Majestic Theater, 1900
Alto’s story
177 years in pictures
Census counts: 61 in 1870, 1,027 in 2020. The archive holds 2 old photos and papers going back to 1900 and 2 maps from 1946 on.
- 1849Alto is laid out
AltoTX
A town of 1,063, laid out in 1849.
Population
1,063
2025 Census estimate · +3.7% since 2020
Typical home
$211K
−8.8% in a year
Household income
$62K
median
Median age
28.7
years
Jobs based here
451
Balanced
Is Alto a good place to live?
The best of Alto’s subject grades is an A+ for cost of living; the weakest is a D for incomes. 28% of residents live below the poverty line in Alto, against 12% in Texas’ towns and 9.6% across U.S. towns. Only 11 of Texas’ 998 towns score higher on cost of living. Most errands need a car: it is less walkable than 80% of U.S. towns. On the outdoors, just 55 of Texas’ 1,000 towns do worse. 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.
A shrinking town
Alto has shrunk 13% since 2010
1,225 counted in 2010 and 1,027 in 2020; an estimated 1,063 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 Texas), ordered by how far Alto is from typical.
Cost of livingA+Open →Jobs & income$62K median household incomeDOpen →WalkabilityEPA walkability 4.8 of 20; 11% of households have no car; 1.2% of workers walk, bike or ride transitC−Open →HealthChristus Mother Frances Hospital- Jacksonville 22.4 miles awayC−Open →SchoolsCOpen →Hazard riskFEMA risk higher than 35% of U.S. communities; inland flooding tops the listBOpen →
Character Graded, but not part of the overall grade.
OutdoorsConserved land, trails and parksD−Open →HistoryLaid out 1849; 2 notable people born hereBOpen →Civic life2.8 community nonprofits per 1,000 residentsBOpen →
Described, not graded Taste, not quality: snow or an older crowd is neither good nor bad.
Climate–Open →Housing market–Open →Who lives hereMedian age 28.7; 17% 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.
PowerOncorEIAHIFLD · EIA
WaterCity of Alto water systemNo health-based violations in 5 years · EPAEPA
Internet7 providers91% of addresses get 100/20 MbpsFCC
Trash & dumpNot on file yetWe don’t have Alto’s trash rules yet
Register to voteIn personTexas has no online registration; you can register in person until 30 days before Election Day or by mail (postmarked 30 days before).vote.govWho runs elections hereCherokee County Early Voting ClerkCherokee County; contacts on the Handbook page.FVAP, Jun 2025
ZIP code7592575925 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.
HealthC−
On CDC estimates, Alto is less healthy than 77% of U.S. towns
Alto beats the Texas average on 1 of 31 CDC measures and trails it on 15. 42% of Alto adults sleep under 7 hours, where Texas’ towns sit at 39% and U.S. towns at 36%. 18% of Alto adults 18 to 64 have no health insurance.
23%healthier than U.S. townsC−Health Grade
| Alto | Texas towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sleep under 7 hours (CDC PLACES) | 42% | 39% | 36% |
| No health insurance, 18–64 (CDC PLACES) | 18% | 18% | 8.1% |
| Food insecurity (CDC PLACES) | 24% | 20% | 14% |
| Diabetes (CDC PLACES) | 15% | 13% | 12% |
31 measures vs. Texas
1 better15 too close to call15 worse
| What stands out | Alto | TX |
|---|---|---|
| More adults treating high blood pressure | 77.4% | 74.1% |
| More adults with COPD | 7.8% | 5.7% |
Christus Mother Frances Hospital- Jacksonville
22.4 mi away · emergency room
3 of 3
care shortages: primary care, dental, mental health
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
SchoolsC
Alto’s schools rank behind 68% of Texas districts
Its public schools are run by Alto ISD. Two of its 4 schools are below, each with why it’s listed.
32%of TX districts it outscoresCSchool Grade
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alto ElLargest public elementary schoolGrades PK–4 | Grades PK–4 | 207 | B− |
| Alto H SLargest public high schoolGrades 9–12 | Grades 9–12 | 146 | B |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within TX on state tests and graduation
HousingCost of living grade A+
The typical home in Alto is valued at about $211K
The typical Alto home is worth about $211,000, down 8.8% in a year, 29% below the Texas typical home. 55% of households own their home in Alto.
$211KZillow home value
Typical home value
Alto$211K
Texas$296K
−8.8%
value change, 1 year
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Climate
In Alto, expect mild winters and hot summers
Alto has mild winters and hot summers, with plenty of rain. The July high in Alto is 94°F.
94°summer high
Typical low → high °F
Winter40–61°
Spring55–77°
Summer72–93°
Fall56–79°
Nov 25
typical first frost
Mar 7
typical last frost
+0.8°
vs. the 20th-century average
94°
typical summer high
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Natural hazardsHazard risk grade B
Alto faces a low natural-hazard risk, led by inland flooding
Expected storm and flood damage is lower than in 65% of U.S. communities. One flood insurance claim has been paid in Alto since 2002.
35risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
Inland floodingCold wavesTornadoes
1
paid flood claims since 2002
7
federal disasters paid out here
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Work & commuteJobs & income grade D
A job hub: Alto has 1.1 jobs for every working resident and draws in 392 commuters
Most working residents leave Alto for work: only 15% work in town. Since 2013, Alto has lost 133 jobs, to 451 in 2023. Alto’s average trip to work is 28 minutes.
15%work in town
| Alto | Texas towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Working residents who work in town | 15% | 8.3% | 8% |
| Average trip to work | 28 minutes | 25 minutes | 25 minutes |
Where working residents work
In Alto15%
Rusk7%
Lufkin6%
Nacogdoches5%
Tyler4%
29 mi
median commute distance
451
jobs based in Alto
Balanced
jobs vs. working residents
C−
Walkability grade: more walkable than 20% of U.S. towns
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Safety
Crime reported in Alto
Alto's reported crime rate is below Texas's. 5 violent crimes were reported in 2025.
| Alto | Texas towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Violent crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 4.7 per 1,000 residents | 1.9 | 1.6 |
| Property crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 10.3 per 1,000 residents | 10.7 | 9.9 |
Violent crime per 1,000 residents
Alto4.7
Texas3.5
U.S.3.3
Property crime per 1,000 residents
Alto10.3
Texas18.1
U.S.15.5
5
violent crimes reported in 2025
11
property crimes reported in 2025
FBI crime data, 2025 · crimes reported to police
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Alto
19pages on Alto
The big questions
SchoolsCBehind 68% of TX districts · 4 schoolsSafety4.7 violent crimes per 1,000 residents (2025)HealthC−Better than TX on 1 of 31 CDC measuresCost of livingA+$211K typical home · down 8.8% in a yearWork & commuteD$62K median household income · 451 jobs hereNatural hazardsBFEMA risk higher than 35% of U.S. communities · inland flooding
Out and about
The story
After high school
Colleges nearby
None within 15 miles of Alto; the nearest are
Stephen F Austin State UniversityUniversity or college · Public · Nacogdoches24.9 mi$11,128 in-state tuitionAngelina CollegeCommunity college · Public · Lufkin32.1 mi$3,430 in-state tuition
About 3 of every 100 Alto residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Texas.
Small town
1,063 people, and everyone knows the way
In a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.
Nearby towns
About Alto
Town in Cherokee County, Texas, United States
Alto is a town in Cherokee County, Texas, United States. With a population of 1,027 at the 2020 U.S. census, Alto is the closest municipality to the Caddo Mounds State Historic Site, an archaeological site dating back to 800 BC, featuring a prehistoric village and ceremonial center.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Area
- 1.7 sq mi
- Elevation
- 436 ft
- ZIP code
- 75925
- Area code
- 936
Questions about Alto
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Alto, TX 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 Alto, TX known for?
Alto was laid out in 1849. 2 notable people were born here, including James Z. Spearing and George B. Terrell.