City profile · California · Census ACS 2023

Morro Bay, CA

Population, income, housing, safety, climate and schools for Morro Bay - drawn straight from Census ACS, FBI UCR, NOAA, NCES, HUD and FEMA, refreshed on the 2024–2025 release cycle.

10,717
Residents
$92,553
Median income
$864,900
Median home
$2,512
Median rent (state)

Morro Bay - the verdict

Morro Bay ranks in the 73rd percentile for household income and the 60th percentile for safety nationally, out of every US city with at least 1,000 residents. Source: Census ACS + FBI UCR.

73rd
percentile, household income
96th
percentile, home value
93rd
percentile, median rent
60th
percentile, safety
📝 How we sourced this

Population, income, and housing-cost figures come from the U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey 5-year estimates (B-series tables). Crime data uses FBI UCR; climate uses NOAA Climate Normals; school counts come from NCES Common Core of Data; permits use the Census Building Permits Survey (BPS). See our methodology page for the full ETL pipeline and OMB / FIPS join keys.

Data Snapshot: Morro Bay, CA

California's Morro Bay is a small town, with 10,717 residents per the latest Census Bureau ACS figures. Median household income here is $92,553 per year, above the median for U.S. cities on this measure, with a poverty rate of 5.7%. Home values in Morro Bay run a median of $864,900, and the median resident age is 52.9 years. 46.4% of adults here have a bachelor's degree or higher; 51.5% of working-age residents are in the labor force.

The Census Building Permit Survey recorded 25 residential units authorized here in 2024 (Slowing), down 19% from five years earlier. Morro Bay reports a comparatively low crime rate: per-100,000 total crime stands at 1082.4 in FBI UCR data, below the national average (a voluntary reporting program, read this as reporting activity, not a definitive danger score).

California carries a cost-of-living premium: the state registers 110.7 on a 100-equals-national-average index (Well Above Average) per BEA Regional Price Parities 2024. HUD Fair Market Rent for a typical two-bedroom in this state is $2,512 per month. EIA 2023 residential energy data puts California's average monthly utility costs around $275 (state average). On FEMA's National Risk Index, this area rates 95.9 out of 100 for natural-hazard exposure (Very High).

Population

10,717 residents

Census ACS 2023 - California

Median Household Income

$92,553 /yr

Poverty 5.7%

Cost of Living Index (state)

110.7 (US=100)

Well Above Average - BEA RPP 2024, California average

How does Morro Bay compare to other US cities?

Where Morro Bay sits among all US cities (population 1,000+) on each measure, computed live from Census and FBI data.

Household income 73% higher than other cities
Home value 96% pricier than other cities
Median rent 93% pricier than other cities
Safety 60% safer than other cities

"Safer than" reflects total crime rate from FBI UCR; the others use Census ACS estimates.

A national percentile can hide a lot of local variation: narrowed to California alone, Morro Bay ranks #75 of 441 California cities by lowest crime rate - a different, more locally useful comparison than stacking it against the entire country.

How we calculate these percentiles & ranks

Each percentile compares Morro Bay against every qualifying US city; each in-state rank narrows that to California only. Full formula and direction notes: methodology.

California-relative analysis

Bachelor's Degree or Higher places Morro Bay toward the top of California's cities

Among the 1,458 California cities PlainCities tracks with reported bachelor's degree or higher data, Morro Bay ranks #317 - the 78th percentile within the state. This is a different, narrower cut than the nationwide percentiles above: it compares Morro Bay only against its own state's cities, not the full US field.

Median Household Income
#599 of 1,338
55th percentile in California
Median Gross Rent
#645 of 1,458
54th percentile in California
Median Home Value
#315 of 1,343
77th percentile in California
Poverty Rate
#782 of 1,450
46th percentile in California
Bachelor's Degree or Higher
#317 of 1,458
78th percentile in California

Ranked by raw value (highest first); a higher rank is not automatically "better" for every measure, see each metric's own context above. This is a comparison within California only, not a livability score. See the methodology for the source and calculation.

73rdIncome percentile
60thSafety percentile

73rd percentile nationally for median household income · 60th percentile for safety (lower crime rate). Source: Census ACS 2023 / FBI UCR 2023.

Morro Bay's profile vs. every US city

Income, affordability, and safety percentile

Morro Bay's percentile rank on 3 favorable-direction measures (income, affordability, safety) vs. every tracked US city -- higher on every axis is more favorable. Not a composite quality score, just the arithmetic mean of the axes shown. 3-axis radar comparing 1 series across Income, Affordability, Safety. IncomeAffordabilitySafety 46 Avg. percentile National median
Morro Bay's percentile rank on 3 favorable-direction measures (income, affordability, safety) vs. every tracked US city -- higher on every axis is more favorable. Not a composite quality score, just the arithmetic mean of the axes shown.

How Morro Bay's home value compares nationally

Median home value vs. every US city (population 1,000+)

$864,900 4th percentile more affordable than 4% of 15,600 US cities

$0–$25,000: 5 US cities (0%). Below this entry. $25,000–$50,000: 54 US cities (0%). Below this entry. $50,000–$75,000: 352 US cities (2%). Below this entry. $75,000–$100,000: 1,086 US cities (7%). Below this entry. $100,000–$125,000: 1,516 US cities (10%). Below this entry. $125,000–$150,000: 1,170 US cities (8%). Below this entry. $150,000–$175,000: 1,278 US cities (8%). Below this entry. $175,000–$200,000: 1,229 US cities (8%). Below this entry. $200,000–$225,000: 1,035 US cities (7%). Below this entry. $225,000–$250,000: 976 US cities (6%). Below this entry. $250,000–$275,000: 754 US cities (5%). Below this entry. $275,000–$300,000: 712 US cities (5%). Below this entry. $300,000–$325,000: 521 US cities (3%). Below this entry. $325,000–$350,000: 526 US cities (3%). Below this entry. $350,000–$375,000: 465 US cities (3%). Below this entry. $375,000–$400,000: 393 US cities (3%). Below this entry. $400,000–$425,000: 317 US cities (2%). Below this entry. $425,000–$450,000: 300 US cities (2%). Below this entry. $450,000–$475,000: 307 US cities (2%). Below this entry. $475,000–$500,000: 250 US cities (2%). Below this entry. $500,000–$525,000: 160 US cities (1%). Below this entry. $525,000–$550,000: 156 US cities (1%). Below this entry. $550,000–$575,000: 172 US cities (1%). Below this entry. $575,000–$600,000: 172 US cities (1%). Below this entry. $600,000–$625,000: 163 US cities (1%). Below this entry. $625,000–$650,000: 167 US cities (1%). Below this entry. $650,000–$675,000: 135 US cities (1%). Below this entry. $675,000–$700,000: 101 US cities (1%). Below this entry. $700,000–$725,000: 95 US cities (1%). Below this entry. $725,000–$750,000: 71 US cities (0%). Below this entry. $750,000–$775,000: 65 US cities (0%). Below this entry. $775,000–$800,000: 70 US cities (0%). Below this entry. $800,000–$825,000: 57 US cities (0%). Below this entry. $825,000–$850,000: 67 US cities (0%). Below this entry. $850,000–$875,000: 60 US cities (0%). This entry sits in this band. $875,000–$900,000: 58 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $900,000–$925,000: 47 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $925,000–$950,000: 37 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $950,000–$975,000: 31 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $975,000–$1,000,000: 470 US cities (3%). Above this entry. $1,000,000–$1,025,000: 0 US cities (0%). Above this entry. Morro Bay $0 $1,025,000 every US city, bucketed by value

Each bar is a $25K-wide band; taller bars hold more US cities. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count, share, and where it sits relative to this entry.

Source U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year Estimates · 2023

Income distribution context

Household income distribution - Morro Bay, CA Morro Bay, CA's reported median household income shown against the U.S. national quintile-share pattern (not Morro Bay, CA-specific quintile data). The Lorenz curve traces the national cumulative income share against cumulative population share, perfect equality is the diagonal; observed inequality bows below. $ Household Income Distribution Morro Bay, CA median $92,553/yr, vs. U.S. national quintile pattern QUINTILE SHARE OF AGGREGATE INCOME Lowest 20% 3.4% Second 20% 9.2% Middle 20% 15.1% Fourth 20% 23.2% Top 20% 49.1% LORENZ CURVE cumulative income vs. population 100% 0% 100% pop. 0%
Morro Bay, CA's median household income (Census ACS 5-year estimate) plotted against the U.S. national income-quintile distribution pattern for context; the quintile shares and Lorenz curve are national figures, not computed specifically for Morro Bay, CA. Diagonal = perfect equality.

Key socioeconomic indicators

Bachelor's degree or higher (adults 25+) 46.4%

Census ACS S1501, educational attainment

Poverty rate (households below FPL) 5.7%

Census ACS S1701, poverty status

Labor force participation (adults 16+) 51.5%

Census ACS S2301, share of working-age residents in the labor force

Population
10,717
Median Income
$92,553
Median Home Value
$864,900
Median Age
52.9
Poverty Rate
5.7%
Labor force participation
51.5%
Bachelor's Degree+
46.4%

Safety & Crime

Total Crime Rate
1082.4
per 100,000 residents
Violent Crime
294.3
per 100,000 residents
Property Crime
788.1
per 100,000 residents

Reflects incidents reported to the FBI's Uniform Crime Reporting program — agency participation is voluntary and reporting completeness varies by jurisdiction and year, so this reflects reporting activity, not a definitive danger score. Not adjusted for tourism, commuter, or daytime population.

Schools

Total Schools
2
Public schools in this city

Population Change

Annual U.S. Census Bureau Population Estimates Program (PEP) estimates, 2020–2025

See the fastest-growing cities →
10,500 residents10,600 residents10,700 residents10,800 residents10,900 residents 202020212022202320242025 10,758 residents 10,613 residents ▼ -1.3%
Morro Bay's Census PEP population estimates, 2020–2025.

Housing Supply

Census Bureau Building Permits Survey (BPS) - annual residential permits authorized

🏗️ Slowing
Total Permits (2024)
25
housing units authorized
Single-Family
19
detached homes
Multifamily
6
apartments & condos
Supply Intensity
2.3
permits per 1,000 residents

5-Year Permit Trend (2019–2024)

Year Total
2019 31
2020 17
2021 19
2022 13
2023 4
2024 25

Permit volume decreased 19% from 2019 to 2024.

Commute Patterns

How workers travel to work, Census ACS 2023

Drive Alone
73.7%
Carpool
7.1%
Public Transit
0.3%
Walk
1.4%
Work from Home
15.0%
Other
2.5%

Based on 4,798 workers 16 and over.

Monthly Utility Costs

State-average estimates for California - EIA 2023 residential energy data

Electricity
$150
avg/month
Natural Gas
$55
avg/month
Water & Sewer
$70
avg/month
Total Utilities
$275
estimated/month

Estimates reflect California state averages. Actual costs vary by home size, usage, and local rates. Source: U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) 2023.

Living Costs & Risk

Cost of living is a California state average from BEA; rent and hazard risk are county-level figures from HUD and FEMA for the county Morro Bay sits in

Cost of Living Index
110.7
Well Above Average
US average = 100 · BEA RPP 2024
Typical 2-BR Rent
$2,512/mo
HUD Fair Market Rent
County-level FMR estimate
Natural Hazard Risk
95.9 / 100
Very High
FEMA NRI composite score (county)

Similar Cities in California

Sonoma
10,726 people
Placerville
10,730 people
Soquel
10,691 people
Lake Arrowhead
10,746 people
Calimesa
10,680 people
Potomac Park
10,634 people

Cities of a Similar Size Nationwide

Population-matched peers from other states, closest to Morro Bay's 10,717 residents (Census ACS 5-Year 2023).

Pebble Creek, FL
10,719 people
Essex Junction, VT
10,720 people
Campton Hills, IL
10,724 people
Van Wert, OH
10,710 people
Saks, AL
10,727 people
Scenic Oaks, TX
10,727 people

Cities with a Similar Household Income Nationwide

Median-household-income-matched peers from other states, closest to Morro Bay's $92,553 (Census ACS 5-Year 2023, table B19013).

Ora, IN
$92,550 median income
Richland, WA
$92,550 median income
Wharton, NJ
$92,548 median income
Grand Point, LA
$92,560 median income
New Castle, DE
$92,565 median income
Fernandina Beach, FL
$92,535 median income

Race & Ethnicity Composition

Race and ethnicity - Morro Bay, CA Race categories sum to one hundred percent per Census methodology. Hispanic or Latino is shown separately as an ethnicity overlay; it cuts across all race categories per OMB Directive 15. Race & Ethnicity Composition Morro Bay, CA - Census ACS, OMB race + ethnicity categories RACE, sums to 100% 79.7% 6.2% 8.0% ETHNICITY, Hispanic or Latino (any race) 12.7% White 79.7% Black or African American 0.3% Asian 5.1% American Indian 0.8% Native Hawaiian 0.0% Some other race 6.2% Two or more races 8.0% Per OMB Directive 15: Hispanic/Latino ethnicity is reported separately from the race categories.
Race categories sum to 100%. Hispanic or Latino ethnicity is reported separately and cuts across race per Census/OMB methodology.

City-level race and ethnicity, Census ACS 5-year 2023 (tables B02001, B03001), OMB Directive 15 categories.

How Morro Bay compares to nearby California cities

Population + median household income, sourced from Census Bureau ACS 5-year B01001 (population) and B19013 (median household income).

City Population Median Household Income
Morro Bay (this city) 10,717 $92,553
Sonoma 10,726 $101,281
Placerville 10,730 $70,602
Soquel 10,691 $114,991
Census ACS 5-year FIPS CA FBI UCR NCES CCD Census BPS 2024 OMB Bulletin 23-01

What do people ask about Morro Bay, CA?

What is the population of Morro Bay, CA? +

10,717 people live in Morro Bay, CA according to U.S. Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates.

What is the median household income in Morro Bay, CA? +

The median household income in Morro Bay is $92,553 per year, based on Census ACS 2023 data.

What is the cost of living in Morro Bay? +

BEA does not publish a city-level cost-of-living figure for Morro Bay; the closest available measure is the California state average, a cost of living index of 110.7 (U.S. average = 100), rated "Well Above Average" based on BEA Regional Price Parities 2024 data. Costs within California vary by metro area.

Is Morro Bay, CA safe? +

Morro Bay has a total crime rate of 1082.4 per 100,000 residents, which is below the national average. This reflects incidents reported to the FBI UCR program, not a definitive safety score -- agency reporting is voluntary and completeness varies by jurisdiction.

What is the median home value in Morro Bay, CA? +

The median home value in Morro Bay is $864,900, according to Census ACS 2023 estimates.

Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year 2023, FBI UCR, NCES CCD, Census BPS 2024, Census ACS B08301/B08136, U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) 2023, BEA Regional Price Parities 2024, HUD Fair Market Rents 2026, FEMA National Risk Index.

Read our methodology - how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.

Primary sources: Census ACS, FBI UCR, NOAA Climate Normals, NCES.

Citation & verification links Data sourced from the U.S. Census Bureau. See our methodology for details. Retrieved and formatted by PlainCities

Verify with HUD →

Verify with FBI →

Verify with NOAA →

Verify with U.S. Census Bureau →

Verify with EPA →

Verify with FEMA →

Verify with BEA →

Verify with EIA →

Verify with NCES →

Every figure on PlainCities is rendered directly from Census ACS source data, no number is typed in by an editor. This page draws directly on Census ACS source data, no figure is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error.