Los Ranchos, 2016
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Los Ranchos in pictures
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Los RanchosCA
A town of 1,467.
1 bordering townMap →
Photo: Fruitianslip · CC BY-SA 4.0
Population
1,467
Census survey, 2020–24
Median home value
$1.24M
Census ACS
Household income
$122K
median
Median age
53.0
years
Jobs based here
509
Balanced
Is Los Ranchos a good place to live?
The best of Los Ranchos’ subject grades are an A+ for health and an A for incomes and schools; the weakest is a D− for cost of living. 70% of adults 25 and older hold a bachelor’s degree or more in Los Ranchos, above both California’s towns (29%) and U.S. towns (29%). On cost of living, just 48 of California’s 1,058 towns do worse. FEMA rates its natural-hazard risk higher than 89% of U.S. communities, with inland flooding at the top. Los Ranchos’ trail density is 3.1 miles per square mile, where California’s towns sit at 1.0 and U.S. towns at 0.4. Los Ranchos has fewer than 2,500 residents, so it gets subject grades but no overall grade.
What makes Los Ranchos stand out
Where Los Ranchos beats most towns, and one thing worth knowing.
32 measures vs. California
20 better8 too close to call4 worse
| Widest gap | Los Ranchos | CA |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer uninsured adults | 3.2% | 10.6% |
HealthA+
Healthier than 96% of U.S. towns
Less healthyHealthier
CDC PLACES 2025 estimates.
San Luis Coastal Unified schools
| School | Grades | Students |
|---|---|---|
| Los Ranchos Elementary | K–6 | 521 |
SchoolsA
On state tests and graduation
NCES · EDFacts.
Worth knowing · Natural hazardsD
Inland flooding and wildfire at the top
FEMA National Risk Index.
Small town
1,467 people, and everyone knows the way
In a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.
Nearby towns
EdnaLos Ranchos
How Los Ranchos grades
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within California), ordered by how far Los Ranchos is from typical.
Cost of livingTypical home $1.24M, 12.8 years of the San Luis Obispo metro’s $97K median household incomeD−Open →HealthFrench Hospital Medical Center 4.7 miles awayA+Open →Hazard riskinland flooding tops the listDOpen →Jobs & income$122K median household incomeAOpen →SchoolsAOpen →WalkabilityEPA walkability 6.8 of 20; 1.5% of households have no car; 1.9% of workers walk, bike or ride transitB−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.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Nearby attractions
All 14 attractions →Mission San Luis Obispo de Tolosa and 12 more within 40 miles
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Los Ranchos. Close and well known come first.
5 mi MuseumMission San Luis Obispo de Tolosa17 mi LandmarkLanding of the first Filipinos
14 mi State parkMontaña de Oro State Park
37 mi MuseumMission San Miguel Arcángel
5 mi MuseumSan Luis Obispo Railroad Museum18 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 Los Ranchos: who provides what
Los Ranchos is unincorporated, so San Luis Obispo County and regional agencies provide most services.
PowerPG&E37.5¢/kWh · EIA 2025HIFLD · EIA
WaterGolden State Water Company - EdnaNo health-based violations in 5 years · EPAEPA
Internet7 providers100% 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 code9340193401 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 Ranchos.
HealthA+
A smaller share of adults in Los Ranchos sleep under 7 hours than in the typical California or U.S. town
26% of Los Ranchos adults sleep under 7 hours. Los Ranchos beats the California average on 20 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 4. 15% of Los Ranchos adults get no exercise outside work.
96%healthier than U.S. townsA+Health Grade
| Los Ranchos | California towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sleep under 7 hours (CDC PLACES) | 26% | 35% | 36% |
| Frequent mental distress (CDC PLACES) | 12% | 17% | 17% |
| Get no exercise (CDC PLACES) | 15% | 24% | 25% |
| Smoke cigarettes (CDC PLACES) | 6.7% | 11% | 14% |
32 measures vs. California
20 better8 too close to call4 worse
| What stands out | Los Ranchos | CA |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer uninsured adults | 3.2% | 10.6% |
| Fewer adults facing food insecurity | 5.6% | 17.9% |
| More adults who have had cancer | 13.2% | 6.4% |
French Hospital Medical Center
4.7 mi away · emergency room
None
primary care, dental or mental-health shortage
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
SchoolsA
Public schools in Los Ranchos beat 85% of California districts
Its public schools are run by the San Luis Coastal Unified school district. Its one school is below.
85%of CA districts it outscoresASchool Grade
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Los Ranchos ElementaryLargest public elementary schoolGrades K–6 | Grades K–6 | 521 | A |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within CA on state tests and graduation
Natural hazardsHazard risk grade D
Very high risk in Los Ranchos, with inland flooding at the top
89risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
Inland floodingWildfireEarthquakes
FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Climate
In Los Ranchos, expect mild winters and pleasant summers
Los Ranchos has warm winters and cool summers, with very little rain. Los Ranchos’ July high is 73°F.
76°summer high
Typical low → high °F
Winter43–64°
Spring47–67°
Summer54–73°
Fall50–73°
+2.0°
vs. the 20th-century average
76°
typical summer high
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Work & commuteJobs & income grade A
Los Ranchos stands out in California and nationally, with fewer of its residents who live below the poverty line
0.4% of residents live below the poverty line in Los Ranchos. Since 2013, Los Ranchos has added 314 jobs, to 509 in 2023. The average trip to work in Los Ranchos is 18 minutes.
1%work in town
| Los Ranchos | California towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average trip to work | 18 minutes | 28 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Below the poverty line | 0.4% | 10% | 9.6% |
| Working residents who work in town | 1.1% | 6.6% | 8% |
Where working residents work
In Los Ranchos1%
San Luis Obispo32%
Los Angeles4%
Avila Beach3%
Pismo Beach2%
8 mi
median commute distance
509
jobs based in Los Ranchos
Balanced
jobs vs. working residents
B−
Walkability grade: more walkable than 51% of U.S. towns
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
HousingCost of living grade D−
The median home in Los Ranchos sells for about $2.25M
Among 848 California towns, just 9 have a higher share of households owning their home than Los Ranchos.
$2.25Mmedian sale price
1
homes sold in May
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
OutdoorsC−
Los Ranchos has set aside 0% of its land for conservation
8.9 miles of trail in 0 parks and preserves.
0%conserved
0%
conserved · 0 of 1,843 acres
8.9 mi
of trails · 3.1 per sq mi
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Los Ranchos
17pages on Los Ranchos
The big questions
Out and about
The story
Day to day
After high school
Colleges nearby
3 within 15 miles of the center of Los Ranchos
Laurus CollegeUniversity or college · Private for-profit · San Luis Obispo4.5 miCalifornia Polytechnic State University-San Luis ObispoUniversity or college · Public · San Luis Obispo6.2 mi$13,596 in-state tuitionCuesta CollegeCommunity college · Public · San Luis Obispo10.4 mi$1,350 in-state tuition
About 1 of every 100 Los Ranchos residents are enrolled in college, against 8 across California.
About Los Ranchos
Census-designated place in California, United States
Los Ranchos is a census-designated place in San Luis Obispo County, California. Los Ranchos sits at an elevation of 256 feet (78 m). The 2020 United States census reported Los Ranchos's population was 1,516. Los Ranchos is an area of residential subdivisions surrounding the San Luis Obispo Country Club. It is located between the San Luis Obispo County Regional Airport and Edna, California.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Area
- 2.8 sq mi
- Elevation
- 256 ft
- Area code
- 805
Questions about Los Ranchos
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Los Ranchos, CA expensive?
Yes. The typical home is worth about $1,245,000, 63% above the California typical home. Cost of living, which also weighs rents, property taxes and how many households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, grades D−.