Los Banos receives the higher standardized Area Score. That reflects AreaProfile's weighting, not a judgment about which place is better to live in.
Signals
Atwater
Los Banos
Opportunity
41 · Bottom 19%
vs42 · Bottom 21%
Growth
32 · Bottom 20%
vs68 · Top 19%
Climate
75 · Top 28%
vs72 · Top 40%
Physical resilience
11 · Bottom 7%
vs11 · Bottom 7%
Housing affordability
61 · Bottom 21%
vs48 · Bottom 9%
Access
73 · Bottom 15%
vs66 · Bottom 10%
Economic stability
48 · Bottom 28%
vs46 · Bottom 26%
Measured values
| Metric | Atwater | Los Banos | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 32,162 | 47,593 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $64,472 | $68,171 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $28,045 | $25,963 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 4,898/sq mi | 4,761/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $363,400 | $440,900 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $1,279 | $1,557 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 52.1% | 59.8% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment rate | 8.0% | 11.6% | June 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year) | 0.4% | 0.4% | June 2026 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 12.9% | 12.5% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 21.0% | 17.4% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Housing units permitted (12 months) | 10 | 137 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permits per 1,000 residents | 0.3 | 2.9 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permit change (year over year) | -37.5% | 13.2% | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Average July high | 96°F | 96°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Average January low | 37°F | 36°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Annual precipitation | 11.8" | 10.4" | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Distance to major airport | 51 mi | 61 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 29.2 min | 51.7 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 33.0 | 30.3 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Public schools | 13 | 16 | 2024-25 school year |
| Students per teacher | 22.43 | 23.26 | 2024-25 school year |
| Free or reduced-price lunch eligibility | 79.6% | 80.7% | 2024-25 school year |
A bolded value is the more favorable of the two where the metric has a clear direction. Metrics like population and density have no inherent better or worse and are shown unweighted.
Physical risk tradeoff
Atwater
Elevated or high exposure: drought, earthquake, heat wave.
Los Banos
Elevated or high exposure: drought, earthquake, heat wave.
Full profiles: Atwater, CA · Los Banos, CA · How this is calculated: methodology