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%

Colton$2,860/mo

Typical home $495K (Zillow) · tax rate 0.63% · or rent about $1,661/mo · Housing →

Atwater$2,450/mo

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

The difference: $410 a month, about $4,900 a year, between Colton and Atwater.

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.

Report cards

Colton places higher on 12 of 23 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

C−ColtonSafer than 18% of U.S. towns DAtwaterSafer than 11% of U.S. towns

Schools

C+ColtonBetter than 38% of districts in the state B−AtwaterBetter than 50% of districts in the state

Health

CColtonHealthier than 35% of U.S. towns CAtwaterHealthier than 25% of U.S. towns

12Colton

11Atwater

Lists won, of 23 where both are ranked. Ties go to nobody.

Closest to a top hospitalHealth · 844 towns #202#752 Fastest growingGrowth · 816 towns #465#117 Lowest depressionHealth · 844 towns #99#420 Most walkableOutdoors · 841 towns #456#143 Highest graduation rateSchools · 720 towns #272#102 Most remote workersWork · 801 towns #538#723 Rent easiest to affordCost of living · 422 towns #236#151 Cheapest rentCost of living · 830 towns #286#124

Left end = #1 in California. Showing the lists where the towns are furthest apart. All of Colton’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

ColtonAtwater

Snow a year0″0″

January low43°F 37°F

July high95°F 95°F

Growing season (days)353d 263d

Hazard risk (U.S. pctl)98th 61st

Outdoors & history

ColtonAtwater

Trails17 mi 8 mi

Conserved land2.7%1.8%

Settled—1922

National Register places1 1

Archive photos1 —

Famous people born here17 —

Community

ColtonAtwater

Library hours a week46 hrs 37 hrs

Colleges in town1 —

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.

Where they are

293 miles apart

Straight-line miles between town centers.

ColtonCA AtwaterCA

Colton ↔ Atwater293 miles apart

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

ColtonAtwater

People

Population 53,772Highest 32,162Lowest

Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census +3.4%Lowest CA: +6.1% +13.5%Highest CA: +6.1%

Median age 33.9±1.2Highest 11% below CA 33±1.8Lowest 13% below CA

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

Kids under 18 23.4%±1.7Lowest CA: 22% 29%±2.6Highest CA: 22%

Age 65+ 11.3%±1.1Lowest CA: 15.7% 12.4%±1.4Highest CA: 15.7%

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

Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ 16.6%Highest CA: 37.1% 12.9%Lowest CA: 37.1%

Enrolled in collegeshare of residents 7%±1Highest CA: 7.6% 5.5%±1.1Lowest CA: 7.6%

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

Cost of living

Household incomemedian $71,208±$3kHighest 28% below CA $64,472±$5kLowest 35% below CA

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

Home valuemedian, owner-occupied $443,800±$8kHighest 40% below CA $363,400±$10kLowest 51% below CA

Rentmedian gross, monthly $1,661±$55Highest 18% below CA $1,279±$70Lowest 37% below CA

Property taxmedian, yearly $2,809Highest 45% below CA $2,407Lowest 53% below CA

Renters paying 30%+of income on rent 56.9%±5.8Highest CA: 55.3% 53.4%±7.7Lowest CA: 55.3%

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

Below poverty line 13.7%Lowest CA: 12% 21%Highest CA: 12%

Housing

Homeownersof occupied homes 52.8%Highest CA: 55.9% 52.1%Lowest CA: 55.9%

Typical home builtmedian year 1979Lowest 3 yrs newer than CA 1982Highest 6 yrs newer than CA

Getting to work

Average commuteone way 28 minLowest 4% below CA 28 minHighest about the CA average

Work from home 9.1%±3.3Highest CA: 17.2% 4.2%±1.3Lowest CA: 17.2%

Work in townworking residents 6.3%Lowest 10.7%Highest

Typical commute distancemedian, straight-line 12.3 miLowest 21.8 miHighest

Jobs per working residentover 1.5 = a job hub 1.07Highest 0.53Lowest

Top workplaceoutside town San Bernardino (13%)Merced (17%)

Between these townsresidents who work in the others Few work in AtwaterFew work in Colton

Outdoors

Conserved landshare of the town 2.7%Highest 1.8%Lowest

Trailsmapped miles 17.4 miHighest 7.6 miLowest

Trail densitymiles per sq mi 1.1 miLowest 1.2 miHighest

Parks & preservesnamed on the map 11 11

Street connectivityintersections per sq mi, a walkability measure 65.7Lowest 120Highest

Schools

Public school scoresrank in state, math + reading #382 of 574 in CA #289 of 574 in CA

School district Colton Joint Unified · Rialto UnifiedAtwater Elementary · Merced Union High

High school in town Colton HighAtwater High

Students per teacherat that high school 19.4Lowest 20.7Highest

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.

Colton neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Colton’s Town Square.

Atwater neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Atwater’s Town Square.

Add a town

Set another town beside Colton and Atwater

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

Bordering Colton

+ Compare

Grand Terrace13,078 people · $518K homes

+ Compare

San Bernardino222,724 people · $422K homes

+ Compare

Rialto104,143 people · $488K homes

+ Compare

Loma Linda25,122 people · $597K homes

Towns like Colton

+ Compare

Lompoc43,646 people · $473K homes

+ Compare

Montclair37,810 people · $569K homes

+ Compare

Yuba City69,471 people · $435K homes

+ Compare

Desert Hot Springs33,200 people · $355K 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.

Colton vs Atwater

Two towns, two different strengths

Where they part ways

A typical home costs $410 more a month in Colton

Colton places higher on 12 of 23 CA lists

What daily life feels like in each

293 miles apart

What matters to you?

Ask the people who live there

Set another town beside Colton and Atwater

Bordering Colton

Towns like Colton

Post to Colton

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