Sandal's boat - Flickr - emdot, 2004
Los Osos’s story
Los Osos in pictures
The archive holds 18 old photos and papers going back to 2004 and 7 maps from 1897 on.
Explore the history →
Los OsosCA
14,166 people call this town in California home.
Photo: Michael "Mike" L. Baird from Morro Bay, USA. · CC BY 2.0
Population
14,166
Census survey, 2020–24
Typical home
$867K
+2.8% in a year
Household income
$109K
median
Median age
48.6
years
Jobs based here
1,959
A commuter town
TownGrade
B+
#115 of 841 in CA
Is Los Osos a good place to live?
With a B+ overall, Los Osos is better than nearly two thirds of U.S. towns and ranks 115th of 841 in California. Health is where it shines (A): it is healthier than 87% of U.S. towns. The drawback is cost of living — the typical home is worth about $867K, 8.9 years of the San Luis Obispo metro’s $97K median household income. Hazard risk is weaker too (C+): FEMA rates its natural-hazard risk higher than 55% of U.S. communities, with inland flooding at the top. Los Osos’ midsummer high is 67°F, where California’s towns sit at 89°F and U.S. towns at 85°F. This California town is easier to get around on foot or by transit than 92% of U.S. towns. Los Osos’ density of trails is 3.8 miles per square mile, against 1.0 in California’s towns and 0.4 across U.S. towns. Only 45 of California’s 1,064 towns score higher on the outdoors.
Figures: health, CDC PLACES · home values, Zillow · incomes, Census ACS, 2020–24 · FEMA National Risk Index · NOAA normals, 1991–2020 · OpenStreetMap · USGS PAD-US.
What makes Los Osos stand out
Where Los Osos beats most towns.
Get outside
48 miles of trails in Los Osos
21.2% of the town is conserved land, across 10 parks and preserves.
2
Morro Dunes Natural Preserve3.8 mi of trails · 791 acres
Trails © OpenStreetMap contributors · USGS PAD-US
How Los Osos grades
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within California), ordered by how far Los Osos is from typical.
Its grades run from A for walkability (better than 92% of comparable towns) to D− for cost of living (better than 4%), so the B+ overall blends very different results.
Cost of livingD−Open →WalkabilityEPA walkability 11.3 of 20; 2.7% of households have no carAOpen →HealthAdventist Health Sierra Vista 9 miles awayAOpen →SchoolsAOpen →Hazard riskinland flooding tops the listC+Open →Jobs & income$109K median household incomeB−Open →
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, 70° summer afternoons–Open →Housing market$867K typical home, up 2.8% in a year–Open →Who lives hereMedian age 48.6; 54% of adults have a four-year degree–Open →
How TownRatings grades towns →
Getting set up
Moving to Los Osos: who provides what
Los Osos is unincorporated, so San Luis Obispo County and regional agencies provide most services.
PowerPG&E37.5¢/kWh · EIA 2025HIFLD · EIA
WaterLos Osos Community Services DistrictNo health-based violations in 5 years · EPAEPA
Internet7 providers98% 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 code9340293402 100%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 Los Osos.
Los Osos carries less natural-hazard risk than most of California (mostly inland flooding), has fewer 90° days than nearly all U.S. towns and pairs an A for schools with high home prices.
OutdoorsA+
In Los Osos, 21.2% of the land is conserved
Trails total 48 miles in 10 parks and preserves. Montaña de Oro State Park, at 1,071 acres with 5.5 miles of trail, is the biggest park or preserve.
#43for trails in CA
21.2%
conserved · 1,724 of 8,144 acres
48 mi
of trails · 3.8 per sq mi
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Montaña de Oro State Park | 5.5 mi | 1,071 |
| 2. Morro Dunes Natural Preserve | 3.8 mi | 791 |
| 3. Los Osos Oaks State Natural Reserve | 2.2 mi | 84 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
SchoolsA
On state tests, Los Osos’ schools beat 85% of California districts
Its A for schools comes with a D− for cost of living: the typical home is worth about $867K.
Below: Two of its 4 schools, each with why it was picked. Public schools: the San Luis Coastal Unified school district. The 3 public schools in Los Osos teach 1,160 students between them.
85%of CA districts it outscoresASchool Grade
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Los Osos MiddleLargest public middle schoolGrades 6–8 | Grades 6–8 | 494 | A− |
| Monarch Grove ElementaryTop results in townGrades K–5 | Grades K–5 | 324 | A |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within CA on state tests and graduation
HealthA
Los Osos earns an A for health
32% of adults feel lonely in Los Osos. CDC measures, 32 in all: Los Osos beats California on 15 and trails on 4. In Los Osos, just over a quarter of adults have obesity, and 18% get no exercise outside work.
87%healthier than U.S. townsAHealth Grade
| Los Osos | California towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sleep under 7 hours (CDC PLACES) | 30% | 35% | 36% |
| Obesity (CDC PLACES) | 26% | 29% | 35% |
| Get no exercise (CDC PLACES) | 18% | 24% | 25% |
| Frequent mental distress (CDC PLACES) | 15% | 17% | 17% |
32 measures vs. California
15 better13 too close to call4 worse
| What stands out | Los Osos | CA |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer uninsured adults | 5.5% | 10.6% |
| Fewer adults facing food insecurity | 9.5% | 17.9% |
| More adults who have had cancer | 10.9% | 6.4% |
Adventist Health Sierra Vista
9 mi away · emergency room
None
primary care, dental or mental-health shortage
80th
percentile among CA towns
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Work & commuteJobs & income grade B−
Los Osos has 0.4 jobs for every working resident, so most commute out
The average commute for its 5,584 working residents takes 19.3 minutes, against 28.7 across California.
In Los Osos, the average trip to work is 19 minutes. For most workers, Los Osos is a place to come home to: only 11% work in town. Since 2013, Los Osos has added 383 jobs, to 1,959 in 2023. Half commute less than 12 miles.
11%work in town
| Los Osos | California towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average trip to work | 19 minutes | 28 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Median household income | $109,000 | $95,000 | $80,000 |
| Work from home | 15% | 14% | 11% |
| Working residents who work in town | 11% | 6.6% | 8% |
Where working residents work
In Los Osos11%
San Luis Obispo24%
Morro Bay9%
Atascadero3%
Santa Maria3%
12 mi
median commute distance
1,959
jobs based in Los Osos
A commuter town
jobs vs. working residents
A
Walkability grade: more walkable than 92% of U.S. towns
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Climate
Compared with most of California and the rest of the country, a typical July afternoon in Los Osos is cooler
The Morro Bay Fire Dept weather station records that about 1 days a year reach 90°, fewer than in 96% of U.S. towns. January nights average 45.8°, milder than in 97% of U.S. towns; July afternoons average 67.3°.
It almost never snows. In Los Osos, the January low is 46°F. The town has warm winters and cool summers, with very little rain.
70°summer high
| Los Osos | California towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| July high | 67°F | 89°F | 85°F |
| January low | 46°F | 40°F | 22°F |
Typical low → high °F
Winter46–63°
Spring48–64°
Summer54–68°
Fall52–69°
+2.0°
vs. the 20th-century average
70°
typical summer high
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
HousingCost of living grade D−
Los Osos earns a D− for cost of living
Los Osos’ rent at the middle of the market comes in at $2,047 a month. Over the 12 months to September 2026, the typical home gained 2.8% in value. The share of households in Los Osos who own their home: 73%.
$867KZillow home value
| Los Osos | California towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $2,047 a month | $1,895 a month | $1,185 a month |
| Households that own their home | 73% | 64% | 73% |
| Renters paying 30%+ of income on rent | 49% | 55% | 48% |
Typical home value
Los Osos$867K
California$762K
+2.8%
value change, 1 year
3
homes sold in May
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Natural hazardsHazard risk grade C+
The biggest natural risk in Los Osos is inland flooding, at a moderate overall level
FEMA rates its natural-hazard risk lower than 90% of California towns, with expected losses of about $268 per resident a year; that rating is what its C+ for hazard risk is built on.
The national flood insurance program has paid 10 claims in Los Osos since 1992. Households in the town have drawn federal disaster aid in 3 declared disasters, most recently in 2023.
55risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
Inland floodingEarthquakes
10
paid flood claims since 1992
3
federal disasters paid out here
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA disaster declarations and aid · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Nearby attractions
All 15 attractions →Hearst Castle and 13 more within 40 miles
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Los Osos. Close and well known come first.
Big draw33 mi State parkHearst Castle5 mi LandmarkLanding of the first Filipinos
9 mi MuseumMission San Luis Obispo de Tolosa
4 mi State parkMontaña de Oro State Park
31 mi MuseumMission San Miguel Arcángel14 mi Zoo & aquariumCharles Paddock ZooSources: National Park Service · ski areas © OpenSkiMap / OpenStreetMap contributors · Wikidata · Wikipedia readership · photos via Wikimedia Commons
Photo credits
Hearst 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
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Los Osos
17pages on Los Osos
The big questions
Out and about
The story
After high school
Colleges nearby
3 within 15 miles of the center of Los Osos
Cuesta CollegeCommunity college · Public · San Luis Obispo4.9 mi$1,350 in-state tuitionLaurus CollegeUniversity or college · Private for-profit · San Luis Obispo9.1 miCalifornia Polytechnic State University-San Luis ObispoUniversity or college · Public · San Luis Obispo9.4 mi$13,596 in-state tuition
About 6 of every 100 Los Osos residents are enrolled in college, against 8 across California.
A commuter town
89% of working residents leave Los Osos for work
Where Los Osos’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
1,959jobs based in Los Osos
11%of working residents work in town
12 mimedian commute distance
Census LEHD 2023
About Los Osos
Unincorporated community in California, United States
Los Osos (Spanish for "the bears") is an unincorporated town in San Luis Obispo County, California, United States. Located on the Central Coast of California, Los Osos had a reported population of 14,465 in 2020. For statistical purposes, the United States Census Bureau has defined Los Osos as a census-designated place (CDP).
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Area
- 13 sq mi
- Elevation
- 197 ft
- ZIP code
- 93402, 93412
- Area code
- 805
Questions about Los Osos
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Los Osos, CA a good place to live?
For most people who can afford it, yes. Los Osos grades B+ overall, better than 65% of U.S. towns and #115 of 841 in California. It grades A for health and A for schools. Cost of living is its weak spot, with a D−.
Is Los Osos, CA expensive?
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−.