Atascadero, CA


8 Reviews



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Atascadero, CA

About Atascadero, CA

Atascadero, CA is a charming city located along California’s Central Coast near San Luis Obispo. Home to Atascadero State Hospital - the city offers numerous attractions including beautiful beaches & wineries that help make this a wonderful place to call home or visit anytime throughout the year! College town / small town complex - Central California, halfway between Los Angeles and San Francisco, 15 miles from the coast.

Zip Codes: 93422
Cost of Living:
Time zone: Pacific Standard Time (PST)
Elevation: 238 ft above sea level

San Luis Obispo is a charming and historic college town and home to the 18,000-student California Polytechnic University. It has resisted the development seen in other parts of the state and preserves a pleasant, off-the-beaten-path character. The interesting downtown is accessible by foot and is centered on the old Spanish mission dating from 1772. The university brings numerous arts and entertainment amenities, and the central California coastal climate is ideal.

Predictably, cost of living is high, although not as high as other places in the state. The absence of a strong commercial economy makes jobs difficult to find and future job-growth projections are low but improving. While San Luis Obispo is more oriented towards students and some wealthier residents, Paso Robles and Atascadero, along U.S. 101 towards the north, are more family oriented and not as closely tied to the university. Paso Robles is a nice old resort town and wine-growing area. Location influences the rating positively and negatively- the town is isolated from big-city services but also big-city problems, and the area scores well in all categories except living costs and healthcare.

San Luis Obispo is located in the center of the narrow Los Osos Valley, which opens to the northwest onto scenic Morro Bay. The town is far enough inland to be warmer and drier than many coastal locations. The climate is Mediterranean marine. The hills to the southwest tend to block some of the ocean-borne low stratus clouds, resulting in mostly sunny and pleasant summer days. Very cold weather is unusual. Almost all precipitation falls in winter as rain.

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Atascadero Cost of Living

College-town atmosphere, year-round climate, and historic interest make Atascadero a great place to live.

$696,500
+51.5% higher than avg
$82,777
+16.6% higher than avg
8.6 / 7.6
Comfort Index
summer/winter
Atascadero Crime
26.6 / 100
Crime is ranked on a scale of 1 (low) to 100 (high). US average: 35.4
Minimum annual income
To live comfortably in Atascadero, California
$133,560
for a family
$57,600
for a single person
Pros & Cons of Atascadero
   College-town atmosphere
Healthcare
   Year-round climate
Isolation
   Historic interest
Cost of living
Reviews for Atascadero
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Moved up here 20 years ago from coastal Southern California and we love it. Home prices are high, and wages do not keep pace, but that’s a problem for all of California.  More
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Over 8 years ago
Have lived on the Central Coast of California for many years, and the area is wonderful with a moderate Med climate and laid back lifestyle. Unfortunately as I near  More
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We moved to Atascadero in 2006 and at that time it was nice, low crime rate. Lots of places to eat and go out. BUT today 2015 is a lot different. The homeless have  More
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