A typical home in each town, bought with 20% down at 6.3% for 30 years, plus property tax at the town’s own rate and insurance. Change the numbers to fit you.

Down paymentRate%

Atwater$2,450/mo

Typical home $422K (Zillow) · tax rate 0.66% · or rent about $1,279/mo · Housing →

Winton$2,070/mo

Typical home $363K (Zillow) · tax rate 0.54% · or rent about $1,156/mo · Housing →

The difference: $380 a month, about $4,600 a year, between Atwater and Winton.

Estimates, not a quote: your price, rate, tax bill and insurance will differ. Tax rate = the Census median tax bill over the median home value.

Where they are

Atwater and Winton share a border

And the people who already live in one and work in the other.

AtwaterWinton

Atwater ↔ Winton2.7 miles apart · They share a border

Who commutes between them

230 Winton residents work in Atwater (5.8% of its workers)

171 Atwater residents work in Winton (1.4% of its workers)

Work & commute in Winton →

Report cards

Atwater places higher on 11 of 21 CA lists

Our letter grades for safety, schools and health, then every California ranking list both towns are on. A grade is one measure; read the page behind it.

Safety

DAtwaterSafer than 11% of U.S. towns –WintonNot graded

Schools

B−AtwaterBetter than 50% of districts in the state C+WintonBetter than 43% of districts in the state

Health

CAtwaterHealthier than 25% of U.S. towns C−WintonHealthier than 23% of U.S. towns

11Atwater

9Winton

Lists won, of 21 where both are ranked. Ties go to nobody.

Most walkableOutdoors · 841 towns #143#487 Rent easiest to affordCost of living · 422 towns #151#235 Lowest depressionHealth · 844 towns #420#288 Most trailsOutdoors · 677 towns #335#439 Most conserved landOutdoors · 777 towns #571#452 Shortest commuteGetting around · 843 towns #435#317 Fewest uninsuredHealth · 844 towns #667#766 Best schoolsSchools · 574 towns #289#356

Left end = #1 in California. Showing the lists where the towns are furthest apart. All of Atwater’s rankings →

Life in each

What daily life feels like in each

The weather, the land, the history and the people, row by row. None of it is a grade: more snow is a plus to a skier.

Seasons

AtwaterWinton

Snow a year0″0″

January low37°F 37°F

July high95°F 95°F

Growing season (days)263d 263d

Hazard risk (U.S. pctl)61st 44th

Outdoors & history

AtwaterWinton

Trails8 mi 2 mi

Conserved land1.8%3.3%

Settled1922 —

National Register places1 —

Community

AtwaterWinton

Library hours a week37 hrs —

Posts this month0 0

Neighbors joined0 0

A dot marks the most on each row. Climate: NOAA 1991–2020 normals at the nearest station. Hazard risk: FEMA National Risk Index, expected yearly damage vs U.S. towns.

Everything, side by side

What matters to you?

Pick a few. Those rows jump to the top and the best fit on each is marked. There’s no overall score: what matters is up to you.

Only big differences vs California average

AtwaterWinton

People

Population 32,162Highest 11,797Lowest

Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census +13.5%Highest CA: +6.1% +10.3%Lowest CA: +6.1%

Median age 33±1.8Highest 13% below CA 29.7±1.7Lowest 22% below CA

Atwater and Winton are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.

Kids under 18 29%±2.6Lowest CA: 22% 29.3%±3Highest CA: 22%

Winton and Atwater are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.

Age 65+ 12.4%±1.4Highest CA: 15.7% 9.6%±1.8Lowest CA: 15.7%

Atwater and Winton are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.

Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ 12.9%Highest CA: 37.1% 7.4%Lowest CA: 37.1%

Enrolled in collegeshare of residents 5.5%±1.1Lowest CA: 7.6% 9.1%±2.3Highest CA: 7.6%

Cost of living

Household incomemedian $64,472±$5kHighest 35% below CA $57,015±$5kLowest 42% below CA

Atwater and Winton are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.

Home valuemedian, owner-occupied $363,400±$10kHighest 51% below CA $339,400±$12kLowest 54% below CA

Rentmedian gross, monthly $1,279±$70Highest 37% below CA $1,156±$88Lowest 43% below CA

Atwater and Winton are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.

Property taxmedian, yearly $2,407Highest 53% below CA $1,818Lowest 65% below CA

Renters paying 30%+of income on rent 53.4%±7.7Lowest CA: 55.3% 56.8%±12Highest CA: 55.3%

Winton and Atwater are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.

Below poverty line 21%Highest CA: 12% 14%Lowest CA: 12%

Housing

Homeownersof occupied homes 52.1%Highest CA: 55.9% 49.9%Lowest CA: 55.9%

Typical home builtmedian year 1982Lowest 6 yrs newer than CA 1983Highest 7 yrs newer than CA

Getting to work

Average commuteone way 28 minHighest about the CA average 26 minLowest 9% below CA

Work from home 4.2%±1.3Lowest CA: 17.2% 4.5%±2.2Highest CA: 17.2%

Winton and Atwater are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.

Work in townworking residents 10.7%Highest 3.6%Lowest

Typical commute distancemedian, straight-line 21.8 miLowest 24.8 miHighest

Jobs per working residentover 1.5 = a job hub 0.53Highest 0.18Lowest

Top workplaceoutside town Merced (17%)Merced (11%)

Between these townsresidents who work in the others 1% work in Winton6% work in Atwater

Outdoors

Conserved landshare of the town 1.8%Lowest 3.3%Highest

Trailsmapped miles 7.6 miHighest 2.4 miLowest

Trail densitymiles per sq mi 1.2 miHighest 0.8 miLowest

Parks & preservesnamed on the map 11Highest 2Lowest

Street connectivityintersections per sq mi, a walkability measure 120Highest 59.9Lowest

Schools

Public school scoresrank in state, math + reading #289 of 574 in CA #356 of 574 in CA

School district Atwater Elementary · Merced Union HighWinton

High school in town Atwater HighNone in town

Students per teacherat that high school 20.7 —

California average“±” Census margin of errorACS 2020–2024

Deciding?

Ask the people who live there

The numbers stop at the town line. Neighbors can tell you about the commute at 7am, the schools, the winters and the feel of the place.

Atwater neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Atwater’s Town Square.

Winton neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Winton’s Town Square.

Add a town

Set another town beside Atwater and Winton

One tap adds it. Up to 4 towns at once.

Bordering Atwater

+ Compare

McSwain5,783 people · $690K homes

Towns like Atwater

+ Compare

Desert Hot Springs33,200 people · $355K homes

+ Compare

Reedley25,609 people · $335K homes

+ Compare

Brawley27,283 people · $291K homes

+ Compare

El Centro44,240 people · $323K homes

Not sure which town to add? Find your place ranks California towns on what matters to you.Find your place →

Sources: U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2010 & 2020 censuses, LEHD commute flows; Zillow Home Value Index; NCES Common Core of Data; FBI crime reporting; CDC PLACES; FEMA National Risk Index; NOAA U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020; USGS PAD-US and OpenStreetMap. “±” is the Census margin of error; differences inside it are never called. Property tax is top-coded by the Census at $10,000+. There is no overall score: which town is better depends on what matters to you.

Atwater vs Winton

Two towns, two different strengths

Where they differ most

A typical home costs $380 more a month in Atwater

Atwater and Winton share a border

Atwater places higher on 11 of 21 CA lists

What daily life feels like in each

What matters to you?

Ask the people who live there

Set another town beside Atwater and Winton

Bordering Atwater

Towns like Atwater

Post to Atwater

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