Union Pacific Challenger 3985 01, 2008
Alton’s story
144 years in pictures
Census counts: 708 in 1890, 1,248 in 2020. The archive holds 4 old photos and papers going back to 2004 and a map from 1985 on.
- 1882Alton is settled
Photo: Denise Krebs · CC BY 2.0
Population
1,254
2025 Census estimate · +1.4% since 2020
Typical home
$312K
+6.5% in a year
Household income
$98K
median
Median age
38.1
years
Jobs based here
286
A commuter town
Is Alton a good place to live?
Alton’s best subject grades are an A for cost of living and schools and an A− for health. Only 2 of the 141 Iowa towns we compare have a lower share of residents below the poverty line than Alton. Alton's civic life (library use, community groups, volunteering) is stronger than in 91% of U.S. towns. The biggest park or preserve is Alton Roadside Park, at 40 acres. Alton has fewer than 2,500 residents, so it gets subject grades but no overall grade.
What makes Alton stand out
Where Alton beats most towns.
Typical home value
Alton$312K
Iowa$237K
Cost of livingA
3.6 years of income buys a home
More affordable than 89% of U.S. towns
Zillow Home Value Index; area median household income, Census ACS.
MOC-Floyd Valley Comm School District
| School | Grades | Students |
|---|---|---|
| Spalding Catholic School | PK–6 | 27 |
| Spalding Catholic Schools | K–6 | 26 |
| Spalding Catholic School | K–6 | 25 |
SchoolsA
On state tests and graduation
NCES · EDFacts.
32 measures vs. Iowa
13 better19 too close to call0 worse
| Widest gap | Alton | IA |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer older adults who have lost all their teeth | 6.3% | 11.6% |
HealthA−
Healthier than 83% of U.S. towns
Less healthyHealthier
CDC PLACES 2025 estimates.
Small town
1,254 people, and everyone knows the way
In a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.
Nearby towns
Orange CityAlton
How Alton grades
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Iowa), ordered by how far Alton is from typical.
Cost of livingAOpen →SchoolsAOpen →HealthOrange City Area Health System 1.9 miles awayA−Open →Jobs & income286 jobs based hereA−Open →Hazard riskFEMA risk higher than 39% of U.S. communities; inland flooding tops the listBOpen →WalkabilityEPA walkability 7.5 of 20; 1.7% of households have no car; 1.6% of workers walk, bike or ride transitB−Open →
Character Graded, but not part of the overall grade.
Outdoors2% conserved landBOpen →History4 notable people born hereC+Open →Civic life5.5 community nonprofits per 1,000 residentsAOpen →
Described, not graded Taste, not quality: snow or an older crowd is neither good nor bad.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Getting set up
The full setup list →Moving to Alton: who provides what
Who provides power, water and the rest in Alton, and how to reach them.
PowerMidAmerican Energy11.2¢/kWh · EIA 2025HIFLD · EIA
WaterAlton Municipal Water DepartmentNo health-based violations in 5 years · EPAEPA
Internet5 providers100% of addresses get 100/20 MbpsFCC
Trash & dumpMondayTrash dayTown site
Register to voteOnlineIn Iowa you can register online until 15 days before Election Day, in person up to and including Election Day, or by mail (postmarked 15 days before).vote.govWho runs elections hereSioux County AuditorSioux County; contacts on the Handbook page.FVAP, Nov 2025
ZIP code5100351003 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 Alton.
SchoolsA
Alton’s public schools outperform 87% of Iowa districts
Its public schools are run by the MOC-Floyd Valley Community School District. One of its 4 schools is below, with why it’s listed.
87%of IA districts it outscoresASchool Grade
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| MOC-Floyd Valley Middle SchoolLargest public middle schoolGrades 6–8 | Grades 6–8 | 337 | A |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within IA on state tests and graduation
HealthA−
Compared with most of Iowa and the rest of the country, fewer of Alton’s adults sleep under 7 hours
26% of Alton adults sleep under 7 hours, below both Iowa’s towns (32%) and U.S. towns (36%). 21% of Alton adults binge drink. Alton beats the Iowa average on 13 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 0.
83%healthier than U.S. townsA−Health Grade
| Alton | Iowa towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sleep under 7 hours (CDC PLACES) | 26% | 32% | 36% |
| Binge drink (CDC PLACES) | 21% | 20% | 16% |
| Frequent physical distress (CDC PLACES) | 11% | 13% | 14% |
| Fair or poor health (CDC PLACES) | 14% | 18% | 19% |
32 measures vs. Iowa
13 better19 too close to call0 worse
| What stands out | Alton | IA |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer older adults who have lost all their teeth | 6.3% | 11.6% |
| Fewer adults facing food insecurity | 8.8% | 12% |
Orange City Area Health System
1.9 mi away · emergency room
1 of 3
care shortages: mental health
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Work & commuteJobs & income grade A−
Most of Alton’s workers commute out: the town has 0.5 jobs for each of them
Most working residents leave Alton for work: only 4% work in town. Alton’s average trip to work is 15 minutes, where Iowa’s towns sit at 19 minutes and U.S. towns at 25 minutes. The median household income in Alton is $98,000.
4%work in town
| Alton | Iowa towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Working residents who work in town | 3.9% | 31% | 8% |
| Average trip to work | 15 minutes | 19 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Work from home | 4.3% | 8.5% | 11% |
| Median household income | $98,000 | $69,000 | $80,000 |
Where working residents work
In Alton4%
Orange City32%
Sioux Center10%
Le Mars6%
Sioux City5%
10 mi
median commute distance
286
jobs based in Alton
A commuter town
jobs vs. working residents
B−
Walkability grade: more walkable than 50% of U.S. towns
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
HousingCost of living grade A
Homes in Alton are worth about $312K, by Zillow’s estimate
The typical Alton home is worth about $312,000, up 6.5% in a year, 32% above the Iowa typical home. 88% of households own their home in Alton.
$312KZillow home value
Typical home value
Alton$312K
Iowa$237K
+6.5%
value change, 1 year
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Climate
Alton has four seasons and pleasant summers
Alton has cold winters and warm summers. July afternoons reach 84°, January nights drop to 8° and about 27 inches of snow falls in a winter.
27″snow a winter
Typical low → high °F
Winter11–30°
Spring35–58°
Summer60–82°
Fall37–61°
Oct 3
typical first frost
Apr 30
typical last frost
+0.8°
vs. the 20th-century average
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Natural hazardsHazard risk grade B
Low risk in Alton, with inland flooding at the top
Expected storm and flood damage is lower than in 61% of U.S. communities. Since 2024, 5 flood insurance claims have been paid out in Alton.
39risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
Inland floodingHailTornadoes
5
paid flood claims since 2024
4
federal disasters paid out here
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Who lives here
More middle-aged adults than Iowa overall
Adults 35 to 64 are 41% of residents (37% statewide); people 65 and older are 14% of residents (18% statewide). 24% of adults 25 and older have a bachelor’s degree or more, vs 31% across Iowa.
38.1median age · IA 38.6
| Alton | Iowa towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Aged 65 or older | 14% | 19% | 18% |
| Median age | 38.1 years | 38.7 years | 40.5 years |
| Bachelor’s degree or more, 25+ | 24% | 25% | 29% |
| Under 18 | 22% | 23% | 22% |
AltonIowaUnited States
Ages · share of residents
16%
Education · adults 25 and older
No diploma3%
High school34%
Some college22%
Associate’s17%
Bachelor’s18%
Graduate7%
Women and men · all residents
49% women, 51% men
That’s an even split within the survey’s margin of ±5 points. Across Iowa, 49.8% of residents are women.
| Alton | IA | U.S. | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 10 | 9.5% | 12.2% | 11.6% |
| 10 to 17 | 12.3% | 10.7% | 10.3% |
| 18 to 24 | 15.8% | 10% | 9.1% |
| 25 to 34 | 7.7% | 12.5% | 13.7% |
| 35 to 44 | 13.4% | 12.6% | 13.2% |
| 45 to 54 | 12.3% | 11.3% | 12.2% |
| 55 to 64 | 15.1% | 12.6% | 12.7% |
| 65 to 74 | 7.5% | 10.6% | 10.2% |
| 75 and older | 6.4% | 7.6% | 7% |
| No diploma | 3.3% | 6.7% | 10.4% |
| High school | 33.5% | 30% | 26% |
| Some college | 22.2% | 19.7% | 19.1% |
| Associate’s | 16.8% | 12.1% | 8.8% |
| Bachelor’s | 17.5% | 20.9% | 21.6% |
| Graduate | 6.8% | 10.5% | 14.1% |
U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates · in a town of 1,300, single groups can be off by several points
2.2%conserved
2.2%
conserved · 26 of 1,216 acres
0.0 mi
of trails · 0 per sq mi
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Alton Roadside Park | — | 40 |
| 2. East Side Park | — | 10 |
| 3. Bandshell Park | — | 3 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Alton
18pages on Alton
The big questions
Out and about
The story
After high school
Colleges nearby
2 within 15 miles of the center of Alton
Northwestern CollegeUniversity or college · Private nonprofit · Orange City2.6 mi$36,710 tuitionDordt UniversityUniversity or college · Private nonprofit · Sioux Center10.3 mi$37,050 tuition
About 5 of every 100 Alton residents are enrolled in college, about the same as Iowa.
A commuter town
96% of working residents leave Alton for work
Where Alton’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
286jobs based in Alton
4%of working residents work in town
10 mimedian commute distance
Census LEHD 2023
Famous people from Alton
4 notable people were born in Alton.
About Alton
City in Iowa, United States
Alton is a city in Sioux County, Iowa, United States, along the Floyd River. The population was 1,248 at the 2020 census.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Area
- 1.9 sq mi
- Elevation
- 1,325 ft
- ZIP code
- 51003
- Area code
- 712
Questions about Alton
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Alton, IA 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.
What is Alton, IA known for?
4 notable people were born here, including Robert H. Schuller and Mildred Jeffrey.