Should I Move To
San Luis Obispo, California is a population of 47,529 . Cost of living is expensive — 24% above the national average, with median rent around $1,850/month and median household income of $65,000. Overall it earns an UrbRank Score of 38/100 (grade F), ranking #849 nationally.
UrbRank Score · General
Each dimension scored 0-100 against every other US city.
Based on overall cost of living vs. other US cities.
Temperate summers & winters, moderate precipitation.
Walk Score — how feasible daily errands are on foot.
Unemployment rate plus household income vs. national median.
Air quality index (EPA AQS data).
Share of residents 25+ with a bachelor's degree or higher.
San Luis Obispo's composite cost-of-living index sits at 124 (US average = 100), placing it in the expensive tier. At $1,850/month median rent against $65,000 median household income, residents spend about 34% of household income on rent — slightly above the 30% rule, indicating tight affordability. Median home value is $841,700.
Full cost-of-living breakdown →San Luis Obispo has a hot-summer climate — summer highs average 96°F and winter lows average 41°F, with 6 inches of precipitation annually. Somewhat walkable — many neighborhoods support daily errands without a car. Crime data isn't available for this city. Air quality is good (AQI 39).
Verdict by lifestyle profile — same data, different priorities.
San Luis Obispo is a less obvious fit for families. It earns a Score of 45/100 (grade D) on the families profile. Especially strong on education (83/100), weakest on climate (17/100).
San Luis Obispo is a less obvious fit for retirees. It earns a Score of 36/100 (grade F) on the retirees profile. Especially strong on education (83/100), weakest on climate (17/100).
San Luis Obispo is a less obvious fit for remote workers. It earns a Score of 35/100 (grade F) on the remote workers profile. Especially strong on education (83/100), weakest on climate (17/100).
San Luis Obispo is a less obvious fit for young professionals. It earns a Score of 32/100 (grade F) on the young professionals profile. Especially strong on education (83/100), weakest on climate (17/100).
San Luis Obispo, California has an overall UrbRank Score of 38/100 (grade F), ranked #849 nationally. The score is a weighted average across affordability, safety, climate, walkability, jobs, environment, and education.
San Luis Obispo's cost-of-living index is 124 (US average = 100), so it's expensive — 24% above the national average. Median rent is $1,850/month.
San Luis Obispo has a hot-summer climate. Summer highs average 96°F and winter lows average 41°F, with 6 inches of annual precipitation.
San Luis Obispo has a Walk Score of 63/100. Somewhat walkable — many neighborhoods support daily errands without a car.
San Luis Obispo has a population of 47,529, with 53% of adults 25+ holding a bachelor's degree or higher and a median age of 25.
Use UrbRank's comparison tool to put San Luis Obispo side-by-side with any other US city — housing costs, salaries, demographics, and quality of life metrics displayed together. The leaderboard pages also show how San Luis Obispo ranks for families, retirees, remote workers, and young professionals.
Every US city is scored 0-100 on seven dimensions using public data from the US Census Bureau, Bureau of Labor Statistics, FBI Crime Data Explorer, EPA Air Quality System, NOAA NCEI, and Walk Score. Each dimension is a percentile rank against every other city — so a score of 80 means the city is in the top 20% nationally on that dimension.
The overall score is a weighted average. Five lifestyle profiles — general, families, retirees, remote workers, young professionals — weight the dimensions differently to reflect what each cares about. Families get more weight on safety and schools; young professionals get more weight on jobs and walkability; retirees get more weight on climate.
Compare San Luis Obispo with other California cities scored on UrbRank.
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