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2010 Community
Economic Profile
for the City of San Luis Obispo
with additional information about San Luis Obispo County
Prepared by the Research Department of the
San Luis Obispo Chamber of Commerce
Location
The city of San Luis Obispo, incorporated February 16, 1856, is located 200 miles north of Los Angeles and 235 miles south of San Francisco; it is 10.7 square miles, at an elevation of 315 feet, the city is 35° N latitude and 120° W longitude. The county of San Luis Obispo is 3,316 square miles in area. San Luis Obispo is California’s 23rd largest county by population.
(Source: SLO County Economic Development)
City Climate
Average temperatures for San Luis Obispo city:
|
Period |
Minimum (°F) |
Maximum (°F) |
Rain (inches) |
|
January |
42 |
65 |
5.25 |
|
April |
45 |
71 |
1.31 |
|
July |
53 |
80 |
0.03 |
|
October |
50 |
79 |
0.99 |
August is the average warmest month
Highest recorded temperature was 112°F in 1971
December is the average coolest month
Lowest recorded temperature was 12°F in 1987
The maximum average precipitation occurs in February
San Luis Obispo has a 339-day growing season
Prevailing winds direction is northeast; mean hourly speed is 7 mph
(Source: Weatherchannel.com)
Economic Activity
San Luis Obispo County’s economy is truly a post-industrial economy. It could be better categorized as a service economy. What the government classifies as “service jobs” account for 38% of the county’s jobs, the true service sector is larger. Government jobs accounts for 20.7% of the County, which is also recognized as a service sector. The presence of Finance, Insurance, and Real Estate sector can also be classified as a service sector. Services and Retail combined accounts for 75% of county jobs. Manufacturing jobs now represent less than 6% of the county jobs.
|
Employment by Industry Sector – San Luis Obispo County |
| Sector |
Employment |
| Agriculture |
4,388 |
| Mining & Construction |
5,860 |
| Manufacturing |
6,322 |
| Local Government |
13,127 |
| Transportation, Warehousing, & Utilities |
3,769 |
| Information |
1,301 |
| Wholesale Trade |
2,684 |
| Retail Trade |
13,224 |
| Finance & Insurance |
2,285 |
| Real Estate & Related |
1,696 |
| Education & Health Services |
11,640 |
| Leisure & Hospitality Services |
14,794 |
| State Government |
9,667 |
| Federal Government |
687 |
| Professional & Business Services |
9,529 |
| Total Employment |
100,973 |
County Agriculture
The leading agriculture crops for the county of San Luis Obispo include wine grapes, broccoli and cattle/calves. There is a total of 1,164,500 acres of agriculture land; 113,200 is harvested acreage and 1,051,300 is pasture acreage. Refer to the table below for a complete list of the leading agriculture production.
|
San Luis Obispo County Leading Agriculture Production in Dollars |
|
Crop |
2008 Ranking |
Dollar Amount |
2007 Ranking |
| Grapes, wine |
1 |
$124,126,000 |
1 |
| Broccoli |
2 |
$70,914,000 |
2 |
| Strawberries |
3 |
$65,481,000 |
3 |
| Cattle and calves |
4 |
$50,050,000 |
4 |
| Vegetable transplants |
5 |
$35,682,000 |
5 |
| Cut flowers |
6 |
$25,203,000 |
7 |
| Head lettuce |
7 |
$24,591,000 |
6 |
| Indoor decoratives |
8 |
$21,011,000 |
8 |
| Carrots |
9 |
$19,623,000 |
11 |
| Oriental Vegetables |
10 |
$13,090,000 |
Unranked |
San Luis Obispo Wineries
Picturesque San Luis Obispo County — part of the California wine country featured in the award-winning "Sideways" movie — boasts two distinct wine country regions, and both attract worldwide acclaim. With over 200 wineries, many welcome visitors to wine tasting rooms for sampling prize-winning wines. This is a delightful destination for wine lovers.
In the San Luis Obispo wine region, the cool climate and marine sediment combine to produce the most highly regarded, rich, buttery chardonnay grapes in California wine country. In the north, the long, hot summers with the chalk and limestone hillsides of Paso Robles wine country yield award-winning red wines. Superb zinfandels and Rhöne varietals reward wine tasting tours with lasting memories.
Plan your wine country vacation around the spectacular California Central Coast of San Luis Obispo County. Our mild Mediterranean climate is perfect for year-round wine tasting and wine country tours.
San Luis Obispo, Ca., wine country is worth a visit in itself. Added bonuses are the beaches, Hearst Castle, the Mission, the beautiful surrounding scenery and the wonderful small towns. Experience the relaxed country drives, friendly people, and great wines that San Luis Obispo has to offer.
|
Top Wine Grapes |
Value (In Millions) |
| Chadonnay |
24.7 |
| Sauvignon Blanc |
4 |
| Cabernet Sauvignon |
27.5 |
| Merlot |
13.7 |
| Pinot Noir |
8 |
| Syrah |
12 |
| Zinfandel |
11 | |
