Hearst pier, 1890s
San Simeon’s story
San Simeon in pictures
The archive holds 24 old photos and papers going back to 1875 and 3 maps from 1919 on.
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San SimeonCA
A town in California, home to 217 people.
Photo: Doug Donaldson · CC BY 2.0
Population
217
Census survey, 2020–24
Typical home
$613K
−0.3% in a year
Household income
$55K
median
Median age
60.1
years
Jobs based here
147
A commuter town
Is San Simeon a good place to live?
San Simeon’s typical July afternoon high is 71°F, against 89°F in California’s towns and 85°F across U.S. towns. San Simeon’s density of trails is 2.6 miles per square mile, where California’s towns sit at 1.0 and U.S. towns at 0.4. San Simeon has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.
What makes San Simeon stand out
Where San Simeon beats most towns.
Small town
217 people, and everyone knows the way
In a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.
Nearby towns
Getting set up
Moving to San Simeon: who provides what
San Simeon is unincorporated, so San Luis Obispo County and regional agencies provide most services.
PowerPG&E37.5¢/kWh · EIA 2025HIFLD · EIA
WaterSan Simeon Csd water system2 health-based violations in 5 years · EPAEPA
InternetProviders and speedsData pending · D4
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 code9345293452 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 San Simeon.
Natural hazards
Natural hazards: very high risk in San Simeon, mostly inland flooding
Federal disaster aid has reached households in San Simeon after 3 declared disasters, most recently in 2023. On expected storm and flood damage, San Simeon sits above 92% of U.S. communities. 40% of the town’s expected losses from natural hazards come from inland flooding, followed by wildfires at 24%.
92risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
Inland floodingWildfireDrought
3
federal disasters paid out here
FEMA disaster declarations and aid · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Work & commute
The average trip to work in San Simeon is shorter than in the typical California or U.S. town
Most working residents leave San Simeon for work: only 4% work in town. Employers in San Simeon shed 57 jobs between 2013 and 2023, to 147. Its typical household income comes in at $55,000. The top destinations are San Luis Obispo (17%), Cambria (10%) and Morro Bay (6%).
4%work in town
| San Simeon | California towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average trip to work | 14 minutes | 28 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Median household income | $55,000 | $95,000 | $80,000 |
| Below the poverty line | 6.5% | 10% | 9.6% |
| Working residents who work in town | 3.9% | 6.6% | 8% |
Where working residents work
In San Simeon4%
San Luis Obispo17%
Cambria10%
Morro Bay6%
Los Osos6%
36 mi
median commute distance
147
jobs based in San Simeon
A commuter town
jobs vs. working residents
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Climate
Expect mild winters and pleasant summers in San Simeon
The January low for San Simeon comes to 45°F.
72°summer high
Typical low → high °F
Winter45–62°
Spring47–64°
Summer52–71°
Fall50–69°
+1.7°
vs. the 20th-century average
72°
typical summer high
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Housing
The typical home in San Simeon: about $613K
Just over a third of San Simeon households live in a home they own. San Simeon’s rent at the middle of the market is $1,311 a month.
$613KZillow home value
| San Simeon | California towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Households that own their home | 34% | 64% | 73% |
| Median rent | $1,311 a month | $1,896 a month | $1,185 a month |
Typical home value
San Simeon$613K
California$762K
−0.3%
value change, 1 year
1
homes sold in September
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Health
How healthy San Simeon is
15% of adults binge drink in San Simeon. CDC measures, 32 in all: San Simeon beats California on 2 and trails on 1. Two figures for adults locally: 19% have been diagnosed with depression, 9.3% smoke cigarettes.
| San Simeon | California towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Frequent mental distress (CDC PLACES) | 14% | 17% | 17% |
| Depression (CDC PLACES) | 19% | 22% | 23% |
| Smoke cigarettes (CDC PLACES) | 9.3% | 11% | 14% |
| Sleep under 7 hours (CDC PLACES) | 32% | 35% | 36% |
32 measures vs. California
2 better29 too close to call1 worse
| What stands out | San Simeon | CA |
|---|---|---|
| More adults seeing a dentist | 68% | 62.8% |
| More adults getting cholesterol checked | 88.3% | 85.4% |
| More adults who have had cancer | 8% | 6.4% |
Adventist Health Twin Cities
23.9 mi away · emergency room
None
primary care, dental or mental-health shortage
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Outdoors
1.2% of the land in San Simeon is protected from building
Walkers can cover 2.1 miles of trail in 2 parks and preserves.
1.2%conserved
1.2%
conserved · 6 of 508 acres
2.1 mi
of trails · 2.6 per sq mi
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary | — | 1 |
| 2. Cambria State Marine Conservation Area | — | 1 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Keep exploring
Everything we know about San Simeon
16pages on San Simeon
The big questions
Out and about
The story
After high school
Colleges nearby
None within 15 miles of San Simeon; the nearest are
Cuesta CollegeCommunity college · Public · San Luis Obispo29.8 mi$1,350 in-state tuitionCalifornia Polytechnic State University-San Luis ObispoUniversity or college · Public · San Luis Obispo34.9 mi$13,596 in-state tuition
About 11 of every 100 San Simeon residents are enrolled in college, against 8 across California.
A commuter town
96% of working residents leave San Simeon for work
Where San Simeon’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
147jobs based in San Simeon
4%of working residents work in town
36 mimedian commute distance
Census LEHD 2023
About San Simeon
Small community on the coast of California
San Simeon (Spanish: San Simeón, meaning "St. Simon") is an unincorporated community on the Pacific coast of San Luis Obispo County, California, United States. As of the 2020 census, San Simeon had a population of 445. Its position along State Route 1 is about halfway between Los Angeles and San Francisco, each of those cities being roughly 230 miles (370 km) away. A key feature of the area is Hearst Castle, a hilltop mansion built for William Randolph Hearst in the early 20th century that is now a tourist attraction. The area is also home to a large northern elephant seal rookery, known as the Piedras Blancas rookery, located 7 miles (11 km) north of San Simeon on Highway 1.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Area
- 0.8 sq mi
- Elevation
- 3,209 ft
- ZIP code
- 93452
- Area code
- 805
Questions about San Simeon
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is San Simeon, CA a good place to live?
San Simeon has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.