A town of 6,993, settled in 1795. A typical home worth about $8.52M.
The 3 things Atherton does most differently from other towns.
8 postcards, papers and photographs from public archives, and 3 places on the National Register.
Be the first to start the conversation.
Nothing on the calendar.
Ordered by what stands out in Atherton. Another town gets a different order.
The typical Atherton home is worth about $8,521,000, up 15.7% in a year, 1015% above the California typical home.
Most working residents leave Atherton for work: only 4% work in town. The top destinations are San Francisco (11%), Palo Alto (9%) and Menlo Park (8%). Half commute less than 13 miles.
Atherton beats the California average on 22 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 1.
| What stands out | Atherton | CA |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer uninsured adults | 3% | 10.6% |
| Fewer older adults who have lost all their teeth | 3% | 10.6% |
| More adults who have had cancer | 10.3% | 6.4% |
The public schools Atherton’s kids attend, from kindergarten through graduation, outperform 80% of California’s districts on state tests and graduation. Among towns with similar incomes, they sit near the middle.
| School | Grades | Students | Grade |
|---|---|---|---|
| Laurel Elementary | K–5 | 658 | Not graded |
| Encinal Elementary | K–5 | 604 | D− |
| Adelante Selby Spanish Immersion | K–5 | 582 | Not graded |
| Las Lomitas Elementary | K–3 | 522 | A+ |
| Menlo-Atherton High | 9–12 | 2,158 | Not graded |
| Sacred Heart Schools Atherton Private | PK–12 | 1,204 |
Expected storm and flood damage is higher than in 91% of U.S. communities.
Atherton has warm winters and pleasant summers, with very little rain. A typical July afternoon reaches 79°, a January night drops to 41°, and snow is almost unheard of.
Atherton reports less crime per resident than 60% of the U.S. towns and cities we grade.
1.3 miles of trails across 2 parks and preserves.
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Holbook Palmer Park | 1.1 mi | 22 |
| 2. Cartan Athletic Fields | 0.1 mi | 12 |
4 notable people were born in Atherton.
Town in San Mateo County, California
Atherton ( ATH-ər-tən) is an incorporated town in San Mateo County, California, United States. A Silicon Valley bedroom community, Its population was 6,823 as of July 2023 estimates. The town has historically been known for its concentration of high income earners. Atherton had the highest per capita income among American towns (populations between 2,500 and 9,999) in both 1990 and 2019. It regularly ranks as having the highest cost of living in the United States. The town's zip code, 94027, had the highest median home prices in America from 2017 to 2024, in 2023 it was at $7.95 million. Median home price in the area climbed to $9.93 million in 2026.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
5 towns share a border with Atherton.
