San Luis, Colorado Demographics & Population 2026

A note before these figures: with a population of 560, San Luis's ACS estimates come from a small number of survey responses and carry wide margins of error. Individual percentages below — particularly rates that round to 0% or 100% — are approximations, not precise measurements. See data.census.gov for the published margins of error.

Population Overview

San Luis is a small community located in Colorado, within Costilla County. The total population is 560. It ranks as the 278th most populous out of 472 Census-designated places in Colorado.

Age Demographics

The median age in San Luis is 43.9 years. This is 16% higher than the state median of 37.7 years.

Economy, Income & Housing

The median household income in San Luis is $26,708. This is 72% lower than the state median of $95,470. It is also 67% lower than the national median of $80,734. The poverty rate stands at 21.6%. This is 128% higher than the state poverty rate of 9.4%. With more than one in five residents living below the poverty line, economic hardship is a significant challenge for the community. The unemployment rate is 6.5%. This is 40% higher than the state rate of 4.6%. The median home value is $98,800. Housing costs are 82% lower than the state median of $539,400. The home-value-to-income ratio is 3.7x. 57.1% of occupied housing units are owner-occupied. This homeownership rate is 14% lower than the state average of 66.2%.

Race & Ethnicity

The largest racial or ethnic group in San Luis is Hispanic or Latino, making up 80.4% of the population. White (non-Hispanic) residents account for 11.8%. The White (non-Hispanic) population (11.8%) is well below the state average of 64.8%. The Black or African American population (1.6%) is well below the state average of 3.8%. The Hispanic or Latino population is significantly higher than the state average (80.4% vs 22.5%).

Education

11.1% of residents aged 25 and older hold a bachelor's degree or higher. This is 76% lower than the state rate of 45.7%. Nationally, 35.7% of adults hold at least a bachelor's degree. The high school graduation rate (or equivalent) is 86.2%.

Data Sources & Methodology

All demographic data for San Luis, Colorado is sourced from the U.S. Census Bureau's American Community Survey (ACS) 2020–2024 5-Year Estimates. The ACS collects data from approximately 3.5 million households annually and pools five years of responses so that even small communities can be measured, though the margin of error widens as the population falls. Comparisons are made against Colorado state averages and national averages calculated from the same dataset. Rankings reflect the city's position among all 472 Census-designated places in Colorado. Read more about how these figures are produced on our methodology page, or visit data.census.gov for official data.