Town of Alto sign, 2011
Alto’s story
147 years in pictures
Census counts: 74 in 1900, 970 in 2020. The archive holds 3 old photos and papers going back to 2005 and 2 maps from 1964 on.
- 1879Alto is settled
AltoGA
A town of 1,018, settled in 1879.
1 bordering townMap →
Photo: Thomson M · CC BY 3.0
Population
1,018
2025 Census estimate · +4.4% since 2020
Typical home
$297K
+1.1% in a year
Household income
$81K
median
Median age
30.5
years
Jobs based here
48
A commuter town
Is Alto a good place to live?
Alto’s best subject grades are an A+ for safety and an A for cost of living; its weakest is a D for walkability. On safety, just 6 of Georgia’s 152 towns do better. Alto's schools outperform 75% of the state's. Only 22 of Georgia’s 371 towns score lower on walkability. Alto's civic life (library use, community groups, volunteering) trails 98% of U.S. towns. Only 37 of Georgia’s 374 towns score lower on the outdoors. Alto has 1 place on the National Register. Alto has fewer than 2,500 residents, so it gets subject grades but no overall grade.
What makes Alto stand out
Where Alto beats most towns.
Violent crime per 1,000 residents
Alto0
Georgia3
U.S.3.3
SafetyA+
No violent crime reported in 2025
FBI data, 2025. Crimes reported to police.
Typical home value
Alto$297K
Georgia$329K
Cost of livingA
4.4 years of income buys a home
More affordable than 85% of U.S. towns
Zillow Home Value Index; area median household income, Census ACS.
Natural hazardsB+
Low risk of storm and flood damage
FEMA National Risk Index.
A shrinking town
Alto has shrunk 14% since 2010
1,172 counted in 2010 and 970 in 2020; an estimated 1,018 in 2025.
U.S. Census 2010 & 2020 counts · Census Bureau estimate, July 1, 2025
How Alto grades
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Georgia), ordered by how far Alto is from typical.
SafetyA+Open →WalkabilityEPA walkability 5.1 of 20; 1.3% of households have no carDOpen →Cost of livingAOpen →SchoolsA−Open →Hazard riskFEMA risk higher than 26% of U.S. communities; inland flooding tops the listB+Open →HealthNortheast Georgia Medical Center Habersham 7.5 miles awayCOpen →Jobs & income$81K median household incomeB−Open →
Character Graded, but not part of the overall grade.
Outdoors0% conserved landDOpen →HistoryC−Open →Civic life0.2 community nonprofits per 1,000 residentsD−Open →
Described, not graded Taste, not quality: snow or an older crowd is neither good nor bad.
ClimateMild winters, 87° summer afternoons–Open →Housing market–Open →Who lives hereMedian age 30.5; 13% of adults have a four-year degree–Open →
How TownRatings grades towns →
Getting set up
The full setup list →Moving to Alto: who provides what
Who provides power, water and the rest in Alto, and how to reach them.
PowerGeorgia Power16.3¢/kWh · EIA 2025HIFLD · EIA
WaterAlto water systemNo health-based violations in 5 years · EPAEPA
Internet4 providers90% of addresses get 100/20 MbpsFCC
Trash & dumpNot on file yetWe don’t have Alto’s trash rules yet
SchoolsBanks County School DistrictHabersham County School District2 districts serve Alto; which school depends on your address and gradeNCES
Register to voteOnlineIn Georgia you can register online until 29 days before Election Day, in person until 29 days before Election Day, or by mail (postmarked 29 days before).vote.govWho runs elections hereHabersham County Elections & RegistrationHabersham County; contacts on the Handbook page.FVAP, Nov 2025
ZIP code3051030510 100%Census 2020
EPA SDWIS (Oct 9, 2026) · HIFLD + EIA-861 2025 · Census 2020 ZCTAs · NCES 2024–25 · registration: vote.gov, updated Nov 18, 2024.
The data
Ordered by what stands out in Alto.
SafetyA+
Alto reports less crime per resident than 95% of U.S. towns
At 0 per 1,000 residents, Alto’s violent crime rate is where Georgia’s towns sit at 2.2 and U.S. towns at 1.6. The property crime rate in Alto is 3.9 per 1,000 residents.
95%of U.S. towns report more crimeA+Safety Grade
| Alto | Georgia towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Violent crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 0 per 1,000 residents | 2.2 | 1.6 |
| Property crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 3.9 per 1,000 residents | 14.5 | 9.9 |
Violent crime per 1,000 residents
Alto0
Georgia3
U.S.3.3
Property crime per 1,000 residents
Alto3.9
Georgia14
U.S.15.5
95th
percentile among U.S. towns we grade
0
violent crimes reported in 2025
4
property crimes reported in 2025
FBI crime data, 2025 · crimes reported to police
Work & commuteJobs & income grade B−
With 0.1 jobs for every working resident, most of Alto’s workers commute out
Most working residents leave Alto for work: only 0% work in town. At 35 minutes, Alto’s average trip to work is against 26 minutes in Georgia’s towns and 25 minutes across U.S. towns. Since 2013, Alto has added 22 jobs, to 48 in 2023.
0%work in town
| Alto | Georgia towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average trip to work | 35 minutes | 26 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Below the poverty line | 13% | 15% | 9.6% |
| Median household income | $81,000 | $63,000 | $80,000 |
Where working residents work
In Alto0%
Gainesville12%
Cornelia9%
Baldwin5%
Commerce3%
20 mi
median commute distance
48
jobs based in Alto
A commuter town
jobs vs. working residents
D
Walkability grade: more walkable than 8% of U.S. towns
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
HealthC
Alto is less healthy than 72% of U.S. towns
Alto beats the Georgia average on 0 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 13. 23% of adults 18 to 64 have no health insurance in Alto.
28%healthier than U.S. townsCHealth Grade
| Alto | Georgia towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| No health insurance, 18–64 (CDC PLACES) | 23% | 14% | 8.1% |
| Feel lonely (CDC PLACES) | 39% | 39% | 33% |
| Get no exercise (CDC PLACES) | 32% | 29% | 25% |
| Frequent physical distress (CDC PLACES) | 16% | 14% | 14% |
32 measures vs. Georgia
0 better19 too close to call13 worse
| What stands out | Alto | GA |
|---|---|---|
| More uninsured adults | 23.1% | 13.1% |
| More adults facing food insecurity | 21.8% | 17.7% |
| More adults in fair or poor health | 24.6% | 20.3% |
Northeast Georgia Medical Center Habersham
7.5 mi away · emergency room
3 of 3
care shortages: primary care, dental, mental health
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Natural hazardsHazard risk grade B+
Low risk in Alto, with inland flooding at the top
Expected storm and flood damage is lower than in 74% of U.S. communities.
26risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
Inland floodingTornadoesCold waves
1
federal disasters paid out here
FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Climate
In Alto, expect mild winters and pleasant summers
Alto has mild winters and warm summers, with plenty of rain. Among 265 Georgia towns, just 5 have a lower July high than Alto.
87°summer high
Typical low → high °F
Winter34–53°
Spring48–71°
Summer66–86°
Fall50–71°
Nov 6
typical first frost
Mar 30
typical last frost
+0.6°
vs. the 20th-century average
87°
typical summer high
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
HousingCost of living grade A
Alto’s typical home value is about $297K
The typical Alto home is worth about $297,000, up 1.1% in a year, 10% below the Georgia typical home. 82% of Alto households own their home.
$297KZillow home value
| Alto | Georgia towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Households that own their home | 82% | 58% | 73% |
| Median rent | $1,051 a month | $1,154 a month | $1,185 a month |
Typical home value
Alto$297K
Georgia$329K
+1.1%
value change, 1 year
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
OutdoorsD
Conserved land covers 0.1% of Alto
Among 229 Georgia towns, just 7 have a lower share of conserved land than Alto.
0.1%conserved
0.1%
conserved · 0 of 730 acres
0.0 mi
of trails · 0 per sq mi
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Lee Dorsey Cook Playground | — | 1 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Alto
19pages on Alto
The big questions
SchoolsA−Beat 75% of GA districtsSafetyA+0 violent crimes per 1,000 residents (2025)HealthCBetter than GA on 0 of 32 CDC measuresCost of livingA$297K typical home · up 1.1% in a yearWork & commuteB−$81K median household income · 48 jobs hereNatural hazardsB+FEMA risk higher than 26% of U.S. communities · inland flooding
Out and about
The story
After high school
Colleges nearby
4 within 15 miles of the center of Alto
Piedmont UniversityUniversity or college · Private nonprofit · Demorest7.2 mi$31,700 tuitionNorth Georgia Technical CollegeCommunity college · Public · Clarkesville12.3 mi$3,330 in-state tuitionTruett McConnell UniversityUniversity or college · Private nonprofit · Cleveland13.5 mi$26,792 tuition
About 8 of every 100 Alto residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Georgia.
Small town
1,018 people, and everyone knows the way
In a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.
Nearby towns
RaoulAlto
About Alto
Town in Georgia, United States
Alto is a town in Banks and Habersham counties in the U.S. state of Georgia. As of the 2020 census, Alto had a population of 970.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Area
- 1.1 sq mi
- Elevation
- 1,398 ft
- ZIP code
- 30510
- Area code
- 706
Questions about Alto
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Alto, GA expensive?
Not for the area. Cost of living, which also weighs rents, property taxes and how many households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, grades A.