Population 1,503 · Census ACS 2020–24
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Population and households in Alton
Household size in Alton
| Period | Alton | Iowa | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 2.79 | 2.44 | 2.68 |
| 2010–14 | 2.54 | 2.45 | 2.73 |
| 2015–19 | 2.63 | 2.43 | 2.71 |
| 2020–24 | 2.56 | 2.43 | 2.65 |
| Change | −0.23 | −0.01 | −0.03 |
The average household in Alton has 2.56 people, a bit under the U.S. average of 2.65. Still, the typical household here is bigger than in Iowa as a whole, where it has 2.43 people. Household size has dropped from 2.79 in 2006–10, but in a place this small, much of that may be survey noise rather than real change.
Household size: the average number of people living in each occupied home. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25010).
Median age in Alton
| Period | Alton | Iowa | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 34.2 | 38.8 | 37.7 |
| 2010–14 | 37.5 | 39.3 | 38.6 |
| 2015–19 | 32.9 | 39.7 | 39.6 |
| 2020–24 | 37.5 | 39.8 | 40.1 |
| Change | +3.4 | +1.0 | +2.3 |
The median resident of Alton is 37.5 years old, a few years younger than the national median of 40.1.
Median age: the age that splits residents into two equal halves. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B01002).
Single-parent households in Alton
| Period | Alton | Iowa | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 8.4% | 9.5% | 12.3% |
| 2010–14 | 4.3% | 9.9% | 12.3% |
| 2015–19 | 2.9% | 10.0% | 11.6% |
| 2020–24 | 2.9% | 10.0% | 11.6% |
| Change | −5.5 pts | +0.6 pts | −0.6 pts |
Single parents head only 2.9% of households in Alton, well below the national share of 11.6%.
Single-parent households: households where one adult with no spouse present lives with children under 18. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B11003).
Housing in Alton
Renters in Alton
| Period | Alton | Iowa | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 18.7% | 26.8% | 33.3% |
| 2010–14 | 19.0% | 28.2% | 35.6% |
| 2015–19 | 13.6% | 28.9% | 36.0% |
| 2020–24 | 12.0% | 28.3% | 34.8% |
| Change | −6.7 pts | +1.5 pts | +1.5 pts |
Alton is overwhelmingly a place of homeowners: only 12.0% of households rent, far below the national share of 34.8%. Owner-heavy areas like this tend to see less turnover. Among homeowners, 42.1% have no mortgage at all, about the same as nationally.
Renters: occupied homes that are rented rather than owned. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25003).
Vacant homes in Alton
| Period | Alton | Iowa | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 7.3% | 8.7% | 11.4% |
| 2010–14 | 2.2% | 8.6% | 11.4% |
| 2015–19 | 6.7% | 9.4% | 11.1% |
| 2020–24 | 7.8% | 8.8% | 9.6% |
| Change | +0.5 pts | +0.1 pts | −1.8 pts |
Fewer homes sit empty in Alton than nationally: 7.8%, against 9.6% for the U.S. Iowa as a whole looks much the same.
Vacant homes: homes with no one living in them, including vacation homes and homes for sale or rent. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25002).
Age of homes in Alton
| Period | Alton | Iowa | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 1956 | 1965 | 1974 |
| 2010–14 | 1952 | 1967 | 1975 |
| 2015–19 | 1957 | 1969 | 1977 |
| 2020–24 | 1967 | 1971 | 1980 |
| Change | +11 | +6 | +6 |
The housing in Alton is old by national standards: the median home dates to 1967, against 1980 for the U.S., so buyers will find more older houses, some of them due for updates.
Age of homes: the year that splits the housing stock into older and newer halves. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25035).
Rent in Alton
| Period | Alton | Iowa | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | $476 | $669 | $965 |
| 2010–14 | $524 | $732 | $1,040 |
| 2015–19 | $773 | $821 | $1,213 |
| 2020–24 | $797 | $1,020 | $1,571 |
| Change | +$321 | +$351 | +$606 |
The median renter in Alton pays $797 a month for rent and utilities, well below the national median of $1,571. Rent takes 17.8% of the typical renter's income, comfortably under the 30% mark often used to define affordable rent.
Rent: monthly rent plus the utilities renters pay themselves. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25064).
Education in Alton
Bachelor's degrees in Alton
| Period | Alton | Iowa | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 16.1% | 26.5% | 28.4% |
| 2010–14 | 20.6% | 27.9% | 29.6% |
| 2015–19 | 24.3% | 29.3% | 32.1% |
| 2020–24 | 25.7% | 32.3% | 35.6% |
| Change | +9.6 pts | +5.8 pts | +7.2 pts |
About a quarter of adults 25 and older in Alton (25.7%) have a bachelor's degree or higher, below the national share of 35.6%.
Bachelor's degrees: adults 25 and older with a bachelor's degree or higher. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B15003).
High school graduates in Alton
| Period | Alton | Iowa | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 90.4% | 90.4% | 84.9% |
| 2010–14 | 88.1% | 91.4% | 86.1% |
| 2015–19 | 95.0% | 92.1% | 87.7% |
| 2020–24 | 96.9% | 93.0% | 89.3% |
| Change | +6.5 pts | +2.7 pts | +4.3 pts |
High school completion is high in Alton: 96.9% of adults 25 and older have a diploma or equivalent, well above the national rate of 89.3%.
High school graduates: adults 25 and older with a high school diploma, GED or more. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B15003).
Jobs in Alton
| Period | Alton | Iowa | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 1.6% | 5.2% | 8.1% |
| 2010–14 | 1.2% | 5.4% | 9.4% |
| 2015–19 | 3.3% | 3.7% | 5.6% |
| 2020–24 | 2.6% | 3.7% | 5.4% |
| Change | +1.0 pts | −1.5 pts | −2.7 pts |
Unemployment in Alton has been low: just 2.6% of the labor force was out of work and looking, well below the national rate of 5.4%. Each figure pools five years of surveys (2020–24), so it describes that whole stretch rather than today's job market.
Unemployment: people looking for work as a share of everyone working or looking. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B23025).
Alton compared with nearby cities
| City | Household size | Median age | Single parents | Renters | Vacant homes | Median year built | Median rent | Bachelor's degree | High school diploma | Unemployment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alton | 2.56 | 37.5 | 2.9% | 12.0% | 7.8% | 1967 | $797 | 25.7% | 96.9% | 2.6% |
| Carnes | 2.47 | 37.5 | 2.9% | 14.6% | 5.3% | 1975 | $779 | 37.5% | 96.6% | 3.6% |
| Orange City | 2.57 | 29.6 | 7.3% | 29.7% | 2.2% | 1978 | $803 | 45.9% | 96.2% | 2.0% |
| Newkirk | 3.09 | 30.5 | 7.1% | 9.8% | 4.7% | 1964 | $753 | 30.5% | 97.9% | 0.7% |
| Granville | 2.76 | 40.7 | 1.3% | 11.4% | 3.8% | 1965 | $677 | 30.9% | 95.4% | 4.8% |
| Hospers | 2.73 | 34.4 | 3.2% | 14.2% | 6.0% | 1957 | $686 | 21.8% | 93.2% | 2.7% |
| Maurice | 2.49 | 49.7 | 1.5% | 7.9% | 17.1% | 1960 | $684 | 24.2% | 96.8% | 0.1% |
| Seney | 2.20 | 48.5 | 2.6% | 18.5% | 17.1% | 1959 | $748 | 26.4% | 95.2% | 0.5% |
| Sioux Center | 2.61 | 30.7 | 3.9% | 24.5% | 3.3% | 1980 | $868 | 39.7% | 90.9% | 1.1% |
| Oyens | 2.79 | 41.0 | 9.0% | 15.2% | 7.6% | 1959 | $834 | 19.5% | 96.6% | 1.5% |
| Remsen | 2.67 | 45.4 | 7.7% | 16.8% | 7.4% | 1957 | $874 | 16.2% | 95.2% | 5.3% |
All figures 2020–24.
Cities with similar populations: Britt, MN · Allenwood, PA · Mount Crested Butte, CO · Danville, VT · Box Springs, GA · Whitton, TX · Snow Lake Shores, MS · Hosford, FL · McLain, MS · Milton, TN
About these numbers
Every figure on this page is a BestNeighborhood calculation from the Census Bureau's American Community Survey (ACS), built up from the Census block groups that make up Alton. Each ACS 5-year release pools five years of responses; this page shows the last 15 releases, 2006–10 through 2020–24. Neighboring releases share four of their five years, so they move gradually and small changes between them are within the survey's margin of error; in small places the lines can jump from one release to the next for the same reason. The maps show the same measures for each neighborhood, ranked against the whole country.
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