What it's like to live in Atwater
Atwater is a small city in California with rent below the national average. Those factors carry real weight for anyone weighing where to move next.
The tradeoffs are worth naming plainly. Atwater deals with unemployment above the national average, household incomes below the national average, crime rates above the national average, and commute times longer than most cities.
The good
- Rent below the national average
The not so good
- Above-average unemployment
- Below-average household incomes
- Crime above national average
- Above-average commute times
- Air quality concerns
- Low college degree attainment
How Atwater compares
Median household income
Median rent (per month)
Median home value
What it takes to move to Atwater
Based on Atwater's median rent, home value and household income
To rent
$2,558
up front: first month plus a typical one-month deposit
- Income to keep rent under 30%: $51,160 a year
- 51% of Atwater renters spend 30% or more of their income on rent
To buy
$72,680
a 20% down payment on the median home
- With 10% down: $36,340
- Homes cost 5.6× the typical local household income (US: 4.1×)
Moving costs, closing costs and taxes not included.
The details
Cost of livingNear US average
$1,279/mo median rent
Cost of living works in this city's favor. Median rent sits around $1,279 a month, nothing that raises eyebrows. Solid value overall. Home prices run above average, with a median around $363,400. Buyers should expect to stretch their budget here.
Median home value $363,400 · 51% of renters cost-burdened
Job market▲ 116% above US
9.3% unemployment
Unemployment here is 9.3%, well above the national average of 4.3%. Moving with a job already lined up matters more here.
City-level (BLS)
Safety▲ 76% above US
579 violent crimes per 100k
Crime is worth weighing seriously here. Rates run above the national average, and while plenty of residents live comfortably, neighborhood selection matters a lot more than it does in a safer city.
Property crime 2066/100k · Atwater Police Department · 2025 data
Getting aroundNear US average
28 min average commute
Commutes run about average, at 28.3 minutes. Fine day to day, but it adds up over a year, and where someone lives relative to where they work starts to matter. 9 in 10 workers drive to work.
How workers get to work
Climate
Summers are hot and humid, with highs regularly hitting 93°F, and winters are chilly but manageable, with lows around 37°F. It's a dry climate with limited rainfall.
Average month
30-year averages, 1991–2020
Education & workforce▼ 64% below US
13% bachelor's degree or higher
This is a working-class city, and college degree rates reflect that. Trades, manufacturing, and service industries tend to dominate the local economy, which is a strength for some fields and a real constraint for others.
Schools
14 public schools inside the boundary
There are 14 public schools inside the boundary. The student-to-teacher ratio is 22:1, above the national average of 16:1.
Parks & recreation
The nearest national park or historic site is Yosemite National Park (66 miles away). There are 6 national parks and sites within a day's drive.
Bottom line
Atwater's strongest point is rent below the national average; the main tradeoffs are unemployment above the national average and household incomes below the national average. A year of median rent ($1,279/mo) equals 24% of the median household income here, more than the 21% typical nationwide. It may be a harder fit for anyone moving without a job lined up and anyone who doesn't drive.
Other places near Atwater
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