Other coastal towns (listed from north to south) include Cambria, Cayucos, Morro Bay, and Los Osos -Baywood Park.

The Salinas River Valley, a region that figures strongly in several John Steinbeck novels, stretches north from San Luis Obispo County.

The Csb warm-summer mediterranean type climate together with the county's varied landscapes reminds visitors of European locales.

Hispanic or Latino of any race were 55,973 persons (20.8%); 17.7% of San Luis Obispo County is Mexican, 0.3% Puerto Rican, and 0.2% Salvadoran.

The economic indicators reveal that San Luis Obispo County aligns closely with California regarding median household income and poverty rates.

However, the county distinguishes itself through higher educational attainment and homeownership rates, alongside a distinctive employment sector composition favoring agriculture and related industries.

Despite these strengths, the county is not immune to challenges, as evidenced by a housing market that is significantly more expensive than the rest of California and growing income inequality.

The county led the state in hemp cultivation in 2018 as hundreds of acres of the crop were grown in research partnerships.

Sixteen commercial permits were issued before a temporary ban on new applications running through June 2020 was passed by the Board of Supervisors.

[32] San Luis Obispo County leaned toward the Republican Party in presidential and congressional elections during most of the 20th century; it has, however, become more Democratic starting in the 2000s.

[35] Prior to 2008, the last Democrat to win a majority in the county was Lyndon B. Johnson in 1964, although Bill Clinton won a plurality in 1992.

In April 2008, the California Secretary of State reported that there were 147,326 registered voters in San Luis Obispo County.

The cities of Grover Beach, Morro Bay, and San Luis Obispo had pluralities or majorities of registered Democratic voters, whereas the rest of the county's towns, cities, and the unincorporated areas have a plurality or majority of registered Republican voters.

[citation needed] The following table includes the number of incidents reported and the rate per 1,000 persons for each type of offense.

The cities of San Luis Obispo, Atascadero and Paso Robles operate their own local bus services; all of these connect with SLORTA routes.

Intercity service is provided by Amtrak trains, Greyhound Lines and Orange Belt Stages buses.

The Amtrak Thruway 18 provides a daily connection to Visalia on the east, and Santa Maria on the west, with several stops in between.

[42] FlixBus boards from the San Luis Obispo Railroad Museum at 1940 Santa Barbara Avenue.