What it's like to live in Paso Robles
Paso Robles is a small city in California with household incomes running above the national average. Those factors carry real weight for anyone weighing where to move next.
The tradeoffs are worth naming plainly. Paso Robles deals with rent well above the national average, home prices well above the national average, air quality that falls short of national benchmarks, and larger class sizes than the national average.
The good
- Higher-than-average incomes
The not so good
- Rent well above the national average
- High home prices
- Air quality concerns
- High student-teacher ratio
- High rent burden for renters
- Smaller place — fewer dining and entertainment options
How Paso Robles compares
Median household income
Median rent (per month)
Median home value
What it takes to move to Paso Robles
Based on Paso Robles's median rent, home value and household income
To rent
$3,962
up front: first month plus a typical one-month deposit
- Income to keep rent under 30%: $79,240 a year
- 57% of Paso Robles renters spend 30% or more of their income on rent
To buy
$137,440
a 20% down payment on the median home
- With 10% down: $68,720
- Homes cost 7.5× the typical local household income (US: 4.1×)
Moving costs, closing costs and taxes not included.
The details
Cost of living▲ 40% above US
$1,981/mo median rent
Rent is expensive here, at $1,981 a month median and well above the national average. This is the kind of city where housing costs deserve serious budgeting before committing to a move. Home prices are steep, with a median around $687,200. Renting first to get a feel for the city before buying is often the more practical route.
Median home value $687,200 · 57% of renters cost-burdened
Job marketNear US average
4.4% unemployment
Unemployment here is 4.4%, close to the national average of 4.3%.
City-level (BLS)
Safety
300 violent crimes per 100k, whole jurisdiction
Paso Robles doesn't have its own police department, so there's no crime rate for it alone. The figures shown are for the San Luis Obispo County Sheriff's Office jurisdiction as a whole, which runs close to the national average for violent crime and covers many communities. Individual neighborhoods can differ a lot from that overall rate.
Property crime 428/100k · Policed by San Luis Obispo County Sheriff's Office (county-wide rate) · 2025 data
Getting aroundNear US average
26 min average commute
Commutes run about average, at 25.6 minutes. Fine day to day, but it adds up over a year, and where someone lives relative to where they work starts to matter. 8 in 10 workers drive to work; 11% work from home.
How workers get to work
Climate
Summers are hot and humid, with highs regularly hitting 90°F, and winters are chilly but manageable, with lows around 35°F. It's a dry climate with limited rainfall.
Average month
30-year averages, 1991–2020
Education & workforce▼ 18% below US
30% bachelor's degree or higher
College degree attainment runs below average at 30%. That tends to reflect a more trade and working-class economy, which can be great or limiting depending on the industry.
Schools
14 public schools inside the boundary
There are 14 public schools inside the boundary and 1 private school. The student-to-teacher ratio is 23:1, above the national average of 16:1.
Parks & recreation
The nearest national park or historic site is Pinnacles National Park (66 miles away).
Bottom line
Paso Robles's strongest point is household incomes running above the national average; the main tradeoffs are rent well above the national average and home prices well above the national average. A year of median rent ($1,981/mo) equals 26% of the median household income here, more than the 21% typical nationwide. It may be a harder fit for renters on a tight budget and anyone who doesn't drive.
Other places near Paso Robles
All California guides →Moving to Atascadero →
11 mi away · pop. 29,712
Rent $1,854/mo · Income $91,429
Compare with Paso Robles →Moving to Morro Bay →
22 mi away · pop. 10,692
Rent $1,858/mo · Income $95,843
Compare with Paso Robles →Moving to Los Osos →
25 mi away · pop. 14,166
Rent $2,047/mo · Income $108,932
Compare with Paso Robles →Moving to San Luis Obispo →
26 mi away · pop. 48,491
Rent $1,965/mo · Income $73,685
Compare with Paso Robles →Not sure Paso Robles is the one?
Put it side by side with another city.