Alton earns a D, 734th of 767 graded towns in Illinois, mostly because of safety and schools. Its police reported 205 violent crimes reported to the FBI in 2025, a higher rate per resident than 95% of U.S. towns. Its schools rank behind 89% of the state's. One bright spot: it is more walkable than 80% of U.S. towns. History is its standout character grade: an A+, better than 96% of U.S. towns, with 14 places on the National Register. Alton’s violent crime rate is 8.3 per 1,000 residents, where Illinois’ towns sit at 1 and U.S. towns at 1.6. Only 42 of Illinois’ 1,284 towns score lower on health. Its National Register listings include Lyman Trumbull House and Alton National Cemetery.

StrongestA⁺History A⁻WalkabilityWeakestDSafety DSchools DHealth

What makes Alton stand out

Where Alton beats most towns, and one thing worth knowing.

Lyman Trumbull House

HistoryA⁺

Settled in 1818

A history going back 208 years.

Including Miles Davis and Robert Wadlow.

Violent crime per 1,000 residents

Alton8.3

Illinois2.6

U.S.3.3

Worth knowing · SafetyD

3.2 times the violent crime than IL

FBI data, 2025. Crimes reported to police.

Lyman Trumbull House · National Register of Historic Places

Alton’s story

208 years in pictures

Lyman Trumbull House is a National Historic Landmark, the National Register’s top tier. Its founding year, 1818, comes before those of 96% of the Illinois towns we grade with a known year.

Census counts: 2,340 in 1840, a peak of 43,047 in 1960, 25,676 in 2020. The archive holds 42 old photos and papers going back to 1833 and 7 maps from 1927 on.

14 places on the National Register of Historic Places.

1818Alton is settled

Explore the history →

How Alton grades

Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Illinois), ordered by how far Alton is from typical.

How grading works

SafetyDOpen →SchoolsDOpen →HealthLess healthy than 88% of U.S. towns; Alton Memorial Hospital 0.6 miles awayDOpen →WalkabilityEPA walkability 8.5 of 20; 10.4% of households have no car; 4% of workers walk, bike or ride transitA⁻Open →Cost of livingB⁺Open →Jobs & income$55K median household incomeCOpen →Hazard riskinland flooding tops the listB⁻Open →

Character Graded, but not part of the overall grade.

Outdoors8 miles of trails; 6% conserved landB⁺Open →History65 notable people born hereA⁺Open →Civic life4.3 community nonprofits per 1,000 residentsB⁺Open →

Described, not graded Taste, not quality: snow or an older crowd is neither good nor bad.

Climate–Open →Housing market30 days on market–Open →Who lives hereMedian age 38.0; 22% of adults have a four-year degree–Open →

How TownRatings grades towns →

Nearby attractions

Cahokia and 53 more within 40 miles

Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Alton. Close and well known come first.

All 58 attractions →

Big draw18 mi State parkCahokia

in town Ancient sitePiasa

Big draw19 mi Stadium & arenaThe Dome at America's Center

20 mi Stadium & arenaBusch Stadium

19 mi National ParkGateway Arch National Park2.2M visitors a year

18 mi LandmarkMonks Mound

Sources: National Park Service · ski areas © OpenSkiMap / OpenStreetMap contributors · Wikidata · Wikipedia readership · photos via Wikimedia Commons

Photo credits

Cahokia: Thank You (24 Millions ) views, CC BY 2.0 · Piasa: Burfalcy, CC BY-SA 3.0 · The Dome at America's Center: Paul Sableman, CC BY 2.0 · Busch Stadium: Lee Ann Ratledge, CC BY 4.0 · Gateway Arch National Park: Daniel Schwen, CC BY-SA 4.0 · Monks Mound: Skubasteve834, CC BY-SA 3.0

Getting set up

Moving to Alton: who provides what

Who provides power, water and the rest in Alton, and how to reach them.

The full setup list →

PowerCity of AltonEIAHIFLD · EIA

WaterIl American-Alton water systemNo health-based violations in 5 years · EPAEPA

Internet6 providers98% of addresses get 100/20 MbpsFCC

Trash & dumpTown’s haulerRepublic Services picks up at the curb for every homeTown site

SchoolsEast Alton-Wood River Community High School District 14 Alton Community Unit School District 112 districts serve Alton; which school depends on your address and gradeNCES

Register to voteOnlineIn Illinois you can register online until 16 days before Election Day, in person up to and including Election Day, or by mail (postmarked 28 days before).vote.gov

Who runs elections hereMadison County ClerkMadison County; contacts on the Handbook page.FVAP, Jun 2025

ZIP codes62002, 62018, 6203562002 96% · 62018 3% · 62035 1%Census 2020

EPA SDWIS (Oct 9, 2026) · HIFLD + EIA-861 2025 · Census 2020 ZCTAs · NCES 2024–25 · registration: vote.gov, updated Sep 12, 2025.

The data

Ordered by what stands out in Alton.

Alton has homes that are cheap against local pay, but it reports violent crime at 3 times the Illinois rate and scores below East Alton and its other neighbors on health.

HousingCost of living grade B⁺

The typical home in Alton is valued at about $102K

At 1.3 years of the St. Louis metro’s $80K median household income, the typical home (about $102K) costs less against local pay than in 97% of Illinois towns; that ratio is one input to its B+ for cost of living. The median property tax bill is $1,900, against $5,298 across Illinois, another input to its cost-of-living grade.

The typical Alton home is worth about $102,000, up 3.6% in a year, 65% below the Illinois typical home. 60% of households own their home in Alton.

$102KZillow home value

	Alton	Illinois towns	U.S. towns
Households that own their home	60%	75%	73%
Renters paying 30%+ of income on rent	54%	46%	48%
Median rent	$1,015 a month	$1,129 a month	$1,185 a month

Typical home value

Alton$102K

Illinois$296K

Market temperature

days on market

98.4%

sale-to-list price

+3.6%

value change, 1 year

homes sold in May

Full pageAlton’s housing & cost-of-living pageOpen the page

Prices over the yearsUp 3.6% in a year Years of income to buyA typical home costs 1.9 years of income Rents$1,015 a month · Median rent Vs. the neighborsAhead of 2 of its 4 graded neighbors

Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center

SafetyD

Alton earns a D for safety

Violent crime runs at 8.3 per 1,000 residents, 3 times the Illinois rate; the Safety Grade counts each violent crime four times, so this weighs most on its D.

The property crime rate in Alton is 31 per 1,000 residents. Alton reports more crime per resident than most U.S. towns we grade: about 95% report less.

5%of U.S. towns report more crimeDSafety Grade

Violent crime per 1,000 residents

Alton8.3

Illinois2.6

U.S.3.3

Property crime per 1,000 residents

Alton31

Illinois15.6

U.S.15.5

5th

percentile among U.S. towns we grade

3rd

percentile among IL towns

205

violent crimes reported in 2025

768

property crimes reported in 2025

Full pageAlton’s safety reportOpen the page

Violent crime by type8.3 violent crimes per 1,000 Crime over the yearsSteady since 2023 Vs. the neighborsBehind its graded neighbor Questions“Is Alton, IL safe?”

FBI crime data, 2025 · crimes reported to police

HealthD

More of Alton’s adults have obesity than in the typical Illinois or U.S. town

All 4 graded neighbors score healthier than its D, from East Alton (C−) to Godfrey (B+).

44% of Alton adults have obesity. Alton beats the Illinois average on 0 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 20. 15% of Alton adults have diabetes.

12%healthier than U.S. townsDHealth Grade

	Alton	Illinois towns	U.S. towns
Obesity (CDC PLACES)	44%	37%	35%
Food insecurity (CDC PLACES)	23%	13%	14%
Frequent physical distress (CDC PLACES)	16%	13%	14%
Frequent mental distress (CDC PLACES)	20%	17%	17%

32 measures vs. Illinois

0 better12 too close to call20 worse

What stands out	Alton	IL
More older adults who have lost all their teeth	18.8%	10.3%
More adults facing a utility shut-off	12.6%	7.8%
More adults with COPD	9.7%	6.3%

Alton Memorial Hospital

0.6 mi away · emergency room

2 of 3

care shortages: primary care, mental health

3rd

percentile among IL towns

Full pageAlton’s health reportOpen the page

Everyday habitsMore smokers Hospitals & doctors nearby0.6 miles to an ER · Alton Memorial Hospital How adults are doingMore adults in fair or poor health Every CDC estimateBetter than IL on 0 of 32

CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA

OutdoorsB⁺

Conserved land covers 5.6% of Alton

8.1 miles of trail in 17 parks and preserves. Gordon F. Moore Community Park, at 220 acres with 3.1 miles of trail, is the biggest park or preserve.

#264for trails in IL

	Alton	Illinois towns	U.S. towns
Conserved land	5.6%	3.6%	4.3%
Miles of trail per square mile	0.5 miles per square mile	0.3	0.4

5.6%

conserved · 609 of 10,787 acres

8.1 mi

of trails · 0.5 per sq mi

Biggest places to walk	Trails	Acres
1. Gordon F. Moore Community Park	3.1 mi	220
2. Riverfront Park	0.7 mi	29
3. Russel Commons Park	0.7 mi	21

Full pageAlton’s outdoors pageOpen the page

Trail map8.1 miles of trail, mapped Pick a walk3.1 miles of trail · Gordon F. Moore Community Park Conserved land5.6% conserved · 609 acres protected Questions“Where can I hike in Alton?”

Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US

Climate

Alton has four seasons and pleasant summers

Alton has chilly winters and warm summers. Alton’s July high is 88°F.

11″snow a winter

Typical low → high °F

Winter26–42°

Spring45–66°

Summer67–87°

Fall47–68°

Nov 5

typical first frost

Apr 4

typical last frost

+0.8°

vs. the 20th-century average

Full pageAlton’s climate pageOpen the page

A year of weatherJuly highs 88°, January lows 23°Rain & snow11″ of snow a winter · 42 inches of rain and snow a year Heating & coolingMostly a heating bill Then and now+0.8° vs. the 20th century · Warmer than the 20th-century average

NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020

Work & commuteJobs & income grade C

With 1.2 jobs for every working resident, Alton draws in 10,572 commuters

About one in 5 of Alton’s working residents works in town. Jobs based in Alton fell to 12,807 in 2023, 881 fewer than in 2013. The top destinations are Edwardsville (7%), St.

21%work in town

	Alton	Illinois towns	U.S. towns
Below the poverty line	21%	8.4%	9.6%
Working residents who work in town	21%	8.3%	8%
Median household income	$55,000	$83,000	$80,000
Average trip to work	23 minutes	26 minutes	25 minutes

Where working residents work

In Alton21%

Edwardsville7%

St. Louis6%

Godfrey5%

Granite City3%

14 mi

median commute distance

12,807

jobs based in Alton

Balanced

jobs vs. working residents

A−

Walkability grade: more walkable than 80% of U.S. towns

Full pageAlton’s work & commute pageOpen the page

The jobs here12,807 jobs based here · Balanced Where people work21% work in Alton Commute times23 minutes · The average commute How far they goHalf commute less than 14 miles

Census LEHD 2023 · ACS

Natural hazardsHazard risk grade B⁻

Moderate risk in Alton, with inland flooding at the top

Expected storm and flood damage is higher than in 50% of U.S. communities. Since 1979, 57 flood insurance claims have been paid out in Alton.

50risk score of 100

FEMA risk score

Inland floodingEarthquakesTornadoes

paid flood claims since 1979

federal disasters paid out here

Full pageAlton’s hazards pageOpen the page

What it facesModerate risk Flood claims57 paid flood claims · Since 1979 Past disasters4 federal disasters · Paid out in Alton Get ready1.4 events a year, on average · Ready for inland flooding

FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA

Keep exploring

Everything we know about Alton

20pages on Alton

The big questions

SchoolsDBehind 89% of IL districts SafetyD8.3 violent crimes per 1,000 residents (2025)HealthDBetter than IL on 0 of 32 CDC measures Cost of livingB⁺$102K typical home · up 3.6% in a year Work & commuteC$55K median household income · 12,807 jobs here Natural hazardsB⁻FEMA risk higher than 50% of U.S. communities · inland flooding

Out and about

OutdoorsB⁺8 mi of trails · 6% conserved land PlacesAttractions58 nearby · Piasa under 1 mi LibraryB⁺Alton Square Library CollegesLewis and Clark Community College is 4 mi away

The story

HistoryA⁺Settled 1818 · 14 on the National Register Famous people65 born in Alton Town Hall & politicsOne full-time town employee per 128 residents Climate88° summer highs · 11″ of snow

Day to day

News9 recent stories about Alton WeatherHandbookZIP code 62002 Town SquareNeighbors

After high school

Colleges nearby

3 within 15 miles of the center of Alton

Lewis and Clark Community CollegeCommunity college · Public · Godfrey4 mi$4,340 in-state tuition Principia CollegeUniversity or college · Private nonprofit · Elsah11.1 mi$34,680 tuition Southern Illinois University EdwardsvilleUniversity or college · Public · Edwardsville11.2 mi$12,922 in-state tuition

About 4 of every 100 Alton residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Illinois.

Prices by family income, graduation and earnings →

Landmarks

14 places in Alton on the National Register of Historic Places.

All landmarks →

Lyman Trumbull HouseNational Historic Landmark

Guertler House

Haskell Playhouse

Upper Alton Historic District

Famous people from Alton

65 notable people were born in Alton.

See all 65 →

Miles DavisAmerican jazz trumpeter, bandleader, and composer · 1926–1991

Robert WadlowAmerican who was the tallest recorded person in history · 1918–1940

RicochetAmerican professional wrestler · born 1988

Don "The Dragon" WilsonAmerican kickboxer · born 1954

Christina RomerEconomist · born 1958

Mary Beth HughesActress · 1919–1995

About Alton

City in the United States

Official town website ↗

Alton ( AWL-tən) is a city on the Mississippi River in Madison County, Illinois, United States, about 18 miles (29 km) north of St. Louis, Missouri. Its population was 25,676 at the 2020 census. It is a part of the River Bend area in the Metro-East region of the Greater St. Louis metropolitan area. It is well known for its limestone bluffs along the river north of the city, and it is the former location of an historical state penitentiary and played a significant role preceding and during the American Civil War. It was the site of the last Abraham Lincoln and Stephen Douglas debate in October 1858. The former state penitentiary in Alton was used during the Civil War to hold up to 12,000 Con…

From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)

Established: 1818
Area: 17 sq mi
Elevation: 492 ft
ZIP code: 62002
Area code: +1 618

Alton’s neighbors

6 towns share a border with Alton.

Explore the map →

Alton TownshipWood River TownshipGodfreyEast AltonFoster TownshipWest AltonAlton

Alton Township

Visit

Wood River Township

Visit

Godfrey

NW · 5% of Alton workers commute here

Visit

East Alton

SE · 3% of Alton workers commute here

Visit

Foster Township

Visit

West Alton

Visit

How the neighbors grade

Town	IL rank	Overall	Cost	Safety	Schools	Health
Alton · Alton Township	#734	D	B⁺	D	D	D
Wood River Township	#355	B⁺	A	—	B	C⁺
Godfrey	#530	C⁺	B	—	D	B⁺
East Alton	#535	C⁺	A⁻	C	B	C⁻
Foster Township	#752	D	C	—	D	C

Wood River Township, Godfrey and Foster Township report no FBI crime data of their own. Alton Township and Alton are one community, graded once. Compare Alton with a neighbor →

Questions about Alton

Short answers, built from the data on this page.

Is Alton, IL a good place to live?

Alton grades D overall, better than 8% of U.S. towns and #734 of 767 in Illinois. It grades D for health, D for safety and D for schools. Safety is its weak spot, with a D.

Is Alton, IL expensive?

Not for the area. That is 1.3 years of the area's median household income ($80,196 across the St. Louis, MO-IL metro area). Cost of living, which also weighs rents, property taxes and how many households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, grades B+.

What is Alton, IL known for?

65 notable people were born here, including Miles Davis and Robert Wadlow.

Post to Alton

Check your email

AltonIL

Is Alton a good place to live?

What makes Alton stand out

Violent crime per 1,000 residents

208 years in pictures

How Alton grades

Cahokia and 53 more within 40 miles

Moving to Alton: who provides what

The data

The typical home in Alton is valued at about $102K

Typical home value

Alton earns a D for safety

Violent crime per 1,000 residents

Property crime per 1,000 residents

More of Alton’s adults have obesity than in the typical Illinois or U.S. town

Conserved land covers 5.6% of Alton

Alton has four seasons and pleasant summers

Typical low → high °F

With 1.2 jobs for every working resident, Alton draws in 10,572 commuters

Where working residents work

Moderate risk in Alton, with inland flooding at the top

Everything we know about Alton

Colleges nearby

Landmarks

Famous people from Alton

About Alton

Alton’s neighbors

Questions about Alton