Maps included in the 2008 San Luis Obispo County Economic Forecast paint what might be a surprising picture of the Nipomo area — especially when compared to other communities in the county.

For example, Nipomo is among the most affluent areas of the county, with the median household income more than $60,000 a year — the median being the point where half the people make more and half the people make less.

San Luis Obispo, on the other hand, is among the least affluent, with median annual incomes of less than $40,000 on the north side and $40,001 to $50,000 on the south.

San Luis Obispo’s low median income is likely skewed by the large number of Cal Poly students who live in the city and make relatively low part-time wages.

But other apparent anomalies are harder to pin down.

The maps break out the data based on ZIP codes. Almost all city ZIP codes extend well beyond their respective city limits, and rural ZIP codes cover wide and in some cases sparsely populated areas.

Some smaller ZIP codes are also absorbed into larger areas — Avila Beach, for example, is included as part of the northern San Luis Obispo 93405 ZIP code.

Advertisement

And some ZIP codes are extended into areas that have no ZIP codes — huge areas of Los Padres National Forest and the Carrizo Plain are considered part of the 92353 Santa Margarita ZIP code.

Still, the maps generally lump together areas that are similar and have social, economic or other connections.

Even though the median income in Nipomo’s 93444 ZIP code is relatively high, the median age is just 35.1 to 40.

Given the high median household income, one might expect a high number of residents with college degrees. Yet the percentage of Nipomo residents age 25 and older who hold college degrees is 20.1 to 30 percent.

In San Luis Obispo, more than 50 percent of the southern portion and 30.1 to 40 percent of the northern portion have college degrees — again, likely skewed by Cal Poly students, many of whom choose to stay in the area, at least temporarily, after graduation.

With the relatively high median income in Nipomo, the percent of families living below the poverty threshold is, as might be expected, relatively low at 3.1 to 6 percent.

The southern portion of San Luis Obispo, which has a higher percentage of people with college degrees, actually has a higher percentage of people living below the poverty threshold — 6.1 to 9 percent.

Cuyama Valley, which like northern San Luis Obispo has a median income of less than $40,000 a year, has the highest percentage of people living below poverty level at more than 15 percent. San Simeon has the lowest percentage at less than 3 percent.

Both of those areas, which have relatively low populations, also have the lowest percentage of people with college degrees — less than 3 percent.

Nipomo’s unemployment rate runs about the middle of the range for the county at 3.1 to 4 percent. The northern half of San Luis Obispo and the San Simeon area are higher at 4.1 to 5 percent.

The highest unemployment levels are in Oceano and Cuyama Valley at more than 5 percent, while the lowest levels are in the Cayucos and Shandon areas at less than 2 percent.

But the maps also show many of the jobs Nipomo residents hold are likely beyond San Luis Obispo to the north, as far away as Vandenberg Air Force Base to the south or in remote areas like Diablo Canyon Nuclear Power Plant.

Between 25.1 and 33 percent of Nipomo workers — the same as Oceano’s work force — commute more than 30 minutes to their jobs, although some of that drive time could be attributed to traffic congestion along Highway 101 or slow travel on rural roads.

The lowest percentage of people commuting more than 30 minutes — less than 20 percent — live in San Luis Obispo; the highest percentage, not surprisingly, live around Shandon and the huge Los Padres National Forest and Carrizo Plains areas lumped into the Santa Margarita ZIP code.

As for average household size, Nipomo ranks near the top in the county, along with the Estrella/ San Miguel area, at 2.81 to 3 people per household. Only the Cuyama Valley and Shandon area have larger average households at more than 3 people.

Most of the county has an average household size of 2.1 to 2.5 people, with the Morro Bay ZIP Code — which extends into codeless Los Padres National Forest lands — having the lowest at less than 2 people.

November 24, 2008