Atherton

Also known as Atherton, California, Atherton, CA

incorporated town in San Mateo County, California, United States

Key facts

Country: United States
State: California
County: San Mateo
Incorporated: September 12, 1923
Named after: Faxon Dean Atherton
City council: Mayor Rick DeGolia Vice Mayor Bill Widmer Elizabeth Lewis Robert Polito Diana Hawkins Manuelian
Assemblymember: Alex Lee ( D ) ( 24th )
State senator: Josh Becker ( D ) ( 13th )
U s rep: Sam Liccardo ( D ) ( 16th )
Total: 5.05 sq mi (13.07 km )
Land: 5.02 sq mi (12.99 km )
Water: 0.031 sq mi (0.08 km ) 0.63%

~17 min read

Article

Atherton (/ˈæθərtən/ ATH-ər-tən) is an incorporated town in San Mateo County, California, United States. Its population was 6,823 as of July 2023 estimates. The town's zoning regulations permit only one single-family home per acre in new subdivisions, though smaller lots exist from prior zoning laws.

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 had the highest median home prices in the country throughout 2023, at $7.95 million.