$825,838Average Value$645Average Price per Sq Ft1Home For Sale
Small community with local amenities and Old West charm
About 10 miles north of San Luis Obispo and a mile east of U.S. 101, rural Santa Margarita was established in 1889 and still embraces an Old West aesthetic. “There’s a few restaurants, feed and lumber supply, and a post office here," says Scott Ehrke, leader of Real Team 360 and Realtor with Re/Max, "but otherwise the town maintains a quaint, historic feel, with very little new construction.” Once a farming outpost supporting Spanish Missions in San Luis Obispo and San Miguel, Santa Margarita experienced a brief boom between the 1880s and early 20th century with the arrival of the Union Pacific Railroad. Residential development picked up again in the post-World War II 1950s, and construction has continued sporadically to the present day. Most local businesses are housed in original 19th-century saloon-style storefronts, and some properties still have enough land for small farms. Santa Margarita's roughly 700 residents travel to neighboring towns like Atascadero, 8 miles north, for most errands and groceries, but right at home, they have a small library, a neighborhood park, an elementary school and the Santa Margarita Community Church. Just north, the Santa Margarita Ranch serves as a venue for public events like the annual Best of the West Antique Equipment Show.
Local restaurants with plenty of outdoor seating on El Camino Real
Much of the neighborhood's residential grid of flat, narrow streets is lined with three-bedroom bungalows and ranch-style homes that were built between 1950 and 2000. Shaded by mature willow, cypress and oak trees, most of these homes feature vinyl siding and shingle roofs, little ornamentation and prominent two-car garages. Throughout the main grid, sidewalks are scarce, gravel lanes separate small backyards, and most lots are 7,500 square feet; at the edges of the community, though, some 1-acre lots have been outfitted for horses and other livestock. Home prices range from $500,000 to $900,000, depending on lot size. On the east side of town, the Santa Margarita Mobile Home Park has two-bedroom manufactured homes, including units from the 1970s and recently built versions from 2023. Often featuring central air conditioning and in-unit laundry, these manufactured homes tend to sell for between $50,000 and $200,000.
Wild West-themed playgrounds at Santa Margarita Community Park
The neighborhood's Santa Margarita Community Park has a large Wild West-themed playground, swing sets and shaded picnic areas often used for family and community gatherings. Area hiking trails include the dirt-packed East Cuesta Ridge Trail, which begins about 5 miles south off the 101; this dirt-packed trail winds through the dry brush of the Santa Lucia Mountains, climbing to the peak of Mount Lowe for panoramic views of San Luis Obispo. About 9 miles away, Santa Margarita Lake is a popular destination for kayaking, camping and fishing; surrounded by natural rock formations and pine forests, the lake is teeming with herons, deer, catfish and other wildlife.
Local restaurants with plenty of outdoor seating on El Camino Real
Local businesses like the Barn Antique Store and Santa Margarita Feed & Farm Supply are set in Old West-style storefronts along El Camino Real, the town's main roadway. J’s Country Kitchen serves classic comfort food, steak and homemade pie on its shaded, fairy-lit patio, and the family-owned Porch Café offers bar fare and draft beer. Ancient Peaks Winery has a tasting room and full-service café serving burgers and other sandwiches. For chain restaurants and broader retail options, locals can travel to neighboring towns like San Luis Obispo and Atascadero; the latter has grocery stores like Food 4 Less and Vons.
Local kids attend Santa Margarita Elementary
Santa Margarita Elementary, rated B-plus by Niche, is located within the neighborhood for families who want to walk their kids to school. “Santa Margarita Elementary has a tight-knit feel,” says Maggie Miles, owner of The Friendship Garden Preschool in the neighboring community of Garden Farms. “The teachers are wonderful; they have great clubs and PTA.” The school’s Chess Club is very active, and the PTA organizes an annual adult-only Mustang Ball fundraiser with dinner, as well as silent and live auctions. Atascadero Middle and Atascadero High both score a B-plus and are located about 10 miles north.
Accessing U.S. 101 a mile west
El Camino Real is the main roadway in town, bisecting the community and merging with U.S. Route 101 about a mile west; San Luis Obispo is about 10 miles south on the 101, while Bakersfield is 130 miles east on California Route 58. The Regional Transit Authority’s Route 9 bus stops in Santa Margarita, taking passengers south to San Luis Obispo and 23 miles north to Paso Robles. While residents must drive to neighboring towns for certain necessities, getting anywhere within Santa Margarita on foot or bike is simple since the community is so compact. Train tracks run parallel to El Camino Real, bringing passing trains throughout the day, though the neighborhood has no terminal. The nearest hospital is Adventist Health Sierra Vista, about 11 miles away. Aside from Santa Margarita Ranch Airport, a private one-track terminal just north of the neighborhood, nearby airports include San Luis Obispo County Regional Airport, 15 miles away, and Fresno Yosemite International Airport, 142 miles away.
Private and public events on the Santa Margarita Ranch
The Santa Margarita Ranch, a large cattle farm and event venue set just north of Santa Margarita, hosts the annual Best of the West Antique Equipment Show in May with vintage airplane, car, train and tractor displays. In December, the venue is decked in lights and holiday decorations for the annual "Christmas at the Ranch" celebration; attendees board historic steam trains for a 30-minute ride around the grounds before arriving at Santa’s Barn, where kids can visit with the man himself. The town also has a small, community organized Fourth of July Parade that features floats decorated by local businesses, and area kids riding by on red, white and blue bicycles and tricycles.
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On average, homes in Santa Margarita, San Luis Obispo sell after 102 days on the market compared to the national average of 52 days. The median sale price for homes in Santa Margarita, San Luis Obispo over the last 12 months is $730,000, down 2% from the median home sale price over the previous 12 months.
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