19960107 11 BNSF at, 1996
Altona’s story
158 years in pictures
Census counts: 902 in 1870, 463 in 2020. The archive holds 3 old photos and papers going back to 1996 and 2 maps from 1940 on.
- 1868Altona is settled
AltonaIL
A town of 449, settled in 1868.
Photo: No machine-readable author provided. Kelly Martin assumed (based on copyright claims). · CC BY-SA 3.0
Population
449
2025 Census estimate · −3.9% since 2020
Typical home
$124K
+14.3% in a year
Household income
$69K
median
Median age
43.5
years
Jobs based here
61
A commuter town
Is Altona a good place to live?
Altona’s average trip to work is 21 minutes, where Illinois’ towns sit at 26 minutes and U.S. towns at 25 minutes. Altona has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.
Small town
449 people, and everyone knows the way
In a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.
Nearby towns
Getting set up
The full setup list →Moving to Altona: who provides what
Who provides power, water and the rest in Altona, and how to reach them.
PowerAmeren Illinois Company16.7¢/kWh · EIA 2025HIFLD · EIA
WaterAltona water systemNo health-based violations in 5 years · EPAEPA
Internet5 providers100% of addresses get 100/20 MbpsFCC
Trash & dumpNot on file yetWe don’t have Altona’s trash rules yet
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.govWho runs elections hereKnox County ClerkKnox County; contacts on the Handbook page.FVAP, Jun 2025
ZIP code6141461414 100%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 Altona.
Housing
Altona’s typical home value is about $124K
The typical Altona home is worth about $124,000, up 14.3% in a year, 58% below the Illinois typical home. 92% of Altona households own their home, above both the Illinois town median (75%) and the median of U.S. towns (73%). The median rent in Altona is $940 a month.
$124KZillow home value
| Altona | Illinois towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Households that own their home | 92% | 75% | 73% |
| Median rent | $940 a month | $1,129 a month | $1,185 a month |
Typical home value
Altona$124K
Illinois$296K
+14.3%
value change, 1 year
1
homes sold in March
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Work & commute
With 0.3 jobs for every working resident, most of Altona’s workers commute out
Most working residents leave Altona for work: only 2% work in town. Altona’s median household income is $69,000. The top destinations are Peoria (14%), Galesburg (9%) and Oneida (5%).
2%work in town
| Altona | Illinois towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Working residents who work in town | 1.7% | 8.3% | 8% |
| Median household income | $69,000 | $83,000 | $80,000 |
| Below the poverty line | 7.6% | 8.4% | 9.6% |
Where working residents work
In Altona2%
Peoria14%
Galesburg9%
Oneida5%
Moline5%
33 mi
median commute distance
61
jobs based in Altona
A commuter town
jobs vs. working residents
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Climate
Four seasons and pleasant summers in Altona
Altona has cold winters and warm summers. July afternoons reach 84°, January nights drop to 15° and about 27 inches of snow falls in a winter.
27″snow a winter
Typical low → high °F
Winter18–34°
Spring39–61°
Summer62–83°
Fall42–63°
Oct 12
typical first frost
Apr 28
typical last frost
+0.9°
vs. the 20th-century average
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Health
How healthy Altona is
Altona beats the Illinois average on 6 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 1. 20% of Altona adults binge drink.
| Altona | Illinois towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Binge drink (CDC PLACES) | 20% | 18% | 16% |
| Fair or poor health (CDC PLACES) | 16% | 18% | 19% |
| Get no exercise (CDC PLACES) | 21% | 23% | 25% |
| Diabetes (CDC PLACES) | 10% | 11% | 12% |
32 measures vs. Illinois
6 better25 too close to call1 worse
| What stands out | Altona | IL |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer adults facing food insecurity | 10% | 15.9% |
| Fewer uninsured adults | 6.3% | 9.9% |
| More adults who have had cancer | 9.1% | 7.6% |
OSF Saint Luke Medical Center
13.4 mi away · emergency room
3 of 3
care shortages: primary care, dental, mental health
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Natural hazards
Moderate risk in Altona, with inland flooding at the top
Expected storm and flood damage is higher than in 59% of U.S. communities.
59risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
Inland floodingStrong windDrought
1
federal disasters paid out here
FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Altona
16pages on Altona
The big questions
Out and about
After high school
Colleges nearby
None within 15 miles of Altona; the nearest are
Carl Sandburg CollegeCommunity college · Public · Galesburg15.7 mi$5,390 in-state tuitionWestern Illinois UniversityUniversity or college · Public · Macomb52.4 mi$15,264 in-state tuition
About 2 of every 100 Altona residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Illinois.
A commuter town
98% of working residents leave Altona for work
Where Altona’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
61jobs based in Altona
2%of working residents work in town
33 mimedian commute distance
Census LEHD 2023
About Altona
Village in Illinois, United States
Altona (formerly LaPier & Walnut Grove) is a village in Knox County, Illinois, United States. The population was 463 at the 2020 census. It is part of the Galesburg Micropolitan Statistical Area.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Area
- 0.9 sq mi
- Elevation
- 761 ft
- ZIP code
- 61414
Questions about Altona
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Altona, IL a good place to live?
Altona has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.