Census place 0603162

Atwater

A Census profile of the people, homes, and daily patterns that shape this place.

Official Census name: Atwater city

Relocation snapshot

What stands out in Atwater.

According to the 2025 estimate, Atwater has a population of 32,133 and 4,893 residents per square mile. Of the six relocation measures evaluated, the three largest relative differences from the median among 376 covered California places are: median home value is $363,400, below the comparison median of $717,000; median gross rent is $1,279, below the comparison median of $2,086; and median household income is $64,472, below the comparison median of $98,132. These unweighted medians compare covered Census places and are not statewide estimates.

median home value
$363,400
Below the comparison median of $717,000
median gross rent
$1,279
Below the comparison median of $2,086
median household income
$64,472
Below the comparison median of $98,132

National context

Follow the metrics.

Compare Atwater's values with other covered Census places. Rankings are descriptive, not recommendations.

At a glance

A city in numbers.

Population
32,133
2025 estimate
Annual change
-0.3%
Population estimate
Density
4,893/sq mi
6.6 sq mi land area
Median age
33 years
ACS 5-year estimate

Living here

The everyday equation.

Households, homes, education, and the time it takes to get around.

Median household income
$64,472
Median home value
$363,400
Median gross rent
$1,279
Bachelor’s degree or higher
12.9%
Typical commute
28.3 min
Drive-alone commute
79.2%
Public transit commute
0.7%
Walked to work
0.8%

Housing

Who rents, and what it takes.

Renter share and rent burden help describe the housing choices visible in this place.

Renter-occupied homes
47.9%
Renters paying 30%+ of income
53.5%

Work

How the workday lands.

Employment status and working-from-home share add context to income and commuting patterns.

Employed residents 16+
53.2%
Unemployed residents 16+
7.4%
Working from home
4.2%

Community

The everyday infrastructure.

Access, mobility, housing growth, and household composition add another layer to a place's day-to-day picture.

Households with broadband
91%
Homes built 2020+
0.7%
Households without a vehicle
6.3%
Households with children
40.1%
Residents with a disability
13.6%
Residents without insurance
9.3%

Environmental context

A record of declared events.

FEMA declarations for Merced County provide historical context, not a forecast or a property-level risk assessment.

Environmental declarations since 2000
9
Flood declarations
4
Severe Storm declarations
3
Freezing declarations
1

Climate normals

The long view of weather.

Thirty-year averages, not a forecast. Temperature and precipitation describe the typical conditions recorded from 1991 through 2020.

Representative station: MERCED MUNI AP (6 mi from place center)
Average high
76.4°F
Average low
48.2°F
Annual rainfall
11.8"
Annual snowfall
0"

Month by month

A year in Atwater.

Typical high and low °F
20°F40°F60°F80°F100°F
JFMAMJJASOND
Typical precipitation inches

Data vintage

Population is from the 2025 Population Estimates Program. Household, housing, education, and commute data are from the 2020-2024 American Community Survey 5-year release. Disaster declarations are from FEMA's OpenFEMA dataset and are refreshed with this edition.

Similar places

More places to consider.

Selected by the closest mix of population, density, median home value, and average annual high.

Reedley, CA

Population, housing, work, and travel data for this Census place.

Population
26,982
Median home
$334,800

Sanger, CA

Population, housing, work, and travel data for this Census place.

Population
27,228
Median home
$364,800

Bedford, TX

Population, housing, work, and travel data for this Census place.

Population
47,958
Median home
$350,700

Keep exploring

Compare Atwater with Reedley