Atherton is a rural town and locality on the Atherton Tablelands in Far North Queensland with a population of 7,331 people in 2016. Atherton has a humid subtropical climate that differs from the surrounding tropical savannah climate due to the town's elevation 752 metres ASL high on the Atherton Plateau. Temperature extremes have ranged from 36.7 °C (98.1 °F) to –0.6 °C (30.9 °F). The average annual rainfall is 1,379.8 mm (54.3 in). The land around Atherton is used to grow a variety of crops, including sugar cane, peanuts, mangoes, maize (corn), potatoes, avocados, blueberries, blackberries, strawberries and macadamia nuts. Dairy and beef cattle are also reared in the area.