Population 8,447 · Census ACS 2020–24
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Population and households in East Alton
Household size in East Alton
| Period | East Alton | St. Louis area | Illinois | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 2.28 | 2.52 | 2.69 | 2.68 |
| 2010–14 | 2.24 | 2.53 | 2.71 | 2.73 |
| 2015–19 | 2.28 | 2.49 | 2.66 | 2.71 |
| 2020–24 | 2.24 | 2.46 | 2.58 | 2.65 |
| Change | −0.04 | −0.06 | −0.11 | −0.03 |
East Alton is a place of small households, averaging 2.24 people against 2.65 for the U.S., which points to many singles, couples and roommates and relatively few children. Since 2006–10, household size has edged down from 2.28, mirroring the country. Of the 388 Illinois cities with 5,000+ people, only 36 have smaller households.
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 East Alton
| Period | East Alton | St. Louis area | Illinois | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 41.6 | 38.5 | 37.6 | 37.7 |
| 2010–14 | 43.3 | 39.5 | 38.5 | 38.6 |
| 2015–19 | 40.1 | 40.7 | 39.6 | 39.6 |
| 2020–24 | 40.4 | 40.8 | 40.2 | 40.1 |
| Change | −1.2 | +2.3 | +2.6 | +2.3 |
At 40.4, the median age in East Alton is close to the national median of 40.1, so its age mix looks much like the country's. The median age has dropped from 41.6 in 2006–10, even as the national median rose.
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 East Alton
| Period | East Alton | St. Louis area | Illinois | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 10.8% | 11.7% | 11.7% | 12.3% |
| 2010–14 | 9.5% | 11.5% | 11.7% | 12.3% |
| 2015–19 | 11.8% | 11.0% | 11.1% | 11.6% |
| 2020–24 | 16.8% | 11.1% | 11.3% | 11.6% |
| Change | +6.0 pts | −0.6 pts | −0.4 pts | −0.6 pts |
Single parents head about one in six households in East Alton (16.8%), well above the national share of 11.6%. Since 2006–10, the single-parent share has risen 6.0 points, even as the national share fell. Only 34 of the 388 Illinois cities with 5,000+ people have a higher share of single-parent households.
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 East Alton
Renters in East Alton
| Period | East Alton | St. Louis area | Illinois | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 33.0% | 28.3% | 30.8% | 33.3% |
| 2010–14 | 34.8% | 30.1% | 33.1% | 35.6% |
| 2015–19 | 37.8% | 31.1% | 33.9% | 36.0% |
| 2020–24 | 31.9% | 29.6% | 32.9% | 34.8% |
| Change | −1.1 pts | +1.4 pts | +2.1 pts | +1.5 pts |
Renting in East Alton is about as common as it is nationally: 31.9% of households rent, against 34.8%. About half of owners (48.6%) have paid off their mortgages, above the national share of 39.8%. Renting is most common in the south and least common in the east. The renter share has edged down 1.1 points since 2006–10, even as the national share rose.
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 East Alton
| Period | East Alton | St. Louis area | Illinois | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 11.7% | 9.6% | 10.0% | 11.4% |
| 2010–14 | 11.1% | 10.1% | 10.1% | 11.4% |
| 2015–19 | 12.9% | 10.1% | 9.8% | 11.1% |
| 2020–24 | 9.7% | 8.8% | 8.1% | 9.6% |
| Change | −2.1 pts | −0.8 pts | −1.9 pts | −1.8 pts |
About as many homes sit empty in East Alton as nationally: 9.7%, against 9.6%. Vacancy has fallen 2.1 points since 2006–10, as it has nationally.
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 East Alton
| Period | East Alton | St. Louis area | Illinois | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 1955 | 1972 | 1966 | 1974 |
| 2010–14 | 1956 | 1972 | 1967 | 1975 |
| 2015–19 | 1959 | 1973 | 1968 | 1977 |
| 2020–24 | 1959 | 1975 | 1970 | 1980 |
| Change | +5 | +3 | +4 | +6 |
East Alton is a place of older homes: half were built before 1959, while the national median is 1980. That means established neighborhoods, and more houses that may need updating. The median year built has moved up from 1955 in 2006–10, a sign of steady new building. The newest homes are mostly in the northeast, the oldest in the center.
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 East Alton
| Period | East Alton | St. Louis area | Illinois | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | $576 | $825 | $953 | $965 |
| 2010–14 | $754 | $920 | $1,028 | $1,040 |
| 2015–19 | $768 | $1,010 | $1,165 | $1,213 |
| 2020–24 | $865 | $1,239 | $1,428 | $1,571 |
| Change | +$289 | +$414 | +$475 | +$606 |
Rent in East Alton runs $865 a month at the median, utilities included, well below the U.S. median of $1,571. Rents are up $289 a month from 2006–10, a 50% rise, a slower climb than the nation's. Rent takes 35.9% of the typical renter's income, well over the 30% mark often used to define affordable rent, so many renters here are stretched. The priciest rents are in the south; the most affordable are in the northeast.
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 East Alton
Bachelor's degrees in East Alton
| Period | East Alton | St. Louis area | Illinois | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 10.1% | 30.3% | 31.2% | 28.4% |
| 2010–14 | 11.0% | 32.1% | 32.4% | 29.6% |
| 2015–19 | 17.5% | 34.9% | 34.7% | 32.1% |
| 2020–24 | 17.3% | 38.5% | 37.7% | 35.6% |
| Change | +7.2 pts | +8.3 pts | +6.5 pts | +7.2 pts |
Fewer adults in East Alton have a four-year degree than in the country as a whole: 17.3%, against 35.6% nationally. The share with a degree is up 7.2 points from 2006–10, in line with the national trend. College graduates are most concentrated in the east and least in the south.
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 East Alton
| Period | East Alton | St. Louis area | Illinois | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 87.4% | 88.8% | 86.3% | 84.9% |
| 2010–14 | 87.0% | 90.5% | 87.5% | 86.1% |
| 2015–19 | 88.8% | 92.1% | 89.1% | 87.7% |
| 2020–24 | 89.0% | 93.6% | 90.3% | 89.3% |
| Change | +1.5 pts | +4.8 pts | +4.0 pts | +4.3 pts |
About as many adults in East Alton have finished high school as nationally: 89.0%, against 89.3%. The rate is lower than in the St. Louis area overall (93.6%). Since 2006–10, the share with a diploma has risen 1.5 points, mirroring the country.
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 East Alton
| Period | East Alton | St. Louis area | Illinois | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 7.1% | 7.7% | 8.7% | 8.1% |
| 2010–14 | 7.2% | 8.8% | 10.2% | 9.4% |
| 2015–19 | 7.5% | 4.9% | 6.1% | 5.6% |
| 2020–24 | 3.4% | 4.3% | 6.0% | 5.4% |
| Change | −3.7 pts | −3.4 pts | −2.7 pts | −2.7 pts |
Jobs have been easier to find in East Alton than nationally: unemployment was 3.4%, against 5.4%. Since 2006–10, unemployment has fallen 3.7 points, mirroring the country. 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).
East 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| East Alton | 2.24 | 40.4 | 16.8% | 31.9% | 9.7% | 1959 | $865 | 17.3% | 89.0% | 3.4% |
| Rosewood Heights | 2.16 | 55.5 | 11.0% | 29.6% | 4.3% | 1970 | $816 | 23.8% | 88.4% | 2.8% |
| Wood River | 2.25 | 41.8 | 11.0% | 29.4% | 8.9% | 1955 | $999 | 18.5% | 94.3% | 2.6% |
| Cottage Hills | 2.57 | 37.1 | 19.2% | 30.7% | 10.6% | 1978 | $964 | 15.0% | 85.0% | 8.5% |
| Roxana | 2.31 | 39.6 | 12.9% | 25.6% | 7.0% | 1956 | $1,008 | 22.7% | 93.7% | 4.7% |
| Bethalto | 2.36 | 39.5 | 9.4% | 17.1% | 8.2% | 1976 | $990 | 28.6% | 93.7% | 4.0% |
| Hartford | 2.08 | 45.2 | 10.7% | 15.9% | 11.0% | 1951 | $1,006 | 5.1% | 92.4% | 6.7% |
| Alton | 2.35 | 39.7 | 15.2% | 35.6% | 14.0% | 1954 | $1,007 | 23.5% | 92.3% | 5.5% |
| South Roxana | 2.59 | 36.5 | 20.2% | 29.3% | 6.3% | 1970 | $895 | 10.4% | 88.0% | 5.7% |
| Moro | 2.34 | 44.2 | 7.5% | 21.1% | 5.9% | 1985 | $1,511 | 28.3% | 92.3% | 2.9% |
| Fosterburg | 2.90 | 38.6 | 11.5% | 2.8% | 5.0% | 1995 | $1,394 | 36.3% | 98.4% | 1.1% |
All figures 2020–24.
Cities with similar populations: Seward, NE · Rio del Mar, CA · Ripley, MS · Roebuck, SC · Rumford, RI · Rural Hall, NC · Rustburg, VA · Salem, NJ · Savoy, IL · Sayre, PA
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 East 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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