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Data on this report is based on areas within the legal city boundary, outlined in black on the map. Any additional neighborhoods shown on the map are associated with the city by name and are included for reference only.

Atherton, CA
Real Estate & Demographic Data






Atherton profile


Living in Atherton



Atherton is a somewhat small town located in the state of California. With a population of 6,898 people and two associated neighborhoods, Atherton is the 466th largest community in California.

Atherton home prices are not only among the most expensive in California, but Atherton real estate also consistently ranks among the most expensive in America.

Also of interest is that Atherton has more people living here who work in computers and math than 95% of the places in the US.

Of important note, Atherton is also a town of artists. Atherton has more artists, designers and people working in media than 90% of the communities in America. This concentration of artists helps shape Atherton’s character.

A relatively large number of people in Atherton telecommute to their jobs. Overall, about 37.63% of the workforce works from home. While this may seem like a small number, as a fraction of the total workforce it ranks among the highest in the country. These workers are often telecommuters who work in knowledge-based, white-collar professions. For example, Silicon Valley has large numbers of people who telecommute. Other at-home workers may be self-employed people who operate small businesses out of their homes.

Atherton is also a college town, where lots of students live while attending area colleges. Because of the high percentage of people living in Atherton enrolled in college, Atherton has a number of services, amenities and opportunities geared towards the needs and activities of students.

Because of many things, Atherton is a great place for families with children to consider. First of all, many other families with children live here, making Atherton a place where both parents and children are more likely to develop social ties with other families, as well as find family-oriented services and community. The town’s good public school district and large population of college-educated adults provide an environment conducive to academic values. With regard to real estate, Atherton has a high rate of owner-occupied single family homes, which tends to reflect stability in the local community. Finally, Atherton’s overall crime rate is lower than average for the country.

If knowledge is power, Atherton is a pretty powerful place. 85.99% of the adults in Atherton have earned a 4-year college degree, masters degree, MD, law degree, or even PhD. Compare that to the national average of 21.84% for all cities and towns.

The per capita income in Atherton in 2022 was $186,810, which is wealthy relative to California and the nation. This equates to an annual income of $747,240 for a family of four.

Atherton is an extremely ethnically-diverse town. The people who call Atherton home describe themselves as belonging to a variety of racial and ethnic groups. The greatest number of Atherton residents report their race to be White, followed by Asian. Important ancestries of people in Atherton include English, German, Irish, Scottish, and Italian.

Atherton also has a high percentage of its population that was born in another country: 20.76%.

The most common language spoken in Atherton is English. Other important languages spoken here include Chinese and Spanish.