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Place dossier plate
SheetCA-MORRO-BAY-CA · Morro Bay, CA 10,717 pop · income 73rd pct
Instrument codes from this place’s ACS population and household income, BEA state COL, FBI safety, national income percentile, photo-finish peer city, home-value band, and matched Census-tract book - not a moving recommendation.
Income neighbourhood around Morro Bay
Lowest/highest poles plus peers nearest Morro Bay on median household income. Full ladder: /browse and /rankings.
median HH income
Potomac Park · lowest
45,617
Potomac Park · lowest
45,617 median HH income
23.7% of the leader · rank #1
Wharton · near
92,548
Wharton · near
92,548 median HH income
48.0% of the leader · rank #2
Ora · near
92,550
Ora · near
92,550 median HH income
48.0% of the leader · rank #3
Richland · near
92,550
Richland · near
92,550 median HH income
48.0% of the leader · rank #4
Morro Bay · this city
92,553
Morro Bay · this city
92,553 median HH income
48.0% of the leader · rank #5
Grand Point · near
92,560
Grand Point · near
92,560 median HH income
48.0% of the leader · rank #6
Campton Hills · highest
192,727
Campton Hills · highest
192,727 median HH income
100.0% of the leader · rank #7
What this shows Neighbourhood peers only - not a full nationwide city board. Open a near peer when the gap is small; open the poles when the spread is wide.
Compare beyond this state
Nationwide peers by population, income, and FBI crime rate
Out-of-state nearest neighbors for Morro Bay on ACS population and median household income
, plus FBI UCR reporting rate when the extract covers this place. Link sets are deduped so each column is a distinct comparison path, not a forecast that peers share a labor market or climate.
Similar population
Nearest out-of-state cities by ACS population. This city: 10,717.
Agency-reported UCR totals per 100,000 population, not a neighborhood safety grade or a prediction of personal risk.
Morro Bay - the verdict
Morro Bay ranks in the 73rd percentile for household income and the 61st 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
88th
percentile, median rent
61st
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. Morro Bay households earn a median of $92,553 annually, 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 $2,053 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 88.7 out of 100 for natural-hazard exposure (Very High).
A decision-led reading path
Useful questions to ask of Morro Bay's data
How this reading path is ordered
This is not a composite city score. It is a city-specific route through the available public records, ordered for this profile so the page starts with questions the joined data can actually answer. The route here runs from schools and households to population change to work and mobility to housing and income to reported crime to comparison shortlist; another city can have a different sequence or fewer supported layers because the source joins are not uniform.
For Morro Bay, city-specific coverage includes local building permits, annual population history, FBI reported-crime rates, commute-mode shares, matched public-school count.
No matched row is reported here for within-city Census tract profiles; the page leaves those layers out instead of substituting a statewide or national value.
1. Schools and households
What does the education layer cover for Morro Bay?
The matched institution count is small, so district boundaries and schools outside the city line may matter more than the municipal count suggests. Use the number as a coverage cue, then verify attendance zones with the district before making a household decision.
The NCES join finds 2 public schools within the city match. 46.4% of adults age 25+ hold a bachelor's degree or higher in the ACS estimate. These measures answer different questions: the school count describes local institutions, while adult attainment describes residents and cannot be used as a school-quality rating.
Is Morro Bay growing, shrinking, or holding steady?
Census PEP estimates show the population declined by -145 residents from 2020 to 2025, a -1.3% change. Separately, Census BPS recorded 25 housing units authorized in 2024. PEP and ACS are different Census series, so the trend is kept separate from the headline ACS population.
Recent estimates point downward. A falling count can reflect migration, household size, annexation boundaries, or estimation noise, so it is a prompt to inspect the full series rather than a claim about local economic health.
What does the journey to work look like in Morro Bay?
Driving alone is the largest reported mode at 73.7%. A reliable mean commute time is not available for this row, so the mode shares carry the comparison.
Mode share answers how workers usually travel; it does not measure congestion, reliability, distance to a particular job, or the quality of transit service. Remote work has a visible role in the local pattern. That can reduce commute exposure for some workers, but it says nothing about job availability or broadband quality; read it alongside income and housing rather than as a stand-alone lifestyle score.
Which cities make useful reference points for Morro Bay?
Use the in-state set to hold state policy and broad price conditions more nearly constant. Use the nationwide size set to ask whether cities with a similar resident count produce different housing, income, or commute outcomes. The income set is a third lens, deliberately separate from population matching. The nationwide peer panel below adds a fourth FBI UCR reporting-rate lens, not personal risk.
Within California, the closest population matches are Sonoma (10,726 residents, $101,281 income); Placerville (10,730 residents, $70,602 income); Soquel (10,691 residents, $114,991 income). Outside the state, the closest population matches in this dataset are Pebble Creek, FL (10,719 residents); Essex Junction, VT (10,720 residents); Campton Hills, IL (10,724 residents). A third, income-matched reference set of 6 out-of-state cities sits in the income neighbourhood chart near the Place Dossier plate. These are mechanical peer sets, not claims that the places share a labor market, climate, culture, or metro context.
These joined records add useful context, but they do not need another full-size panel. Each remains a separate measure with its own geography and source boundary.
Housing and income
How far does income reach against housing in Morro Bay?
This is a citywide price-to-income reference, not a mortgage-affordability test; it does not include interest rates, taxes, insurance, household size, or an individual buyer's down payment. Housing value is high relative to the citywide income median. That flags a question for comparison, not a verdict: tenure, household composition, financing costs, and the age of the ACS estimate can all change what a resident actually pays.
The home-value-to-income reference is comparatively stretched: the ACS median home value is 9.3 times median household income. The ACS poverty estimate is 5.7%, which keeps the citywide median from describing every household.
Value / income
9.3×
Home value
$864,900
Household income
$92,553
City-level Census ACS 2023 medians. The ratio divides two separate medians and is descriptive only.
What can the FBI record say about safety in Morro Bay?
The joined FBI UCR record reports 1082.4 violent and property crimes per 100,000 residents, below the 2280.5 national reference used here. The difference is 53% lower in arithmetic terms, but agency participation is voluntary and reporting completeness varies.
Treat this as a reporting-rate comparison, not a prediction of personal risk or a neighborhood-level safety grade. Tourism, daytime population, reporting practices, and variation inside the city are not adjusted away. The state rank and same-state peer table are the narrower comparisons available on this page.
Total reported rate
1082.4
Violent rate
294.3
Property rate
788.1
FBI Uniform Crime Reporting, incidents per 100,000. Voluntary agency reporting; not a danger score.
Above median income · poverty 5.7% (Below-median poverty)
Cost of Living Index (state)
110.7 (US=100)
Highest-decile cost · BEA RPP 2024, California average
C-
City profile score · Morro Bay, CA
50/100
5 published dimensions · ACS/FBI 2023
Comparative score against U.S. cities with population of 1,000 or more on Census ACS medians
(income, poverty, bachelor's share, cost of living) and FBI UCR violent-crime rates when
published. Higher means a stronger standing on those published figures, not a livability
rating, not a recommendation to move, buy, or pick a "best" city. Missing inputs drop out
and redistribute weight.
How it is calculated.
Bachelor's+ share A-
46.4%
Adults with a bachelor's degree or higher; ACS.
Household income B
$92,553
Median household income vs U.S. cities (pop ≥1,000); ACS.
Poverty rate C+
5.7%
Share of residents below the poverty line; lower scores better on this axis.
Violent crime F
294 /100k
FBI UCR violent offenses per 100,000 residents; lower is stronger on this axis.
Cost of living F
110.7 index
BEA state Regional Price Parities index (100 ≈ national average); lower is stronger on this axis. Same value for every city in the state.
Morro Bay profile (scored ACS/FBI dimensions)Read the chart values
Bachelor's+ share: 81/100 (A-) · 46.4%
Household income: 72/100 (B) · $92,553
Poverty rate: 61/100 (C+) · 5.7%
Violent crime: 34/100 (F) · 294 /100k
Cost of living: 6/100 (F) · 110.7 index
Where Morro Bay sits on home value vs crime among peer cities
Morro Bay's median home value and FBI crime rate plotted with similar-size and
same-state peers (padded with large cities when the peer set is thin). The second
read: pricey does not always mean safer, check which quadrant this city lands in.
Census ACS median home value vs FBI UCR crime rate - Morro Bay highlighted among 26 peers.Read the chart values
Morro Bay, CA (this city): home $864,900, crime 1,082/100k
Campton Hills, IL : home $510,100, crime 56/100k
Van Wert, OH : home $109,700, crime 3,485/100k
Sonoma, CA : home $954,300, crime 1,332/100k
Placerville, CA : home $450,600, crime 2,107/100k
Calimesa, CA : home $423,300, crime 1,852/100k
New York, NY : home $751,700, crime 3,039/100k
Los Angeles, CA : home $879,500, crime 2,212/100k
Chicago, IL : home $315,200, crime 4,012/100k
Houston, TX : home $253,400, crime 5,442/100k
Phoenix, AZ : home $381,900, crime 3,125/100k
Philadelphia, PA : home $232,400, crime 5,457/100k
San Antonio, TX : home $219,700, crime 5,218/100k
San Diego, CA : home $848,500, crime 2,082/100k
Dallas, TX : home $295,300, crime 4,010/100k
San Jose, CA : home $1,187,800, crime 3,195/100k
Austin, TX : home $512,700, crime 3,709/100k
Fort Worth, TX : home $277,300, crime 3,158/100k
Columbus, OH : home $234,500, crime 3,088/100k
Indianapolis, IN : home $207,000, crime 4,214/100k
San Francisco, CA : home $1,380,500, crime 4,526/100k
Seattle, WA : home $912,100, crime 5,783/100k
Denver, CO : home $586,700, crime 5,755/100k
Oklahoma City, OK : home $215,100, crime 3,570/100k
El Paso, TX : home $171,700, crime 1,772/100k
Washington, DC : home $724,600, crime 4,514/100k
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 income73% higher than other cities
Home value96% pricier than other cities
Median rent88% pricier than other cities
Safety61% 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
Median Gross Rent places Morro Bay near the bottom of California's cities
Among the 1,458 California cities PlainCities tracks with reported median gross rent data, Morro Bay ranks #1 - the 0th 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
#1 of 1,458
0th 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
How in-state ranks are ordered
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.
Gauge source note
73rd percentile nationally for median household income · 61st 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.
How Morro Bay's home value compares nationally
Median home value vs. every US city (population 1,000+)
$864,9004th percentilemore affordable than 4% of 15,600 US cities
Show national distribution
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
Morro Bay's home-value-to-income ratio: 9.3×
ACS median home value divided by median household income.
Band
pressured
> 5.0×
National rank
#15,288 of 15,516
More affordable than 1% of tracked cities (pop. 1,000+)
Size class
#3,264 of 3,317
Small cities (10,000–49,999)
At 9.3×, Morro Bay sits in the pressured band:
national rank #15,288 of 15,516 and #3,264 of 3,317small cities (10,000–49,999).
Housing value is high relative to the citywide income median, a comparison flag, not a verdict on any household.
How this ratio is calculated
Ratio = Census ACS 2023 median home value ÷ median household income for cities with both fields and population ≥ 1,000.
Rank 1 = lowest ratio (most compact). Bands match the fleet affordability thresholds used on guides (<3.0 / 3.0–5.0 / >5.0).
This is not a mortgage payment estimate and does not include rates, taxes, insurance, or down payment.
Income distribution context
$92,553Morro Bay, CA median household income (Census ACS)
Show U.S. national quintile / Lorenz context Morro Bay, CA median household income (Census ACS 5-year) with U.S. national quintile shares for context. Diagonal = equality; the curve is national, not computed for Morro Bay, CA.
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
Crime reporting caveat
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
PEP vintage
Annual U.S. Census Bureau Population Estimates Program (PEP) estimates, 2020–2025
Morro Bay's Census PEP population estimates, 2020–2025.Read the chart as text
Period
Population
2020
10,758 residents
2021
10,787 residents
2022
10,688 residents
2023
10,603 residents
2024
10,605 residents
2025
10,613 residents
Housing Supply
BPS source
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
Single-Family
Multifamily
Est. Value
2019
31
26
5
$7.8M
2020
17
17
0
$2.2M
2021
19
19
0
$2.5M
2022
13
13
0
$4.2M
2023
4
4
0
$0.9M
2024
25
19
6
$8.1M
Permit volume decreased 19% from 2019 to 2024.
Commute Patterns
Commute source
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
California statewide monthly utility average (EIA 2023): $275
EIA 2023 residential energy data puts average monthly utilities across California at $275 (electricity about $150 , water and sewer about $70 ).
These are California statewide averages, not a meter reading for Morro Bay. Actual bills vary by home size, usage, and local rates. Source: U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) 2023.
Living Costs & Risk
California's BEA cost-of-living index is 110.7 (Well Above Average; US average = 100, RPP 2024). HUD Fair Market Rent for a typical two-bedroom in the county around Morro Bay is $2,053/mo. FEMA's National Risk Index, averaged to California statewide on PlainCities, rates natural-hazard exposure at 88.7 / 100 (Very High).
Cost/risk geography note
Cost of living is a California statewide BEA average; rent is a county-level HUD Fair Market Rent for the county Morro Bay sits in; the FEMA hazard score shown here is a statewide average of county NRI inputs, not a parcel-level reading.
How Morro Bay compares to similar-size California cities
Same-state peer method
Closest same-state population matches, not geographic neighbors. Population + median household income come from Census Bureau ACS 5-year B01001 and B19013.
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.