What is the rental vacancy rate in San Luis Obispo, CA?

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

The rental vacancy rate in San Luis Obispo, CA is 4.5% (±2.0 points) (2020–2024 American Community Survey).

The homeowner vacancy rate is 2.6% (±2.2 points).

1,809 (±418) homes, 8.1% of all housing units, were vacant, a count that includes seasonal homes and homes being sold or rented.

In San Luis Obispo, the rental vacancy rate went from 4.1% in 2015–2019 to 4.5% in 2020–2024 (+0.4 percentage points), not a measurable change.

Figures last updated on November 12, 2026.

Rental vacancy rate: 4.5% (±2.0 points)
Homeowner vacancy rate: 2.6% (±2.2 points)
Vacant homes: 1,809 (±418)

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

Estimate (90% margin of error)
	San Luis Obispo	San Luis Obispo County	California	United States
Rental vacancy rate	4.5% (±2.0 points)	4.6% (±1.1 points)	4.2% (±0.1 points)	5.5%
Homeowner vacancy rate	2.6% (±2.2 points)	2.0% (±0.6 points)	0.8% (±0.1 points)	0.9%
Vacant housing units	1,809 (±418)	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 San Luis Obispo, the rental vacancy rate is not measurably different from San Luis Obispo County (4.6%).

It is not measurably different from California (4.2%).

It is not measurably different from the national figure (5.5%).

Rental vacancy rate in places near San Luis Obispo

Nearest places with a published estimate, compared with San Luis Obispo
Place	Distance	Rental vacancy rate	Compared with this place
San Luis Obispo	—	4.5% (±2.0 points)	—
California Polytechnic State University	2.8 mi	0.0% (±64.1 points)	Not measurably different
Los Ranchos	4.3 mi	0.0% (±55.8 points)	Not measurably different
Avila Beach	5.5 mi	60.9% (±33.6 points)	Higher
Pismo Beach	7.8 mi	16.5% (±6.7 points)	Higher
Santa Margarita	9.2 mi	0.0% (±12.5 points)	Not measurably different
Los Osos	9.2 mi	0.6% (±1.0 points)	Lower
Grover Beach	10 mi	3.7% (±4.4 points)	Not measurably different
Arroyo Grande	11 mi	4.6% (±3.4 points)	Not measurably different

Nearby places with a measurably lower figure: Los Osos, CA (0.6%).

Nearby places with a measurably higher figure: Avila Beach, CA (60.9%), Pismo Beach, CA (16.5%).

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
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)
9	Grover Beach	3.7% (±4.4 points)
10	Morro Bay	2.8% (±2.4 points)
11	Atascadero	1.6% (±1.9 points)
12	Oceano	1.0% (±1.6 points)
13	Los Osos	0.6% (±1.0 points)
14	Nipomo	0.5% (±0.8 points)

Showing 13 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 San Luis Obispo

Is it hard to find a rental in San Luis Obispo?

The rental vacancy rate in San Luis Obispo, CA is 4.5% (±2.0 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 San Luis Obispo tighter than it was?

In San Luis Obispo, the rental vacancy rate went from 4.1% in 2015–2019 to 4.5% in 2020–2024 (+0.4 percentage points), not a measurable change.

How many homes are vacant in San Luis Obispo?

An estimated 1,809 (±418) housing units, 8.1% 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 San Luis Obispo city, California (place:68154, 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.