
Median gross salary (regional)3,589 EUR/month31 Dec 2025www.bls.gov19Official
Unemployment rate6.98 %31 Dec 2024Census Reporter mirror of ACS 2024 5-year tables21Supplemental estimate · Supplemental context

Public employment service

No exact public employment office is currently linked to San Luis Obispo. The verified national service may still offer online registration, job search or an official office finder.

Country-level information

American Job Centers — Public employment service

U.S. Department of Labor Employment and Training Administration

Job Search
Open official service
Open the United States service overview

Country-level service information is not treated as proof of a physical office in San Luis Obispo. Sources checked through 10 Aug 2026.

Family and education

MetricValuePeriodSource
G07 High School Or Higher Share Pct96.58 %4 Jul 2026ACS median gross rent1Official
Schools16 schools30 Jun 2026NCES CCD public school count13Official
G07 School Enrollment Share Pct42.07 %4 Jul 2026ACS median gross rent1Official

Healthcare

MetricValuePeriodSource
G06 Mental Health Provider Ratio77 ratio30 Jun 2026HRSA mental health provider ratio12Official
Physicians per 100,000 residents1,080 per 100,000 people30 Jun 2026HRSA mental health provider ratio12Official
G06 Preventable Hospitalization Rate1,557 per 100,000 people30 Jun 2026HRSA mental health provider ratio12Official

Yes — migrants can receive medical care in San Luis Obispo when the national insurance or residence conditions are met.

Healthcare access follows the country-wide insurance rules; local capacity facts remain city data and are not used as proof of eligibility.

Open the official coverage guide
Country rule verified 2026-08-03.

Safety

Recorded crime across major citiesSan Luis Obispo highlighted among comparable cities
Recorded crime across major cities with San Luis Obispo highlighted5,457Philadelphia5,442Houston5,218San Antonio4,012Chicago4,010Dallas3,709Austin3,158Fort Worth3,125Phoenix3,093San Luis Obispo3,039New York2,212Los Angeles2,082San Diegorecorded incidents per 100k residents
MetricValuePeriodSource
Recorded incidents per 100,000 residents3,093 offences per 100,000country median 1,58931 Dec 2024FBI Crime Data Explorer / Uniform Crime Reporting11Official
Violent crime per 100,000 residents402.2 per 100,000 people1 Jul 2026FBI CDE/UCR crime statistics9Official
Safety City Violent Crime Count175 offenses/year31 Dec 2025FBI CIUS Table 8 by City 2025 (CDE offenses-known-to-le-2025.zip)10Official

Mobility and administration

MetricValuePeriodSource
G05 Commute16.06 minutes4 Jul 2026ACS total population2Official
G09 Bicycle Commute Share Pct4.54 %4 Jul 2026ACS total population2Official
G09 Transit Commute Share Pct1.04 %4 Jul 2026ACS total population2Official
G09 Walk Commute Share Pct6.14 %4 Jul 2026ACS total population2Official
Destinations from nearest airport3 count3 Aug 2026OpenFlights16Official
Nearest airportSBP3 Aug 2026OurAirports17Official
Distance to nearest airport5 km3 Aug 2026OurAirports17Official

Language courses and integration

No exact city-level course record is currently published for San Luis Obispo. These verified national programmes may still apply; use the official programme page to check local availability.

Country-level information

Adult Education and English Language Acquisition (AEFLA) — State Language Course

U.S. Department of Education

For adult learners, adult English-language learners.

EnglishIn Person, Online, Hybridvaries
Open official information

USCIS English and citizenship class finder — Civic Orientation

U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services

For immigrants, future citizens.

EnglishIn Person, Onlinevaries
Open official information
Open the full United States section
National programme information is not treated as proof of a course location in San Luis Obispo.

Climate and air quality

Temperature through the yearAverage daytime high and night-time low, °C
San Luis Obispo average monthly daytime high and night-time low temperature, °C0°10°20°30°JFMAMJJASOND27°7°Daytime highNight-time low
Rainfall through the yearAverage monthly precipitation, mm
San Luis Obispo average monthly precipitation, mm035701051401291259935133203195091JFMAMJJASONDmm
Air quality vs health guidelinesAnnual means against WHO 2021 guidelines and EU legal limits
San Luis Obispo annual air pollutant levels against WHO 2021 guidelines and EU legal limitsCity valueWHO guidelineEU limit5253.9PM2.5µg/m³

City values from the published air-quality observations. WHO 2021 guidelines and EU limit values are published constants.

PM2.5 across cities in United StatesAnnual PM2.5 in San Luis Obispo is 3.9 µg/m³. Of 968 cities with data, 262 have annual PM2.5 of 6 to under 7 µg/m³.
annual PM2.5, µg/m³ · measured cities in United States per band1 city: 1 µg/m³ to under 2 µg/m³11–22 cities: 2 µg/m³ to under 3 µg/m³22–331 cities: 3 µg/m³ to under 4 µg/m³313–4San Luis Obispo 3.951 cities: 4 µg/m³ to under 5 µg/m³514–5135 cities: 5 µg/m³ to under 6 µg/m³1355–6262 cities: 6 µg/m³ to under 7 µg/m³2626–7252 cities: 7 µg/m³ to under 8 µg/m³2527–8124 cities: 8 µg/m³ to under 9 µg/m³1248–958 cities: 9 µg/m³ to under 10 µg/m³589–1033 cities: 10 µg/m³ to under 11 µg/m³3310–114 cities: 11 µg/m³ to under 12 µg/m³411–124 cities: 12 µg/m³ to under 13 µg/m³412–135 cities: 13 µg/m³ to under 14 µg/m³513–143 cities: 14 µg/m³ to under 15 µg/m³314–153 cities: 15 µg/m³ to under 16 µg/m³315–16

Annual PM2.5 (µg/m³)

MetricValuePeriodSource
PM2.5 — annual mean3.9 µg/m³country median 7.031 Dec 2024EPA AQS annual PM2.5 monitor data 20248Official
Average daytime high by monthJan 18.28 · Feb 18.44 · Mar 19.61 · Apr 20.72 · May 22.17 · Jun 24.28 · Jul 25.72 · Aug 26.5 · Sep 26.72 · Oct 25.44 · Nov 21.56 · Dec 18 °C31 Dec 1991NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information15Official
Average night-time low by monthJan 6.67 · Feb 6.89 · Mar 7.83 · Apr 8.22 · May 9.61 · Jun 11 · Jul 12.33 · Aug 12.67 · Sep 12.11 · Oct 10.83 · Nov 8.56 · Dec 6.5 °C31 Dec 1991NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information15Official
Average temperature by monthJan 12.44 · Feb 12.67 · Mar 13.72 · Apr 14.44 · May 15.89 · Jun 17.67 · Jul 19.06 · Aug 19.61 · Sep 19.44 · Oct 18.17 · Nov 15.06 · Dec 12.22 °C31 Dec 1991NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information15Official
Average precipitation by monthJan 128.8 · Feb 125 · Mar 98.81 · Apr 35.05 · May 12.95 · Jun 3.3 · Jul 1.78 · Aug 0.254 · Sep 2.79 · Oct 19.3 · Nov 50.29 · Dec 91.19 mm31 Dec 1991NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information15Official
G04 Air Quality Pm25 Max Ug M334.8 µg/m³1 Jul 2026EPA AirData PM2.5 annual mean7Official source, approximated value · Supplemental context · county
G04 Air Quality Pm25 Mean Annual Ug M34.85 µg/m³1 Jul 2026EPA AirData PM2.5 annual mean7Official source, approximated value · Supplemental context · county
G04 Air Quality Pm25 Monitor Count4 monitors1 Jul 2026EPA AirData PM2.5 annual mean7Official source, approximated value · Supplemental context · county
G11 Annual Precipitation Mm861 mm30 Jun 2026NOAA GHCN-Daily climate normals14Official source, approximated value · Supplemental context · station observation
G11 Max Temp C Jul19.99 °C30 Jun 2026NOAA GHCN-Daily climate normals14Official source, approximated value · Supplemental context · station observation
Average annual temperature15.9 °C30 Jun 2026NOAA GHCN-Daily climate normals14Official source, approximated value · Supplemental context · station observation
G11 Min Temp C Jan11.06 °C30 Jun 2026NOAA GHCN-Daily climate normals14Official source, approximated value · Supplemental context · station observation

Cities of a similar size in United States

Closest published populations, for a like-for-like comparison.

All United States cities
Draper50,652 residentsGrapevine50,714 residentsWatsonville50,716 residentsHarrisburg50,522 residentsParamount50,755 residentsMcLean50,773 residents

Population and city profile

Who lives hereResidents by nationality, % of population
San Luis Obispo residents by nationalityBy nationalityNational passport92.2%Foreign residents 7.8%

Calculated from the population and foreign-resident facts on this page.

MetricValuePeriodSource
Foreign-resident share3.34 %31 Dec 2020Census Reporter (underlying U.S. Census ACS)5Official
Foreign residents3,953 people31 Dec 2024Census Reporter mirror of ACS 2024 5-year tables21Supplemental estimate · Supplemental context
G09 Ntd Service Area Population253,005 people4 Jul 2026ACS total population2Official
Population density1,433 people/km²31 Dec 2025Census Reporter / U.S. Census Bureau6Official
Population50,636 people31 Dec 2025U.S. Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program18Official
Safety City Crime Covered Population50,385 people31 Dec 2025FBI CIUS Table 8 by City 2025 (CDE offenses-known-to-le-2025.zip)10Official

Is San Luis Obispo a good place to live?

There is no universal answer. The profile scores below show who the available published evidence may suit; they are a decision aid, not a personal recommendation.

Try your profile
Remote worker55%strong on work, weak on safety · range 45–65%
Skilled employee65%strong on work, weak on safety · range 55–75%
Student51%strong on education, weak on housing · range 40–62%
Family44%strong on family, weak on cost · range 34–54%
Retirement51%strong on air quality, weak on admin · range 40–62%
Foreign residents3,953 people31 Dec 2024Independent source · Census Reporter mirror of ACS 2024 5-year tables
Population50,636 people31 Dec 2025Official source · U.S. Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program
Households spending over 30% of income on rent67.02 %4 Jul 2026Official source · ACS median gross rent
Median monthly rent1,727 EUR/month31 Dec 2024Independent source · Census Reporter mirror of ACS 2024 5-year tables
Property crime per 100,000 residents3,641 per 100,000 people1 Jul 2026Official source · FBI CDE/UCR crime statistics
Median gross salary1,849 EUR/month31 Dec 2024Community source · Census Reporter ACS 2020-2024 5-year, table B20002 (underlying U.S. Census Bureau ACS)
Every value keeps its source, geographic scope and verification date · Last checked 2026-09-11

Additional context

MetricValuePeriodSource
G02 Median Home Value Usd935,100 USD4 Jul 2026ACS median gross rent1Official
Owner-occupied homes40.25 %4 Jul 2026ACS median gross rent1Official
G03 Labour62.75 %4 Jul 2026ACS total population2Official
Residents born abroad8.15 %4 Jul 2026ACS total population2Official
G05 Naturalized Citizen Share Pct4.81 %4 Jul 2026ACS total population2Official
G05 Non Citizen Share Pct3.34 %4 Jul 2026ACS total population2Official
G06 Flu Vaccination Coverage Pct65.54 %30 Jun 2026CDC BRFSS flu vaccination coverage3Official
G06 Mammography Screening Pct74.8 %30 Jun 2026CDC mammography screening rate4Official
G06 Uninsured Share Pct4.59 %4 Jul 2026ACS median gross rent1Official
G07 Bachelors Or Higher Share Pct54.36 %4 Jul 2026ACS median gross rent1Official
G08 Reporting Agency Count1 agencies1 Jul 2026FBI CDE/UCR crime statistics9Official
G09 Households With Vehicle Available Pct93.2 %4 Jul 2026ACS median gross rent1Official
G09 Ntd Agency Count3 agencies4 Jul 2026ACS total population2Official
G09 Ntd Total Unlinked Passenger Trips 20221,128,043 trips4 Jul 2026ACS total population2Official
G09 Ntd Total Vehicles Operated Max Service 202256 vehicles4 Jul 2026ACS total population2Official
G09 Total Workers 16plus24,961 workers4 Jul 2026ACS total population2Official
G09 Work From Home Share Pct17.13 %4 Jul 2026ACS total population2Official
G10 Cellular Data Plan Pct89.76 %4 Jul 2026ACS total population2Official

Common questions

Answered from the published values on this page, each with its source and date.

What is the typical salary around San Luis Obispo?

The median gross salary is 3,589 EUR/month. Source: www.bls.gov.

What is the unemployment rate in San Luis Obispo?

The unemployment rate is 6.98 %. This is a supplemental estimate, not an official municipal measurement. Source: Census Reporter mirror of ACS 2024 5-year tables.

Is the air quality good in San Luis Obispo?

The annual PM2.5 mean is 3.9 µg/m³. The WHO 2021 guideline is 5 µg/m³ and the EU limit value is 25 µg/m³, so this reading is within the WHO guideline. Source: EPA AQS annual PM2.5 monitor data 2024.

How safe is San Luis Obispo?

Police recorded 3,093 offences per 100,000. This counts all offences, so it is not comparable with a violent-crime-only rate from another source. Source: FBI Crime Data Explorer / Uniform Crime Reporting.

How many people live in San Luis Obispo?

The published population is 50,636 people. Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program.

How many foreign residents live in San Luis Obispo?

3,953 people residents hold a foreign nationality. This is a supplemental estimate, not an official municipal measurement. Source: Census Reporter mirror of ACS 2024 5-year tables.

Is San Luis Obispo a good place to live?

San Luis Obispo may suit different people for different reasons. The page's profile scores compare published cost, work, housing, safety, healthcare and other available factors; they are a decision aid, not a universal recommendation.

Cite this page

Open a format to select or copy this ImmigrationDB compilation citation. The native disclosure and text fallback work without JavaScript.

APA citation
ImmigrationDB. (2026, September 12). San Luis Obispo, United States: rent, salary [ImmigrationDB compilation; snapshot approved-static-d7ed373c115d60d0; version approved-static-d7ed373c115d60d0]. ImmigrationDB. https://immigrationdb.com/cities/us/san-luis-obispo/ Retrieved 2026-09-12. Compilation license: CC BY 4.0, https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
BibTeX citation
@misc{immigrationdb_immigrationdb_san-luis-obispo-united-states-rent-salary_9064296a86a4,
  author = {ImmigrationDB},
  title = {San Luis Obispo, United States: rent, salary},
  publisher = {ImmigrationDB},
  year = {2026},
  date = {2026-09-12},
  version = {approved-static-d7ed373c115d60d0},
  snapshot = {approved-static-d7ed373c115d60d0},
  url = {https://immigrationdb.com/cities/us/san-luis-obispo/},
  note = {Retrieved 2026-09-12. ImmigrationDB compilation. Compilation license: CC BY 4.0, https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/},
}
Markdown citation
[San Luis Obispo, United States: rent, salary](https://immigrationdb.com/cities/us/san-luis-obispo/) — ImmigrationDB; ImmigrationDB; snapshot approved-static-d7ed373c115d60d0; version approved-static-d7ed373c115d60d0; retrieved 2026-09-12; built 2026-09-12.

This citation identifies the ImmigrationDB compilation/page. Underlying source publishers and datasets retain their own terms; inspect the Sources section and cite those records separately. View the underlying source records.

Sources

JSON Markdown
  1. ACS median gross rent api.censusreporter.org · checked 2026-07-04
  2. ACS total population api.censusreporter.org · checked 2026-07-04
  3. CDC BRFSS flu vaccination coverage data.cdc.gov · checked 2026-06-30
  4. CDC mammography screening rate data.cdc.gov · checked 2026-06-30
  5. Census Reporter (underlying U.S. Census ACS) api.censusreporter.org · checked 2026-08-03
  6. Census Reporter / U.S. Census Bureau api.censusreporter.org · checked 2026-08-03
  7. EPA AirData PM2.5 annual mean aqs.epa.gov · checked 2026-07-01
  8. EPA AQS annual PM2.5 monitor data 2024 aqs.epa.gov · checked 2026-07-26
  9. FBI CDE/UCR crime statistics cde.ucr.cjis.gov · checked 2026-07-01
  10. FBI CIUS Table 8 by City 2025 (CDE offenses-known-to-le-2025.zip) cde.ucr.cjis.gov · checked 2026-09-05
Show 12 more sources
  1. FBI Crime Data Explorer / Uniform Crime Reporting cde.ucr.cjis.gov · checked 2026-08-04
  2. HRSA mental health provider ratio data.hrsa.gov · checked 2026-06-30
  3. NCES CCD public school count nces.ed.gov · checked 2026-06-30
  4. NOAA GHCN-Daily climate normals ncei.noaa.gov · checked 2026-06-30
  5. NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information ncei.noaa.gov · checked 2026-08-03
  6. OpenFlights raw.githubusercontent.com · checked 2026-08-03
  7. OurAirports davidmegginson.github.io · checked 2026-08-03
  8. U.S. Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program www2.census.gov · checked 2026-08-03
  9. www.bls.gov bls.gov · checked 2026-08-27
  10. Census Reporter ACS 2020-2024 5-year, table B20002 (underlying U.S. Census Bureau ACS) api.censusreporter.org · checked 2026-09-11
  11. Census Reporter mirror of ACS 2024 5-year tables api.censusreporter.org · checked 2026-07-26
  12. Numbeo - Cost of Living in San Luis Obispo (Wayback Machine capture 20251214164441) numbeo.com · checked 2026-07-31

Spotted a number that looks wrong? Every value here carries its source and date — tell us what you found and we will re-check it against the source.