San Luis Obispo County Demographics

A map of San Luis Obispo County's Population by Race

Race	2024 Pop	2020 Pop	2024 %	2020 %
White	181,605	183,468	64.5%	65.0%
Hispanic	70,318	67,921	25.0%	24.0%
Multiracial	14,243	13,614	5.1%	4.8%
Asian	9,614	10,001	3.4%	3.5%
Black	3,058	4,330	1.1%	1.5%
Native American/Other	2,717	3,090	1.0%	1.1%

San Luis Obispo County, California has an estimated population of 281,555, a less than 1% change from the 282,424 recorded in the 2020 Census. The population is 64.5% White, 25.0% Hispanic, 5.1% Multiracial, 3.4% Asian, 1.1% Black, and 1.0% Native American/Other. This demographic dot map shows the population of San Luis Obispo County, with one dot drawn for each person counted by the Census, color-coded by race.

San Luis Obispo is about as racially diverse as it was in the 2020 Census. It is considerably less diverse than California overall. Demographers use a diversity index to measure the probability that two randomly selected individuals belong to different racial or ethnic groups. In San Luis Obispo County, that probability was 51.6% in 2020 and 51.8% in the most recent ACS estimates.

San Luis Obispo County is ranked the 24th most populous county in California, out of 58 counties. San Luis Obispo County was ranked the 23rd most populous county in the 2020 Census.

San Luis Obispo County's White Population

181,605 residents of San Luis Obispo County, or 64.5% of the population, identify as White. The share of White residents in San Luis Obispo County is significantly higher than in California overall, where 33.8% of the population is White. San Luis Obispo County ranks 19th statewide in terms of White residents as a share of the population, out of 58 counties.

Since the 2020 Census, San Luis Obispo County's White population has declined by an estimated 1.0%. White residents' share of San Luis Obispo County's population has decreased from 65.0% to 64.5%.

San Luis Obispo County is more White than neighboring Kings County (28% White), Santa Barbara County (40.6% White), Monterey County (26.9% White), San Benito County (29.2% White), and Fresno County (26.2% White).

San Luis Obispo County's Black Population

3,058 residents of San Luis Obispo County, or 1.1% of the population, identify as Black. The share of Black residents in San Luis Obispo County is slightly lower than in California overall, where 5.2% of the population is Black. San Luis Obispo County ranks 35th statewide in terms of Black residents as a share of the population, out of 58 counties.

Since the 2020 Census, San Luis Obispo County's Black population has declined by an estimated 29.4%. Black residents' share of San Luis Obispo County's population has remained roughly unchanged at 1.1%.

San Luis Obispo County is more Black than neighboring San Benito County (0.8% Black). San Luis Obispo County is less Black than neighboring Kings County (5.8% Black), Santa Barbara County (1.5% Black), Monterey County (2% Black), and Fresno County (4.2% Black).

San Luis Obispo County's Asian Population

9,614 residents of San Luis Obispo County, or 3.4% of the population, identify as Asian. The share of Asian residents in San Luis Obispo County is considerably lower than in California overall, where 15.3% of the population is Asian. San Luis Obispo County ranks 33rd statewide in terms of Asian residents as a share of the population, out of 58 counties.

Since the 2020 Census, San Luis Obispo County's Asian population has declined by an estimated 3.9%. Asian residents' share of San Luis Obispo County's population has remained roughly unchanged at 3.4%.

San Luis Obispo County is less Asian than neighboring Kings County (3.6% Asian), Santa Barbara County (5.2% Asian), Monterey County (5.5% Asian), San Benito County (3.5% Asian), and Fresno County (10.9% Asian).

San Luis Obispo County's Hispanic Population

70,318 residents of San Luis Obispo County, or 25.0% of the population, identify as Hispanic. The share of Hispanic residents in San Luis Obispo County is significantly lower than in California overall, where 40.2% of the population is Hispanic. San Luis Obispo County ranks 34th statewide in terms of Hispanic residents as a share of the population, out of 58 counties.

Since the 2020 Census, San Luis Obispo County's Hispanic population has grown by an estimated 3.5%. Hispanic residents' share of San Luis Obispo County's population has increased from 24.0% to 25.0%.

San Luis Obispo County is less Hispanic than neighboring Kings County (58.2% Hispanic), Santa Barbara County (48.2% Hispanic), Monterey County (61.6% Hispanic), San Benito County (62.4% Hispanic), and Fresno County (54.5% Hispanic).

San Luis Obispo County's Native American/Other Population

2,717 residents of San Luis Obispo County, or 1.0% of the population, identify as American Indian/Alaska Native/Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander/Other. The share of Native American/Other residents in San Luis Obispo County is comparable to the share in California overall, where 1.2% of the population is Native American/Other. San Luis Obispo County ranks 50th statewide in terms of Native American/Other residents as a share of the population, out of 58 counties.

Since the 2020 Census, San Luis Obispo County's Native American/Other population has declined by an estimated 12.1%. Native American/Other residents' share of San Luis Obispo County's population has remained roughly unchanged at 1.0%.

San Luis Obispo County is more Native American/Other than neighboring Santa Barbara County (0.8% Native American/Other), San Benito County (0.6% Native American/Other), and Fresno County (0.9% Native American/Other). San Luis Obispo County is less Native American/Other than neighboring Kings County (1.2% Native American/Other).

San Luis Obispo County's Multiracial Population

14,243 residents of San Luis Obispo County, or 5.1% of the population, identify as Multiracial. The share of Multiracial residents in San Luis Obispo County is comparable to the share in California overall, where 4.4% of the population is Multiracial. San Luis Obispo County ranks 35th statewide in terms of Multiracial residents as a share of the population, out of 58 counties.

Since the 2020 Census, San Luis Obispo County's Multiracial population has grown by an estimated 4.6%. Multiracial residents' share of San Luis Obispo County's population has remained roughly unchanged at 5.1%.

San Luis Obispo County is more Multiracial than neighboring Kings County (3.2% Multiracial), Santa Barbara County (3.7% Multiracial), Monterey County (3% Multiracial), San Benito County (3.6% Multiracial), and Fresno County (3.2% Multiracial).

Sources: Most recent population estimates are from the 2020-2024 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates. 2020 population counts and map data are from 2020 Census State Redistricting Data. Geographic data are from Census TIGER/Line Shapefiles.