Housing data for Los Osos, CA
Los Osos, CA has an estimated 14,166 residents and 6,367 homes (US Census Bureau, 2020–2024 American Community Survey).
It is an unincorporated community in San Luis Obispo County.
27.1% of households rent.
The median gross rent is $2,047 a month.
Its population shrank measurably since 2015–2019 (−14.3%).
Figures last updated on .
- Residents
- 14,166 (±1,061)
- Housing units
- 6,367 (±425)
- Households that rent
- 27.1%
- Median gross rent
- $2,047
- Residents since 2015–2019
- −14.3%
What stands out in Los Osos
Homes in buildings of 5 or more units: 2.9% (±1.2 points) in Los Osos, lower than in San Luis Obispo County (10.0%).
Homes built before 1980: 68.4% (±7.0 points) in Los Osos, higher than in San Luis Obispo County (43.8%).
Rental vacancy rate: 0.6% (±1.0 points) in Los Osos, lower than in San Luis Obispo County (4.6%).
Households that rent: 27.1% (±5.2 points) in Los Osos, lower than in San Luis Obispo County (37.9%).
- Types of homes in Los Osos
- Age of homes in Los Osos
- Vacancy rate in Los Osos
- Renters and owners in Los Osos
Housing in Los Osos at a glance
- Median rent: $2,047 median gross rent a month
- Rent by bedrooms: $2,122 median gross rent, 2 bedrooms
- Rent burden: 48.5% of renters pay 30% or more of income
- Renters and owners: 27.1% of households rent
- Income and affordability: $108,932 median household income
- Home values: $805,800 median home value
- Homeowner costs: $2,490 median monthly cost with a mortgage
- Property taxes: $6,278 median real estate taxes a year
- Types of homes: 2.9% of homes are in buildings of 5 or more units
- Bedrooms: 55.1% of homes have 3 or more bedrooms
- Age of homes: 68.4% of homes were built before 1980
- Vacancy rate: 0.6% rental vacancy rate
- Heating fuel: 79.7% heat with utility gas
- Commute and cars: 19.3 minutes average trip to work
- Growth: −14.3% residents since 2015–2019
- How long people stay: 17.1% moved in since 2020
- Crowding and facilities: 4.5% of homes have more than 1 person per room
Los Osos against San Luis Obispo County, its state and the nation
| Los Osos | San Luis Obispo County | California | United States | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Residents | 14,166 (±1,061) | 281,555 (exact) | 39,287,377 (exact) | 334,922,499 |
| Housing units | 6,367 (±425) | 125,669 (±104) | 14,644,735 (±1,665) | 143,775,355 |
| Households that rent | 27.1% (±5.2 points) | 37.9% (±1.0 points) | 44.1% (±0.2 points) | 34.8% |
| Median gross rent | $2,047 (±$198) | $1,992 (±$45) | $2,036 (±$5) | $1,413 |
| Median household income | $108,932 (±$8,931) | $97,446 (±$2,876) | $99,122 (±$310) | $80,734 |
| Median home value | $805,800 (±$31,362) | $824,700 (±$12,237) | $734,700 (±$1,307) | $332,700 |
| Median real estate taxes (a year) | $6,278 (±$358) | $5,636 (±$132) | $5,124 (±$17) | $3,119 |
| Built before 1980 | 68.4% (±7.0 points) | 43.8% (±1.5 points) | 56.0% (±0.2 points) | 49.7% |
| Average commute | 19.3 minutes (±1.6) | 22.3 minutes (±0.7) | 28.7 minutes (±0.1) | 26.4 minutes |
| Households with broadband | 93.9% (±2.7 points) | 93.1% (±0.7 points) | 93.5% (±0.1 points) | 91.0% |
| Median age of residents | 48.6 years (±1.7) | 40.4 years (±0.3) | 37.9 years (±0.1) | 38.9 years |
Los Osos covers 12.8 square miles of land, about 1,110 residents per square mile (Census Bureau Gazetteer).
How Los Osos has changed since 2015–2019
| 2015–2019 | 2020–2024 | Amount of change | Verdict | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Residents | 16,533 (±623) | 14,166 (±1,061) | −14.3% | Measurable decrease |
| Housing units | 6,760 (±147) | 6,367 (±425) | −5.8% | Not a measurable change |
| Median gross rent | $1,520 (±$137) | $2,047 (±$198) | +34.7% | No measurable change after inflation |
| Median home value | $551,500 (±$21,592) | $805,800 (±$31,362) | +46.1% | Up after inflation |
| Median household income | $77,807 (±$5,216) | $108,932 (±$8,931) | +40.0% | Up after inflation |
| Median owner cost with a mortgage | $2,310 (±$153) | $2,490 (±$195) | +7.8% | Down after inflation |
| Median real estate taxes | $4,722 (±$220) | $6,278 (±$358) | +33.0% | Up after inflation |
| Households that rent | 28.7% (±3.4 points) | 27.1% (±5.2 points) | −1.6 percentage points | Not a measurable change |
| Rental vacancy rate | 0.0% (±1.9 points) | 0.6% (±1.0 points) | +0.6 percentage points | Not a measurable change |
The Census Bureau publishes 2015–2019 dollars in 2019 dollars and 2020–2024 dollars in 2024 dollars.
Prices (the CPI-U, US Bureau of Labor Statistics) rose 22.7% between 2019 and 2024, so a dollar figure’s verdict compares the two after raising the earlier one by that much, using the Census Bureau’s test for a difference.
The two periods do not overlap, as the Census Bureau recommends for 5-year estimates.
Crime reported to police in San Luis Obispo County
Los Osos has no police department of its own in the FBI’s figures, so this is the figure for San Luis Obispo County as a whole.
In 2025, the police departments that report for San Luis Obispo County recorded 280 violent and 959 property crimes per 100,000 residents.
A county-wide figure describes the whole county, not this place; crime varies from one community to the next.
ZIP codes in Los Osos
| ZIP code | Share of the ZIP’s land in this place | Residents | Median gross rent | Median home value | Median household income |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 93402 | 46% | 14,197 | $2,047 | $806,800 | $109,090 |
A ZIP code is a mail route rather than a boundary, so the Census Bureau publishes figures for ZIP Code Tabulation Areas built from census blocks; the share column says how much of each one’s land lies in this place.
Places near Los Osos
| Place | Distance | Median gross rent | Median home value | Households that rent |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Morro Bay | 4.8 mi | $1,858 | $918,200 | 34.6% |
| California Polytechnic State University | 8.9 mi | — | $564,700 | 39.4% |
| San Luis Obispo | 9.2 mi | $1,965 | $935,100 | 59.7% |
| Avila Beach | 9.5 mi | $1,878 | $1,243,300 | 13.5% |
| Cayucos | 9.9 mi | $1,571 | $1,011,900 | 39.6% |
| Los Ranchos | 13 mi | — | $1,244,900 | 6.1% |
| Santa Margarita | 13 mi | — | $684,000 | 46.8% |
| Pismo Beach | 14 mi | $2,232 | $1,021,300 | 35.4% |
Places in California most like Los Osos
| Place | Median gross rent | Median home value | Median household income | Households that rent |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Forestville | $1,833 | $730,300 | $115,962 | 28.4% |
| Vandenberg Village | $2,313 | $637,100 | $110,904 | 25.2% |
| Morro Bay | $1,858 | $918,200 | $95,843 | 34.6% |
| Soquel | $2,266 | $957,300 | $118,777 | 27.3% |
| Interlaken | $1,941 | $831,000 | $109,150 | 33.6% |
| Orcutt | $2,193 | $624,500 | $111,416 | 22.7% |
Matched on rent, home value, income, the share who rent, the age of the homes, the share in apartment buildings and the commute, each measured against the spread across California.
HUD Fair Market Rent for Los Osos, fiscal year 2027
| Studio | 1 bedroom | 2 bedrooms | 3 bedrooms | 4 bedrooms |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $1,894 | $2,079 | $2,720 | $3,634 | $4,208 |
HUD income limits for Los Osos, fiscal year 2026
| Household size | Extremely low (30%) | Very low (50%) | Low (80%) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 person | $32,100 | $53,500 | $85,700 |
| 2 people | $36,700 | $61,150 | $97,950 |
| 3 people | $41,300 | $68,800 | $110,200 |
| 4 people | $45,850 | $76,450 | $122,400 |
| 5 people | $49,550 | $82,550 | $132,200 |
| 6 people | $53,200 | $88,700 | $142,000 |
| 7 people | $56,900 | $94,800 | $151,800 |
| 8 people | $60,550 | $100,900 | $161,600 |
These are the limits HUD sets for its housing programs in the San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles, CA MSA, where HUD’s median family income for fiscal year 2026 is $129,600.
A program can use its own limits; tax-credit and local programs often do.
Los Osos is a census-designated place: an unincorporated community the Census Bureau draws for statistics, with no municipal government of its own.
Survey years: 2020–2024 (American Community Survey 5-year estimates), compared with 2015–2019.
Margins of error are at the 90% confidence level.
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Questions about Los Osos
What is the average rent in Los Osos, CA?
The Census Bureau publishes the median rather than the average: the median gross rent in Los Osos is $2,047 (±$198) a month (2020–2024 American Community Survey), so half of renting households pay less and half pay more.
How much is a one-bedroom apartment in Los Osos?
The median gross rent for a one-bedroom home in Los Osos, CA is $1,399 (±$320) a month (2020–2024 American Community Survey).
Are renters in Los Osos rent-burdened?
48.5% of renting households in Los Osos pay 30% or more of their income in gross rent, the share housing researchers usually call rent-burdened (2020–2024 American Community Survey).
How many renters are there in Los Osos?
Los Osos has an estimated 1,622 (±383) renting households, 27.1% of its occupied homes (2020–2024 American Community Survey).
What is the median household income in Los Osos?
The median household income in Los Osos is $108,932 (±$8,931) a year (2020–2024 American Community Survey).
What is the average home value in Los Osos, CA?
The Census Bureau publishes the median: $805,800 (±$31,362) for owner-occupied homes in Los Osos (2020–2024 American Community Survey).
Is Los Osos growing?
In Los Osos, the number of residents went from 16,533 in 2015–2019 to 14,166 in 2020–2024 (−14.3%), a measurable decrease.
What ZIP codes are in Los Osos?
The ZIP code that covers Los Osos is 93402.
What is the median rent in ZIP code 93402?
The median gross rent in ZIP Code Tabulation Area 93402 is $2,047 (±$198) a month (2020–2024 American Community Survey).
Sources
- Demographic and Housing Estimates (DP05), 2020–2024 ACS 5-year estimates — Los Osos CDP, California
- Selected Housing Characteristics (DP04), 2020–2024 ACS 5-year estimates — Los Osos CDP, California
- Selected Economic Characteristics (DP03), 2020–2024 ACS 5-year estimates — Los Osos CDP, California
- Median Real Estate Taxes Paid by Mortgage Status (B25103), 2020–2024 ACS 5-year estimates — Los Osos CDP, California
- Selected Social Characteristics (DP02), 2020–2024 ACS 5-year estimates — Los Osos CDP, California
- Total Population (B01003), 2015–2019 ACS 5-year estimates — Los Osos CDP, California
- Median Gross Rent (B25064), 2015–2019 ACS 5-year estimates — Los Osos CDP, California
- HUD Fair Market Rents, fiscal year 2027: San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles, CA MSA
- HUD Income Limits, fiscal year 2026: San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles, CA MSA
- US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2020–2024 5-year estimates for ZIP Code Tabulation Areas
- Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers (CPI-U), US city average, all items, US Bureau of Labor Statistics: annual averages 2019 and 2024
- US Census Bureau, 2024 Gazetteer Files
To check these figures in the Census Bureau’s own API, request the variables below from the 2024 ACS 5-year data profile (acs/acs5/profile) for Los Osos CDP, California (place:44182, in state:06).
Each estimate (E or PE) has a margin of error beside it (M or PM).
The 2015–2019 figures are B01003_001E, B01003_001M, B25064_001E, B25064_001M from the 2019 release.
The API needs a free key.
DP05_0001E, DP05_0001M, DP04_0001E, DP04_0001M, DP04_0047PE, DP04_0047PM, DP04_0134E, DP04_0134M, DP03_0062E, DP03_0062M, DP04_0089E, DP04_0089M
This product uses the Census Bureau Data API but is not endorsed or certified by the Census Bureau.
Figures are published by the US Census Bureau, HUD, the Bureau of Labor Statistics and the FBI; Seayora reproduces them and does not adjust them, except where a sentence says it compares dollar figures after inflation. They describe the whole place, not any one building or street, and are not an appraisal, a rent determination, a tax bill, a safety rating or legal advice.
Figures last updated on .