San Luis Obispo County, California
Latest: 2024
Leans Democratic — 40 presidential elections on record
Race & ancestry
| Group | % |
|---|---|
▶White (Non-Hispanic)(13) | 64.5% |
▶Hispanic / Latino(17) | 25.0% |
▶Black / African American(10) | 1.2% |
▶Asian(6) | 3.7% |
▶Middle Eastern / North African(10) | 1.1% |
▶Native American / Alaska Native(3) | 0.9% |
▶Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander(3) | 0.1% |
Multiracial / Other | 4.6% |
Religious adherence
| Tradition | % Pop | % Adherents |
|---|---|---|
| Catholic | 20.3% | 52.5% |
| Evangelical Protestant | 10.8% | 28.0% |
| Other | 5.5% | 14.1% |
| LDS (Mormon) | 1.9% | 4.8% |
| Mainline Protestant | 1.6% | 4.2% |
| Black Protestant | 0.4% | 1.0% |
| Non-religious | 61.4% | — |
Presidential results
| Year | Result |
|---|---|
| 2024 | Harris+10.9 |
| 2020 | Biden+13.1 |
| 2016 | Clinton+8.0 |
| 2012 | Obama+1.0 |
| 2008 | Obama+5.3 |
| 2004 | Bush+7.2 |
| 2000 | Bush+11.3 |
| 1996 | Dole+6.3 |
| 1992 | Clinton+3.6 |
San Luis Obispo, California is a county that has a population of 281,555. In the 2024 presidential election, it voted Democratic with a margin of D+10.9. Akashic Edge tracks 40 presidential elections here, dating back to 1868.
| Year | Dem % | Rep % | Margin | Swing |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 53.9% | 43.1% | D+10.9 | R+2.2 |
| 2020 | 55.3% | 42.2% | D+13.1 | D+5.1 |
| 2016 | 48.9% | 40.9% | D+8.0 | D+7.0 |
| 2012 | 48.6% | 47.6% | D+1.0 | R+4.3 |
| 2008 | 51.2% | 45.9% | D+5.3 | D+12.5 |
| 2004 | 45.5% | 52.7% | R+7.2 | D+4.2 |
| 2000 | 40.9% | 52.2% | R+11.3 | R+5.0 |
| 1996 | 40.2% | 46.5% | R+6.3 | R+9.9 |
| 1992 | 38.4% | 34.8% | D+3.6 | D+16.7 |
| 1988 | 42.7% | 55.8% | R+13.1 | D+15.6 |
| 1984 | 35.0% | 63.7% | R+28.7 | R+2.6 |
| 1980 | 29.5% | 55.6% | R+26.1 | R+20.8 |
| 1976 | 45.9% | 51.2% | R+5.3 | D+10.0 |
| 1972 | 40.7% | 56.0% | R+15.3 | R+5.8 |
| 1968 | 41.8% | 51.3% | R+9.5 | R+29.2 |
| 1964 | 59.8% | 40.1% | D+19.8 | D+28.5 |
| 1960 | 45.3% | 54.0% | R+8.7 | D+8.6 |
| 1956 | 41.1% | 58.5% | R+17.4 | D+13.7 |
| 1952 | 34.1% | 65.1% | R+31.0 | R+19.7 |
| 1948 | 42.1% | 53.5% | R+11.3 | — |
What defines San Luis Obispo?
San Luis Obispo has been won by both parties in the last 6 presidential elections (5D, 1R) — a genuine swing geography. It has a racially mixed, moderately educated electorate — the urban swing demographic that decides close elections.
County in State Context
Ask the Historian
Explore this county's political evolution with the Historian
Key Insights
High-confidence patterns distilled from this geography's election history.
- Has voted Democratic in the last 5 presidential elections
- The 2012 election was decided by just 1.0 points — razor-thin
- Won by both parties in recent history — Democrats most recently in 2024, Republicans in 2004
Located In
San Luis Obispo sits inside these higher-level geographies.