With 10,692 people, Morro Bay is a city in California. The median age is 54.3, about 15 years above the US median. The typical home is worth $918,200, having more than tripled since 2000. Few US cities rank higher on income. This is an unusually credentialed place: 48% of adults have a four-year degree. Density works out to 2,003 people per square mile.
At a glance
Wealthier
median household income $95,843, above the US median
US median: $82,259
Older
median age 54.3
US median: 38.9
More educated
48% hold a bachelor's degree
US average: 36%
Less affordable
home values up 118%, inflation adjusted
US median home: $376,019
Unique to this place
What stands out about Morro Bay
What changed most since 1990
Adults with a bachelor's degree21.6% → 48.5%(+26.9 pts)US over the same years: +15.3 pts
Median age42.2 → 54.3(+12.1 years)US over the same years: +6.0 years
Homes owned by their occupants55.5% → 65.4%(+9.9 pts)US over the same years: +0.9 pts
Morro Bay's population equals 3.8% of San Luis Obispo County's. Its number of veterans equals 6.8% of the county's. Its number of foreign-born residents equals 2.3% of the county's.
Shares are "alone or in combination": a person with both Medicare and Medicaid counts in each, so categories overlap and do not sum to 100%.
Section 09 · Service history
Veterans
Veterans by period of service, 2024
Gulf War (2001 or later)12%(120)
US avg: 26.4%
Gulf War (1990s)10.9%(109)
US avg: 24.3%
Vietnam era40.8%(406)
US avg: 33.1%
Korean War7.3%(73)
US avg: 4.5%
World War II3.2%(32)
US avg: 1%
Share of the 996 veterans here. A veteran who served across eras counts in each, so shares can total more than 100%. Peacetime-only service is included in the total but not shown as an era.
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Over time
Morro Bay, decade by decade
Morro Bay population, inflation-adjusted income and home value, education, and diversity by year
Year
Population
Median household income
Median home value
Bachelor's degree+
Diversity score
1990
9,802
$62,519
$535,455
21.6%
26.4
2000
10,350
$62,627
$421,531
27.8%
36.3
2010
10,234
$77,086
$819,410
30.5%
43.4
2020
10,757
$89,526
$789,522
43.6%
52.9
2024
10,692
$95,843
$918,200
48.5%
46.8
Census years come from the decennial census and the latest year from the American Community Survey, so part of any change between those two rows can reflect the different surveys. Dollar figures are adjusted for inflation to 2024 dollars; a figure ending in "+" was at the Census Bureau's reporting cap that year. The diversity score runs from 0 to 100; see how it's calculated.
