San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles-Arroyo Grande, CA

Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA)

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2023 Population

281,486

0.0802% 1-year decline

US Senator

Alex Padilla

Democratic Party

US Senator

Adam Schiff

Democratic Party

2023 Median Age

40.2

0.5% 1-year increase

2023 Poverty Rate

12.8%

2.09% 1-year increase

2023 Median Household Income

$93,398

3.59% 1-year growth

2023 Median Property Value

$777,200

6.95% 1-year growth

2023 Employed Population

131,629

0.0935% 1-year growth

About

In 2023, San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles-Arroyo Grande, CA had a population of 281k people with a median age of 40.2 and a median household income of $93,398. Between 2022 and 2023 the population of San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles-Arroyo Grande, CA declined from 281,712 to 281,486, a −0.0802% decrease and its median household income grew from $90,158 to $93,398, a 3.59% increase.

The 5 largest ethnic groups in San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles-Arroyo Grande, CA are White (Non-Hispanic) (65.4%), Two+ (Hispanic) (10.4%), White (Hispanic) (6.94%), Other (Hispanic) (6.08%), and Two+ (Non-Hispanic) (4.61%).

None of the households in San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles-Arroyo Grande, CA reported speaking a non-English language at home as their primary shared language. This does not consider the potential multi-lingual nature of households, but only the primary self-reported language spoken by all members of the household.

95.4% of the residents in San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles-Arroyo Grande, CA are U.S. citizens.

The largest universities in San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles-Arroyo Grande, CA are California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo (5,619 degrees awarded in 2022), Cuesta College (4,702 degrees), and Laurus College (171 degrees).

In 2023, the median property value in San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles-Arroyo Grande, CA was $777,200, and the homeownership rate was 61.9%.

Most people in San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles-Arroyo Grande, CA drove alone to work, and the average commute time was 21.4 minutes. The average car ownership in San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles-Arroyo Grande, CA was 2 cars per household.

San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles-Arroyo Grande, CA borders Bakersfield, CA, Hanford-Corcoran, CA, Salinas, CA, and Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA.

About the photo: La Familia Ranch, San Luis Obispo, CA

Photo by Harold Litwiler

United States California

Population & Diversity

San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles-Arroyo Grande, CA is home to a population of 281k people, from which 95.4% are citizens. As of 2023, 9.69% of San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles-Arroyo Grande, CA residents were born outside of the country (27.3k people).

In 2023, there were 6.32 times more White (Non-Hispanic) residents (184k people) in San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles-Arroyo Grande, CA than any other race or ethnicity. There were 29.1k Two+ (Hispanic) and 19.5k White (Hispanic) residents, the second and third most common ethnic groups.

Population & Diversity

Citizenship

95.4%

2023 Citizenship

95.5%

2022 Citizenship

As of 2023, 95.4% of San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles-Arroyo Grande, CA residents were US citizens, which is higher than the national average of 93.4%. In 2022, the percentage of US citizens in San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles-Arroyo Grande, CA was 95.5%, meaning that the rate of citizenship has been decreasing.

The following chart shows US citizenship percentages in San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles-Arroyo Grande, CA compared to that of it's neighboring and parent geographies.

Diversity

Race and Ethnicity

The 3 largest ethnic groups in San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles-Arroyo Grande, CA

White (Non-Hispanic)
184k ± 859
Two+ (Hispanic)
29.1k ± 1.98k
White (Hispanic)
19.5k ± 1.75k

24.5%

Hispanic Population

69k people

24.5% of the people in San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles-Arroyo Grande, CA are hispanic (69k people).

The following chart shows the 7 races represented in San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles-Arroyo Grande, CA as a share of the total population.

Global Diversity

The PUMS dataset is not available at the MSA level, so we are showing data for California.

Most Common Origin

Mexico
3,899,021 ± 46,015 people
Philippines
824,230 ± 22,055 people
China
685,370 ± 20,148 people

In 2022, the most common birthplace for the foreign-born residents of California was Mexico, the natal country of 3,899,021 California residents, followed by Philippines with 824,230 and China with 685,370.

Foreign-Born Population

9.69%

2023 Foreign-Born Population

27.3k people

9.55%

2022 Foreign-Born Population

26.9k people

As of 2023, 9.69% of San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles-Arroyo Grande, CA residents (27.3k people) were born outside of the United States, which is lower than the national average of 13.8%. In 2022, the percentage of foreign-born citizens in San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles-Arroyo Grande, CA was 9.55%, meaning that the rate has been increasing.

The following chart shows the percentage of foreign-born residents in San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles-Arroyo Grande, CA compared to that of it's neighboring and parent geographies.

Military

Veterans

Most Common Service Period

Vietnam
6,108 ± 480
Gulf War (2001-)
2,748 ± 449
Gulf War (1990s)
1,390 ± 326

San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles-Arroyo Grande, CA has a large population of military personnel who served in Vietnam, 2.22 times greater than any other conflict.

Economy

The economy of San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles-Arroyo Grande, CA employs 132k people. The largest industries in San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles-Arroyo Grande, CA are Health Care & Social Assistance (16,213 people), Retail Trade (14,187 people), and Accommodation & Food Services (13,712 people), and the highest paying industries are Utilities ($140,901), Mining, Quarrying, & Oil & Gas Extraction ($105,938), and Public Administration ($89,225).

Males in California have an average income that is 1.26 times higher than the average income of females, which is $75,777. The income inequality in California (measured using the Gini index) is 0.498, which is higher than than the national average.

Employment

Occupations

132k

2023 Value

± 3,083

0.0935%

1 Year growth

± 3.35%

From 2022 to 2023, employment in San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles-Arroyo Grande, CA grew at a rate of 0.0935%, from 132k employees to 132k employees.

The most common job groups, by number of people living in San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles-Arroyo Grande, CA, are Management Occupations (15,711 people), Sales & Related Occupations (13,668 people), and Office & Administrative Support Occupations (12,996 people). This chart illustrates the share breakdown of the primary jobs held by residents of San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles-Arroyo Grande, CA.

Unemployment Insurance Claims

Data is only available at the state level. Showing data for false.

This chart shows weekly unemployment insurance claims in California (not-seasonally adjusted) compared with the four states with the most similar impact.

The most recent data point uses Advance State Claims data, which can be revised in subsequent weeks.

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Industries

Employment by Industries

132k

2023 Value

± 3,083

0.0935%

1 Year growth

± 3.35%

From 2022 to 2023, employment in San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles-Arroyo Grande, CA grew at a rate of 0.0935%, from 132k employees to 132k employees.

The most common employment sectors for those who live in San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles-Arroyo Grande, CA, are Health Care & Social Assistance (16,213 people), Retail Trade (14,187 people), and Accommodation & Food Services (13,712 people). This chart shows the share breakdown of the primary industries for residents of San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles-Arroyo Grande, CA, though some of these residents may live in San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles-Arroyo Grande, CA and work somewhere else. Census data is tagged to a residential address, not a work address.

Median Earnings by Industry

$54,838

Median earning men ± $2,698

$38,656

Median earning women ± $2,142

The industries with the best median earnings for men in 2023 are Public Administration ($103,187), Information ($87,969), and Transportation & Warehousing, & Utilities ($81,622).

The industries with the best median earnings for women in 2023 are Public Administration ($67,934), Information ($61,222), and Finance & Insurance, & Real Estate & Rental & Leasing ($55,890).

Employment by Industry Sector

Data is only available at the state level. Showing data for California.

Y-Axis

2.57%

Year-over-year growth

Employment change between February 2022 and February 2023

As of February 2023, there are 17.9M people employed in California. This represents a 2.57% increase in employment when compared to February 2022.

Right after the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, during April 2020, a general dip can be seen across industry sectors, resulting in an overall decline in employment by 14%.

The following chart shows monthly employment numbers for each industry sector in California.

Establishments by Size

The industries with the most establishments

750
Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services
687
Construction
632
Health Care and Social Assistance

The visualization shows the distribution of establishments by industry and by size according to the number of employees.

Depending on the option selected, the visualization shows the number of employees or number of establishments and its share across establishment sizes.

Payroll by Industry Sector

The industries with the highest total annual payroll

$1.03M
Health Care and Social Assistance
$610k
Construction
$566k
Retail Trade

The chart shows the total annual payroll and the average annual payroll by industry.

Civics

In the 2024 presidential election, the popular vote in California went to Kamala Harris with 58.5% of the vote. The runner-up was Donald J. Trump (38.3%), followed by Robert Kennedy (1.25%).

Alex Padilla and Adam Schiff are the senators currently representing the state of California. In the United States, senators are elected to 6-year terms with the terms for individual senators staggered.

California is currently represented by 52 members in the U.S. house, and members of the House of Representives are elected to 2-year terms.

Presidential Elections

Presidential Popular Vote Over Time

Voting results are not available for San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles-Arroyo Grande, CA. Showing the available data for California.

2024 Election Results

Kamala Harris (58.5%)
Democratic Party
Donald J. Trump (38.3%)
Republican Party
Robert Kennedy (1.25%)
Independent Party

In the 2024 presidential election, the popular vote in California went to Kamala Harris with 58.5% of the vote. The runner-up was Donald J. Trump (38.3%), followed by Robert Kennedy (1.25%).

The following chart shows the popular vote results in California for each registered party from 1976 to 2024.

Senator Elections

US Senators from California

Senatorial voting results are only available at the state level. Showing data for California.

Alex Padilla

Senator from California

Assumed office on January 20, 2021
Appointed to the seat following the resignation of Kamala Harris, who had become Vice President of the United States.

Adam Schiff

Senator from California

Assumed office on December 8, 2024
Elected to the seat to succeed Laphonza Butler, who had been appointed to the seat following the death of Dianne Feinstein.

Alex Padilla and Adam Schiff are the senators currently representing California.

In the United States, senators are elected to 6-year terms with the terms for individual senators staggered.

The following chart shows elected senators in California over time, excluding special elections, colored by their political party.

US Representative Elections

US Representatives from California

California is currently represented by 52 members in the U.S. house.

Members of the House of Representives are elected to 2-year terms, and the following chart shows the how the members for California have changed over time starting in 2008.

Education

In 2022, universities in San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles-Arroyo Grande, CA awarded 10,633 degrees. The student population of San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles-Arroyo Grande, CA in 2022 is skewed towards men, with 16,561 male students and 16,127 female students.

Most students graduating from Universities in San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles-Arroyo Grande, CA are White (5,810 and 55.5%), followed by Hispanic or Latino (2,458 and 23.5%), Asian (923 and 8.81%), and Two or More Races (709 and 6.77%).

The largest universities in San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles-Arroyo Grande, CA by number of degrees awarded are California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo (5,619 and 52.8%), Cuesta College (4,702 and 44.2%), and Laurus College (171 and 1.61%).

The most popular majors in San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles-Arroyo Grande, CA are Liberal Arts & Sciences (2,164 and 20.4%), General Business Administration & Management (1,040 and 9.78%), and Humanistic Studies (439 and 4.13%).

The median tuition cost in San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles-Arroyo Grande, CA for a public four year colleges is $5,742 for in-state students and $17,622 for out-of-state students.

Admissions & Enrollments

Applicants, Admissions & Enrolled

University

Measure

In 2022 in San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles-Arroyo Grande, CA, the percentage of applicants admitted was 30.4%, while the percentage of admitted who enrolled was 28.6%. The number of students enrolled in 2022 was 32,688 (50.7% men and 49.3% women).

The line chart shows the evolution of the percentage of applicants admitted, admitted who enrolled or the number of students enrolled according to the option selected in the upper button.

Enrollments by Gender and Races

Universities

In 2022 there were 32,688 students enrolled in San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles-Arroyo Grande, CA, 50.7% men and 49.3% women.

By race, the largest number of students enrolled was concentrated in White with 16,365 records, of which 50.4% were women and 49.6% men.

Completions

Concentrations

Most Common

General Business Administration & Management
775 degrees awarded
Mechanical Engineering
272 degrees awarded
Computer Science
163 degrees awarded

In 2022, the most common concentation for Bachelors Degree recipients in San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles-Arroyo Grande, CA was General Business Administration & Management with 775 degrees awarded.

This visualization illustrates the percentage of students graduating with a Bachelors Degree from schools in San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles-Arroyo Grande, CA according to their major.

Universities

Gender

Race

Largest Universities by degrees awarded

California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo
5,619 degrees awarded
Cuesta College
4,702 degrees awarded
Laurus College
171 degrees awarded

In 2022, the institution with the largest number of graduating students was California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo with 5,619 degrees awarded.

Student Diversity

University

In 2022, 4,731 men were awarded degrees from institutions in San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles-Arroyo Grande, CA, which is 0.802 times less than the 5,902 female students who received degrees in the same year.

In 2022 the most common race/ethnicity group awarded degrees at institutions was White students. These 5,810 degrees mean that there were 2.36 times more degrees awarded to White students then the next closest race/ethnicity group, Hispanic or Latino, with 2,458 degrees awarded.

Awarded Degrees over Time

The graph shows the evolution of awarded degrees by degrees. Under the paragraphs, the average number of awarded degrees by university in each degree is shown.

Tuition

Average Net Price by Sector

Universities

Private for-profit, 2-year ($9,820) is the sector with the highest median state tuition in 2022.

Public, 4-year or above ($4,577) is the sector with the highest median state fee in 2022.

Public, 2-year ($1,125) is the sector with the highest average net price of books and supplies.

The graph shows the average net price by sector and year.

Working Population

Educational Pyramid

Data is only available at the state level. Showing data for California.

Measure

In 2022, 2.08% of men over 25 years of age had not completed any academic degree (no schooling), while 2.26% of women were in the same situation.

This visualization shows the gender distribution of the population according to the academic level reached.

Educational Attainment

Data is only available at the state level. Showing data for California.

Race

The most common educational levels obtained by the working population in 2022 were Some college (6.9M), High School or Equivalent (6.8M), and Bachelors Degree (6.36M).

This visualization illustrates the percentage distribution of the population according to the highest educational level reached. You can filter the data by race by using the selector above.

Housing & Living

The median property value in San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles-Arroyo Grande, CA was $777,200 in 2023, which is 2.56 times larger than the national average of $303,400. Between 2022 and 2023 the median property value increased from $726,700 to $777,200, a 6.95% increase. The homeownership rate in San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles-Arroyo Grande, CA is 61.9%, which is approximately the same as the national average of 65%.

People in San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles-Arroyo Grande, CA have an average commute time of 21.4 minutes, and they drove alone to work. Car ownership in San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles-Arroyo Grande, CA is approximately the same as the national average, with an average of 2 cars per household.

Median household income in San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles-Arroyo Grande, CA is $93,398. In 2023, the county with the highest Median Household Income in San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles-Arroyo Grande, CA was Santa Clara County, CA with a value of $159,674, followed by San Mateo County, CA and Marin County, CA, with respective values of $156,000 and $142,785.

Housing

Property

$777,200

Median Property Value 2023

±$13,684

$67,403

Median Property Taxes

±$1,899

The following chart display owner-occupied housing units distributed between a series of property tax buckets compared to the national averages for each bucket. In San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles-Arroyo Grande, CA the largest share of households pay taxes in the $3k+ range.

The chart underneath the paragraph shows the property taxes in San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles-Arroyo Grande, CA compared to it's parent and neighbor geographies.

Rent vs Own

61.9%

Homeownership

2023

68.8%

Homeowners with Mortgage

2023

In 2023, 61.9% of the housing units in San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles-Arroyo Grande, CA were occupied by their owner. This percentage declined from the previous year's rate of 62%.

This chart shows the percentage of owner in San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles-Arroyo Grande, CA compared it's parent and neighboring geographies.

Equity

Income by Location

Use the dropdown to filter by race/ethnicity.

Race/Ethnicity

Highest Median Household Income (Total)

In 2023, the county with the highest Median Household Income (Total) in San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles-Arroyo Grande, CA was Santa Clara County, CA with a value of $159,674, followed by San Mateo County, CA and Marin County, CA, with respective values of $156,000 and $142,785.

The following map shows all of the counties in San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles-Arroyo Grande, CA colored by their Median Household Income (Total).

Household Income

Please note that the buckets used in this visualization were not evenly distributed by ACS when publishing the data.

$93,398

Median Household Income

± $2,535

109k

Number of Households

± 2,671

In 2023, the median household income of the 109k households in San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles-Arroyo Grande, CA grew to $93,398 from the previous year's value of $90,158.

The following chart displays the households in San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles-Arroyo Grande, CA distributed between a series of income buckets compared to the national averages for each bucket. The largest share of households have an income in the $200k+ range.

Wage Distribution

The closest comparable wage GINI for San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles-Arroyo Grande, CA is from California.

0.498

2022 Wage GINI in California

0.497

2021 Wage GINI in California

In 2022, the income inequality in California was 0.498 according to the GINI calculation of the wage distribution. Income inequality had a 0.107% growth from 2021 to 2022, which means that wage distribution grew somewhat less even. The GINI for California was higher than than the national average of 0.478. In other words, wages are distributed less evenly in California in comparison to the national average.

This chart shows the number of workers in California across various wage buckets compared to the national average.

Transportation

Commuter Transportation

Most Common Commute in 2023

Drove Alone (70.2%)
Worked At Home (14%)
Carpooled (8.22%)

In 2023, 70.2% of workers in San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles-Arroyo Grande, CA drove alone to work, followed by those who worked at home (14%) and those who carpooled to work (8.22%).

The following chart shows the number of households using each mode of transportation over time, using a logarithmic scale on the y-axis to help better show variations in the smaller means of commuting.

Commute Time

21.4 minutes

Average Travel Time

Using averages, employees in San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles-Arroyo Grande, CA have a shorter commute time (21.4 minutes) than the normal US worker (26.6 minutes). Additionally, 2.49% of the workforce in San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles-Arroyo Grande, CA have "super commutes" in excess of 90 minutes.

The chart below shows how the median household income in San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles-Arroyo Grande, CA compares to that of it's neighboring and parent geographies.

Car Ownership

2 cars

Average Number

The following chart displays the households in San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles-Arroyo Grande, CA distributed between a series of car ownership buckets compared to the national averages for each bucket. The largest share of households in San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles-Arroyo Grande, CA have 2 cars.

Poverty

Poverty & Diversity

12.8% of the population for whom poverty status is determined in San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles-Arroyo Grande, CA (34.4k out of 268k people) live below the poverty line, a number that is higher than the national average of 12.4%. The largest demographic living in poverty are Males 18 - 24, followed by Females 18 - 24 and then Females 25 - 34.

The most common racial or ethnic group living below the poverty line in San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles-Arroyo Grande, CA is White, followed by Hispanic and Two Or More.

The Census Bureau uses a set of money income thresholds that vary by family size and composition to determine who classifies as impoverished. If a family's total income is less than the family's threshold than that family and every individual in it is considered to be living in poverty.

Social Needs

Data only available at the state level.

Most prevalent states

California
35,798 individuals
New York
5,087 individuals
Florida
4,915 individuals

In 2017, California had the highest estimated number of chronically homeless individuals in the nation, at 35,798. New York has the second highest (5,087), followed by Florida (4,915).

The following map shows the estimated number of chronically homeless individuals by state over multiple years.

Health

94.2% of the population of San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles-Arroyo Grande, CA has health coverage, with 47.6% on employee plans, 14.6% on Medicaid, 16% on Medicare, 15.2% on non-group plans, and 0.885% on military or VA plans.

Primary care physicians in California see 1234 patients per year on average, which represents a 0.484% decrease from the previous year (1240 patients). Compare this to dentists who see 1102 patients per year, and mental health providers who see 236 patients per year.

Coverage

Patient to Clinician Ratios

Data is only available at the state level. Showing data for California.

1,234 to 1

Patient to Primary Care Physician Ratio in California

Primary care physicians in California see an average of 1,234 patients per year. This represents a 0.484% decrease from the previous year (1,240 patients).

The following chart shows how the number of patients seen by primary care physicians has been changing over time in California in comparison to its neighboring geographies.

Health Care Diversity

In 2023, insured persons according to age ranges were distributed in 20.2% under 18 years, 23.5% between 18 and 34 years, 34.7% between 35 and 64 years, and 21.6% over 64 years.

By gender, of the total number of insured persons, 49% were men and 51% were women.

The following chart shows the number of people with health coverage by gender.

Uninsured People

5.8%

Uninsured

47.6%

Employer Coverage

14.6%

Medicaid

16%

Medicare

15.2%

Non-Group

0.885%

Military or VA

Between 2022 and 2023, the percent of uninsured citizens in San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles-Arroyo Grande, CA declined by 1.49% from 5.89% to 5.8%.

The following chart shows how the percent of uninsured individuals in San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles-Arroyo Grande, CA changed over time compared with the percent of individuals enrolled in various types of health insurance.

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