Population 448 · Census ACS 2020–24
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Population and households in West Alton
Household size in West Alton
| Period | West Alton | St. Louis area | Missouri | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 2.60 | 2.52 | 2.49 | 2.68 |
| 2010–14 | 2.33 | 2.53 | 2.52 | 2.73 |
| 2015–19 | 2.13 | 2.49 | 2.50 | 2.71 |
| 2020–24 | 3.03 | 2.46 | 2.49 | 2.65 |
| Change | +0.43 | −0.06 | −0.00 | −0.03 |
Households in West Alton are large by national standards, averaging 3.03 people against 2.65 for the U.S. That usually means more families with children at home. Household size has climbed from 2.60 in 2006–10, but in a place this small, survey estimates can swing a lot from one release to the next.
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 West Alton
| Period | West Alton | St. Louis area | Missouri | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 37.5 | 38.5 | 38.4 | 37.7 |
| 2010–14 | 47.4 | 39.5 | 39.2 | 38.6 |
| 2015–19 | 45.9 | 40.7 | 40.0 | 39.6 |
| 2020–24 | 36.5 | 40.8 | 40.1 | 40.1 |
| Change | −1.0 | +2.3 | +1.7 | +2.3 |
The median resident of West Alton is 36.5 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 West Alton
| Period | West Alton | St. Louis area | Missouri | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 6.2% | 11.7% | 11.3% | 12.3% |
| 2010–14 | 5.4% | 11.5% | 11.4% | 12.3% |
| 2015–19 | 5.2% | 11.0% | 10.9% | 11.6% |
| 2020–24 | 4.5% | 11.1% | 11.0% | 11.6% |
| Change | −1.6 pts | −0.6 pts | −0.3 pts | −0.6 pts |
Single-parent households are relatively rare in West Alton: 4.5% of households, against 11.6% nationally.
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 West Alton
Renters in West Alton
| Period | West Alton | St. Louis area | Missouri | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 29.5% | 28.3% | 30.0% | 33.3% |
| 2010–14 | 25.6% | 30.1% | 32.1% | 35.6% |
| 2015–19 | 20.7% | 31.1% | 33.2% | 36.0% |
| 2020–24 | 14.3% | 29.6% | 31.9% | 34.8% |
| Change | −15.2 pts | +1.4 pts | +1.9 pts | +1.5 pts |
West Alton is overwhelmingly a place of homeowners: only 14.3% of households rent, far below the national share of 34.8%. Owner-heavy areas like this tend to see less turnover. Just over a third of owners (34.9%) have paid off their mortgages, below the national share of 39.8%.
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 West Alton
| Period | West Alton | St. Louis area | Missouri | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 34.4% | 9.6% | 11.6% | 11.4% |
| 2010–14 | 23.7% | 10.1% | 12.0% | 11.4% |
| 2015–19 | 16.5% | 10.1% | 12.2% | 11.1% |
| 2020–24 | 29.4% | 8.8% | 10.5% | 9.6% |
| Change | −5.0 pts | −0.8 pts | −1.1 pts | −1.8 pts |
Vacancy is high in West Alton: 29.4% of homes are empty, far above the national rate of 9.6%. In resort and lake areas that usually means seasonal and vacation homes; elsewhere it can point to weak demand.
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 West Alton
| Period | West Alton | St. Louis area | Missouri | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 1962 | 1972 | 1974 | 1974 |
| 2010–14 | 1962 | 1972 | 1975 | 1975 |
| 2015–19 | 1963 | 1973 | 1976 | 1977 |
| 2020–24 | 1960 | 1975 | 1978 | 1980 |
| Change | −2 | +3 | +4 | +6 |
West Alton is a place of older homes: half were built before 1960, while the national median is 1980. That means established neighborhoods, and more houses that may need updating.
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 West Alton
| Period | West Alton | St. Louis area | Missouri | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | $736 | $825 | $740 | $965 |
| 2010–14 | $832 | $920 | $816 | $1,040 |
| 2015–19 | $505 | $1,010 | $899 | $1,213 |
| 2020–24 | $1,375 | $1,239 | $1,122 | $1,571 |
| Change | +$639 | +$414 | +$383 | +$606 |
Rent in West Alton runs $1,375 a month at the median, utilities included, below the U.S. median of $1,571. Even so, rents here are higher than in the wider St. Louis area ($1,239). Rent takes 14.2% 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 West Alton
Bachelor's degrees in West Alton
| Period | West Alton | St. Louis area | Missouri | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 9.1% | 30.3% | 26.0% | 28.4% |
| 2010–14 | 10.8% | 32.1% | 27.3% | 29.6% |
| 2015–19 | 12.9% | 34.9% | 29.6% | 32.1% |
| 2020–24 | 22.5% | 38.5% | 32.6% | 35.6% |
| Change | +13.5 pts | +8.3 pts | +6.6 pts | +7.2 pts |
Fewer adults in West Alton have a four-year degree than in the country as a whole: 22.5%, against 35.6% nationally.
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 West Alton
| Period | West Alton | St. Louis area | Missouri | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 79.0% | 88.8% | 86.8% | 84.9% |
| 2010–14 | 77.2% | 90.5% | 88.3% | 86.1% |
| 2015–19 | 85.3% | 92.1% | 90.0% | 87.7% |
| 2020–24 | 92.8% | 93.6% | 91.8% | 89.3% |
| Change | +13.8 pts | +4.8 pts | +5.1 pts | +4.3 pts |
Just over nine in ten adults in West Alton have finished high school (92.8%), above the national rate of 89.3%. That is in line with the rest of the St. Louis area.
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 West Alton
| Period | West Alton | St. Louis area | Missouri | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 11.7% | 7.7% | 7.4% | 8.1% |
| 2010–14 | 11.7% | 8.8% | 8.4% | 9.4% |
| 2015–19 | 2.1% | 4.9% | 4.6% | 5.6% |
| 2020–24 | 5.0% | 4.3% | 4.1% | 5.4% |
| Change | −6.7 pts | −3.4 pts | −3.3 pts | −2.7 pts |
Unemployment in West Alton is close to the national rate: 5.0% of the labor force, against 5.4%. The rate is higher than in the St. Louis area overall (4.3%). 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).
West 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| West Alton | 3.03 | 36.5 | 4.5% | 14.3% | 29.4% | 1960 | $1,375 | 22.5% | 92.8% | 5.0% |
| Old Jamestown | 2.87 | 43.3 | 16.2% | 12.8% | 3.6% | 1986 | $1,821 | 38.8% | 94.3% | 5.9% |
| Alton | 2.35 | 39.7 | 15.2% | 35.6% | 14.0% | 1954 | $1,007 | 23.5% | 92.3% | 5.5% |
| Godfrey | 2.39 | 47.9 | 7.6% | 17.3% | 7.2% | 1976 | $1,147 | 31.6% | 95.1% | 4.2% |
| Black Jack | 2.55 | 42.3 | 23.4% | 15.8% | 12.8% | 1973 | $1,284 | 34.1% | 93.5% | 5.5% |
| Spanish Lake | 2.54 | 35.2 | 24.7% | 50.3% | 18.0% | 1966 | $1,249 | 15.9% | 89.9% | 7.2% |
| Florissant | 2.52 | 39.7 | 16.7% | 32.6% | 8.6% | 1967 | $1,353 | 26.6% | 93.1% | 4.8% |
| Portage Des Sioux | 2.53 | 45.2 | 4.9% | 11.4% | 17.8% | 1965 | $1,085 | 22.1% | 90.3% | 3.3% |
| 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% |
| Hartford | 2.08 | 45.2 | 10.7% | 15.9% | 11.0% | 1951 | $1,006 | 5.1% | 92.4% | 6.7% |
All figures 2020–24.
Cities with similar populations: Hasty, AR · South Woodstock, CT · Hemlock, PA · Helmet, VA · Helix, OR · South Hamilton, NY · Heilman, IN · Hedley, TX · Hecla, SD · Hebron, MO
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 West 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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