The Town FilesWaterford, California
City in Stanislaus County · population 9,120 (2020 Census)
- Median home
- $402,200
- Household income
- $74,343
- Jan low / Jul high
- 39° / 95°
- Snow a year
- 0 in
- Tornadoes ≤10 mi since 1950
- 4
- Median age
- 31.7
Waterford is a city of 9,120 people in Stanislaus County, California. The median home is worth $402,200, below the typical California town ($596,900). It ranks easier by car than 99% of California towns.
How Waterford ranks
Percentile among California towns with at least 500 people on The Town Files lifestyle rankings. 50 is typical for the state; 90 means better than 90% of California towns.
Homes and cost of living
The median home in Waterford is worth $402,200, below the typical California town ($596,900). Homes cost about 5.4 times the median household income of $74,343, which is more affordable than 69% of California towns. Median rent is $1,620 a month. 55.8% of households own their home.
| Housing | Waterford | Typical California town |
|---|---|---|
| Median home value | $402,200 | $596,900 |
| Median rent | $1,620 | $1,827 |
| Median household income | $74,343 | $91,557 |
| Home value ÷ income | 5.4× | 6.4× |
| Homeownership | 55.8% | 67.4% |
| Median year built | 1987 | 1977 |
| Seasonal / vacation homes | 0.0% | — |
Who lives in Waterford
| People | Waterford | Typical California town |
|---|---|---|
| Median age | 31.7 | 40.2 |
| Age 65 and over | 8.0% | 17.7% |
| Under 18 | 27.7% | — |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 9.8% | 27.7% |
| Below the poverty line | 13.9% | 10.3% |
| Veterans | 2.5% | — |
| Born outside the U.S. | 25.5% | — |
| Work from home | 4.8% | 13.4% |
| Average commute | 27.5 min | 27.5 min |
| Homes with broadband | 95.9% | 93.3% |
Weather in Waterford
July highs average 95.0°F and January lows 38.8°F. About 12.3 inches of rain and melted snow fall a year, with 0.0 inches of snow (typical California town: 0.0 in). Expect about 90 days a year at 90°F or hotter and 12 nights at or below freezing.
Tornadoes, storms and disasters
4 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Waterford since 1950, compared with 2 for the typical California town. The strongest, an EF1, struck on November 15, 2015 about 7.9 miles from the town center. The most recent was on April 27, 2016.
Severe weather in Stanislaus County since 1996
Stanislaus County has been included in 20 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1953, most often for fire, flood, drought.
| Declared | Incident | Declaration |
|---|---|---|
| April 3, 2023 | Severe Storm | DR-4699: Severe Winter Storms, Straight-Line Winds, Flooding, Landslides, And Mudslides |
| March 10, 2023 | Flood | EM-3592: Severe Winter Storms, Flooding, Landslides, And Mudslides |
| January 14, 2023 | Flood | DR-4683: Severe Winter Storms, Flooding, Landslides, And Mudslides |
| January 9, 2023 | Flood | EM-3591: Severe Winter Storms, Flooding, And Mudslides |
| August 22, 2020 | Fire | DR-4558: Wildfires |
Jobs and pay in Stanislaus County
Stanislaus County had 199,396 jobs in 2024, paying an average of $63,795 a year. Unemployment was 6.4% in 2023; in Waterford itself the ACS puts it at 7.9%.
Public schools in Waterford
8 public schools with 2,693 students, about 20.7 students per teacher.
| School | Grades | Students | Per teacher |
|---|---|---|---|
| Connecting Waters Charter (charter) | K-12 | 768 | 18.7 |
| Waterford High | 9-12 | 589 | 19.6 |
| Richard M. Moon Primary | K-3 | 506 | 22.0 |
| Lucille Whitehead Intermediate | 4-6 | 351 | 27.0 |
| Waterford Junior | 7-8 | 262 | 20.2 |
| Roberts Ferry Charter School Academy (charter) | K-8 | 167 | 23.9 |
| Sentinel High | 9-12 | 26 | 13.0 |
| Roberts Ferry Union Elementary | K-8 | 24 | 24.0 |
Towns near Waterford
- Hughson, CA6.7 mi · 7,481 people · home $511,200
- Empire, CA8.4 mi · 4,202 people · home $335,200
- Denair, CA8.4 mi · 4,865 people · home $429,800
- Oakdale, CA9.6 mi · 23,181 people · home $457,900
- East Oakdale, CA10.1 mi · 3,201 people · home $856,600
- Keyes, CA10.4 mi · 5,672 people · home $344,100
- Turlock, CA11.1 mi · 72,740 people · home $460,600
- Riverbank, CA11.9 mi · 24,865 people · home $463,200
Waterford questions
Is Waterford, California a good place to retire?
On The Town Files lifestyle rankings, Waterford scores better for retirees than 31% of California towns and quieter than 51%. 8.0% of residents are 65 or older (median age 31.7).
How much does a house cost in Waterford?
The median owner-occupied home in Waterford is valued at $402,200 (Census ACS 2020–2024), against a median household income of $74,343, so homes cost about 5.4 times income. Median rent is $1,620 a month.
What is the weather like in Waterford?
July highs average 95.0°F and January lows 38.8°F (NOAA 1991–2020 normals). It gets about 12.3 inches of precipitation a year and 0.0 inches of snow.
Does Waterford get tornadoes?
4 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Waterford since 1950 (NOAA Storm Events); the strongest was an EF1 on November 15, 2015. The typical California town has had 2.
- U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-year estimates (2020–2024)
- U.S. Census Bureau, 2020 Census and 2025 Gazetteer (2020 / 2025)
- NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals (1991–2020)
- NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database (1950–2026)
- FEMA OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations (this product uses the FEMA OpenFEMA API but is not endorsed by FEMA) (1953–2026)
- NCES Common Core of Data (2023–24)
- BLS Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages; USDA ERS county unemployment (BLS LAUS) (2000–2024)
- The Town Files lifestyle rankings, built from federal demographic, school, crime and housing data (2025)