Should I Move To
San Luis Obispo, California is home to about 47,529 people. On cost of living, it lands in the expensive band — 24% above the national average. The median renter pays around $1,850 a month against a typical household income of $65,000. Our composite UrbRank Score lands at 38 out of 100 (grade F), putting it at #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 lands at 124 (100 = US average), which puts it in the expensive band. At $1,850/mo against $65,000 in median household income, the typical renter spends about 34% of income on housing — a bit above the 30% rule, meaning housing is on the tight side for the median household. Median home value sits around $841,700.
Full cost-of-living breakdown →Climate is hot-summer — summer averages around 96°F, winter averages around 41°F. Precipitation totals about 6 inches a year. Some neighborhoods are walkable; others aren't. A car is useful, but not required everywhere. Air quality reads good (AQI 39).
Verdict by lifestyle profile — same data, different priorities.
San Luis Obispo doesn't obviously fit families. It earns 45/100 (grade D) on the families profile. Strongest on education (83/100); weakest on climate (17/100).
San Luis Obispo doesn't obviously fit retirees. It earns 36/100 (grade F) on the retirees profile. Strongest on education (83/100); weakest on climate (17/100).
San Luis Obispo doesn't obviously fit remote workers. It earns 35/100 (grade F) on the remote workers profile. Strongest on education (83/100); weakest on climate (17/100).
San Luis Obispo doesn't obviously fit young professionals. It earns 32/100 (grade F) on the young professionals profile. Strongest on education (83/100); weakest on climate (17/100).
San Luis Obispo, California pulls a 38/100 overall on the UrbRank Score (grade F), currently ranked #849 nationally. The composite weights seven lifestyle dimensions: affordability, safety, climate, walkability, jobs, environment, and education.
San Luis Obispo's cost-of-living index is 124 (with 100 as the US average), which lands in the expensive band — 24% above the national average. Median rent runs about $1,850/mo.
Hot-summer — summer averages around 96°F, winter averages around 41°F, with about 6 inches of precipitation a year.
Walk Score: 63/100. Some neighborhoods are walkable; others aren't. A car is useful, but not required everywhere.
San Luis Obispo has about 47,529 residents, 53% of adults 25+ holding a bachelor's degree or higher with a median age of 25.
Use UrbRank's comparison tool to put San Luis Obispo head-to-head against any other US city — housing, salaries, demographics, and quality-of-life metrics side by side. The leaderboard pages also show how San Luis Obispo stacks up for families, retirees, remote workers, and young professionals specifically.
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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