Atascadero, CA — Momentum Score, Home Values & Best-For

All states·California·Atascadero

San Luis Obispo County · San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles · population 29,743

Atascadero, CA
Image: Wikipedia · Atascadero, California
OverviewCost of livingMoving guide
View watchlist →
64
Rising
Momentum score · 0–100

Where Atascadero stands

At or near all-time high.

Median home $783,952
1-year +2.4%
5-yr CAGR +5.0%
vs 5-yr peak -0.2%
Population -0.0%/yr

Home value trajectory · last 10 years

Zillow ZHVI · monthly
peak 2026-01$784k$406k$543k$680k$817k201620182020202220242026

Lifestyle scores

🚶
Walkability
32/100
Very car-dependent
Estimated from population density. Higher = denser, more amenities within walking distance.
🚉
Public transit
15/100
Transit limited
Curated list of major US transit systems + population-based estimate. Higher = real subway/rail/bus options.
💻
Remote work fit
63/100
Workable for remote workers
Composite of city size, housing cost, state tax structure, and region's remote-work track record.

Scores are heuristic estimates from population density, state, and known transit/walkable cities. Not based on a paid Walk Score / Transit Score API — see methodology for the formula.

Rent trajectory · last 5 years

Zillow ZORI · monthly
$2,461/mo$2,081$2,367$2,65420242026

Home value vs rent · indexed to 100

Both rebased at first month of ZORI data (~2015)
Home valueRent10511110020242026

Rent vs buy

Price-to-rent ratio: 26.5
Rent

At a 26.5 price-to-rent ratio, renting beats buying in Atascadero for most shorter holds. The premium you pay to own would take many years of rent savings to recoup, and that's before maintenance, taxes, and opportunity cost on the down payment.

How the momentum score breaks down

methodology →
Home YoY
62 · w22%
Home 5-yr CAGR
65 · w22%
Distance from peak
89 · w18%
Population growth
45 · w16%
Rent YoY
53 · w12%
Home 10-yr CAGR
68 · w10%
Long thesis

Atascadero has held up across the cycle: home values at $783,952 with +5.0% 5-year CAGR. The bull case is structural — population, location, employer base — and holds even if next year's print is soft.

Short thesis

Atascadero's bear case is the boring one: the cycle is real and any market that's run hard can stall. Watch for slowing population growth, rising days-on-market, or builder discounts as the early warning signals.

About Atascadero

Atascadero is a city in San Luis Obispo County, California, with an estimated population of 29,743. It anchors the San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles metro area. The median home value in Atascadero is $783,952 as of 2026-04, up 2.4% over the last 12 months. Over the last five years, home values have averaged +5.0% annual growth, with prices at or near the 5-year peak. Rents in Atascadero average $2,461 per month, roughly flat year-over-year (+1.2%). The composite momentum score is 64 of 100 (Rising). The market is healthy with prices supported by underlying demand.

▲ Bull case

●Quiet strength: +2.4% over the trailing year — not a melt-up, but the market is bid.
●Held the highs: currently -0.2% from the 5-year peak — this market refused to give back gains.

▼ Bear case

○Local nuance: city-level data smooths over neighborhood differences. School zones, HOA rules, and street-level character matter — visit before deciding.

About Atascadero (Wikipedia)

Atascadero is a city in San Luis Obispo County, California, United States, located on U.S. Route 101. Atascadero is part of the San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles metropolitan statistical area, which encompasses the extents of the county. Atascadero is farther inland than most other cities in the county, and as a result, usually experiences warmer, drier summers, and cooler winters than other nearby cities such as San Luis Obispo and Pismo Beach. The main freeway through town is U.S. 101. The nearby State Routes 41 and 46 provide access to the Pacific Coast and the Central Valley of California.

Source: Wikipedia · this summary is contributed and licensed under CC-BY-SA.

Playbook

Buyer

You're not in a frenzy but you're not getting bargains either. Make a competitive offer with normal inspection terms. Don't lowball — the listing will move with or without you.

Seller

Price at fair market value; expect movement in 30-45 days. Don't get clever with terms (rent-back, contingencies) — buyers in a Rising market have options.

Investor

Appreciation tailwind exists but cash flow requires discipline on price. Run the numbers conservatively and confirm rent comps before committing.

Local safety & alerts

No active National Weather Service alerts for San Luis Obispo County right now.

NWS active alerts (CA)California Emergency ManagementHow to prepare (NWS)

Public-safety links are official .gov sources, not curated by us. San Luis Obispo County routes NWS alerts; check the state EM portal for non-weather emergencies.

Cities like Atascadero

Lemoore, CA67 · RisingSanger, CA67 · RisingClaremont, CA64 · RisingSelma, CA67 · Rising

Run the numbers for Atascadero

ToolCan I afford Atascadero?Income → city shortlistToolROI on a Atascadero rentalCap rate, cash-on-cash, DSCRToolCompare Atascadero to anywhereSide-by-side up to 3 citiesToolAtascadero cost-of-livingEquivalent income elsewhere

Sources: Zillow ZHVI (home values), Zillow ZORI (rents), US Census ACS + place population. Updated when source agencies publish revisions.

Climate & natural-disaster risk

Winter (Jan)
60° / 41°
avg high / low
Summer (Jul)
82° / 60°
avg high / low
Sunny days/yr
258
~71% of year
Annual precip
22″ rain
8″ snow
Disaster risk (1=very low, 5=very high)
Hurricane
Very low
Tornado
Very low
Wildfire
Very high
Earthquake
Very high
Flood
Moderate

State-level averages from NOAA Climate Normals (1991-2020) and FEMA National Risk Index. City-level conditions can vary significantly within a state.

Current weather

Loading current conditions…

7-day forecast on weather.gov →

Find rentals & listings

Open current Atascadero listings on the major real-estate sites.

Links open the live search on the destination site — results are always current.

Local news & community

Updated 2026-05-21 from Google News + Reddit RSS. Headlines link to original sources.

Local sports teams

Major professional teams the San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles area cheers for. Detailed stats, schedules, and player pages on intherafters.com.

Local economy & environment

Humidity
65%
Moderate climate
Median household income
$91,500
California state median
Top industries (state-level)
TechEntertainmentAgriculture

Humidity is annual average relative humidity (NOAA). Income is Census ACS 5-year estimate. Industries are largest employment sectors statewide (BLS); the local mix in a given city may vary.

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