San Luis brochure, c. 1915
Avila Beach’s story
71 years in pictures
The archive holds 5 old photos and papers going back to 1915 and 6 maps from 1897 on.
- 1955Avila Beach is settled
Avila BeachCA
A town of 1,303, settled in 1955.
1 bordering townMap →
Photo: No machine-readable author provided. Scooterboss assumed (based on copyright claims). · CC BY-SA 4.0
Population
1,303
Census survey, 2020–24
Typical home
$1.6M
+0.1% in a year
Household income
$218K
median
Median age
59.2
years
Jobs based here
740
A job hub
Is Avila Beach a good place to live?
Avila Beach’s best subject grades are an A+ for walkability and health and an A for incomes; its weakest is a D for cost of living. 81% of adults 25 and older hold a bachelor’s degree or more in Avila Beach, against 29% in California’s towns and 29% across U.S. towns. On incomes, just 81 of California’s 1,056 towns do better. FEMA rates its natural-hazard risk higher than 89% of U.S. communities, with inland flooding at the top. Avila Beach’s trail density is 2.9 miles per square mile, above both the California town median (1.0) and the median of U.S. towns (0.4). Only 2 of California’s 1,063 towns score lower on history. The biggest park or preserve is Chumash Heritage National Marine Sanctuary, at 61 acres. Avila Beach has fewer than 2,500 residents, so it gets subject grades but no overall grade.
What makes Avila Beach stand out
Where Avila Beach beats most towns, and one thing worth knowing.
WalkabilityA+
More walkable than 96% of U.S. towns
7.1% of workers walk, bike or ride transit
EPA National Walkability Index; Census ACS.
32 measures vs. California
18 better9 too close to call5 worse
| Widest gap | Avila Beach | CA |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer adults facing food insecurity | 5.5% | 17.9% |
HealthA+
Healthier than 95% of U.S. towns
Less healthyHealthier
CDC PLACES 2025 estimates.
Worth knowing · Natural hazardsD
Inland flooding and wildfire at the top
FEMA National Risk Index.
Small town
1,303 people, and everyone knows the way
In a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.
Nearby towns
Pismo BeachAvila Beach
How Avila Beach grades
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within California), ordered by how far Avila Beach is from typical.
WalkabilityEPA walkability 11.1 of 20; 0% of households have no carA+Open →HealthFrench Hospital Medical Center 6.8 miles awayA+Open →Cost of livingDOpen →Hazard riskinland flooding tops the listDOpen →Jobs & income$218K median household incomeAOpen →SchoolsAOpen →
Character Graded, but not part of the overall grade.
Described, not graded Taste, not quality: snow or an older crowd is neither good nor bad.
ClimateMild winters, 69° summer afternoons–Open →Housing market–Open →Who lives hereMedian age 59.2–Open →
How TownRatings grades towns →
Nearby attractions
All 15 attractions →Mission San Luis Obispo de Tolosa and 12 more within 40 miles
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Avila Beach. Close and well known come first.
6 mi MuseumMission San Luis Obispo de Tolosa14 mi LandmarkLanding of the first Filipinos
9 mi State parkMontaña de Oro State Park
38 mi MuseumMission San Miguel Arcángel
6 mi MuseumSan Luis Obispo Railroad Museum19 mi Zoo & aquariumCharles Paddock ZooSources: National Park Service · ski areas © OpenSkiMap / OpenStreetMap contributors · Wikidata · Wikipedia readership · photos via Wikimedia Commons
Photo credits
Mission San Luis Obispo de Tolosa: Stephen Lea, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Montaña de Oro State Park: BorisFromStockdale, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Mission San Miguel Arcángel: Jsweida, CC BY-SA 3.0 · San Luis Obispo Railroad Museum: SLOGlen, CC BY-SA 4.0
Getting set up
Moving to Avila Beach: who provides what
Avila Beach is unincorporated, so San Luis Obispo County and regional agencies provide most services.
PowerPG&E37.5¢/kWh · EIA 2025HIFLD · EIA
WaterSan Miguelito Mwc water system1 health-based violation in 5 years · EPAEPA
Internet6 providers93% of addresses get 100/20 MbpsFCC
Trash & county servicesSan Luis Obispo CountySan Luis Obispo County provides services here
Register to voteOnlineIn California you can register online until 15 days before Election Day, in person up to and including Election Day, or by mail (postmarked 15 days before).vote.govWho runs elections hereSan Luis Obispo County Clerk-ElectionsSan Luis Obispo County; contacts on the Handbook page.FVAP, Sep 2020
ZIP codes93424, 9340593424 77% · 93405 23%Census 2020
EPA SDWIS (Oct 9, 2026) · HIFLD + EIA-861 2025 · Census 2020 ZCTAs · NCES 2024–25 · registration: vote.gov, updated Nov 18, 2024.
The data
Ordered by what stands out in Avila Beach.
HousingCost of living grade D
The typical home in Avila Beach is valued at about $1.6M
87% of households own their home in Avila Beach.
$1.6MZillow home value
| Avila Beach | California towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Households that own their home | 87% | 64% | 73% |
| Median rent | $1,878 a month | $1,896 a month | $1,185 a month |
Typical home value
Avila Beach$1.6M
California$762K
+0.1%
value change, 1 year
3
homes sold in May
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
85%of CA districts it outscoresASchool Grade
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bellevue-Santa Fe CharterLargest public elementary schoolGrades K–6 | Grades K–6 | 163 | A+ |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within CA on state tests and graduation
HealthA+
Fewer of Avila Beach’s adults sleep under 7 hours than in the typical California or U.S. town
26% of Avila Beach adults sleep under 7 hours. Avila Beach beats the California average on 18 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 5. 6.4% of Avila Beach adults smoke cigarettes.
95%healthier than U.S. townsA+Health Grade
| Avila Beach | California towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Frequent mental distress (CDC PLACES) | 12% | 17% | 17% |
| Sleep under 7 hours (CDC PLACES) | 26% | 35% | 36% |
| Feel lonely (CDC PLACES) | 28% | 36% | 33% |
| Smoke cigarettes (CDC PLACES) | 6.4% | 11% | 14% |
32 measures vs. California
18 better9 too close to call5 worse
| What stands out | Avila Beach | CA |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer adults facing food insecurity | 5.5% | 17.9% |
| Fewer adults facing housing insecurity | 4.9% | 14.9% |
| More adults who have had cancer | 14.1% | 6.4% |
French Hospital Medical Center
6.8 mi away · emergency room
None
primary care, dental or mental-health shortage
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Work & commuteJobs & income grade A
About one in three of Avila Beach’s working residents commute to San Luis Obispo
Most working residents leave Avila Beach for work: only 1% work in town. The average trip to work in Avila Beach is 21 minutes. Jobs based in Avila Beach fell to 740 in 2023, 2,486 fewer than in 2013.
1%work in town
| Avila Beach | California towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average trip to work | 21 minutes | 28 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Below the poverty line | 4.8% | 10% | 9.6% |
| Working residents who work in town | 1.5% | 6.6% | 8% |
Where working residents work
In Avila Beach1%
San Luis Obispo32%
Pismo Beach4%
Los Angeles4%
Santa Maria4%
9 mi
median commute distance
740
jobs based in Avila Beach
A job hub
jobs vs. working residents
A+
Walkability grade: more walkable than 96% of U.S. towns
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Natural hazardsHazard risk grade D
Avila Beach faces a very high natural-hazard risk, led by inland flooding
89risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
Inland floodingWildfireEarthquakes
3
federal disasters paid out here
FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Climate
Avila Beach stands out in California and nationally, with a typical July afternoon cooler than most
Avila Beach’s July high is 67°F. Avila Beach has warm winters and cool summers, with very little rain.
69°summer high
Typical low → high °F
Winter47–62°
Spring49–64°
Summer55–67°
Fall53–68°
+2.0°
vs. the 20th-century average
69°
typical summer high
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
1.8%conserved
1.8%
conserved · 72 of 4,020 acres
18 mi
of trails · 2.9 per sq mi
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Chumash Heritage National Marine Sanctuary | — | 61 |
| 2. Avila Beach Community Park | 0.2 mi | 1 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Avila Beach
17pages on Avila Beach
The big questions
Out and about
After high school
Colleges nearby
3 within 15 miles of the center of Avila Beach
Laurus CollegeUniversity or college · Private for-profit · San Luis Obispo5.6 miCalifornia Polytechnic State University-San Luis ObispoUniversity or college · Public · San Luis Obispo7.8 mi$13,596 in-state tuitionCuesta CollegeCommunity college · Public · San Luis Obispo9.2 mi$1,350 in-state tuition
College town 15 of every 100 Avila Beach residents are enrolled in college, against 8 across California.
A job hub
Every workday, about 733 people come to Avila Beach for work
Where Avila Beach’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
740jobs based in Avila Beach
1%of working residents work in town
9 mimedian commute distance
Census LEHD 2023
About Avila Beach
Place in California, United States
Avila Beach (Spanish: Ávila) is an unincorporated community in San Luis Obispo County, California, United States, located on San Luis Obispo Bay about 160 miles (257 km) northwest of Los Angeles, and about 200 miles (320 km) south of San Francisco. The population was 1,576 at the 2020 census. For statistical purposes, the United States Census Bureau has defined Avila Beach as a census-designated place (CDP).
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Area
- 6.2 sq mi
- Elevation
- 427 ft
- ZIP code
- 93424
- Area code
- 805
Questions about Avila Beach
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Avila Beach, CA expensive?
Yes. That is 16.4 years of the area's median household income ($97,446 across the San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles, CA metro area). Cost of living, which also weighs rents, property taxes and how many households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, grades D.