Census Data for El Paso de Robles
Population ...
The most recent Census Estimate<1> was for 2019 and it gave El Paso de Robles a population of 31,522 people.
The last Decennial Census<2> was in 2010, which gave El Paso de Robles a population of 29,793 people.
The city of El Paso de Robles is located in San Luis Obispo County. The 2010 Census gave San Luis Obispo County; a population of 269,637 people. This means that El Paso de Robles had 11.05% of the county's total population, making it San Luis Obispo's 2nd most populous community.
At the same time, California had a population of 37,253,956 people, meaning that El Paso de Robles had 0.08% of the total population of California - making it the state's 234th most populous community.
Area ...
The 2010 Census shows that the sampling area for El Paso de Robles has a total area of 19.43 square miles [50.3 km²]. Of this total, 19.12 square miles [49.5 km²] is land, with the balance (1.57%) being water (0.3 square miles [0.8 km²]).
San Luis Obispo County has a land area of 3,298 square miles [8,543.2 km²]. At 19.12 square miles [49.5 km²], El Paso de Robles has 0.58% of the county's total land area.
- Continue Reading ...
- When the Census Bureau conducts a census for a city like El Paso de Robles, they draw a boundary around the area in which they are going to conduct their count - this defines the sampling area (usually a polygon). The shape of the sampling area can be quite complex and it's important to keep in mind that the boundaries of the sampling area may or may not match the recognized boundaries of the city.
- Things like population, area and housing for El Paso de Robles reflect the sampling area. Since the shape of the sampling area and the actual boundaries of El Paso de Robles might be different, it's best to check with the U.S. Census Bureau to resolve any difference between the two.
- Not only does the sampling area define boundaries, it also has a GPS location (latitude & longitude) that indicates a point within the sampling area (usually the center of the polygon, known as the centroid). At the time of the 2010 Census, the sampling area was located at:
- Lat: 35° 38' 26" (or 35.64°)
- Lon: -120° 39' 15" (or -120.65°)
- More information on this topic and the changes between the 2000 Census and the 2010 Census can be found in the section for our Census-to-Census Observations ... (see below).
Housing Units ...
At the time of the 2010 Census, El Paso de Robles had 11,426 Housing Units<3> and with its population of 29,793 people, this averages 2.61 people per Housing Unit.
- Continue Reading ...
- The 2010 Census shows El Paso de Robles had a land area of 19.12 square miles [49.5 km²]. This translates to 588 Housing Units per square mile [227.1 housing units/km²].
- From the Census of 2000: El Paso de Robles had 8,791 Housing Units, a population of 24,297 people and a land area of 17.33 square miles [44.9 km²]. This gives a density of 2.76 people per Housing Unit and 507 Housing Units per square mile [195.8 housing units/km²].
- Note: Repeating the caution above (under Population Density), be aware that when comparing Housing Units between the 2010 Census and the 2000 Census, there were changes in the sampling area for El Paso de Robles and you need to be careful when comparing between the censuses. More information about the nature of these the changes can be found in the section called Census-to-Census Observations ... (see below).
San Luis Obispo County ...
The community of El Paso de Robles is located in San Luis Obispo County<4>.
The county had a population of 269,637 people at the 2010 Census. With it's population of 29,793 people, El Paso de Robles represented 11.05% of the county's total.
In addition, where the city of El Paso de Robles has a population density of 1,533 people per square mile [592 people/km²], San Luis Obispo County averages 81.7 people per square mile [31.56 people/km²].
For more information, please visit our Census Page for San Luis Obispo County.
Census-to-Census Observations ...
Introduction ...
When the Census Bureau takes a census count (or enumeration) for El Paso de Robles, they start by specifying the boundaries of the area to be counted. This area (or sampling area) is a polygon and its shape can be quite complex - it may or may not match the geographical boundaries of El Paso de Robles. It's important to note that from one Census to the next, the shape and location of the polygon can change.
- Continue Reading ...
- Although we don't have specific information about the shape of the polygon for El Paso de Robles or how it changed has over time, there is some information that can give us some hints. For example, since the shape of the sampling area is directly related to the shape of the polygon, any change to area probably indicates a new shape for the polygon.
- If you need precision or details about the methodology of the Census, you should visit the U.S. Census Bureau for a definitive answer.
Location ...
While generally coinciding with the GPS location (latitude/longitude) of El Paso de Robles, the latitude and longitude given by the Census Bureau actually indicates the GPS location of the polygon for El Paso de Robles.
- Continue Reading ...
- For the 2010 Census, the location was given as:
- Lat: 35.640740° (or 35°38'26" N)
- Lon: -120.654268° (or -120°39'15" W)
- For the 2000 Census, the location given was:
- Lat: 35.627006° (or 35°37'37" N)
- Lon: -120.677988° (or -120°40'40" W)
- The difference indicates that the U.S. Census Bureau moved the location of the polygon for the 2010 Census 8,629 feet to the northeast<5> of the location that was used in the 2000 Census.
- The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) and the U.S. Board on Geographic Names (BGN) have assigned a unique GNIS identifier (#2410415) to El Paso de Robles. This identifier also marks a GPS point on the map, and that point lies within the boundaries of El Paso de Robles. The GNIS point has been mapped to the latitude/longitude:
- Lat: 35.639376° (or 35°38'21" N)
- Lon: -120.655780° (or -120°39'20" W)
- The GPS location given for the 2010 Census lies 669 feet to the northeast<6> of the point given by the GNIS for El Paso de Robles. For more information about this and the relationship of the various Federal Codes, please visit our Misc Page for El Paso de Robles.
Miscellaneous Information for El Paso de Robles ...
The Federal government has assigned various identifying codes to each community, county and state. At one time or another, the US Census Bureau has used one (or more) of the following identifiers when referring to either San Luis Obispo County or the city of El Paso de Robles:
- The GNIS Codes ...
- The FIPS Codes ...
- An earlier (and largely obsolete) identification method was called the Federal Information Processing Standard (FIPS):
- State Code: 06 (California)
- County Code: 079 (San Luis Obispo County)
- Place Code: 22300 (El Paso de Robles)
- State & County Code: 06/079 (California / San Luis Obispo County)
- State & Place Code: 06/22300 (California / El Paso de Robles)
- Misc. Census Codes ...
- El Paso de Robles is located in Census Region #4 (the West Region) and Division #9 (the Pacific Division).
For more information about the various Federal identification codes, please visit our Misc Page for El Paso de Robles.
Off-the-Road Links ...
The official website for El Paso de Robles: www.prcity.com/
The official website for San Luis Obispo County: www.co.slo.ca.us/
The official website for State of California: https://www.ca.gov/
The official website of the U.S. Census Bureau
The official website of the U.S. Board on Geographic Names (BGN)
The official website of the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS)
Footnotes ...
| <1> | Every year, the US Census Bureau creates a population estimate for the preceeding year. Keep in mind that this value is an estimate and not an actual count. The most recent Census estimate is for the year 2019. |
| <2> | Every 10 years (eg- 1990, 2000, 2010), the US Census Bureau conducts a Constitutionally-mandated count (or enumeration) of people living within the United States. This count is called a Decennial Census. The last Decennial Census was the 2010 Census, with the next one planned for 2020. |
| <3> | A Housing Unit is a broad term for those places where people live (whether occupied or temporarily vacant), such as a house, an apartment, a mobile home, or an area that is considered as a separate living quarter. Separate living quarters (consisting of one or more rooms) are considered to be those places where people live, sleep and eat separately from others and that have access to the outside (either directly or by a shared hallway). |
| <4> | If you're interested in how the shape of California's counties, including San Luis Obispo, have changed over time, we recommend the Atlas of Historical County Boundaries. |
| <5> | The calculated bearing (or angle) to the 2010 Census location is 305 degrees and a distance of 8,629 feet. |
| <6> | The calculated bearing (or angle) to the GNIS point is 317 degrees and a distance of 669 feet. |