Cost of living in Morro Bay, CA — Housing, Rent & Index

All states·California·Morro Bay·Cost of living

Housing, rent, and a comparison to the US average.

$958,983
Median home value
$2,507/mo
Median rent
270
Cost index (US=100)
-0.8%
Home YoY change

The median home value in Morro Bay, CA is $958,983 as of 2026-04. That places Morro Bay above the US average for housing cost, with a cost index of approximately 270 versus a national baseline of 100.

Over the past 12 months, the median home value in Morro Bay has moved sideways, and over the past five years it has averaged +3.6% annual growth. The current price sits -3.8% from its 5-year peak in 2023-11.

Renters pay a median of $2,507 per month in Morro Bay. Rents have changed +10.1% over the last year and averaged — per year over five years.

Beyond housing, day-to-day costs in Morro Bay are shaped by state and local taxes, utility rates, transportation, and groceries. This page focuses on the housing component, which is the largest single line in most household budgets and the easiest to compare across cities using consistent national data.

Housing

Median home value$958,983
1-year change-0.8%
5-year CAGR+3.6%
10-year CAGR+5.3%
vs 5-year peak-3.8%

Source: Zillow Home Value Index (ZHVI).

How Morro Bay compares

Cost index270 (above US)
Median home vs US (~$355k)+170.1%
Population10,591
Momentum score57 (Stable)

Cost index is currently a housing-only proxy; full BLS basket coming with ACS pull.

Sources: Zillow ZHVI (home values), Zillow ZORI (rents), US Census ACS + place population. Updated when source agencies publish revisions.