Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
Atwater grades D− overall, ranked 760th of 841 in California, mostly because of safety and incomes. It reports more crime per resident than 89% of U.S. towns, including 186 violent crimes reported to the FBI in 2025. The median household income is $64K, and 21% of residents live below the poverty line. What it does well: it is easier to get around on foot or by transit than 72% of U.S. towns. Atwater’s July high is 95°F, above both the California town median (89°F) and the median of U.S. towns (85°F). Atwater's civic life (library use, community groups, volunteering) trails 92% of U.S. towns. Homes are expensive, about $419K for a typical one and 6.4 times the Merced metro’s $66K median household income.
Where Atwater beats most towns.
28,168 counted in 2010 and 31,970 in 2020; an estimated 32,133 in 2025.
Growth has leveled off: within 1% of 2020, after 13.5% in the decade before.
U.S. Census 2010 & 2020 counts · Census Bureau estimate, July 1, 2025
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within California), ordered by how far Atwater is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Census counts: 917 in 1930, 31,970 in 2020. The archive holds 6 old photos and papers going back to 1987 and 5 maps from 1918 on.
1 place on the National Register of Historic Places.
Who provides power, water and the rest in Atwater, and how to reach them.
EPA SDWIS (Oct 9, 2026) · HIFLD + EIA-861 2025 · Census 2020 ZCTAs · NCES 2024–25 · registration: vote.gov, updated Nov 18, 2024.
Ordered by what stands out in Atwater.
Atwater has more 90° days than nearly all U.S. towns, has property taxes about half the California norm and has added a third more jobs in ten years.
The violent crime rate in Atwater is 5.8 per 1,000 residents. Atwater reports more crime per resident than most U.S. towns we grade: about 89% report less. The property crime rate in Atwater is 20 per 1,000 residents.
| Atwater | California towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Violent crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 5.8 per 1,000 residents | 2.9 | 1.6 |
| Property crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 20 per 1,000 residents | 13.3 | 9.9 |
FBI crime data, 2025 · crimes reported to police
Its public schools are run by the Atwater Elementary school district. Two of its 15 schools are below, each with why it’s listed.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mitchell IntermediateLargest public middle schoolGrades 7–8 | Grades 7–8 | 744 | – |
| Atwater HighLargest public high schoolGrades 9–12 | Grades 9–12 | 2,029 | B− |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within CA on state tests and graduation
The median property tax bill is $2,407, against $5,124 across California, another input to its cost-of-living grade.
52% of households own their home in Atwater. The typical Atwater home is worth about $419,000, up 1.1% in a year, 45% below the California typical home. Atwater’s median rent is $1,279 a month.
| Atwater | California towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Households that own their home | 52% | 64% | 73% |
| Median rent | $1,279 a month | $1,898 a month | $1,185 a month |
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
| Atwater | California towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Miles of trail per square mile | 1.2 miles per square mile | 1.0 | 0.4 |
| Conserved land | 1.8% | 4.3% | 4.3% |
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Osborn Park | 0.1 mi | 14 |
| 2. Veteran's Memorial Park | — | 9 |
| 3. Joan Faul Park | — | 7 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Jobs based here grew from 4,318 in 2013 to 6,475.
Most working residents leave Atwater for work: only 11% work in town. 4.2% of Atwater workers work from home. Jobs based in Atwater grew to 6,475 in 2023, 2,157 more than in 2013.
| Atwater | California towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Work from home | 4.2% | 14% | 11% |
| Median household income | $64,000 | $95,000 | $80,000 |
| Average trip to work | 28 minutes | 28 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Working residents who work in town | 11% | 6.6% | 8% |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Atwater beats the California average on 0 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 16.
| Atwater | California towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Food insecurity (CDC PLACES) | 27% | 16% | 14% |
| Fair or poor health (CDC PLACES) | 29% | 22% | 19% |
| No health insurance, 18–64 (CDC PLACES) | 17% | 9% | 8.1% |
| Feel lonely (CDC PLACES) | 39% | 36% | 33% |
| What stands out | Atwater | CA |
|---|---|---|
| More uninsured adults | 17.1% | 10.6% |
| More adults facing a utility shut-off | 11.4% | 7.3% |
| More adults facing food insecurity | 27.3% | 17.9% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
The Merced weather station, 6 miles away, records that about 106 days a year reach 90°, more than in 96% of U.S. towns. July afternoons average 95.3°, hotter than in 96% of U.S. towns; January nights average 38.6°.
Atwater has mild winters and hot summers, with very little rain. Snow is almost unheard of.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Expected storm and flood damage is higher than in 61% of U.S. communities. Since 1980, 2 flood insurance claims have been paid out in Atwater.
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
2 within 15 miles of the center of Atwater
About 6 of every 100 Atwater residents are enrolled in college, against 8 across California.
Where Atwater’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
Census LEHD 2023
City in California, United States
Atwater, officially the City of Atwater, is a city on State Route 99 in Merced County, California, United States. Atwater is 8 miles (13 km) west-northwest of Merced, at an elevation of 151 feet (46 m). The population as of the 2020 census was 31,970, up from 28,168 in 2010.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
2 towns share a border with Atwater.
Winton and McSwain report no FBI crime data of their own. Compare Atwater with a neighbor →
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Atwater grades D− overall, better than 3% of U.S. towns and #760 of 841 in California. It grades C for health, D for safety and B− for schools. Cost of living is its weak spot, with a D.
Yes. Cost of living, which also weighs rents, property taxes and how many households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, grades D.