Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
A town of 18,123, settled in 1862. 2.3 times the nonprofits per person than the typical California town.
For most people who can afford it, yes. Arroyo Grande grades B overall, 149th of 841 graded towns in California. CDC estimates put its residents' health ahead of 86% of the country and the median household earns $103K. The trade-off is money: the typical home is worth about $1.0 million, 10.6 years of the San Luis Obispo metro’s $97K median household income. Arroyo Grande’s July high is 65°F, where California’s towns sit at 89°F and U.S. towns at 85°F. Arroyo Grande is easier to get around on foot or by transit than 90% of U.S. towns. Only 31 of California’s 463 towns score higher on civic life.
Where Arroyo Grande beats most towns.
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within California), ordered by how far Arroyo Grande is from typical.
Its grades run from A for walkability (better than 90% of comparable towns) to D− for cost of living (better than 2%), so the B overall blends very different results.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Census counts: 466 in 1890, 18,441 in 2020. The archive holds 4 old photos and papers going back to 1902 and 6 maps from 1897 on.
1 place on the National Register of Historic Places.
Who provides power, water and the rest in Arroyo Grande, and how to reach them.
EPA SDWIS (Oct 9, 2026) · HIFLD + EIA-861 2025 · Census 2020 ZCTAs · NCES 2024–25 · registration: vote.gov, updated Nov 18, 2024.
Ordered by what stands out in Arroyo Grande.
Arroyo Grande fares better on crime within California than nationally and has fewer 90° days than nearly all U.S. towns, but it has homes that cost more against local pay than most of California.
31% of Arroyo Grande adults sleep under 7 hours. Arroyo Grande beats the California average on 13 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 3. 26% of Arroyo Grande adults have obesity.
| Arroyo Grande | California towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sleep under 7 hours (CDC PLACES) | 31% | 35% | 36% |
| Obesity (CDC PLACES) | 26% | 29% | 35% |
| Get no exercise (CDC PLACES) | 19% | 24% | 25% |
| Smoke cigarettes (CDC PLACES) | 9.6% | 11% | 14% |
| What stands out | Arroyo Grande | CA |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer adults facing food insecurity | 10.1% | 17.9% |
| Fewer uninsured adults | 6.2% | 10.6% |
| More adults who have had cancer | 10.4% | 6.4% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Its public schools are run by the Lucia Mar Unified school district. Two of its 7 schools are below, each with why it’s listed.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Harloe ElementaryLargest public elementary schoolGrades K–6 | Grades K–6 | 619 | – |
| Arroyo Grande HighLargest public high schoolGrades 9–12 | Grades 9–12 | 2,012 | – |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within CA on state tests and graduation
7.2 miles of trail in 10 parks and preserves. Arroyo Grande’s trail density is 1.2 miles per square mile.
| Arroyo Grande | California towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Miles of trail per square mile | 1.2 miles per square mile | 1.0 | 0.4 |
| Conserved land | 4.5% | 4.2% | 4.3% |
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Rancho Grande Park | 0.5 mi | 9 |
| 2. Elm Street Park | 0.1 mi | 7 |
| 3. Strother Park | — | 7 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Expected storm and flood damage is higher than in 84% of U.S. communities. Since 1978, 25 flood insurance claims have been paid out in Arroyo Grande.
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
At 10.6 years of the San Luis Obispo metro’s $97K median household income, the typical home (about $1.03M) costs more against local pay than in 80% of California towns; that ratio is one input to its D− for cost of living.
The median rent in Arroyo Grande is $2,173 a month. The typical Arroyo Grande home is worth about $1,031,000, up 1.4% in a year, 35% above the California typical home. 61% of households own their home in Arroyo Grande.
| Arroyo Grande | California towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $2,173 a month | $1,895 a month | $1,185 a month |
| Households that own their home | 61% | 64% | 73% |
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
People 65 and older are 27% of residents (16% statewide); adults 18 to 34 are 19% of residents (24% statewide). 45% of adults 25 and older have a bachelor’s degree or more, vs 37% across California.
| Arroyo Grande | California towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Aged 65 or older | 27% | 16% | 18% |
| Bachelor’s degree or more, 25+ | 45% | 29% | 29% |
| Median age | 45.8 years | 39 years | 40.5 years |
| Under 18 | 20% | 22% | 22% |
56% women, 44% men
About 79 men for every 100 women (the survey’s margin: ±2 points). Across California, 50.1% of residents are women.
| Arroyo Grande | CA | U.S. | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 10 | 10.4% | 11.4% | 11.6% |
| 10 to 17 | 9.9% | 10.5% | 10.3% |
| 18 to 24 | 7.2% | 9.1% | 9.1% |
| 25 to 34 | 11.3% | 14.8% | 13.7% |
| 35 to 44 | 10.8% | 13.9% | 13.2% |
| 45 to 54 | 9.2% | 12.5% | 12.2% |
| 55 to 64 | 13.7% | 12.1% | 12.7% |
| 65 to 74 | 14.6% | 9.2% | 10.2% |
| 75 and older | 12.8% | 6.5% | 7% |
| No diploma | 4.8% | 15.3% | 10.4% |
| High school | 14.8% | 20.5% | 26% |
| Some college | 23.4% | 19.3% | 19.1% |
| Associate’s | 11.8% | 7.9% | 8.8% |
| Bachelor’s | 27.6% | 22.7% | 21.6% |
| Graduate | 17.6% | 14.4% | 14.1% |
U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates
The Morro Bay Fire Dept weather station, 22 miles away, records that about 1 days a year reach 90°, fewer than in 96% of U.S. towns. January nights average 47.5°, milder than in 98% of U.S. towns; July afternoons average 64.9°.
Arroyo Grande has warm winters and cool summers, with very little rain. Snow is almost unheard of.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Most working residents leave Arroyo Grande for work: only 13% work in town. Jobs based in Arroyo Grande grew to 5,942 in 2023, 735 more than in 2013. The top destinations are San Luis Obispo (18%), Santa Maria (9%) and Pismo Beach (6%).
| Arroyo Grande | California towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Below the poverty line | 4.8% | 10% | 9.6% |
| Working residents who work in town | 13% | 6.6% | 8% |
| Average trip to work | 24 minutes | 28 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Median household income | $103,000 | $95,000 | $80,000 |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
At 18.7 crimes per 1,000 residents a year, it reports less crime than 79% of California’s graded towns. Reported crimes fell from 299 to 126 over the last three FBI years, a drop beyond ordinary year-to-year swings.
FBI crime data, 2025 · crimes reported to police
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Arroyo Grande. Close and well known come first.
12 mi MuseumMission San Luis Obispo de Tolosa23 mi LandmarkLanding of the first Filipinos
18 mi State parkMontaña de Oro State Park
7 mi MuseumDana Adobe
11 mi MuseumSan Luis Obispo Railroad Museum24 mi Zoo & aquariumCharles Paddock ZooMission San Luis Obispo de Tolosa: Stephen Lea, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Montaña de Oro State Park: BorisFromStockdale, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Dana Adobe: Ken Figlioli, CC BY-SA 2.0 · San Luis Obispo Railroad Museum: SLOGlen, CC BY-SA 4.0
2 within 15 miles of the center of Arroyo Grande
About 8 of every 100 Arroyo Grande residents are enrolled in college, about the same as California.
City in California, United States
Arroyo Grande (Spanish for "Big Creek") is a city in San Luis Obispo County, California, United States. It lies on the Central Coast, about 2 miles (3.2 km) inland from the Pacific Ocean, and is part of the Five Cities area. Its population was 18,441 at the 2020 census. The Arroyo Grande Valley is within the traditional homeland of the Northern Chumash. The town developed as an agricultural center in the nineteenth century and incorporated in 1911. Its historic downtown, known as the Village, contains museums and a pedestrian suspension bridge over Arroyo Grande Creek. Agriculture, retail and tourism contribute to the local economy.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
3 towns share a border with Arroyo Grande.
It grades higher overall than all 3 graded towns on its borders; Pismo Beach (C) comes closest.
| Town | CA rank | Overall | Cost | Safety | Schools | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Arroyo Grande | #149 | B | D− | B− | B+ | A |
| Grover Beach | #355 | C | D− | B− | B+ | B− |
| Oceano | #438 | C | C− | — | B+ | C+ |
| Pismo Beach | #343 | C | D− | C− | B+ | A |
Oceano reports no FBI crime data of its own. Compare Arroyo Grande with a neighbor →
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
For most people who can afford it, yes. Arroyo Grande grades B overall, better than 59% of U.S. towns and #149 of 841 in California. It grades A for health, B− for safety and B+ for schools. Cost of living is its weak spot, with a D−.
Yes. Cost of living, which also weighs rents, property taxes and how many households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, grades D−.
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