Cost of living in Atwater 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 Atwater 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 Atwater is 115, with 100 being the average.
The cost of living index in Atwater is 1.1x higher than the national average.
Atwater ranks as the #82 cheapest in California out of 634.
Atwater ranks as the #4,090 cheapest out of 6,489 in the US.
The median home value in Atwater is $418,202.
The median income in Atwater is $63,945.
According to the most recent data on the cost of living, Atwater has an overall cost of living index of 115, which is 1.1x higher than the national index of 100.
Compared to California, Atwater has a cost of living index that's 0.8x lower than California's index of 141.
The standard of living in Atwater ranks as #82 most affordable out of the 634 places we measured in California. By definition, that implies Atwater ranks as the #552 most expensive place in the Golden State.
For more reading on life in Atwater, check out:
Six factors go into calculating the cost of living index in Atwater. Here is how it fairs on each of the criteria:
The Services index in Atwater is 104.
The Groceries index in Atwater is 106.
The Health index in Atwater is 95.
The Housing index in Atwater is 129.
The Transportation index in Atwater is 120.
The Utilities index in Atwater is 140.
| Living Expense | Atwater | California | National Average | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Overall | 115 | 141 | 100 | |
| Services | 104 | 110 | 100 | |
| Groceries | 106 | 112 | 100 | |
| Health | 95 | 110 | 100 | |
| Housing | 129 | 195 | 100 | |
| Transportation | 120 | 125 | 100 | |
| Utilities | 140 | 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 Atwater is $418,202.
The Median Rent in Atwater is $1,219.
The Median Income in Atwater is $63,945.
The Home Value To Income in Atwater is 6.5x.
The Rent To Monthly Income in Atwater is 0.23x.
| Statistic | Atwater | California | United States |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median Home Value | $418,202 | $763,287 | $303,400 |
| Median Rent | $1,219 | $1,956 | $1,348 |
| Median Income | $63,945 | $96,334 | $78,538 |
| Home Value To Income | 6.5x | 7.9x | 3.9x |
| Rent To Monthly Income | 0.23x | 0.24x | 0.21x |
| Item | Atwater | California |
|---|---|---|
| Shampoo | $1.56 | $1.28 |
| Movie | $14.64 | $12.13 |
| Bowling | $23.78 | $18 |
| Haircut | $26.83 | $24.26 |
| Beauty Salon | $76.57 | $45.56 |
| Item | Atwater | California |
|---|---|---|
| Ground Beef | $6.21 | $5.84 |
| Fried Chicken | $2.1 | $1.57 |
| Milk | $4.99 | $4.67 |
| Potatoes | $4.98 | $4.93 |
| Pizza | $15.69 | $12.09 |
| Beer | $10.96 | $10.41 |
| Toothpaste | $3.86 | $3.7 |
| Item | Atwater | California |
|---|---|---|
| Optometrist | $157.88 | $125.68 |
| Doctor | $166.71 | $135.78 |
| Dentist | $148.27 | $113.29 |
| Item | Atwater | California |
|---|---|---|
| Gasoline | $4.63 | $3.46 |
| Tire Balancing | $70.51 | $59.92 |
| Item | Atwater | California |
|---|---|---|
| All Electricity | $299.78 | $193.99 |
| Phone | $191.56 | $192.25 |
The cost of living varies in the cities and towns around Atwater. Here's a quick look at the cost of living in the most populous nearby places:
Merced, CA has a cost of living index of 117, 1.0x Atwater.
Turlock, CA has a cost of living index of 127, 1.1x Atwater.
Livingston, CA has a cost of living index of 115, 1.0x Atwater.
| City | Population | Cost Of Living | Vs. Atwater |
|---|---|---|---|
| Merced, CA | 89,766 | 117 | 1.0x |
| Turlock, CA | 72,400 | 127 | 1.1x |
| Livingston, CA | 14,450 | 115 | 1.0x |
| Winton, CA | 11,429 | 107 | 0.9x |
| Delhi, CA | 10,525 | 118 | 1.0x |