Map the Block › Places › California › San Luis Obispo County
What are the crime rate and median income in San Luis Obispo County, California?
San Luis Obispo County averaged 4.0 reported violent crimes per 1,000 residents a year in 2021-2025, 16% lower than the California rate (4.8). The median household earns $97,446 and the unemployment rate was 4.7% in August 2026. Population: about 281,555 (Census, 2020-2024).
Last updated . Crime: FBI 2021-2025. Income and housing: Census ACS 2020-2024. Unemployment: BLS August 2026. Road work: October 11, 2026.
Also on the map: income · hazard risk · Superfund · dams
What is the crime rate in San Luis Obispo County?
Over 2021-2025, the county's police agencies sent the FBI reports of about 1,150 violent and 3,739 property crimes per year. The violent rate, 4.0 per 1,000 people, is 16% lower than the California rate (4.8); nationally it is 3.7. Property crime ran at 13.2 per 1,000, against 21.2 statewide. Aggravated assaults make up 80% of the violent total. CDC death records show about 5 homicide deaths a year in the county (1.8 per 100,000), a count that includes cases police may classify differently.
| Offense (yearly average, 2021-2025) | San Luis Obispo County | Per 1,000 | California per 1,000 | U.S. per 1,000 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Violent crime | 1,150 | 4.0 | 4.8 | 3.7 |
| Murder | 3 | 0.01 | 0.05 | 0.06 |
| Rape | 137 | 0.48 | 0.37 | 0.40 |
| Robbery | 94 | 0.33 | 1.2 | 0.62 |
| Aggravated assault | 917 | 3.2 | 3.2 | 2.6 |
| Property crime | 3,739 | 13.2 | 21.2 | 18.1 |
| Burglary | 620 | 2.2 | 3.3 | 2.4 |
| Larceny-theft | 2,866 | 10.1 | 13.6 | 13.0 |
| Motor vehicle theft | 252 | 0.89 | 4.3 | 2.6 |
Most crime never reaches the police, so these are reported crimes, a floor rather than the full count. In 2024 about half of violent crimes (48%) and about 3 in 10 property crimes (31%) were reported to police (U.S. Justice Department, National Crime Victimization Survey). Rates also depend on how completely each agency reports to the FBI. County figures add up the city police and sheriff reports in the county (8 agencies; 100% of residents covered).
What is the median household income in San Luis Obispo County?
Median household income is $97,446, close to the statewide figure ($99,122). The typical owner-occupied home is valued at $824,700 by its owners; renters pay a median $1,992. 8.2% of households received SNAP benefits in the past year (state: 12.4%). The newest monthly figure from the Bureau of Labor Statistics is 4.7% for August 2026 (preliminary), with 6,200 people out of work and looking.
| Census ACS 2020-2024 | San Luis Obispo County | California | United States |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 281,555 | 39,287,377 | 334,922,499 |
| Median household income | $97,446 | $99,122 | $80,734 |
| Median home value (owner-occupied) | $824,700 | $734,700 | $332,700 |
| Median gross rent | $1,992 | $2,036 | $1,413 |
| Unemployment rate (2020-2024 average) | 5.5% | 6.6% | 5.2% |
| People below the poverty line | 12.9% | 12.0% | 12.5% |
| Households receiving SNAP (food stamps) | 8.2% | 12.4% | 12.1% |
| Adults 25+ with a bachelor's degree or higher | 39.8% | 37.1% | 35.7% |
| Homeowner households | 62.1% | 55.9% | 65.2% |
| Median age | 40.4 | 37.9 | 38.9 |
| Households with broadband internet | 93.1% | 93.5% | 91.0% |
| People without health insurance | 5.7% | 6.6% | 8.4% |
What natural hazards and environmental sites are in San Luis Obispo County?
On FEMA's National Risk Index, San Luis Obispo County has an overall natural-hazard risk rating of “Relatively High”. Of the seven hazards on our map, FEMA rates these highest: wildfire (Relatively High) and river flooding (Relatively High). The index compares counties with each other and also weighs how vulnerable and resilient a community is, so it is a long-run estimate, not a forecast.
Superfund sites
EPA lists 1 active Superfund site (final or proposed) in San Luis Obispo County: Klau/Buena Vista Mine. A listing means EPA is managing a long-term cleanup; it does not by itself mean anyone is exposed today.
High-hazard dams
The National Inventory of Dams lists 10 high-hazard dams in San Luis Obispo County. 1 is rated Poor or Unsatisfactory in condition, 8 Satisfactory or Fair. The two tallest are Nacimiento Dam (255 ft) and Whale Rock (193 ft). “High hazard” describes what lies downstream (people would probably die if the dam failed), not how likely the dam is to fail.
Industrial chemical releases
12 facilities in the county filed Toxics Release Inventory reports for 2024, together reporting 26,203 pounds of listed chemicals released on site. Reported releases are legal permitted amounts in most cases.
Disasters, air and water
San Luis Obispo County was covered by 6 federal major disaster declarations from 2016 through 2025 (Severe Storm 3, Flood 3), not counting COVID-19. EPA air monitors logged 10 days in 2024 when the air quality index reached “unhealthy for sensitive groups” or worse. Of 73 community water systems, 4 had an open health-based drinking-water violation in EPA's records (September 2026). EPA puts the county in radon zone 2 (moderate). NHTSA counted 30 traffic deaths in the county in 2024, including 4 pedestrians.
Is there road construction in San Luis Obispo County?
San Luis Obispo County had 1 highway work zone in the October 11, 2026 feed from the state DOT (active that day). Where crews are working: SR 1. The map's construction layer is refreshed every morning.
See today's work zones on the map →
How many schools, nursing homes and parks are in San Luis Obispo County?
Federal school lists show 83 public and 17 private schools in the county. 7 nursing homes are certified by Medicare or Medicaid here; star ratings for each are on the map and on Medicare's Care Compare. USGS mapping shows 46 fire or EMS stations and 12 police or sheriff stations. 8 state parks or recreation areas: Cayucos State Beach, Harmony Headlands State Park, Hearst San Simeon State Park, Montaña de Oro State Park and Morro Bay State Park and 3 more.
What tribal lands and sacred sites are in San Luis Obispo County?
2 ancient or sacred sites are on the map here: Hollister Peak and Painted Rock. Many are sacred to living communities, so visit respectfully and follow posted rules.
See them on the map: sacred sites →
Gun shops, liquor stores and Planned Parenthood in San Luis Obispo County
Gun shops
8 gun shops with a public storefront are on the map in San Luis Obispo County (7 from the ATF licensee list, 1 from OpenStreetMap), plus 19 more licensed dealers without a public storefront (not shown). One of them is a pawnshop licensed to sell guns. On the ATF list: Brisco's (Arroyo Grande), Four Seasons Outfitters (San Luis Obispo), Hogue INC (Paso Robles), Hogue Tool & Machine INC (Paso Robles), The Outdoorsman (Arroyo Grande), Uncle Ed's Outfitters (Atascadero) and Uncle Ed's Outfitters INC (Atascadero).
Liquor stores
50 liquor stores are on the map in San Luis Obispo County: 1 Stop (Paso Robles), A1 Liquor (Templeton), Appys Liquor (Paso Robles), Arroyo Grande Liquor And Market (Arroyo Grande), Beverage House Liquor 14 (San Luis Obispo), Beverage House Liquor 4 (Grover Beach), Beverages & More (San Luis Obispo), Bevmo (Paso Robles) and 42 more.
Planned Parenthood
One Planned Parenthood health center is on the map in San Luis Obispo County: Planned Parenthood California Central Coast-San Luis Obispo Clinic (San Luis Obispo).
See them on the map: gun shops · liquor stores · Planned Parenthood →
Sources: ATF licensee list (Sept 2026); state liquor licence lists, OpenStreetMap and Overture Maps (non-official); HHS Title X directory and CMS NPPES.
Common questions
What is the crime rate in San Luis Obispo County?
San Luis Obispo County averaged 1,150 reported violent crimes a year in 2021-2025, or 4.0 per 1,000 residents, 16% lower than the California rate (4.8). The property-crime rate was 13.2 per 1,000 (FBI Uniform Crime Reporting).
What is the median household income in San Luis Obispo County?
$97,446 (Census American Community Survey, 2020-2024 average), compared with $99,122 for California and $80,734 nationally.
What is the unemployment rate in San Luis Obispo County?
The newest monthly figure from the Bureau of Labor Statistics is 4.7% for August 2026 (preliminary), with 6,200 people out of work and looking.
What natural hazards affect San Luis Obispo County?
On FEMA's National Risk Index, San Luis Obispo County has an overall natural-hazard risk rating of “Relatively High”. Of the seven hazards on our map, FEMA rates these highest: wildfire (Relatively High) and river flooding (Relatively High).
Are there Superfund sites in San Luis Obispo County?
EPA lists 1 active Superfund site (final or proposed) in San Luis Obispo County: Klau/Buena Vista Mine.
Is there road construction in San Luis Obispo County right now?
San Luis Obispo County had 1 highway work zone in the October 11, 2026 feed from the state DOT (active that day). Where crews are working: SR 1.
How many nursing homes are in San Luis Obispo County?
7 Medicare- or Medicaid-certified nursing homes (CMS provider data, September 2026).
How does San Luis Obispo County compare with neighboring counties?
| County | Population | Violent crimes per 1,000 (2021-25) | Median household income |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kern County | 915,075 | 6.9 | $70,210 |
| Kings County | 153,298 | 4.4 | $70,995 |
| Monterey County | 437,613 | 4.3 | $97,230 |
| Santa Barbara County | 443,701 | 4.0 | $98,161 |
More: California statewide numbers · Sex-offender registry search (U.S. Justice Department, NSOPW)
Where do these numbers come from?
- Crime: FBI Uniform Crime Reporting 2021-2025 (agency level, Return A), averaged and summed by county by Map the Block; Census population; state and national rates: FBI estimated crimes 2021-2025.
- Income, housing, education: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year, table B19013 (median household income) and related tables.
- Monthly unemployment: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Local Area Unemployment Statistics (LAUS), county data, not seasonally adjusted. Public domain.
- Hazards: FEMA National Risk Index v1.20 (December 2025), county scores; disasters: FEMA OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations Summaries.
- Superfund: U.S. EPA, Superfund site boundaries and NPL status (October 2026). Dams: U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, National Inventory of Dams (public map service, October 2026). Chemical releases: U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory, reporting year 2024 (basic data file).
- Air and water: U.S. EPA AirData, annual AQI by county 2024; EPA Air Quality Design Values 2023-2025 (June 2026); U.S. EPA SDWIS via ECHO drinking-water download (September 30, 2026). Traffic deaths: NHTSA Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS) 2024; Census population.
- Work zones: State departments of transportation, via the U.S. DOT Work Zone Data Exchange (WZDx) and state 511 feeds; refreshed every morning (snapshot October 11, 2026).
- Schools: National Center for Education Statistics, EDGE public school locations 2024-25; budgets: U.S. Census Bureau, Annual Survey of School System Finances, fiscal year 2024; National Center for Education Statistics, EDGE Private School geocodes (Private School Survey 2023-24). Nursing homes: U.S. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, Nursing Home Provider Information and Penalties (September 2026). Stations: U.S. Geological Survey, National Structures Dataset (Fire Stations/EMS Stations), October 2026 pull.
- Parks: USGS Protected Areas Database of the U.S. (PAD-US 4.1); state park agencies' open data (CA, NY, PA, TN, TX, FL, NJ, KY, HI, UT, MT and others); OpenStreetMap contributors for some hours, phones, fees and camping; U.S. National Park Service: unit boundaries (Land Resources Division), Acreage Report (Sept 30, 2026), park pages on nps.gov (hours, fees), Visitor Use Statistics (2025).
Map the Block shows public statistics about places, not people, and does not rate or rank neighborhoods as places to live. Figures are as published by each source; check the source before relying on a number.
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