Atwater, California Demographics
Population trends, housing costs, income, commuting, and health, all on one page.
Atwater, CA Population Density Map and Area Scores
Area Score
Health, income and education, each graded from F to A+. Explore interactive maps for deeper analysis.
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B
Health Around average
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D
Income Well below average
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F
Education Well below average
Source: Map AI Methodology
Population
| Metric | Atwater | California Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 24,422 | 39,245,658 | 337,468,954 |
| Population density (per sq mi) | 3716.3 | 239.4 | 86.4 |
| Population growth (%/yr) | 1.18% | 0.19% | 0.59% |
| Median age | 31.4 | 35.5 | 37.3 |
| Households | 7,498 | 13,531,619 | 130,235,071 |
Population in Atwater grew by 19.9% from 2009 to 2024, reaching 24,422 in 2024.
Population Growth 2009–2024
Race & Ethnicity
Age & Sex
The largest generation in Atwater is Gen Z, aged 13–28, at 24.9% of residents. That is 3.2 points above California as a whole.
- Gen Z 13–28 6,079 24.9% +3.2 pts
- Millennials 29–44 5,326 21.8% -1.9 pts
- Gen X 45–60 4,293 17.6% -2.3 pts
- Boomers 61–79 3,069 12.6% -2.7 pts
Residents by birth cohort, from the 2025 age distribution. The right-hand figure is how far each cohort's share sits above or below California, in percentage points. Children younger than Gen Z and the generations before the Boomers are counted in the population but not shown here, so these shares do not add up to 100%.
Male and female share
Women are 50.1% of the people living in Atwater and men 49.9%.
- Women 50.1% California 49.9%
- Men 49.9% California 50.1%
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Economy
Atwater has a the economy index of D, which means it is barely prosperous.
| Metric | Atwater | California Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $63,704 | $99,161 | $80,455 |
| Income growth (%/yr) | 4.47% | 5.57% | 4.80% |
| Unemployment rate | 11.7% | 6.6% | 5.2% |
The median household income in Atwater is about 36% lower than in California.
Housing
| Metric | Atwater | California Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home price | $290,352 | $650,794 | $248,835 |
| Median rent | $1,279 | $2,036 | $1,407 |
| Homeownership rate | 52.0% | 55.9% | 65.2% |
The median home price in Atwater is about 18.9 years' worth of rent — buying at the median price costs roughly as much as paying the median rent of $1,279 per month for that long.
Commute Time & Mobility
Commuters in Atwater spend about 43 minutes on the road round trip each working day. Over a typical 250-day work year, that adds up to roughly 180 hours, about 7.5 full days, spent commuting.
| Metric | Atwater | California Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| One-way commute (min) | 21.6 | 23.5 | 22.4 |
| Round-trip commute (min) | 43.2 | 47.0 | 44.8 |
| Yearly time spent (hours) | 180 | 196 | 187 |
| Estimated yearly cost | $5,584 | $6,065 | $5,790 |
| Work from home | 4.6% | 17.2% | 15.0% |
| Highway traffic (vehicles/day) | 17,001 | 16,509 | 8,813 |
| Local road traffic (vehicles/day) | 1,830 | 2,449 | 1,355 |
The average commute time in Atwater is 22 minutes, shorter than the 23 minutes in California.
Estimated yearly cost applies a single national wage rule of thumb (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics average hourly earnings), not a measurement of wages in this area. Traffic volume figures come from proprietary Ticon and TrafficZoom data.
Education & Households
Atwater has a education index of F, which means it scores poorly in education.
| Metric | Atwater | California Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 13.4% | 33.0% | 31.6% |
| Average household size | 3.14 | 2.84 | 2.53 |
Health
Atwater has a health index of B, which means it is quite healthy.
| Metric | Atwater | California Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life expectancy (years) | 77.9 | 79.6 | 78.3 |
| Self-rated poor health | 21.3% | 16.4% | 16.3% |
| Smokers | 16.1% | 13.9% | 19.0% |
Atwater, CA Compared With Nearby Cities
How Atwater, CA compares with the 1 cities closest to it.
| Area | Population | Median household income | Median home price | Commute |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Atwater, CA | 24,422 | $63,704 #1/2 | $290,352 #2/2 | 21.6 min #2/2 |
| Merced, CA | 65,930 | $59,646 | $303,990 | 17.8 min |
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about Atwater, California.
How many people live in Atwater, California?
About 24,422 people live in Atwater, California, in 7,498 households of 3.1 people on average. The median age is 31.4, so residents are younger than the U.S. median of 37.3 by about 6 years.
Is Atwater, California urban or rural?
Averaged over its land area, Atwater, California has 3,716 people per square mile, a density typical of a city. That is about 43 times the U.S. average of 86.
How affordable is housing in Atwater, California?
The median home costs 4.6 times the median household income ($290,352 against $63,704), compared with 3.1 times nationally. A ratio of about 3 is traditionally considered affordable. Median rent of $1,279 a month takes about 24% of the median household's income, below the 30% level at which HUD considers renters cost-burdened.
Is it hard to find a job in Atwater, California?
Unemployment in Atwater, California is 11.7%, well above the U.S. rate of 5.2%, so job seekers may face more competition than elsewhere.
What share of adults in Atwater, California have a college degree?
13.4% of adults in Atwater, California hold a bachelor's degree or higher (about 1 in 7), well below the U.S. share of 31.6%.
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