Places › California › El Paso de Robles (Paso Robles)

Living in El Paso de Robles (Paso Robles), CA

Small city in California

El Paso de Robles (Paso Robles) is a small city in California, home to about 31,000 people, with 172,000 living within 31 mi. Day to day, there is some transit, though many people drive. Life moves at a relaxed pace, and homes are mostly houses.

Is El Paso de Robles (Paso Robles) a good place to live? Pros and cons

👍 Pros

  • Sunny: more sunshine and clearer skies than most places
  • Dog-friendly: 4 dog parks within 9 mi
  • Great outdoors: hills or mountains nearby
  • Family-friendly: playgrounds, family attractions and plenty of households with kids

👎 Cons

  • Smaller job market: about 172,000 people live within 31 mi
  • Quieter on culture: few museums and attractions nearby
  • Fewer graduates: 29% of adults have a bachelor's degree or higher
  • Pricey housing: a typical 3-bedroom home is about $754k, and rent is $3,370 a month

Whether it's a good place for you depends on what you value. Take the quiz to see how El Paso de Robles (Paso Robles) ranks against your own priorities.

Key facts

Population
31,000
172,000 within 31 mi
Winter / summer highs
62°F / 90°F
Average daily highs
3-bedroom home
$754k
Typical value (Zillow)
3-bedroom rent
$3,370/mo
Incl. utilities (HUD)
Cost of living
109
US average = 100 (BEA)
Taxes
$3,279
State income tax per resident · 0.71% property tax
Safety
No data
Not in FBI 2019 city table
Natural disasters
10 since 2000
Declared in the county · mainly flooding, earthquakes
Top-rated hospitals
1
4–5★ within 31 mi (CMS)
Public schools
Below average
Tests below US average · 24 students per teacher
Adults with a degree
29%
No research university within 31 mi
Nearest major airport
FAT
95 mi away

Living in El Paso de Robles (Paso Robles): common questions

What is the cost of living in El Paso de Robles (Paso Robles)?

A typical 3-bedroom home is worth about $754k, and a 3-bedroom rents for about $3,370 a month including utilities. Overall living costs are above the US average (index 109, where the US is 100).

What are taxes like in El Paso de Robles (Paso Robles)?

California collects about $3,279 in state income tax per resident, and homeowners here pay about 0.71% of their home's value in property tax each year.

Is El Paso de Robles (Paso Robles) safe?

El Paso de Robles (Paso Robles) isn't in the FBI's 2019 city crime table, so Best Life Fit Me counts its safety as average.

How are the schools in El Paso de Robles (Paso Robles)?

Public schools in El Paso de Robles (Paso Robles) test below the US average in math and reading (2018–19 state tests, put on one national scale with NAEP), with about 24 students per teacher.

What is the weather like in El Paso de Robles (Paso Robles)?

El Paso de Robles (Paso Robles) has mild winters: winter days average around 62°F and summer days around 90°F.

Does El Paso de Robles (Paso Robles) get natural disasters?

Natural disaster risk is moderate, mainly from flooding and earthquakes: 10 federally declared disasters have hit the county since 2000, and FEMA expects about 0.57 deaths or injuries per 100,000 residents a year.

What is the nearest major airport to El Paso de Robles (Paso Robles)?

The nearest major airport is FAT, about 95 mi away.

How El Paso de Robles (Paso Robles) scores

Each bar compares El Paso de Robles (Paso Robles) with the other 1,990 places in Best Life Fit Me. A dot shows where it sits between two ends, such as major metro and small town; neither end is better. Coloured bars run from poor (red) to excellent (green).

🏙️City sizeSmall town Major metroSmall town
🏘️Urban or quietQuiet / rural Dense & urbanQuiet / rural
🚶Getting aroundSome transit Walk & transitCar essential
🌲Culture or natureNature on the doorstep Culture & nightlifeNature on the doorstep
🌡️ClimateMild winters Warm all yearLong, snowy winters
💰Cost of livingExpensive Very expensiveVery affordable
⏱️PaceRelaxed Very fast-pacedSlow & calm
🤝CommunityFriendly community AnonymousTight-knit community
🏡HousingMostly houses ApartmentsHouses with yards
🏷️Affordable housingPoor
💸Low taxesBelow average
💼Job marketPoor
🏥HealthcareAverage
🏫SchoolsBelow average
🎓EducationPoor
🧸Kids & familyGood
🐕Dog-friendlyExcellent
⛰️OutdoorsExcellent
🎭CulturePoor
👮SafetyNo crime data (counted as average)
🌪️Few natural disastersGood
☀️SunnyExcellent
🌤️Mild summersAverage
✈️AirportAverage

Places like El Paso de Robles (Paso Robles)

These places have the most similar overall profile across all 24 aspects.

The circle is each place's all-round score out of 100: the average of its 15 quality scores, from red (poor) to green (excellent).

Atascadero, CASmall city52 $779k$3,370/moVery safe Orcutt, CASmall city47 $683k$4,080/moNo crime data Hollister, CASuburb52 $718k$3,940/moVery safe Redmond, ORSmall city49 $494k$2,480/moSafe La Quinta, CASmall city45 $681k$2,910/moVery safe Hilo, HISmall town45 $562k$2,620/moNo crime data

Nearby

Atascadero, CASmall city · 10 mi away52 $779k$3,370/moVery safe San Luis Obispo, CACollege town · 25 mi away55 $1.10M$3,370/moModerate crime Santa Maria, CAMid-size city · 49 mi away44 $645k$4,080/moNo crime data Orcutt, CASmall city · 54 mi away47 $683k$4,080/moNo crime data Lemoore, CASmall city · 66 mi away38 $366k$2,040/moSafe Lompoc, CASmall city · 67 mi away38 $580k$4,080/moModerate crime

See all the best places to live in California.

Is El Paso de Robles (Paso Robles) right for you?

Answer 27 quick questions and see how it ranks against your priorities.

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Sources: US Census ACS 2019–2023, Census State Tax Collections FY2025, Zillow 3-bedroom ZHVI, HUD Fair Market Rents, BEA Regional Price Parities 2024, FBI 2019, FEMA National Risk Index v1.20, OpenFEMA disaster declarations, NOAA Normals 1991–2020, NASA POWER, CMS, NCES IPEDS 2023, IMLS, OpenStreetMap. How scores work.