Photo: Rennett Stowe · CC BY 2.0439 homes sold in San Luis Obispo in the last year, at a typical $1M
About one sale in 4 is a condo. Below: what each kind of home sells for, what your budget buys, the best months to buy, how hard you’ll have to bid, and a shortcut to every site where San Luis Obispo homes are listed.
Every place San Luis Obispo homes are listed, in one stop
We don’t copy listings: the agents’ sites have the photos and the latest price changes. Set what you want once and we open each site already filtered to San Luis Obispo.
For sale
Rent
New, land & open houses
Links open the listing sites; TownRatings isn’t paid for them and doesn’t rank one above another. Rentals and government-owned homes come from sources outside the MLS.
A quarter of San Luis Obispo’s sales are condos, at $483K less than a house
289 houses and 97 condos sold in the year to May 2026. Houses sell faster.
typical sale · 289 sold in the year to May 2026
- Per square foot
- $665CA $494
- Days to sell
- 43
- Sold over asking
- 32%
- Listings with a price cut
- 27%
typical sale · 97 sold in the year to May 2026
- Per square foot
- $582CA $561
- Days to sell
- 51
- Sold over asking
- 29%
- Listings with a price cut
- 20%
Multi-family (2–4 units): 12 sold, typical $1.8M
Townhouses: 19 sold, typical $760K
Too few sales in 12 months for reliable figures.
About as many homes sell as usual, at 1.7 times the 2016 price
439 sales in the last year, against 617 in 2021 and a low of 352 in 2023. The typical sale went from $597K in 2016 to $1M.
Source: Redfin Data Center, MLS sales; from June 2026 each month is a 3-month rolling window, its counts divided by 3. Typical price and $/sq ft are the monthly medians, weighted by sales. Redfin stopped publishing towns’ figures by property type after May 2026, so houses and condos are shown for the year to then.
What $1M buys in San Luis Obispo
Check a listing against what San Luis Obispo homes sold for
Against the town’s median price per square foot over the last 12 months. A rough check: condition, lot and location within town move a price more than this can see.
Bidding wars in San Luis Obispo are more common than before the pandemic, with about as many homes for sale
We read every month of San Luis Obispo’s home sales since 2012 so you don’t have to. Each figure covers 12 months, because a single month in a town is too few sales to mean much. Latest: the year to September 2026, 439 sales.
If you’re buying in San Luis Obispo
- Shop in June. It brings about 49 new listings a month, close to the busiest month, with fewer bidding wars (32% over asking).
- Bid near asking. Buyers paid 99.3% of the list price on average; 30% paid over.
- You’ll usually have time. Only 43% of homes go under contract within two weeks; the typical one takes 39 days.
Spring brings both the most homes and the most bidding wars
April has the most new listings (about 57 a month), but May is the most competitive: 40% of May sales close over asking. June and July offer nearly as much choice with fewer homes bid up (32%). January has the least competition (25%).
Averages for each calendar month, 2015 on.
Calmer than the 2021 frenzy, and about like California as a whole
| San Luis Obispo now | 2017–19 | 2021 peak | CA now | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sold over askingShare of sales that closed above the list price | 30% | 24% | 49% | 35% |
| Gone within two weeksShare of homes under contract within 14 days | 43% | 40% | 61% | 33% |
| Price paid vs. askingAverage sale price ÷ list price | 99.3% | 98.5% | 101.2% | 99.9% |
| Days to sellMedian days from listing to contract | 39 | 35 | 24 | 43 |
92 homes for sale on a typical day
That’s twice the 2022 low (43), about the 2017–19 level and well under 2016’s 177.
Since 2019, houses are up 53%, condos 45%
A house typically sold for $1.2M in the year to May 2026 (289 sales), a condo for $686K (97).
Median sale price, weighted by sales each month. Years with fewer than 4 sales of a type are left out.
San Luis Obispo ranks 358th of 560 busy California markets for bidding wars
Share of sales over asking in the last year, among towns with 60 or more sales. San Luis Obispo is in the middle of the pack.
Source: Redfin Data Center, city figures, January 2012 to September 2026 (MLS sales, not seasonally adjusted; from June 2026 each month is a 3-month rolling window, its counts divided by 3). Ratios are weighted by homes sold; price cuts by homes for sale.
Owning the typical San Luis Obispo home costs about $5,825 a month
Price: San Luis Obispo’s typical sale, last 12 months. Property tax at San Luis Obispo’s 0.6% (median bill ÷ median value, Census ACS); insurance at 0.35% of price a year. Before PMI, HOA dues, upkeep and the tax deduction. Whether San Luis Obispo is affordable on local pay is on Cost of living.
Six things worth knowing
New listings in April
The month with the most choice. December has the fewest, about 21.
Best time to buyProperty tax, a year
Of a home’s value: the median bill over the median home value. On a $1M home, about $6,340 a year.
Taxes vs. neighborsSchools
The schools grade for San Luis Obispo, from test results, graduation and how much students grow.
Schools in San Luis ObispoTypical commute
The average one-way trip to work for people who live in San Luis Obispo.
Work & commuteCheck the flood map
Flood insurance isn’t in a standard policy, and lenders require it in FEMA flood zones. Check the address before you make an offer.
Natural hazardsLook up any property
Assessed value, lot size and every past sale of a home you’re eyeing are public, at the town or county assessor and the registry of deeds.
Grover Beach, Arroyo Grande and Oceano sell for less a square foot; Pismo Beach for far more
The busier markets within 25 miles of San Luis Obispo, by what sold. Prices, taxes and how far a paycheck goes next door are on Cost of living.
| Sold | Typical sale | $/sq ft | Over asking | Days to sell | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| San Luis Obispo | 439 | $1M | $625 | 30% | 39 |
| Arroyo Grande | 175 | $906K | $566 | 33% | 34 |
| Pismo Beach | 133 | $1.4M | $818 | 21% | 56 |
| Grover Beach | 124 | $786K | $562 | 39% | 42 |
| Los Osos | 111 | $915K | $614 | 31% | 32 |
| Oceano | 56 | $704K | $529 | 29% | 42 |
| Avila Beach | 29 | $1.8M | $724 | 13% | 76 |
Redfin Data Center, October 2025 to September 2026. Towns with fewer than 20 sales are left out, and Redfin doesn’t report every town separately.
Post your home to San Luis Obispo, free
Selling it yourself, renting out an apartment or looking for a roommate? Post it to San Luis Obispo. People who follow the town see it, and so do people comparing San Luis Obispo with their own town. No commission, no listing fee.
Questions about buying a home in San Luis Obispo
What do homes sell for in San Luis Obispo, CA?
439 homes sold in the year to September 2026 at a typical $1M, $625 a square foot. Houses sold for about $1.2M, condos for about $686K in the year to May 2026.
Is San Luis Obispo a buyer’s or seller’s market?
A seller’s market: 102 homes were for sale in September 2026 and 38 sold, about 2.7 months of supply. Buyers paid 99.3% of asking on average.
When is the best time to buy in San Luis Obispo?
April brings the most new listings. The sales history shows which months have fewer bidding wars.
How much are property taxes in San Luis Obispo?
About 0.6% of a home’s value a year. On a $1M home that’s near $6,340.
Where can I see homes for sale in San Luis Obispo?
Zillow, Redfin, Realtor.com and Homes.com all carry San Luis Obispo’s MLS listings; the search links above open each one filtered to San Luis Obispo.
Sales, prices, days on market and listings: Redfin Data Center (MLS, monthly, not seasonally adjusted; from June 2026 each month is a 3-month rolling window, its counts divided by 3). Property tax rate: Census American Community Survey. Two-bedroom rent: HUD Fair Market Rent. Typical home value: Zillow Home Value Index. Schools grade: TownRatings (how grades work).