ALTA CITY AND EMMA MINE, 1879
Alta’s story
161 years in pictures
Census counts: 93 in 1970, a peak of 397 in 1990, 228 in 2020. The archive holds 6 old photos and papers going back to 1879 and 3 maps from 1955 on.
- 1865Alta is settled
AltaUT
A town of 227, settled in 1865.
1 bordering townMap →
Photo: Scott Catron from Sandy, Utah, USA · CC BY-SA 2.0
Population
227
2025 Census estimate · −0.9% since 2020
Typical home
$2.24M
+19% in a year
Median age
30.1
years
Jobs based here
380
A job hub
Is Alta a good place to live?
Of the 120 Utah towns we compare, none has a lower home-ownership rate than Alta. 74% of the land in Alta is conserved, where Utah’s towns sit at 3.4% and U.S. towns at 4.3%. The biggest place to walk is Uinta-Wasatch-Cache National Forest, 2,877 acres with 32.3 miles of trail. Alta has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.
What makes Alta stand out
Where Alta beats most towns.
Small town
227 people, and everyone knows the way
In a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.
Nearby towns
BrightonAlta
Nearby attractions
All 76 attractions →Delta Center and 67 more within 40 miles
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Alta. Close and well known come first.
Big draw19 mi Stadium & arenaDelta Center
17 mi Stadium & arenaRice–Eccles Stadium
7 mi Ski areaPark City Mountain Resort393 runs · 3,100 ft vertical
8 mi Ski areaDeer Valley Resort351 runs · 3,110 ft vertical
33 mi LakeLake Bonneville
14 mi Stadium & arenaAmerica First FieldSources: National Park Service · ski areas © OpenSkiMap / OpenStreetMap contributors · Wikidata · Wikipedia readership · photos via Wikimedia Commons
Photo credits
Delta Center: Lomrjyo, CC BY-SA 4.0 · Rice–Eccles Stadium: Brenton Walker, CC BY 2.0 · Park City Mountain Resort: Rudi Riet from Washington, DC, United States, CC BY-SA 2.0 · Deer Valley Resort: Ken Lund from Las Vegas, Nevada, USA, CC BY-SA 2.0 · Lake Bonneville: Wilson44691, Public domain · America First Field: Scott Catron, CC BY-SA 2.0
Getting set up
The full setup list →Moving to Alta: who provides what
Who provides power, water and the rest in Alta, and how to reach them.
PowerRocky Mountain Power13.5¢/kWh · EIA 2025HIFLD · EIA
WaterAlta Town Water SystemNo health-based violations in 5 years · EPAEPA
InternetProviders and speedsData pending · D4
Trash & dumpNot on file yetWe don’t have Alta’s trash rules yet
Register to voteOnlineIn Utah you can register online until 11 days before Election Day, in person up to and including Election Day, or by mail (received 11 days before).vote.govWho runs elections hereSalt Lake County ClerkSalt Lake County; contacts on the Handbook page.FVAP, Nov 2025
ZIP code8409284092 100%Census 2020
EPA SDWIS (Oct 9, 2026) · HIFLD + EIA-861 2025 · Census 2020 ZCTAs · NCES 2024–25 · registration: vote.gov, updated Mar 13, 2026.
The data
Ordered by what stands out in Alta.
Housing
A typical Alta home is worth about $2.24M
Typical home values rose 19% in the year to September 2026.
$2.24MZillow home value
Typical home value
Alta$2.24M
Utah$533K
+19%
value change, 1 year
Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Schools
The schools Alta’s kids attend
Its one school is below. The public schools here belong to the Canyons District.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Goldminer's DaughterLargest public elementary schoolGrades K–8 | Grades K–8 | 11 | – |
NCES · EDFacts
Outdoors
Trail density in Alta is higher than in most of Utah or the rest of the country
Trails run 32 miles in 1 park or preserve.
73.9%conserved
73.9%
conserved · 2,126 of 2,877 acres
32 mi
of trails · 7.2 per sq mi
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Uinta-Wasatch-Cache National Forest | 32.3 mi | 2,877 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Who lives here
A college town: 43% of residents are 18 to 24
In Alta, 44% of adults 25 and older hold a bachelor’s degree or more. Adults 18 to 34 are 70% of residents (26% statewide); children under 18 are 3% of residents (28% statewide). Its midpoint age stands at 30.1 years.
30.1median age · UT 32
| Alta | Utah towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median age | 30.1 years | 32.6 years | 40.5 years |
| Bachelor’s degree or more, 25+ | 44% | 36% | 29% |
AltaUtahUnited States
Ages · share of residents
43%
Education · adults 25 and older
No diploma0%
High school47%
Some college6%
Associate’s4%
Bachelor’s29%
Graduate14%
Women and men · all residents
13% women, 87% men
About 647 men for every 100 women (the survey’s margin: ±7 points). Across Utah, 49.3% of residents are women. Among residents 18 to 24, 95% are men (UT 51%).
| Alta | UT | U.S. | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 10 | 2.8% | 14.6% | 11.6% |
| 10 to 17 | 0% | 13.2% | 10.3% |
| 18 to 24 | 43% | 11.6% | 9.1% |
| 25 to 34 | 27.1% | 14.8% | 13.7% |
| 35 to 44 | 8.8% | 13.8% | 13.2% |
| 45 to 54 | 11.3% | 11% | 12.2% |
| 55 to 64 | 3.5% | 9.1% | 12.7% |
| 65 to 74 | 1.4% | 7.3% | 10.2% |
| 75 and older | 2.1% | 4.6% | 7% |
| No diploma | 0% | 6.6% | 10.4% |
| High school | 46.8% | 22.3% | 26% |
| Some college | 5.8% | 23.5% | 19.1% |
| Associate’s | 3.9% | 9.9% | 8.8% |
| Bachelor’s | 29.2% | 24.7% | 21.6% |
| Graduate | 14.3% | 13% | 14.1% |
U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates · in a town of 200, single groups can be off by several points
Work & commute
The average trip to work in Alta is shorter than in the typical Utah or U.S. town
Among 120 Utah towns, just one has a lower share of working residents who work in town than Alta. Alta: 49% of residents live below the poverty line. Between 2013 and 2023, jobs locally rose by 275, to 380. Half the trips to work are shorter than 15 miles.
1%work in town
| Alta | Utah towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Below the poverty line | 49% | 6.2% | 9.6% |
| Average trip to work | 11 minutes | 22 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Working residents who work in town | 1% | 8.4% | 8% |
Where working residents work
In Alta1%
Salt Lake City31%
Sandy12%
Brighton9%
Cottonwood Heights5%
15 mi
median commute distance
380
jobs based in Alta
A job hub
jobs vs. working residents
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Natural hazards
Alta faces a high natural-hazard risk, led by avalanches
Expected damage from storms and floods is higher here than in 71% of U.S. communities.
71risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
AvalanchesWildfire
FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Climate
The climate in Alta brings snowy winters and pleasant summers
July afternoons reach 72°, January nights drop to 16° and about 458 inches of snow falls in a winter.
458″snow a winter
Typical low → high °F
Winter16–32°
Spring27–45°
Summer48–69°
Fall32–49°
Sep 18
typical first frost
Jun 11
typical last frost
+1.6°
vs. the 20th-century average
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Health
How healthy Alta is
No town among the 119 in Utah we compare has a higher share of adults who binge drink than Alta. 67% of adults had a checkup this year in the town.
| Alta | Utah towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Binge drink (CDC PLACES) | 19% | 11% | 16% |
| Yearly checkup (CDC PLACES) | 67% | 72% | 79% |
| Get no exercise (CDC PLACES) | 15% | 17% | 25% |
| Diabetes (CDC PLACES) | 7.2% | 8.4% | 12% |
32 measures vs. Utah
2 better25 too close to call5 worse
| What stands out | Alta | UT |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer adults with diabetes | 7.2% | 8.5% |
| More adults screened for colon cancer | 67.9% | 63.1% |
| More binge drinkers | 18.9% | 12.4% |
Park City Hospital
7.8 mi away · emergency room
1 of 3
care shortages: mental health
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Alta
18pages on Alta
The big questions
Out and about
The story
Day to day
After high school
Colleges nearby
1 within 15 miles of the center of Alta
College town 43 of every 100 Alta residents are enrolled in college, against 8 across Utah.
A job hub
Every workday, about 379 people come to Alta for work
Where Alta’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
380jobs based in Alta
1%of working residents work in town
15 mimedian commute distance
Census LEHD 2023
About Alta
Town in Utah, United States
Alta is a town in eastern Salt Lake County, Utah, United States. It is part of the Salt Lake City, Utah Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 228 at the 2020 census, a large decrease from the 2010 figure of 383. Alta is centered in the Alta Ski Area, a ski resort that has 500,000 annual visitors. It is known for its powder skiing and its decision to not allow snowboarding.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Established
- 1865
- Area
- 4.5 sq mi
- Elevation
- 8,563 ft
Questions about Alta
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Alta, UT a good place to live?
Alta has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.