Signals
San Luis Obispo
Stanford
Opportunity
56 · Top 50%
vs64 · Top 33%
Climate
89 · Top 8%
vs89 · Top 8%
Physical resilience
31 · Bottom 24%
vs25 · Bottom 20%
Housing affordability
24 · Bottom 1%
vs25 · Bottom 1%
Access
83 · Bottom 26%
vs97 · Top 23%
Economic stability
39 · Bottom 16%
vs30 · Bottom 7%
Measured values
| Metric | San Luis Obispo | Stanford | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 48,491 | 18,662 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $73,685 | $75,208 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $48,106 | $42,106 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 3,555/sq mi | 6,786/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $935,100 | $2,000,001 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $1,965 | $1,976 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 40.3% | 26.8% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment rate | 3.7% | 4.0% | June 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year) | -3.2% | -0.7% | June 2026 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 54.4% | 92.3% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 30.4% | 15.9% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Average July high | 78°F | 77°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Average January low | 41°F | 42°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Annual precipitation | 17.9" | 13.4" | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Distance to major airport | 28 mi | 14 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 17.0 min | 16.3 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 26.3 | 22.0 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Public schools | 12 | 2 | 2024-25 school year |
| Students per teacher | 22.18 | 18.62 | 2024-25 school year |
| Free or reduced-price lunch eligibility | 38.6% | 14.1% | 2024-25 school year |
A bolded value is the more favorable of the two where the metric has a clear direction. Metrics like population and density have no inherent better or worse and are shown unweighted.
Physical risk tradeoff
San Luis Obispo
Elevated or high exposure: drought, wildfire, earthquake.
Stanford
Elevated or high exposure: earthquake, inland flooding.
Your best match
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San Luis Obispo
54
Your Score
52
Area Score
Stanford
55
Your Score
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Area Score
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Full profiles: San Luis Obispo, CA · Stanford, CA · How this is calculated: methodology