Atwater is a city in Merced County, California, home to about 32,162 people across 6.6 square miles. Its ZIP code is 95301.
Homes sold for a median of $271 per square foot in the three months ending August 2026, a seller’s market.
Each card is that ZIP code’s whole market, including any part outside Atwater. Seller’s market: under 4 months of supply; buyer’s market: over 6. Methodology
We’re writing up Atwater’s story and what everyday life there is like, for people thinking about moving in.
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| Nearest major airport | Fresno Yosemite International Airport (FAT)63 miles away |
|---|---|
| Closer regional airport | Merced Regional Macready Field (MCE)7 miles away |
| Nearest city of 250,000+ | Stockton, CA58 miles away |
| Nearest city of 1 million+ | Los Angeles, CA261 miles away |
Straight-line distances from the center of Atwater; driving is longer.
Source: Airports from OurAirports (scheduled passenger service); city centers and populations from the U.S. Census Bureau.
Source: Members of Congress from the congress-legislators project; districts from the Census Bureau’s relationship files; governor and mayor from Wikidata.
Atwater had 31,970 residents in the 2020 census, up 38% since 2000.
It’s the 254th largest of 1,563 towns in California by population.
Merced County grew from 9,215 residents in 1900 to 281,202 in 2020.
Merced County, 1900–2020
Source: U.S. Census Bureau decennial censuses (counties 1900–1990 from the Bureau’s historical county file).
Average highs peak around 95°F in summer, and winter lows average 36°F. About 12.5 inches of rain and melted snow fall in a typical year.
Source: NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals, Merced, CA weather station (6 miles away).
49,545 jobs at 3,592 businesses in Merced County. The biggest industries by employees:
Source: U.S. Census Bureau County Business Patterns 2023 (private employers; jobs counted where people work).
126 doctors and other health care providers list an office in Atwater.
Nearest hospitals
Providers with an office here
| Primary care doctors | 15 |
|---|---|
| Specialist doctors | 1 |
| Dentists | 19 |
| Nurse practitioners and physician assistants | 17 |
| Mental health providers | 48 |
| Physical and occupational therapists | 18 |
| Optometrists | 3 |
| Chiropractors | 5 |
| Pharmacies | 7 |
Source: Hospitals from CMS Hospital General Information (ratings are CMS overall star ratings); straight-line distances; providers from the CMS National Plan and Provider Enumeration System (NPPES), by practice address and primary specialty.
Parks (13 nearby)
Grocery stores (8 nearby)
Pharmacies (4 nearby)
Libraries (1 nearby)
Museums (2 nearby)
Counts are within about 2 miles of the center of town.
Source: Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors (openstreetmap.org/copyright), as mapped by volunteers; it can miss places or include closed ones.
Established in 1922.
Notable people born here
Source: Wikidata (wikidata.org), the free knowledge base; people are listed by place of birth.
Public schools here are run by Atwater Elementary, Merced County Office of Education, Merced Union High. Check each district’s attendance zones for a specific address.
| School | Grades | Students | Type | Distance |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aileen Colburn ElementaryAtwater | K–6 | 371 | Public | 1.0 mi |
| Bellevue ElementaryAtwater | K–6 | 599 | Public | 1.2 mi |
| Elmer Wood ElementaryAtwater | K–6 | 514 | Public | 0.9 mi |
| Juniper ElementaryAtwater | K–6 | 495 | Public | 0.9 mi |
| Mitchell ElementaryAtwater | K–6 | 528 | Public | 0.5 mi |
| Peggy Heller ElementaryAtwater | K–8 | 712 | Public | 1.6 mi |
| Shaffer ElementaryAtwater | K–6 | 405 | Public | 0.3 mi |
| Thomas Olaeta ElementaryAtwater | K–6 | 374 | Public | 0.5 mi |
| Atwater Senior AcademyAtwater | 6–8 | 5 | Alternative Education | 0.7 mi |
| Valley Atwater CommunityAtwater | 6–12 | 122 | Alternative Education | 1.0 mi |
| Bellevue Senior ElementaryAtwater | 7–8 | 178 | Public | 1.2 mi |
| Mitchell IntermediateAtwater | 7–8 | 744 | Public | 0.4 mi |
| Atwater HighAtwater | 9–12 | 2,029 | Public | 1.4 mi |
| Buhach Colony HighAtwater | 9–12 | 1,704 | Public | 1.6 mi |
| School | Grades | Students | Affiliation | Distance |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| St Anthony SchoolAtwater | Pre-K–8 | 99 | Roman Catholic | 0.8 mi |
Source: U.S. Department of Education, NCES: Common Core of Data (2024-2025) for public schools; Private School Universe Survey (2023-2024) for private schools. Listed by address; we don’t rate schools.
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Town boundaries don’t always match ZIP codes: a ZIP code can cross into neighboring towns, and a town can share a ZIP code with its neighbors. Facts describe the town itself; market figures describe whole ZIP codes.