San Luis Obispo, CA · standard
ZIP Code 93401
San Luis Obispo County, California - Census ACS demographics, housing tenure, and business patterns, benchmarked against every US ZIP.
- 28,033
- 155/sq mi
- $96,824
- Median income
- $973,000
- Median home value
- 55.9%
- Bachelor's or higher
National ZIP placement
San Luis Obispo pairs an upper-quartile household income with top-decile home values, in a rural, mixed-tenure area.
- Top 21%
- household income, US ZIPs
- Top 3%
- home value, US ZIPs
- 155
- people per sq mi
- 48%
- owner-occupied homes
Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year Estimates (2019–2023). Percentiles rank ZIP 93401 against every reporting US ZIP.
FHFA HPI release change
What changed in the latest House Price Index year
- FHFA House Price Index values in ZIP 93401 (San Luis Obispo, CA) rose +3.6% from 2023 to 2024. The all-transactions index moved from 304.6 in 2023 to 315.6 in 2024 (2000 = 100).
ZIP code 93401 is a densely settled ZIP (a standard USPS delivery area) in San Luis Obispo, San Luis Obispo County, California, with 28,033 residents across 181.1 square miles, a density of 155 people per square mile, in the Los Angeles time zone.
ZIP 93401 lands in the middle-income range, with a median household income of $96,824 (5% below the average California ZIP), while per-capita income is $62,643. The poverty rate is 15.4%, with unemployment at 4.1%; those measures add context to the income figure. Housing costs run above the statewide ZIP benchmark while renting is common: median home value is $973,000 (26% above the average California ZIP), with only 47.9% owner-occupied homes and median rent of $1,912.
This is a highly-educated ZIP: 55.9% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, the median age is 37.1, and the average commute is 17 minutes. The page also surfaces 5 ZIP codes within roughly 10 miles and 6 more in San Luis Obispo County, so 93401 can be compared with both its immediate and county-level context.
Every figure on this page is sourced from the U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates (including median rent) and the FHFA House Price Index, no estimates, no proprietary scoring. Verify with Census →
Top industries in ZIP 93401
Top 5 sectors by establishment count in San Luis Obispo, CA
Which industries have the most business establishments in ZIP 93401.
- Health care and social assistance
Health care and social assistance
368 establishments
- Professional, scientific, and technical services
Professional, scientific, and technical services
363 establishments
- Retail trade
Retail trade
233 establishments
- Accommodation and food services
Accommodation and food services
200 establishments
- Other services (except public administration)
Other services (except public administration)
159 establishments
What this shows Establishment counts come from the Census ZIP Code Business Patterns program, which counts physical business locations rather than employees or revenue.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates + ZIP Code Business Patterns + FHFA HPI ACS demographics and median rent, ZBP business establishments, FHFA HPI for ZIP 93401, San Luis Obispo, CA · 2023 Census ACS 5-Year Estimates use a rolling 60-month sample for stable small-geography estimates; ZBP updated annually; FHFA HPI updated quarterly/annually.
Quick Facts
28,033
Population
181.1
Area (sq mi)
155
People / sq mi
Los Angeles
Time Zone
standard
ZIP Type
Who lives in ZIP 93401?
37.1
Median Age
48.9%
Male
51.1%
Female
9.1%
Foreign-Born
Hispanic or Latino is an ethnicity category from the Census Bureau and may overlap with other categories above.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates (2023)
How much do residents earn?
$96,824
Median Household Income
-5% vs state ZIP avg
$62,643
Per Capita Income
15.4%
Poverty Rate
4.1%
Unemployment Rate
17.3 min
Mean Commute Time
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates (2023)
What is the education profile here?
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates (2023)
What does housing look like?
Housing stock: occupied vs vacant
14,459housing units
14,459
Total Housing Units
13,522
Occupied Units
937
Vacant Units
2.10
Avg Household Size
Occupancy Type
$973,000
Median Home Value
+26% vs state ZIP avg
$1,912
Median Rent
1979
Median Year Built
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates (2023)
How have home values changed over time?
FHFA House Price Index, annual appreciation data based on repeat sales and appraisals
+3.6%
YoY Change (2024)
316
HPI Index (2000 = 100)
+216%
Total Change Since 2000
Home values in ZIP 93401 have increased 3.6% over the past year (2024). Since 2000, this ZIP has seen +216% cumulative appreciation.
| Year | Annual Change | HPI Index |
|---|---|---|
| 2020 | -0.7% | 228 |
| 2021 | +7.7% | 246 |
| 2022 | +8.2% | 266 |
| 2023 | +14.5% | 305 |
| 2024 | +3.6% | 316 |
Source: Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) House Price Index, All-Transactions, Five-Digit ZIP Codes (Developmental Index). Index base = 100 in year 2000. Data through 2024. ZIP codes with few transactions may show missing values.
What businesses operate in this ZIP?
Census Bureau data shows 2,161 business establishments in ZIP 93401, employing approximately 31,306 people with a combined annual payroll of $2,356,340,000.
2,161
Businesses
31,306
Employees
$2.4B
Annual Payroll
18
Industry Sectors
| Industry | Establishments | % of Total |
|---|---|---|
| Health care and social assistance | 368 | 17.0% |
| Professional, scientific, and technical services | 363 | 16.8% |
| Retail trade | 233 | 10.8% |
| Accommodation and food services | 200 | 9.3% |
| Other services (except public administration) | 159 | 7.4% |
| Construction | 136 | 6.3% |
| Real estate and rental and leasing | 134 | 6.2% |
| Finance and insurance | 114 | 5.3% |
| Manufacturing | 110 | 5.1% |
| Administrative and support and waste management and remediation services | 91 | 4.2% |
| Wholesale trade | 78 | 3.6% |
| Information | 54 | 2.5% |
| Arts, entertainment, and recreation | 33 | 1.5% |
| Transportation and warehousing | 32 | 1.5% |
| Educational services | 31 | 1.4% |
| Management of companies and enterprises | 13 | 0.6% |
| Agriculture, forestry, fishing and hunting | 6 | 0.3% |
| Utilities | 6 | 0.3% |
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ZIP Code Business Patterns (ZBP), 2023. Employment figures may include noise for disclosure avoidance.
Nearby ZIP Codes
Want a side-by-side? Compare 93401 vs 93410 →
ZIP 93401 vs its nearest neighbors, by population
Resident population of this ZIP and the closest reporting ZIP codes within ~10 miles.
- 93405
San Luis Obispo (93405)
35,440 residents
- 93401
San Luis Obispo (93401)
28,033 residents
- 93433 13,162
Grover Beach (93433)
13,162 residents
- 93449 7,657
Pismo Beach (93449)
7,657 residents
- 93424 1,261
Avila Beach (93424)
1,261 residents
What this shows Among its immediate neighbors, ZIP 93401 ranks #2 by population - useful context the national average alone can't give.
ZIP 93401 vs its nearest neighbors, by median income
Median household income of this ZIP and the closest reporting ZIP codes within ~10 miles.
- 93449
Pismo Beach (93449)
$118,072 median income
- 93401
San Luis Obispo (93401)
$96,824 median income
- 93433
Grover Beach (93433)
$86,458 median income
- 93405
San Luis Obispo (93405)
$60,399 median income
What this shows By household income, ZIP 93401 ranks #2 of 4 neighboring ZIPs, local affluence varies block to block, not just metro to metro.
Nationwide ZIPs with similar ACS profiles
Two Census-derived peer sets for ZIP 93401, both outside CA so the neighborhoods are not geographic containment (Nearby and same-county blocks stay local).
Similar population
Nearest cross-state ZIPs by resident population (28,033 here; floor ≥1,000).
Similar median household income
Nearest cross-state ZIPs by ACS median household income.