Share

Morro Bay vs San Diego Crime Comparison

Side-by-side crime rates, safety scores, and trends based on FBI data.

Full report: Morro Bay crime rate · San Diego crime rate

Moving from Morro Bay, CA to San Diego, CA?

The Moving Checklist Planner turns your move-in date into a dated checklist, packing inventory and budget — seven tabs for Google Sheets or Excel, $12 once.

Get the planner →

Is Morro Bay or San Diego Safer?

According to crimebycity.com's analysis of FBI data, Morro Bay is safer than San Diego (Safety Score 71/100 vs 38/100), with a total crime rate of 1,092 per 100,000 versus 2,082 for San Diego — 48% lower. Morro Bay has lower rates in 7 of 7 crime categories.

The biggest difference is in murder, where Morro Bay has a 100% lower rate.

Note: San Diego is 131.9x larger by coverage, which can affect crime rate comparisons. Larger cities tend to report higher rates due to density and more comprehensive reporting.

Quiz: which of these is MORE DANGEROUS than Morro Bay, CA?

Morro Bay — 5-Year Trend

Increasing Violent Decreasing Property Decreasing Total

San Diego — 5-Year Trend

Increasing Violent Decreasing Property Decreasing Total

Morro Bay, CA

Morro Bay, CA
Safety Score 71/100
Coverage 10,532
Total Crime Rate 1,091.9
Category Wins 7/7

San Diego, CA

San Diego, CA
Safety Score 38/100
Coverage 1,389,024
Total Crime Rate 2,082.4
Category Wins 0/7

Detailed Crime Rate Comparison

Crime Type Morro Bay San Diego Difference
Total Crime Rate 1,091.9 2,082.4 -990.5
Violent Crime Rate 303.8 412.4 -108.5
Murder Rate 0.0 2.5 -2.5
Rape Rate 66.5 21.4 +45.1
Robbery Rate 19.0 77.4 -58.4
Aggravated Assault Rate 208.9 310.9 -102.1
Property Crime Rate 788.1 1,670.0 -882.0
Burglary Rate 38.0 187.4 -149.4
Larceny-Theft Rate 702.6 1,087.1 -384.5
Motor Vehicle Theft Rate 47.5 395.5 -348.1

All rates per 100,000 residents. Source: FBI UCR.

Moving from Morro Bay, CA to San Diego, CA?

The Moving Checklist Planner turns your move-in date into a dated checklist, packing inventory and budget — seven tabs for Google Sheets or Excel, $12 once.

Get the planner →

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Morro Bay or San Diego safer?

Morro Bay is safer with a total crime rate of 1,092 per 100K vs 2,082 for San Diego — a 48% difference.

How do violent crime rates compare?

Morro Bay has a violent crime rate of 303.8 per 100K while San Diego has 412.4. Morro Bay has lower violent crime.

About Morro Bay, CA

Morro Bay, a small coastal city in San Luis Obispo County, is famous for Morro Rock, a volcanic plug that's part of the Nine Sisters. Its harbor supports a fishing fleet and draws tourists to its waterfront. With a safety score of 71/100 and a population coverage of 10,532, Morro Bay has a total crime rate of 1,091.9 per 100,000 residents.

About San Diego, CA

San Diego, California, a major port city with a significant Hispanic population, sits on the Pacific Ocean just north of the Mexican border. Known for its mild climate and Balboa Park, it's also home to a large naval presence. With a safety score of 38/100 and a population coverage of 1,389,024, San Diego has a total crime rate of 2,082.4 per 100,000 residents.

More Crime Rate Comparisons