Pets · County · California
Pet stores in San Luis Obispo County, CA
Competitor counts, household spending and official business counts for pet stores in San Luis Obispo County, CA, set against other counties and the U.S.
Groundwork market score · out of 100
Score 32 out of 100: Lower middle
Ranked #756 of 974 scored counties
#38 of 43 scored counties in California
- Listings
- 45
- 22 chain locations (49%)
- Official establishments
- 18
- Businesses with payroll, 2023
- Household spending a year
- $122.3M
- On pets · $1,117 a household
- Spending per listing
- $2.7M
- 40% below the U.S.
- Listings per 10k households
- 4.1
- 2.1 times the U.S.
- Population, 2025
- 282,367
- 0.0% since 2020
See the pet stores around any address in San Luis Obispo County
The site report maps the pet stores on map listings near the address, by name and distance, and sizes the households and spending around it. Or open the report at the center of San Luis Obispo County. Signed out, you see a blurred preview; on an account, each report is one action.
Free10 actions over 3 days, no cardSurvey estimates 2020–2024 · population estimates 2025 · official business counts 2023 · map listings September 2026 · Data credits · How we measure
What this means
San Luis Obispo County scores 32 (lower middle) on the Groundwork market score for pet stores, ranking #756 of 974 scored counties and #38 of 43 scored counties in California. That puts it in the bottom quarter of counties.
As of September 2026, map listings count 45 pet stores in San Luis Obispo County. 22 of them (49%) are chain locations, against 38% across the U.S. Per 10,000 households, that is 4.1, 2.1 times the U.S. rate of 2.0.
At $1,117 per household (23% above the U.S. average), households in San Luis Obispo County spend about $122.3M a year on pets. That is about $2.7M of household spending for each store on map listings, 40% below the U.S. figure of $4.5M. That spending covers all pets, which pet stores share with other businesses in the trade.
Official counts show 18 businesses with payroll classed as pet and pet supplies stores in San Luis Obispo County in 2023. That is one for every 6,084 households, against one for every 13,024 across the U.S. Population estimates show San Luis Obispo County held about level from 2020 to 2025, against +3.1% for the U.S.
How San Luis Obispo County compares
The same measures for California and the whole U.S. Spending per listing divides a year of household spending on all pets by the pet stores counted, so it measures the demand for each competitor, not any business’s revenue. Households per establishment does the same with the official count.
| Measure | San Luis Obispo County | California | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| Listings per 10k households | 4.1 | 2.2 | 2.0 |
| Spending per listing | $2.7M | $5.1M | $4.5M |
| Households per official establishment | 6,084 | 11,619 | 13,024 |
| Official establishment growth, 2019–2023 | n/a | −2.4% | −1.6% |
| Population growth, 2020–2025 | 0.0% | −0.4% | +3.1% |
| Spending per household on pets | $1,117 | $1,149 | $909 |
| Median household income | $97,446 | $99,122 | $80,734 |
| Groundwork market score | 32 | 55 |
Official counts and lending
Businesses
- Official establishments, 2019 to 2023
- 18 → 18
- Employees, 2023
- 148
- Annual payroll, 2023
- $5.8M
- One-person businesses, 2023
- Not publishedNot published for this business type
- Map listings, September 2026
- 4522 chain locations
- Listings at the U.S. rate for this spending
- 27The U.S. ratio of listings to household spending, applied here
SBA-backed loans since fiscal 2022
- Loans
- 0
- Amount
- $0
SBA-backed loans to businesses classed as pet and pet supplies stores in San Luis Obispo County, through June 2026, placed by the borrower’s ZIP code. Official establishments are businesses with payroll; the official counts leave out places with fewer than 3.
Population and households in San Luis Obispo County
- Population, 2025 estimate
- 282,3670.0% since 2020
- Households
- 109,503
- Median age
- 42.3
- Homes lived in by their owners
- 62%
- Vehicles per household
- 2.1
- Land area
- 3,301 sq. mi.
- People per square mile
- 85
- Median household income
- $97,446+32.6% vs. 2015–2019, before inflation
- Average household income
- $132,001
- Median home value
- $824,700
- Jobs located here
- 112,621
- Daytime population
- 276,085Residents who don’t work, plus everyone whose job is here
Looking at a specific site in San Luis Obispo County?
These figures cover the whole county. A site report draws rings around one address and counts what’s inside them: households, spending, jobs, and the pet stores on map listings by name and distance.
Or open the report at the center of San Luis Obispo County. Signed out, you see a blurred preview; on an account, each report is one action.
Free10 actions over 3 days, no cardPet stores across California
Every California market ranked →The highest-scoring counties in California for pet stores, numbered among those based in California, with San Luis Obispo County marked.
Top counties in California
| Market | Score | Listings | Per 10k households | Spending per listing | Population growth | U.S. rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1San Joaquin County, CA | 84 | 43 | 1.8 | $6.1M | +5.5% | #26 of 974 |
| 2Yuba County, CA | 80 | 5 | 1.7 | $5.4M | +8.2% | #57 of 974 |
| 3Fresno County, CA | 79 | 49 | 1.5 | $6.3M | +2.6% | #60 of 974 |
| 4Yolo County, CA | 78 | 12 | 1.6 | $7M | +3.1% | #67 of 974 |
| 5Santa Clara County, CA | 77 | 94 | 1.4 | $10.4M | −0.9% | #74 of 974 |
| 6Napa County, CA | 76 | 6 | 1.2 | $10.2M | −3.3% | #84 of 974 |
| 7Sacramento County, CA | 75 | 99 | 1.7 | $6.2M | +2.0% | #98 of 974 |
| 8San Mateo County, CA | 74 | 38 | 1.4 | $10.2M | −2.5% | #109 of 974 |
| 9Tulare County, CA | 73 | 22 | 1.5 | $5.9M | +2.4% | #129 of 974 |
| 10Alameda County, CA | 72 | 107 | 1.8 | $7.5M | −2.6% | #135 of 974 |
| 38San Luis Obispo County, CA | 32 | 45 | 4.1 | $2.7M | 0.0% | #756 of 974 |
Other business types in San Luis Obispo County
Each with its Groundwork market score here, out of 100, where it has one.
Food and drink
Groceries and convenience
Auto
Beauty and personal care
Fitness and classes
Health care
Pets
- Pet businesses43
- Veterinarians41
- Pet grooming and boarding59
- Pet stores32
Child care
Clothing and laundry
Home services
Real estate
Funeral services
Questions
How many pet stores are in San Luis Obispo County, CA?
San Luis Obispo County has 45 pet stores on map listings as of September 2026. 22 of them (49%) are chain locations. The listings count pet stores. Official counts show 18 businesses with payroll classed as pet and pet supplies stores in 2023.
How much do households in San Luis Obispo County, CA spend on pets?
About $122.3M a year, or $1,117 per household. That is 23% above the U.S. average (an index of 123, where 100 is the U.S. average). Spread across the 45 pet stores on map listings, it comes to $2.7M per store. The spending figure covers all pets, not only pet stores. It is estimated from the incomes of the 109,503 households in San Luis Obispo County and national spending patterns by income.
How does San Luis Obispo County, CA compare with the U.S. for pet stores?
San Luis Obispo County has 4.1 pet stores per 10,000 households, 2.1 times the U.S. rate of 2.0. Spending per store is $2.7M, 40% below the U.S. figure of $4.5M. At the national ratio of pet stores to household spending, San Luis Obispo County would have about 27, against 45 on map listings. There is one business with payroll in the industry for every 6,084 households, against one for every 13,024 across the U.S.
How fast is San Luis Obispo County, CA growing?
Population estimates put San Luis Obispo County at 282,367 people in 2025, unchanged since 2020, against +3.1% for the U.S. It has 109,503 households. Median household income in San Luis Obispo County is $97,446, 21% above the U.S. median of $80,734. Against the 2015–2019 survey, the median rose 32.6%, before inflation.
What is the Groundwork market score?
The Groundwork market score runs from 0 to 100 and compares a market with others of its kind for one business type: states with states, metro areas with metro areas, small-town markets and counties with their own. It weighs household spending per competitor (35%), households per business with payroll (25%), population growth (20%) and spending power (20%), each ranked against those peers. A higher score means that, taken together, the market has more household spending and more households for each business already there, faster population growth and more spending per household than similar markets. It describes a market, not any one site or deal. San Luis Obispo County scores 32 for pet stores (lower middle), #756 of 974 scored counties.
How can I see the market around a specific site?
Run a Groundwork site report on an address in San Luis Obispo County. It maps the pet stores on map listings near the site and sizes the households and spending within the distance you choose. New accounts get 10 actions over 3 days, no card.
How the score works · Top markets for pet stores · All 56 business types in San Luis Obispo County
Screening a site or an acquisition in San Luis Obispo County?
A site report maps the competitors on map listings near an address and sizes the households and spending around it.
The button opens the report at the center of San Luis Obispo County. Signed out, you see a blurred preview; on an account, each report is one action.
This product uses the Census Bureau Data API but is not endorsed or certified by the Census Bureau.
Figures are estimates for research only. Not investment or real estate advice.