Best Places to Live in San Luis Obispo, California

San Luis Obispo, California is located on the Central Coast and offers stunning views of rolling hills and the Pacific Ocean. It's a great place to live with its temperate climate, excellent restaurants and unique shops. Every year locals flock to the famous Thursday night Farmer’s Market or to outdoor festivals like the SLO County Fair. For outdoor activities there are plenty of parks and trails plus beaches for surfing and swimming. College town / small town complex - Central California, halfway between Los Angeles and San Francisco, 15 miles from the coast.

State: California
County: San Luis Obispo County
Metro Area: San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles-Arroyo Grande Metro Area
City: San Luis Obispo

Zip Codes: 93405 93401
Cost of Living: 54.7% higher
Time zone: Pacific Standard Time (PST)
Elevation: 238 ft above sea level

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San Luis Obispo, Ca Housing Market

Least Expensive Homes	Homes Over 2,000 Sq. Ft.
Most Expensive Homes	Homes less than 10 yrs old
All Single Family Homes

Pros
College-town atmosphere
Year-round climate
Historic interest

Cons
Healthcare
Isolation
Cost of living

What Bert Has To Say About San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles-Arroyo Grande Metro Area

San Luis Obispo is a charming and historic college town and home to the 18,000-student California Polytechnic University. It has resisted the development seen in other parts of the state and preserves a pleasant, off-the-beaten-path character. The interesting downtown is accessible by foot and is centered on the old Spanish mission dating from 1772. The university brings numerous arts and entertainment amenities, and the central California coastal climate is ideal.

Highlights

ECONOMY

The unemployment rate in San Luis Obispo is 5.5% (U.S. avg. is 6.0%). Recent job growth is Positive. San Luis Obispo jobs have increased by 1.3%. More Economy

COST OF LIVING

Compared to the rest of the country, San Luis Obispo's cost of living is 54.7% higher than the U.S. average. More Cost of Living or Compare San Luis Obispo's Cost of Living

WEATHER & CLIMATE

August, July and September are the most pleasant months in San Luis Obispo, while January and December are the least comfortable months. Today's Weather | Climate Averages

VOTING

In the last Presidential election, San Luis Obispo county remained strongly Democratic, 55.3% to 42.2%. More Voting Stats

POPULATION

San Luis Obispo's population is 47,257 people. Since 2020, it has had a population growth of 4.5%. Learn More...

TRANSPORTATION

Average Commute time is 15.2 minutes. The National Average is 26.4 minutes. Learn More...

REAL ESTATE

The median home cost in San Luis Obispo is Real Estate: $932,400. Home appreciation the last 10 years has been 11.6%.

SCHOOLS

San Luis Obispo public schools spend $11,055 per student. The average school expenditure in the U.S. is $12,383. There are about 22.8 students per teacher in San Luis Obispo. More Education

Best Places to Live in San Luis Obispo Rankings

#3	2005 Best Places to Live
#10	Most Competitive Public Colleges
#16	America's Best and Worst Cities for Crime (Mid-Size Metro Areas)
#64	Best Green Cities

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Housing Market in San Luis Obispo

It's a good time to buy in San Luis Obispo. Home Appreciation is up 11.6% in the last 12 months.
The median home price in San Luis Obispo is $932,400.

Schools: See Local Schools

Real Estate: See Homes

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Reviews for San Luis Obispo 21 Reviews

COST OF LIVING AND FINDING A PLACE TO LIVE - 4/15/2015
MY FIANCEE AND I ARE LOOKING TO MOVE TO SLO FOR RETIREMENT ( NEXT MONTH ) WE ARE BOTH ARTISTS AND HOPE OUR TALENT WILL HELP WITH COST OF LIVING IN SLO!!! ANY... Read More

Bruce | Las Vegas, NV | Reply | No Replies

Start Your Review of San Luis Obispo

Sunny & 70º - 3/31/2015
In almost any season of the year in San Luis Obispo, you’ll find the sun shining and the temperature hitting around 70º at some point in the day. With the temperature... Read More

Tim | San Luis Obispo, CA | Reply | No Replies

Beautiful place to live hard to find a room - 10/14/2013
San Luis Obispo and surrounding areas are beautiful, great weather, beaches, farms markets, a downtown area full of some of the best bars and restaurants, wine country,... Read More

Sadie | San Luis Obispo, CA | Reply | No Replies

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ZIP CODES IN SAN LUIS OBISPO, CALIFORNIA

93405 93401

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United States / California / San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles-Arroyo Grande Metro Area / San Luis Obispo County / San Luis Obispo / Zip Codes