Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
A town settled in 1901, now home to 7,915 people.
Some subjects shine; others lag. Where it falls short is cost of living (D): the typical home is worth about $565K, 5.8 years of the San Luis Obispo metro’s $97K median household income. It lags on incomes as well (C+): the median household income is n/a, and 8% of residents live below the poverty line. On schools it is strong: its schools rank ahead of 85% of California State towns. Add walkability to its strengths — it is more walkable than 90% of U.S. towns. The overall grade lands at C+, better than 45% of U.S. towns. California Polytechnic State University has 1 place on the National Register. 78% of adults 25 and older hold a bachelor’s degree or more here, above both California State’s towns (29%) and U.S. towns (29%).
Figures: schools, state test and graduation results · home values, Zillow · incomes, Census ACS, 2020–24 · National Register of Historic Places. California Polytechnic State University is a college campus (most residents are students), so it isn’t ranked among California State’s towns.
Where California Polytechnic State University beats most towns.
Where California Polytechnic State University’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
Census LEHD 2023
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within California State), ordered by how far California Polytechnic State University is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
The archive holds 6 maps from 1897 on.
1 place on the National Register of Historic Places.
California Polytechnic State University is unincorporated, so San Luis Obispo County and regional agencies provide most services.
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 California Polytechnic State University.
California Polytechnic State University carries less natural-hazard risk than nearly all of California State (mostly inland flooding), is shaped by its college students and draws workers from San Luis Obispo and beyond.
At 7 miles of trail per square mile, it ranks #3 of 678 California State towns.
There are 11 miles of trail across 2 parks and preserves.
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Leaning Pine Arboretum | 1.1 mi | 5 |
| 2. O'Neill Green | 0.1 mi | 2 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
1,812 jobs are based in California Polytechnic State University, 1.6 for every working resident, so most of the people who work here commute in. The average commute takes 16.8 minutes, against 28.7 across California State.
The top destinations are Los Angeles (10%), San Luis Obispo (7%) and Santa Barbara (3%). For most workers, California Polytechnic State University is a place to come home to: only 2% work in town. Between 2013 and 2023, jobs here rose by 1,013, to 1,812. Its mean commuting time stands at 17 minutes.
| California Polytechnic State University | California State towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average trip to work | 17 minutes | 28 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Working residents who work in town | 2.5% | 6.6% | 8% |
| Below the poverty line | 7.5% | 10% | 9.6% |
| Work from home | 14% | 14% | 11% |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
January nights average 41.5°, milder than in 95% of U.S. towns; July afternoons average 78°.
California Polytechnic State University’s January low comes in at 42°F. Snowfall is close to zero.
| California Polytechnic State University | California State towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| July high | 78°F | 89°F | 85°F |
| January low | 42°F | 40°F | 22°F |
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
FEMA rates its natural-hazard risk lower than 98% of California State towns, with expected losses of about $242 per resident a year; that rating is what its C for hazard risk is built on.
Expected losses in California Polytechnic State University break down as 62% from inland flooding and 36% from earthquakes. In California Polytechnic State University, the FEMA risk score is 33 of 100.
FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
14% of California Polytechnic State University adults have high blood pressure. No town among the 847 in California State we compare has a higher share of adults who have been diagnosed with depression than California Polytechnic State University. On the CDC’s 32 measures, California Polytechnic State University is ahead of California State on 8 and behind on 16. Among 847 California State towns, just 2 have a higher share of adults who feel lonely than California Polytechnic State University.
| California Polytechnic State University | California State towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Diabetes (CDC PLACES) | 2.7% | 12% | 12% |
| Frequent mental distress (CDC PLACES) | 32% | 17% | 17% |
| Depression (CDC PLACES) | 34% | 22% | 23% |
| High blood pressure (CDC PLACES) | 14% | 31% | 35% |
| What stands out | California Polytechnic State University | CA |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer adults who have had cancer | 0.9% | 6.4% |
| Fewer adults with diabetes | 2.7% | 11.7% |
| More adults without reliable transportation | 24.4% | 9.3% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around California Polytechnic State University. Close and well known come first.
Big draw38 mi State parkHearst Castle
2 mi MuseumMission San Luis Obispo de Tolosa12 mi LandmarkLanding of the first Filipinos
11 mi State parkMontaña de Oro State Park
30 mi MuseumMission San Miguel Arcángel
2 mi MuseumSan Luis Obispo Railroad MuseumHearst Castle: No machine-readable author provided. Urban~commonswiki assumed (based on copyrig, CC BY-SA 3.0 · 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
3 within 15 miles of the center of California Polytechnic State University
College town 98 of every 100 California Polytechnic State University residents are enrolled in college, against 8 across California State.
Public university in San Luis Obispo, California
California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo (Cal Poly) is a public university in San Luis Obispo County, California, United States, outside of the city limits of San Luis Obispo. Founded in 1901, it is the oldest of three polytechnic universities within the California State University system. Cal Poly emphasizes a "learn by doing" philosophy, integrating hands-on, practical experiences into its curriculum. As of fall 2025, Cal Poly had approximately 22,000 undergraduate and 900 graduate students. The university is home to several programs, including in engineering, architecture, and business. Most of the university's athletic teams participate in the Big West Conference.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
One town shares a border with California Polytechnic State University.
| Town | CA rank | Overall | Cost | Safety | Schools | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| California Polytechnic State University | – | C+ | D | — | A | B |
| San Luis Obispo | #290 | C+ | D− | C− | A | B+ |
California Polytechnic State University reports no FBI crime data of its own. Compare California Polytechnic State University with a neighbor →
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
California Polytechnic State University grades C+ overall, better than 45% of U.S. towns. California Polytechnic State University is a college campus (most residents are students), so it isn’t ranked among California State’s towns. It grades B for health and A 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.
