City safety & data profile

Morro BayCA

Morro Bay, CA is a 11K-resident city in San Luis Obispo County with a median household income of $95,843.

San Luis Obispo County, California. Federal health, economic, and safety indicators for Morro Bay, drawn from the U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey, CDC PLACES, and CMS Hospital Compare. Morro Bay has a population larger than 4% of the 4,640 U.S. cities Areazine tracks, and a median home value of $918,200.

Data updated 2026-07-20

11K
Population
Top 96%
By size
$95,843
Median income
$918,200
Median home
8.4%
Poverty rate

The read on Morro Bay

Morro Bay posts a median household income higher than 66% of U.S. cities Areazine tracks.

Top 34%
by median income, US cities

Where Morro Bay income ranks nationally

Median household income vs. every place Areazine profiles (place-level ACS)

$95,843 Top 34% higher than 66% of 3,889 places Areazine profiles

$0–$20,000: 0 places Areazine profiles (0%). Below this entry. $20,000–$40,000: 71 places Areazine profiles (2%). Below this entry. $40,000–$60,000: 788 places Areazine profiles (20%). Below this entry. $60,000–$80,000: 1,055 places Areazine profiles (27%). Below this entry. $80,000–$100,000: 768 places Areazine profiles (20%). This entry sits in this band. $100,000–$120,000: 515 places Areazine profiles (13%). Above this entry. $120,000–$140,000: 308 places Areazine profiles (8%). Above this entry. $140,000–$160,000: 171 places Areazine profiles (4%). Above this entry. $160,000–$180,000: 92 places Areazine profiles (2%). Above this entry. $180,000–$200,000: 47 places Areazine profiles (1%). Above this entry. $200,000–$220,000: 28 places Areazine profiles (1%). Above this entry. $220,000–$240,000: 18 places Areazine profiles (0%). Above this entry. $240,000–$260,000: 28 places Areazine profiles (1%). Above this entry. CA $0 $260,000 every profiled place, bucketed by value

Each bar is a $20K-wide band; taller bars hold more places Areazine profiles. 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, American Community Survey (place-level) · 2024 ACS 5-year

The quick read

Reading Morro Bay, CA beyond the headline numbers

Morro Bay sits inside San Luis Obispo County, California, at roughly 35.37°N, -120.85°W. Population 10,639, $95,843 median household income. Median home value $918,200, median rent $1,858. Poverty rate 8.4%, read against that income figure since two cities on the same median can differ underneath it.

CDC PLACES: Morro Bay's highest-prevalence health measure is high blood pressure at 36.9%, then short sleep duration at 29.5%.

Sources: U.S. Census ACS, CDC PLACES, CMS Hospital Compare, plus live alerts for Morro Bay from FEMA, NOAA, FDA, and CPSC. Comparison bars benchmark each metric against the national reference.

Population
10,639
Morro Bay
Median Income
$95,843
+41% vs avg
Median Home Value
$918,200
+303% vs avg
Median Age
54.3
years

10-Year Trends 2013–2024

County-level trend (San Luis Obispo County) - Morro Bay's own historical series isn't separately published by the Census Bureau, so these year-over-year figures track the surrounding county, not the city alone.

20132024
Population
282K+3%
Median Income
$97,446+66%
Median Home Value
$824,700+93%
Poverty Rate
12.9%-10%
Unemployment
5.5%-35%

Economics

Economics indicators for Morro Bay, CA
IndicatorValue
Median Rent
$1,858/mo
Poverty Rate
8.4% -41% vs avg
Unemployment 7.9%
Bachelor's Degree+ 48.5%
Work From Home 21.7%
Public Transit 0.4%

Population

White 80.3%
African American 0.4%
Asian 2.9%
Two or More Ethnicities 2.9%

Health Profile 15 measures

Health Indicators

High Blood Pressure
36.9%
Short Sleep Duration
29.5%
Obesity
25.9%
Physical Inactivity
19.2%
Frequent Mental Distress
14.4%
Binge Drinking
14.3%
Frequent Physical Distress
13.5%
Diabetes
11.2%
Current Asthma
10%
Current Smoking
9.6%

Preventive Care

Dental Visit 71.3%
Annual Checkup 76.6%

Other Measures

Coronary Heart Disease
7.6%
Lack of Health Insurance
5.7%
Stroke
3.8%

Frequently Asked Questions 5

What is the population of Morro Bay, CA? ▼
Morro Bay, CA has a population of 10,639 people, located in San Luis Obispo County, California.
What is the median household income in Morro Bay? ▼
The median household income in Morro Bay, CA is $95,843 per year, per the U.S. Census ACS. The poverty rate is 8.4%.
What is the median home value in Morro Bay? ▼
The median home value in Morro Bay, CA is $918,200. Median rent is $1,858/month.
What are the top health concerns in Morro Bay? ▼
The top health indicators in Morro Bay include High Blood Pressure (36.9%), Short Sleep Duration (29.5%), Obesity (25.9%). Data from CDC PLACES.
What is the median age in Morro Bay? ▼
The median age in Morro Bay, CA is 54.3 years. 48.5% of residents have a bachelor's degree or higher.

Safety Context

Morro Bay, CA is located in San Luis Obispo County, California. With a population of 11K and a $95,843 median household income, the community faces health challenges including high blood pressure and short sleep duration. Safety alerts for the Morro Bay area are monitored from federal and state agencies including FEMA, NOAA, FDA, and CPSC.

Safety Guides

How Product Recalls Work

CPSC, FDA & NHTSA recall process explained

Understanding Weather Alerts

Watch vs warning vs advisory explained

Earthquake Magnitude Explained

What the numbers mean & when to act
All safety guides →

Primary source data

EPA Outdoor Air Quality Data

Federal monitoring network, every measurement we report

AirNow - California

Real-time AQI for every monitored California location

National Weather Service

NOAA active watches, warnings, advisories

CDC Air Quality & Health

Health-impact reference for every AQI category

EPA NAAQS standards

National Ambient Air Quality Standards, the regulatory thresholds

Nearby Cities 8

Los Osos, CA 14K San Luis Obispo, CA 47K Atascadero, CA 30K Paso Robles, CA 27K Grover Beach, CA 14K Arroyo Grande, CA 18K Nipomo, CA 17K Santa Maria, CA 105K
All cities in California → Compare Morro Bay vs Los Osos → All comparisons → Browse all cities

Using Morro Bay's profile

Use this as a starting research checklist, not a verdict on whether to live here.

  • Check live recalls, weather and hazard alerts scoped to the Morro Bay area before relying on national headlines. Check your area
  • Read the poverty rate alongside the income figure, two places with the same median can have very different realities.
  • Compare Morro Bay against California peers on any ranking lens. Explore California

Population and economics (income, home value, poverty, education) are place-level U.S. Census ACS; health is CDC PLACES; hospital counts reflect facilities in and around the city.

Data Sources

All data on this page comes from official U.S. government sources. Population and economic data from the Census Bureau American Community Survey (2024 5-year estimates, place geography). Health data from the CDC PLACES program (2023). Hospital ratings from CMS Hospital Compare (2024). Climate data from NOAA. Education data from NCES. Cost of living from Bureau of Economic Analysis. Crime statistics, where referenced on Areazine, originate from the FBI Crime Data Explorer. Housing market figures referenced on Areazine come from HUD Fair Market Rents. Census economics and population are at place geography; some health and hospital indicators are reported at the county level (San Luis Obispo County) where that is the smallest published unit.

Every figure on Areazine is published directly from official U.S. government sources, no number is typed in by an editor. City demographic and health figures are compiled directly from U.S. Census, CDC, and CMS releases, updated quarterly within 30 days of upstream release. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of 2026.