Los Ranchos
Los Ranchos is also home to the San Luis Obispo Country Club, one of the only gated communities in the area, which Hendrickson says also attracts buyers, along with the local elementary school. "You have families who want to be in the school district, and you have active retirees who want to live on the golf course," says longtime Los Ranchos resident Colleen Clarke, a broker associate with Christie’s International Real Estate Sereno, though Brans notes the country club community has also seen a “resurgence of families” in recent years. “Families want to be close to where activities are."
A highly competitive housing market
Home construction in Los Ranchos began in the mid 20th century, though the bulk of the residences were built in the later part of the century. Construction continued through the early 2000s. Homes under 2,000 square feet on smaller lots up to a quarter of an acre start at around $1 million. Many of the homes on smaller lots are within the gates of the country club community or within other area subdivisions, while properties with acreage are closer to Edna Valley. “Once you start to get onto any kind land, like an acre or so, you’re easily going to be one and a half to two million,” Hendrickson says. “A lot of our highest value properties can easily be into the 3- or 4-million-dollar range, because you have wineries and vineyard properties on 10 acres.” Buyers can find single-story ranch style and two-story builds throughout Los Ranchos, as well as sprawling custom estates.“Like most of San Luis Obispo, we have very little inventory right now, which leads to a lot of off-market sales,” Clarke says. “When someone hears that there’s a property coming up, they’re sold before they even hit the market.” Because off-market sales happen so frequently, Brans says that buyers should be ready to act when a home does come to market, because it will likely get multiple offers shortly after being listed. “It’s a highly sought after area,” she says.
According to Hendrickson, the city of San Luis Obispo doesn’t allow short term rentals, but because Los Ranchos is outside of city limits, homeowners here aren’t under the same restrictions. “There are a lot of properties that have ADUs and guest houses and homeowners rent them out to people who come to the area to wine taste,” she says.
Activities for all ages at the country club with nearby community parks
San Luis Obispo Country Club sits at the center of Los Ranchos. Members can enjoy 18 holes of golf and an outdoor swimming pool, plus tennis, pickleball, bocce and a fitness center. The country club also hosts summer camps, swimming lessons and other activities for kids.3 miles north, just east of Broad Street, 10-acre E.A. French Park has a barbeque area with picnic tables for birthday parties and family reunions. Residents can play tennis, pickleball, basketball and baseball, and kids can burn off some energy at the playground. Just east of there, 5-acre Islay Hill Park has tennis and basketball courts of its own, plus a court for sand volleyball and paved walking trails. Parkgoers can stretch their legs in the Islay Hill Open Space at the base of the park and take a short but steep hike to the Islay Hill Peak with an elevation change of 520 feet.
A popular neighborhood elementary school in the San Luis Coastal Unified School District
Los Ranchos is served by the San Luis Coastal Unified School District, and local kids can attend Los Ranchos Elementary, which receives an A-minus-rating from Niche. Because the elementary school is right in the neighborhood near the county club, many kids ride their bikes to school, though Brans says that many parents pick up and drop off their kids via street-legal golf carts instead. From there, students can attend the A-rated Laguna Middle School, and move onto San Luis Obispo High, which also earns an A and enables students to enroll in a variety of career and technical education courses in fields ranging from engineering and architecture to fashion and interior design.Local wineries with boutiques and eateries downtown SLO
Locals can visit one of over a dozen vineyards within just a few miles, like Edna Valley Vineyard, which is known for its chardonnay, and Claiborne & Church Winery, which is known for its Riesling, pinot gris and gewürztraminer.Residents can pick up groceries a few miles north at Vons on Edna Road and continue a little further north to Downtown San Luis Obispo for an abundance of shopping and dining options. Boutiques like Ambiance are known for selling women’s clothing and accessories, while Junkgirl is the place to go to browse an eclectic array of vintage items, home decor, original art and hand stamped metal pieces. Plenty of popular chain retailers also have storefronts downtown like Anthropologie, Urban Outfitters, and LUSH. For a bite to eat, downtowners can stop into Firestone Grill sports bar for burgers, barbeque, and their locally famous tri-tip sandwich, or Giuseppe’s Cucina Rustica for wood fired pizza, plus house-made pasta, bread, sauce and gelato.
Access to State Route 227 and the San Luis Obispo County Regional Airport
Los Ranchos is bordered to the east by State Route 227, known locally as Edna Road. San Luis Obispo County Regional Airport is just north of the neighborhood, with nonstop flights to San Diego, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Las Vegas, Phoenix, Seattle, Portland, Denver and Dallas/Fort Worth. “You’re going to have an impact from the airport one way or another,” Hendrickson says, adding that while some people might see proximity to the airport as a draw, she still likes to disclose the potential for airplane noise. Because the airport is served by smaller regional jets, both Hendrickson and Clarke say the issue isn’t a huge deal. “I’ve had people buy homes in this area because they work remotely, and they need to be able to travel once a month or even once a week, and I have clients with their own planes who use the airport to fly in and out,” Clarke says. “Having that airport close by is something that people really like, and because we don’t have the larger aircraft flying in and out, it isn’t obnoxious. We don’t have flights in the middle of the night. It’s an asset rather than a disadvantage.” When flying further distances, Fresno Yosemite International Airport is about 160 miles northeast. For emergency and specialized medical care, Dignity Health’s French Hospital Medical Center is about 6 miles north.
Written By
Lauren Schott
Photography Contributed By
Mark Huddleston
Video By
Bill Jennings
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Agents Specializing in this Area
-
Rob Rose
Rob Rose
Responds QuicklyChristie's International Real Estate Sereno
(805) 779-3754
77 Total Sales
8 in Los Ranchos
$1M - $3.3M Price Range
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Randy Steiger
Randy Steiger
Responds QuicklyRE/MAX Success
90 Total Sales
1 in Los Ranchos
$879,500 Price
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Erik Berg-Johansen
Erik Berg-Johansen
Responds QuicklyRichardson Sotheby's International Realty
(805) 321-1851
84 Total Sales
1 in Los Ranchos
$870,000 Price
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Lindsey Harn
Lindsey Harn
Christie's International Real Estate Sereno
(805) 706-8803
751 Total Sales
13 in Los Ranchos
$843K - $2.8M Price Range
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Colleen Clarke
Colleen Clarke
Christie's International Real Estate Sereno
(805) 549-4569
70 Total Sales
8 in Los Ranchos
$1M - $3.3M Price Range
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Erica Abbott
Erica Abbott
Compass
(805) 505-7669
101 Total Sales
7 in Los Ranchos
$1.5M - $4.6M Price Range
Schools
Source:
GreatSchools:
The GreatSchools Rating helps parents compare schools within a state based on a variety of school quality indicators and provides a helpful picture of how effectively each school serves all of its students. Ratings are on a scale of 1 (below average) to 10 (above average) and can include test scores, college readiness, academic progress, advanced courses, equity, discipline and attendance data. We also advise parents to visit schools, consider other information on school performance and programs, and consider family needs as part of the school selection process.
View GreatSchools Rating Methodology
- 9th to 12th
- Public
- 7th to 8th
- Public
- K to 6th
- Public
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Parks in this Area
French Park
Islay Hill Park
Transit
Crime and Safety
| 1 - Low Crime, 10 - High Crime | Los Ranchos | US |
|---|---|---|
| Homicide | 1 | 4 |
| Sexual Assault | 1 | 4 |
| Assault with Weapon | 1 | 4 |
| Robbery | 1 | 4 |
| Burglary | 1 | 4 |
| Motor Vehicle Theft | 1 | 4 |
| Larceny | 1 | 4 |
| Crime Score | 1 | 4 |
Source: WhatIsMyCrimeRisk.com
Los Ranchos Demographics and Home Trends
Housing Trends
Median List Price
$541,990
Median Single Family Sale Price
$449,990
Last 12 months Home Sales
0
Average Price Per Sq Ft
$248
Neighborhood Facts
Number of Homes in Neighborhood
491
Number of Homes for Sale
1
Median Year Built
1988
Average Single Family Home Size Sq Ft
2,836
Significantly above the national average
1,924
Median Lot Size Sq Ft
11,761
Distribution of Home Values
Homes for Sale
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Average Home Value
Property Mix - Square Feet
This Neighborhood Has More Owners
Demographics
Total Population
1,389
Median Age
53
Population Density
1 person/acre
Population under 18
20.5%
On par with the national average
23.8%
Population over 65
33.8%
Above the national average
19.1%
Finances
Median Household Income
$148,834
Significantly above the national average
$71,702
Average Household Income
$192,367
Education and Workforce
High School Graduates
100%
College Graduates
65.9%
Significantly above the national average
34.1%
Advanced Degrees
27.8%
% Population in Labor Force
50%
Below the national average
65.1%
Weather
Annual Precipitation
23''
Average Winter Low Temperature
43°F
Average Summer High Temperature
76°F
Annual Snowfall
0''
Area Factors
Somewhat Bikeable
Bike Score®
13
/ 100
Car-Dependent
Walk Score®
0
/ 100
Source: Walk Score
Source: Walk Score
Sound Score® measures the noise level of any address. Transit Score® measures access to public transit. Bike Score® measures the bikeability of any address.
Nearby Neighborhoods
Edna
Rural estates and acreage in SLO wine country, close to the city
Islay
A suburban neighborhood with hiking trails near Downtown San Luis Obispo
LOVR Creekside Area
A centrally located pocket in SLO with access to the Los Osos Valley Road corridor
Margarita
A suburban SLO neighborhood with access to hiking trails, shopping and dining
Orcutt
An array of home styles and lot sizes, bisected by Orcutt Road
South Broad Street
A southern SLO neighborhood with a growing commercial scene
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