Cost of living in Atherton research summary. The cost of living index is set to 100 for the average place in the United States. A cost of living index above 100 means Atherton is expensive. An index value below 100 means the city is a relatively cheap place to live.
On a city-by-city basis in California, home prices and rent have the biggest impact on the cost of living. Here are the key takeaways based on Saturday Night Science:
The cost of living index in Atherton is 343, with 100 being the average.
The cost of living index in Atherton is 3.4x higher than the national average.
Atherton ranks as the #632 cheapest in California out of 634.
Atherton ranks as the #6,487 cheapest out of 6,489 in the US.
The median home value in Atherton is $7,619,338.
The median income in Atherton is $250,001.
According to the most recent data on the cost of living, Atherton has an overall cost of living index of 343, which is 3.4x higher than the national index of 100.
Compared to California, Atherton has a cost of living index that's 2.4x higher than California's index of 141.
The standard of living in Atherton ranks as #632 most affordable out of the 634 places we measured in California. By definition, that implies Atherton ranks as the #2 most expensive place in the Golden State.
For more reading on life in Atherton, check out:
Six factors go into calculating the cost of living index in Atherton. Here is how it fairs on each of the criteria:
The Services index in Atherton is 109.
The Groceries index in Atherton is 115.
The Health index in Atherton is 123.
The Housing index in Atherton is 870.
The Transportation index in Atherton is 129.
The Utilities index in Atherton is 134.
| Living Expense | Atherton | California | National Average | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Overall | 343 | 141 | 100 | |
| Services | 109 | 110 | 100 | |
| Groceries | 115 | 112 | 100 | |
| Health | 123 | 110 | 100 | |
| Housing | 870 | 195 | 100 | |
| Transportation | 129 | 125 | 100 | |
| Utilities | 134 | 128 | 100 | |
Housing swings affordability the most between places in California, so we broke down housing costs into more detail. Home and income data comes from the most recent US Census ACS 2019-2023. The key points are:
The Median Home Value in Atherton is $7,619,338.
The Median Rent in Atherton is $3,501.
The Median Income in Atherton is $250,001.
The Home Value To Income in Atherton is 30.5x.
The Rent To Monthly Income in Atherton is 0.17x.
| Statistic | Atherton | California | United States |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median Home Value | $7,619,338 | $763,287 | $303,400 |
| Median Rent | $3,501 | $1,956 | $1,348 |
| Median Income | $250,001 | $96,334 | $78,538 |
| Home Value To Income | 30.5x | 7.9x | 3.9x |
| Rent To Monthly Income | 0.17x | 0.24x | 0.21x |
| Item | Atherton | California |
|---|---|---|
| Shampoo | $1.66 | $1.28 |
| Movie | $13.31 | $12.13 |
| Bowling | $33.3 | $18 |
| Haircut | $33.94 | $24.26 |
| Beauty Salon | $48.51 | $45.56 |
| Item | Atherton | California |
|---|---|---|
| Ground Beef | $5.79 | $5.84 |
| Fried Chicken | $2.13 | $1.57 |
| Milk | $5.05 | $4.67 |
| Potatoes | $4.77 | $4.93 |
| Pizza | $14.92 | $12.09 |
| Beer | $10.99 | $10.41 |
| Toothpaste | $3.72 | $3.7 |
| Item | Atherton | California |
|---|---|---|
| Optometrist | $158.95 | $125.68 |
| Doctor | $194.05 | $135.78 |
| Dentist | $147.78 | $113.29 |
| Item | Atherton | California |
|---|---|---|
| Gasoline | $4.81 | $3.46 |
| Tire Balancing | $65.62 | $59.92 |
| Item | Atherton | California |
|---|---|---|
| All Electricity | $294.74 | $193.99 |
| Phone | $190.07 | $192.25 |
The cost of living varies in the cities and towns around Atherton. Here's a quick look at the cost of living in the most populous nearby places:
Sunnyvale, CA has a cost of living index of 266, 0.8x Atherton.
San Mateo, CA has a cost of living index of 248, 0.7x Atherton.
Cupertino, CA has a cost of living index of 326, 1.0x Atherton.
| City | Population | Cost Of Living | Vs. Atherton |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sunnyvale, CA | 153,455 | 266 | 0.8x |
| San Mateo, CA | 103,555 | 248 | 0.7x |
| Cupertino, CA | 58,886 | 326 | 1.0x |
| San Bruno, CA | 42,612 | 220 | 0.6x |
| Menlo Park, CA | 32,775 | 334 | 1.0x |
| Los Altos, CA | 30,736 | 339 | 1.0x |
| San Carlos, CA | 29,797 | 311 | 0.9x |
| San Lorenzo, CA | 29,453 | 170 | 0.5x |
| East Palo Alto, CA | 29,143 | 207 | 0.6x |
| Belmont, CA | 27,505 | 294 | 0.9x |