Morro Bay, CA

Census place 0649362 · pop 10,692

D52/ 100
😐 Meh
B
in CA
📍 California ranks #49 of 50 states →
🏆 Obesity25.9% · top 11%
🚽 Cost$918,200 · bottom 5%
Taxes
0.65% property · US 0.99%8.99% sales · US 7.00%up to 13.30% income · US 4.63%

Sales & income are statewide.

The breakdown — worst first

Housing cost$918,2005

U.S. median $214,900 · worse than most cities

$918,200 median home value · Median home value — how expensive it is to buy in. Higher = less affordable.

Rent$2,660/mo13

U.S. median $1,756/mo · worse than most cities

$2,660/mo typical rent · Typical monthly rent (Zillow Observed Rent Index, all home types).

Unhealthy air daysCounty-level10 days22

U.S. median 1 days · worse than most cities

10 unhealthy-air days per year · Days per year with unhealthy air (AQI above 100). Published by county, not city — every city in the county shares this figure.

Income inequality0.4727

U.S. median 0.43 · worse than most cities

Gini 0.47 (0 = equal, 1 = unequal) · Gini index of household income (0 = equal, 1 = unequal).

Air quality (AQI)County-level49 AQI27

U.S. median 42 AQI · worse than most cities

49 median AQI · Median air quality index — lower is cleaner air. Published by county, not city — every city in the county shares this figure.

Violent crime rate294/100k36

U.S. median 152/100k · worse than most cities

294 violent crimes per 100k · Violent crimes (murder, rape, robbery, aggravated assault) per 100,000 residents.

Population growth (5yr)+1.1%37

U.S. median +2.4% · worse than most cities

+1.1% population change (5yr) · 5-year population change — are people moving in, or fleeing?

Natural disaster riskCounty-level93/10038

U.S. median 77/100 · worse than most cities

93/100 FEMA risk (higher = riskier) · FEMA National Risk Index — wildfire, flood, earthquake, heat and more. Published by county, not city — every city in the county shares this figure.

Unemployment rateCounty-level3.8%43

U.S. median 3.6% · worse than most cities

3.8% unemployment · Share of the labor force out of work. Published by county, not city — every city in the county shares this figure.

Homeownership65.4%54

U.S. median 67.2% · better than most cities

65.4% own their home · Share of occupied homes that are owner-occupied.

Poverty rate8.4%66

U.S. median 12.1% · better than most cities

8.4% live in poverty · Share of residents living below the federal poverty line.

Property crime rate836/100k69

U.S. median 964/100k · better than most cities

836 property crimes per 100k · Burglary, theft, motor-vehicle theft and arson per 100,000 residents.

Median household income$95,84372

U.S. median $67,857 · better than most cities

$95,843 median household income · Median household income — a proxy for local economic health.

Broadband access94.6%75

U.S. median 90.0% · better than most cities

94.6% of homes have broadband · Share of households with a broadband internet subscription.

Commute time20 min77

U.S. median 24 min · better than most cities

20 min average one-way commute · Average one-way commute to work, in minutes.

Property-tax burden0.65%78

U.S. median 0.99% · better than most cities

0.65% of home value paid in property tax · Median real-estate taxes paid as a share of home value.

Bachelor's degree or higher48.5%80

U.S. median 24.3% · better than most cities

48.5% have a bachelor's degree or higher · Share of adults 25+ with a bachelor's degree or higher.

Physical inactivity19.2%82

U.S. median 26.5% · better than most cities

19.2% of adults · Adults with no leisure-time physical activity.

Adult smoking9.6%83

U.S. median 14.6% · better than most cities

9.6% of adults · Share of adults who currently smoke.

Poor mental health14.4%84

U.S. median 17.4% · better than most cities

14.4% of adults · Adults reporting frequent poor mental health (14+ days a month).

Uninsured adults5.7%88

U.S. median 9.3% · better than most cities

5.7% of adults · Adults 18–64 without health insurance.

Adult obesity25.9%89

U.S. median 36.5% · better than most cities

25.9% of adults · Share of adults with obesity (BMI ≥ 30).

Frequently asked

Is Morro Bay, CA a good place to live?
By the numbers, Morro Bay scores 52/100 — a D (Meh) on Shcity, which ranks U.S. cities on public data across 22 metrics like crime, cost, jobs and health. Its strongest area is adult obesity and its weakest is housing cost. California overall ranks #49 of 50 states. Whether it's "good" depends on what you value — re-weight the factors to score it your way.
How safe is Morro Bay, CA?
Morro Bay reports 294 violent crimes per 100k and 836 property crimes per 100k — worse than most U.S. cities on violent crime.
Is Morro Bay, CA expensive to live in?
Morro Bay has a median home value of $918,200 and typical rent around $2,660/mo — pricier than most U.S. cities.
What's the biggest downside of living in Morro Bay, CA?
Its weakest measured area is housing cost ($918,200) — 5/100, worse than most U.S. cities.
What is Morro Bay, CA best at?
Its strongest measured area is adult obesity (25.9%) — 89/100, better than most U.S. cities.

Sources: U.S. Census (ACS), CDC PLACES, FBI Crime Data Explorer, BLS, EPA AirData, FEMA National Risk Index, and Zillow.