What is the rental vacancy rate in Pismo Beach, CA?

Name: Vacancy rate in Pismo Beach, CA, 2020–2024
Creator: US Census Bureau
License: https://www.census.gov/data/developers/about/terms-of-service.html

The rental vacancy rate in Pismo Beach, CA is 16.5% (±6.7 points) (2020–2024 American Community Survey).

The homeowner vacancy rate is 2.1% (±2.4 points).

2,018 (±292) homes, 32.8% of all housing units, were vacant, a count that includes seasonal homes and homes being sold or rented.

In Pismo Beach, the rental vacancy rate went from 8.3% in 2015–2019 to 16.5% in 2020–2024 (+8.2 percentage points), not a measurable change.

Figures last updated on November 12, 2026.

Rental vacancy rate: 16.5% (±6.7 points)
Homeowner vacancy rate: 2.1% (±2.4 points)
Vacant homes: 2,018 (±292)

Vacancy in Pismo Beach against San Luis Obispo County, its state and the nation

Estimate (90% margin of error)
	Pismo Beach	San Luis Obispo County	California	United States
Rental vacancy rate	16.5% (±6.7 points)	4.6% (±1.1 points)	4.2% (±0.1 points)	5.5%
Homeowner vacancy rate	2.1% (±2.4 points)	2.0% (±0.6 points)	0.8% (±0.1 points)	0.9%
Vacant housing units	2,018 (±292)	16,166 (±969)	1,096,644 (±18,928)	14,547,859

The rental vacancy rate is the share of rental homes that are vacant and for rent; it leaves out homes already rented but not yet moved into, and seasonal homes.

In Pismo Beach, the rental vacancy rate is higher than in San Luis Obispo County (4.6%).

It is also higher than in California (4.2%).

It is higher than the national figure (5.5%).

Rental vacancy rate in places near Pismo Beach

Nearest places with a published estimate, compared with Pismo Beach
Place	Distance	Rental vacancy rate	Compared with this place
Pismo Beach	—	16.5% (±6.7 points)	—
Grover Beach	3.8 mi	3.7% (±4.4 points)	Lower
Avila Beach	4.1 mi	60.9% (±33.6 points)	Higher
Los Ranchos	4.9 mi	0.0% (±55.8 points)	Not measurably different
Oceano	5.1 mi	1.0% (±1.6 points)	Lower
Arroyo Grande	5.4 mi	4.6% (±3.4 points)	Lower
San Luis Obispo	7.8 mi	4.5% (±2.0 points)	Lower
Callender	9.1 mi	0.0% (±11.6 points)	Lower
California Polytechnic State University	11 mi	0.0% (±64.1 points)	Not measurably different

Nearby places with a measurably lower figure: Grover Beach, CA (3.7%), Oceano, CA (1.0%), Arroyo Grande, CA (4.6%).

Nearby places with a measurably higher figure: Avila Beach, CA (60.9%).

Distance is measured in a straight line between the Census Bureau’s internal points for each place.

Rental vacancy rate across San Luis Obispo County, place by place

Rank	Place	Rental vacancy rate
1	Avila Beach	60.9% (±33.6 points)
2	Pismo Beach	16.5% (±6.7 points)
3	Cayucos	13.9% (±12.9 points)
4	Cambria	9.4% (±10.4 points)
5	San Miguel (San Luis Obispo County)	8.8% (±13.6 points)
6	El Paso de Robles (Paso Robles)	5.8% (±3.0 points)
7	Arroyo Grande	4.6% (±3.4 points)
8	San Luis Obispo	4.5% (±2.0 points)

Showing 8 of 22 places in San Luis Obispo County, ranked from highest to lowest.

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 Pismo Beach

Is it hard to find a rental in Pismo Beach?

The rental vacancy rate in Pismo Beach, CA is 16.5% (±6.7 points); a low rate means few rental homes stand empty and for rent at any time, which usually means more competition for each one.

Is the rental market in Pismo Beach tighter than it was?

In Pismo Beach, the rental vacancy rate went from 8.3% in 2015–2019 to 16.5% in 2020–2024 (+8.2 percentage points), not a measurable change.

How many homes are vacant in Pismo Beach?

An estimated 2,018 (±292) housing units, 32.8% of the total, including seasonal homes and homes waiting to be sold or rented.

Sources

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 Pismo Beach city, California (place:57414, in state:06).

Each estimate (E or PE) has a margin of error beside it (M or PM).

The 2015–2019 figures are DP04_0005E, DP04_0005M from the 2019 release.

The API needs a free key.

Request a Census API key.

DP04_0005E, DP04_0005M, DP04_0004E, DP04_0004M, DP04_0003E, DP04_0003M, DP04_0003PE, DP04_0003PM

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.