Where Are People Moving in San Luis Obispo, CA?
IRS county-to-county migration, 2023 tax year (released about two years after the tax year it covers).
People moving in
4,820
People moving out
4,354
Net migration
+170
San Luis Obispo, CA is a net gainer of residents. In the latest IRS data (2023 tax year), 4,820 people moved in and 4,354 moved out, for a net gain of +170. Sustained inflows like this are one of the strongest long-run signals of housing demand.
Migration is most useful read alongside the rest of the market. People move for jobs, affordability, climate, and lifestyle, and where they come from and go to says a lot about what a county is competing on. Below are the specific counties driving San Luis Obispo, CA’s flows in each direction.
Top counties people moved to San Luis Obispo, CA from
| Origin county | Returns | People |
|---|---|---|
| Santa Barbara, CACalifornia | 840 | 1,471 |
| Los Angeles, CACalifornia | 627 | 919 |
| Kern, CACalifornia | 267 | 434 |
| Santa Clara, CACalifornia | 266 | 431 |
| San Diego, CACalifornia | 256 | 353 |
| Fresno, CACalifornia | 251 | 390 |
| Orange, CACalifornia | 241 | 332 |
| Ventura, CACalifornia | 173 | 254 |
| Monterey, CACalifornia | 166 | 259 |
| Tulare, CACalifornia | 142 | 222 |
Top counties people left San Luis Obispo, CA for
| Destination county | Returns | People |
|---|---|---|
| Santa Barbara, CACalifornia | 722 | 1,244 |
| Los Angeles, CACalifornia | 399 | 489 |
| San Diego, CACalifornia | 348 | 446 |
| Orange, CACalifornia | 227 | 311 |
| Fresno, CACalifornia | 187 | 291 |
| Kern, CACalifornia | 169 | 296 |
| Santa Clara, CACalifornia | 162 | 213 |
| Ventura, CACalifornia | 128 | 184 |
| Monterey, CACalifornia | 126 | 180 |
| San Francisco, CACalifornia | 120 | 135 |
“Returns” counts tax returns (a household proxy) that moved along each flow; “People” counts the individuals on those returns, when reported. IRS aggregate and foreign pseudo-rows are excluded. Informational only, not financial advice.
Frequently asked questions
Are people moving to San Luis Obispo, CA or leaving?
San Luis Obispo, CA had a net gain of +170 residents in the latest IRS data (2023 tax year), with 4,820 people moving in and 4,354 moving out. Net migration is inflow minus outflow.
Where are people moving to San Luis Obispo, CA from?
The largest sources of new San Luis Obispo, CA residents are Santa Barbara, CA, Los Angeles, CA, Kern, CA. The full top-ten list of origin counties is in the table above.
Where do people leaving San Luis Obispo, CA go?
People leaving San Luis Obispo, CA most often move to Santa Barbara, CA, Los Angeles, CA, San Diego, CA. The full top-ten list of destination counties is in the table above.
What does San Luis Obispo, CA migration mean for housing?
Migration is a leading demand signal. Sustained net inflows tend to support rents and home prices when supply cannot keep up, while net outflows can soften them. Read this alongside San Luis Obispo, CA's price forecast, building permits, and affordability on the full county dashboard before drawing a conclusion.
How current is this San Luis Obispo, CA migration data?
It comes from IRS Statistics of Income county-to-county migration data, which is released about two years after the tax year it covers; the figures above reflect the 2023 tax year. That lag is normal for this dataset, which counts actual tax returns rather than survey estimates.