Places › California › Atascadero

Living in Atascadero, CA

Small city in California

Atascadero is a small city in California, home to about 30,000 people, with 221,000 living within 31 mi. Day to day, there is some transit, though many people drive. Life moves at a slow, calm pace, and homes are mostly houses.

Is Atascadero a good place to live? Pros and cons

👍 Pros

  • Sunny: more sunshine and clearer skies than most places
  • Dog-friendly: 3 dog parks within 9 mi
  • Great outdoors: hills or mountains nearby
  • Safe: violent crime is 0.6× the US rate (FBI 2019)

👎 Cons

  • Quieter on culture: few museums and attractions nearby
  • Smaller job market: about 221,000 people live within 31 mi
  • Fewer graduates: 30% of adults have a bachelor's degree or higher
  • Pricey housing: a typical 3-bedroom home is about $779k, and rent is $3,370 a month

Whether it's a good place for you depends on what you value. Take the quiz to see how Atascadero ranks against your own priorities.

Key facts

Population
30,000
221,000 within 31 mi
Winter / summer highs
62°F / 90°F
Average daily highs
3-bedroom home
$779k
Typical value (Zillow)
3-bedroom rent
$3,370/mo
Incl. utilities (HUD)
Cost of living
109
US average = 100 (BEA)
Taxes
$3,279
State income tax per resident · 0.73% property tax
Safety
0.6× US
Violent crime vs US (FBI 2019)
Natural disasters
10 since 2000
Declared in the county · mainly flooding, earthquakes
Top-rated hospitals
1
4–5★ within 31 mi (CMS)
Public schools
Average
Tests close to US average · 23 students per teacher
Adults with a degree
30%
No research university within 31 mi
Nearest major airport
FAT
104 mi away

Living in Atascadero: common questions

What is the cost of living in Atascadero?

A typical 3-bedroom home is worth about $779k, and a 3-bedroom rents for about $3,370 a month including utilities. Overall living costs are above the US average (index 109, where the US is 100).

What are taxes like in Atascadero?

California collects about $3,279 in state income tax per resident, and homeowners here pay about 0.73% of their home's value in property tax each year.

Is Atascadero safe?

Violent crime is well below the national rate (0.6× in FBI 2019 data).

How are the schools in Atascadero?

Public schools in Atascadero test close to the US average in math and reading (2018–19 state tests, put on one national scale with NAEP), with about 23 students per teacher.

What is the weather like in Atascadero?

Atascadero has mild winters: winter days average around 62°F and summer days around 90°F.

Does Atascadero get natural disasters?

Natural disaster risk is moderate, mainly from flooding and earthquakes: 10 federally declared disasters have hit the county since 2000, and FEMA expects about 0.35 deaths or injuries per 100,000 residents a year.

What is the nearest major airport to Atascadero?

The nearest major airport is FAT, about 104 mi away.

How Atascadero scores

Each bar compares Atascadero with the other 1,990 places in Best Life Fit Me. A dot shows where it sits between two ends, such as major metro and small town; neither end is better. Coloured bars run from poor (red) to excellent (green).

🏙️City sizeSmall town Major metroSmall town
🏘️Urban or quietQuiet / rural Dense & urbanQuiet / rural
🚶Getting aroundSome transit Walk & transitCar essential
🌲Culture or natureNature on the doorstep Culture & nightlifeNature on the doorstep
🌡️ClimateMild winters Warm all yearLong, snowy winters
💰Cost of livingExpensive Very expensiveVery affordable
⏱️PaceSlow & calm Very fast-pacedSlow & calm
🤝CommunityFriendly community AnonymousTight-knit community
🏡HousingMostly houses ApartmentsHouses with yards
🏷️Affordable housingPoor
💸Low taxesBelow average
💼Job marketPoor
🏥HealthcareGood
🏫SchoolsAverage
🎓EducationPoor
🧸Kids & familyGood
🐕Dog-friendlyExcellent
⛰️OutdoorsExcellent
🎭CulturePoor
👮SafetyVery safe
🌪️Few natural disastersGood
☀️SunnyExcellent
🌤️Mild summersAverage
✈️AirportAverage

Places like Atascadero

These places have the most similar overall profile across all 24 aspects.

The circle is each place's all-round score out of 100: the average of its 15 quality scores, from red (poor) to green (excellent).

El Paso de Robles (Paso Robles), CASmall city48 $754k$3,370/moNo crime data Orcutt, CASmall city47 $683k$4,080/moNo crime data La Quinta, CASmall city45 $681k$2,910/moVery safe Hollister, CASuburb52 $718k$3,940/moVery safe Lathrop, CASuburb58 $523k$2,420/moNo crime data Coachella, CASmall city39 $399k$2,910/moSafe

Nearby

El Paso de Robles (Paso Robles), CASmall city · 10 mi away48 $754k$3,370/moNo crime data San Luis Obispo, CACollege town · 15 mi away55 $1.10M$3,370/moModerate crime Santa Maria, CAMid-size city · 41 mi away44 $645k$4,080/moNo crime data Orcutt, CASmall city · 45 mi away47 $683k$4,080/moNo crime data Lompoc, CASmall city · 58 mi away38 $580k$4,080/moModerate crime Wasco, CASmall city · 75 mi away39 $297k$2,060/moNo crime data

See all the best places to live in California.

Is Atascadero right for you?

Answer 27 quick questions and see how it ranks against your priorities.

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Sources: US Census ACS 2019–2023, Census State Tax Collections FY2025, Zillow 3-bedroom ZHVI, HUD Fair Market Rents, BEA Regional Price Parities 2024, FBI 2019, FEMA National Risk Index v1.20, OpenFEMA disaster declarations, NOAA Normals 1991–2020, NASA POWER, CMS, NCES IPEDS 2023, IMLS, OpenStreetMap. How scores work.