Housing data for Atherton, CA
Atherton, CA has an estimated 6,993 residents and 2,667 homes (US Census Bureau, 2020–2024 American Community Survey).
It is a town in San Mateo County.
12.4% of households rent.
The median gross rent is $3,500 or more a month.
Its population shrank measurably since 2015–2019 (−2.4%).
Figures last updated on .
- Residents
- 6,993 (±21)
- Housing units
- 2,667 (±176)
- Households that rent
- 12.4%
- Median gross rent
- $3,500 or more
- Residents since 2015–2019
- −2.4%
What stands out in Atherton
Homes in buildings of 5 or more units: 0.0% (±2.8 points) in Atherton, lower than in San Mateo County (28.7%).
Households that rent: 12.4% (±6.1 points) in Atherton, lower than in San Mateo County (41.5%).
Working from home: 40.8% (±5.9 points) in Atherton, higher than in San Mateo County (24.3%).
Renters paying 30% or more of income: 21.7% (±20.4 points) in Atherton, lower than in San Mateo County (48.4%).
Housing in Atherton at a glance
- Median rent: $3,500 or more median gross rent a month
- Rent burden: 21.7% of renters pay 30% or more of income (Small sample: wide margin of error)
- Renters and owners: 12.4% of households rent
- Income and affordability: $250,000 or more median household income
- Home values: $2,000,000 or more median home value
- Homeowner costs: $4,000 or more median monthly cost with a mortgage
- Property taxes: $10,000 or more median real estate taxes a year
- Types of homes: 0.0% of homes are in buildings of 5 or more units
- Bedrooms: 96.2% of homes have 3 or more bedrooms (Small sample: wide margin of error)
- Age of homes: 61.0% of homes were built before 1980
- Vacancy rate: 0.0% rental vacancy rate (Small sample: wide margin of error)
- Heating fuel: 80.2% heat with utility gas
- Commute and cars: 23.2 minutes average trip to work
- Crime reported to police: 72 violent crimes per 100,000 residents
- Growth: −2.4% residents since 2015–2019
- How long people stay: 13.5% moved in since 2020
- Crowding and facilities: 0.0% of homes have more than 1 person per room (Small sample: wide margin of error)
Atherton against San Mateo County, its state and the nation
| Atherton | San Mateo County | California | United States | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Residents | 6,993 (±21) | 742,340 (exact) | 39,287,377 (exact) | 334,922,499 |
| Housing units | 2,667 (±176) | 287,184 (±144) | 14,644,735 (±1,665) | 143,775,355 |
| Households that rent | 12.4% (±6.1 points) | 41.5% (±0.7 points) | 44.1% (±0.2 points) | 34.8% |
| Median gross rent | $3,500 or more | $2,922 (±$40) | $2,036 (±$5) | $1,413 |
| Median household income | $250,000 or more | $158,855 (±$2,851) | $99,122 (±$310) | $80,734 |
| Median home value | $2,000,000 or more | $1,559,600 (±$16,159) | $734,700 (±$1,307) | $332,700 |
| Median real estate taxes (a year) | $10,000 or more | $9,519 (±$153) | $5,124 (±$17) | $3,119 |
| Built before 1980 | 61.0% (±8.6 points) | 72.5% (±1.1 points) | 56.0% (±0.2 points) | 49.7% |
| Average commute | 23.2 minutes (±3.2) | 26.4 minutes (±0.3) | 28.7 minutes (±0.1) | 26.4 minutes |
| Households with broadband | 97.6% (±2.0 points) | 95.7% (±0.4 points) | 93.5% (±0.1 points) | 91.0% |
| Median age of residents | 49.1 years (±2.7) | 40.9 years (±0.2) | 37.9 years (±0.1) | 38.9 years |
Atherton covers 5.0 square miles of land, about 1,394 residents per square mile (Census Bureau Gazetteer).
How Atherton has changed since 2015–2019
| 2015–2019 | 2020–2024 | Amount of change | Verdict | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Residents | 7,168 (±62) | 6,993 (±21) | −2.4% | Measurable decrease |
| Housing units | 2,471 (±119) | 2,667 (±176) | +7.9% | Not a measurable change |
| Households that rent | 6.8% (±2.5 points) | 12.4% (±6.1 points) | +5.6 percentage points | Not a measurable change |
| Rental vacancy rate | 9.6% (±15.1 points) | 0.0% (±14.2 points) | −9.6 percentage points | Not a measurable change |
The Census Bureau publishes 2015–2019 dollars in 2019 dollars and 2020–2024 dollars in 2024 dollars.
Prices (the CPI-U, US Bureau of Labor Statistics) rose 22.7% between 2019 and 2024, so a dollar figure’s verdict compares the two after raising the earlier one by that much, using the Census Bureau’s test for a difference.
The two periods do not overlap, as the Census Bureau recommends for 5-year estimates.
Crime reported to police in Atherton
In 2025, the Atherton Police Department reported 72 violent and 816 property crimes per 100,000 residents to the FBI.
Across San Mateo County, the departments that report recorded 226 violent and 1,396 property crimes per 100,000 residents that year.
ZIP codes in Atherton
| ZIP code | Share of the ZIP’s land in this place | Residents | Median gross rent | Median home value | Median household income |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 94027 | 100% | 7,002 | $3,500 or more | $2,000,000 or more | $250,000 or more |
A ZIP code is a mail route rather than a boundary, so the Census Bureau publishes figures for ZIP Code Tabulation Areas built from census blocks; the share column says how much of each one’s land lies in this place.
Places near Atherton
| Place | Distance | Median gross rent | Median home value | Households that rent |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| North Fair Oaks | 1.3 mi | $2,314 | $1,276,900 | 52.3% |
| West Menlo Park | 1.6 mi | $3,324 | $2,000,000 or more | 21.7% |
| Stanford | 2.8 mi | $1,976 | $2,000,000 or more | 73.2% |
| Menlo Park | 3.3 mi | $3,239 | $2,000,000 or more | 45.8% |
| Emerald Lake Hills | 3.6 mi | $3,500 or more | $2,000,000 or more | 9.2% |
| East Palo Alto | 3.8 mi | $2,244 | $1,102,600 | 50.9% |
| Ladera | 4.0 mi | — | $2,000,000 or more | 3.8% |
| Woodside | 4.0 mi | $3,500 or more | $2,000,000 or more | 12.6% |
HUD Fair Market Rent for Atherton, fiscal year 2027
| Studio | 1 bedroom | 2 bedrooms | 3 bedrooms | 4 bedrooms |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $2,574 | $3,003 | $3,697 | $4,832 | $5,439 |
HUD income limits for Atherton, fiscal year 2026
| Household size | Extremely low (30%) | Very low (50%) | Low (80%) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 person | $44,150 | $73,550 | $117,700 |
| 2 people | $50,450 | $84,050 | $134,500 |
| 3 people | $56,750 | $94,550 | $151,300 |
| 4 people | $63,050 | $105,050 | $168,100 |
| 5 people | $68,100 | $113,500 | $181,550 |
| 6 people | $73,150 | $121,900 | $195,000 |
| 7 people | $78,200 | $130,300 | $208,450 |
| 8 people | $83,250 | $138,700 | $221,900 |
These are the limits HUD sets for its housing programs in the San Francisco, CA HUD Metro FMR Area, where HUD’s median family income for fiscal year 2026 is $200,800.
A program can use its own limits; tax-credit and local programs often do.
Survey years: 2020–2024 (American Community Survey 5-year estimates), compared with 2015–2019.
Margins of error are at the 90% confidence level.
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Questions about Atherton
What is the average rent in Atherton, CA?
The Census Bureau publishes the median rather than the average: the median gross rent in Atherton is $3,500 or more a month (2020–2024 American Community Survey), so half of renting households pay less and half pay more.
How many renters are there in Atherton?
Atherton has an estimated 277 (±140) renting households, 12.4% of its occupied homes (2020–2024 American Community Survey).
What is the median household income in Atherton?
The median household income in Atherton is $250,000 or more a year (2020–2024 American Community Survey).
What is the average home value in Atherton, CA?
The Census Bureau publishes the median: $2,000,000 or more for owner-occupied homes in Atherton (2020–2024 American Community Survey).
What is the average mortgage payment in Atherton?
The Census Bureau publishes total owner costs rather than the mortgage alone: the median for owners with a mortgage in Atherton, CA is $4,000 or more a month, including taxes, insurance and utilities.
How much are property taxes in Atherton?
The median real estate tax paid by homeowners in Atherton, CA is $10,000 or more a year (2020–2024 American Community Survey).
Is Atherton growing?
In Atherton, the number of residents went from 7,168 in 2015–2019 to 6,993 in 2020–2024 (−2.4%), a measurable decrease.
What ZIP codes are in Atherton?
The ZIP code that covers Atherton is 94027.
What is the median rent in ZIP code 94027?
The median gross rent in ZIP Code Tabulation Area 94027 is $3,500 or more a month (2020–2024 American Community Survey).
Sources
- Demographic and Housing Estimates (DP05), 2020–2024 ACS 5-year estimates — Atherton town, California
- Selected Housing Characteristics (DP04), 2020–2024 ACS 5-year estimates — Atherton town, California
- Selected Economic Characteristics (DP03), 2020–2024 ACS 5-year estimates — Atherton town, California
- Median Real Estate Taxes Paid by Mortgage Status (B25103), 2020–2024 ACS 5-year estimates — Atherton town, California
- Selected Social Characteristics (DP02), 2020–2024 ACS 5-year estimates — Atherton town, California
- Total Population (B01003), 2015–2019 ACS 5-year estimates — Atherton town, California
- Median Gross Rent (B25064), 2015–2019 ACS 5-year estimates — Atherton town, California
- HUD Fair Market Rents, fiscal year 2027: San Francisco, CA HUD Metro FMR Area
- HUD Income Limits, fiscal year 2026: San Francisco, CA HUD Metro FMR Area
- US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2020–2024 5-year estimates for ZIP Code Tabulation Areas
- FBI Uniform Crime Reporting Program, Crime Data Explorer: Atherton Police Department (ORI CA0410100)
- FBI: Uniform Crime Reporting statistics and their proper use
- Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers (CPI-U), US city average, all items, US Bureau of Labor Statistics: annual averages 2019 and 2024
- US Census Bureau, 2024 Gazetteer Files
To check these figures in the Census Bureau’s own API, request the variables below from the 2024 ACS 5-year data profile (acs/acs5/profile) for Atherton town, California (place:03092, in state:06).
Each estimate (E or PE) has a margin of error beside it (M or PM).
The 2015–2019 figures are B01003_001E, B01003_001M, B25064_001E, B25064_001M from the 2019 release.
The API needs a free key.
DP05_0001E, DP05_0001M, DP04_0001E, DP04_0001M, DP04_0047PE, DP04_0047PM, DP04_0134E, DP04_0134M, DP03_0062E, DP03_0062M, DP04_0089E, DP04_0089M
This product uses the Census Bureau Data API but is not endorsed or certified by the Census Bureau.
Figures are published by the US Census Bureau, HUD, the Bureau of Labor Statistics and the FBI; Seayora reproduces them and does not adjust them, except where a sentence says it compares dollar figures after inflation. They describe the whole place, not any one building or street, and are not an appraisal, a rent determination, a tax bill, a safety rating or legal advice.
Figures last updated on .