Can you afford to live in San Luis Obispo?

Median household income, home values and rent in San Luis Obispo, CA — how they've changed since 2015 and how much of a typical paycheck housing takes compared with the rest of the country.

U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-year estimates.

This story was assembled using AI and public data sources.

What it costs to live in San Luis Obispo.

Median household income: $66,711 — +44.8% since 2015 (not adjusted for inflation)

Median gross rent: $1,906/mo — +48.4% since 2015

Median home value, 2015 to 2023

Median household income

Median gross rent

Share of income a typical renter spends on rent: 46.5% — U.S.: 30.2%

What it means

The typical household here earns $66,711 — notably lower than the national figure of $78,538.

The typical renter here spends 46.5% of household income on rent, above the 30% level housing agencies use to define cost burden.

Since 2015, rent has risen faster than income here (+48.4% versus +44.8%), before adjusting for inflation.