Census place 1701114

Alton

A Census profile of the people, homes, and daily patterns that shape this place.

Official Census name: Alton city

Relocation snapshot

What stands out in Alton.

According to the 2025 estimate, Alton has a population of 25,013 and 1,601 residents per square mile. Of the six relocation measures evaluated, the three largest relative differences from the median among 225 covered Illinois places are: median home value is $103,700, below the comparison median of $274,000; population density is 1,601/sq mi, below the comparison median of 2,707/sq mi; and median household income is $54,568, below the comparison median of $90,282. These unweighted medians compare covered Census places and are not statewide estimates.

median home value
$103,700
Below the comparison median of $274,000
population density
1,601/sq mi
Below the comparison median of 2,707/sq mi
median household income
$54,568
Below the comparison median of $90,282

National context

Follow the metrics.

Compare Alton's values with other covered Census places. Rankings are descriptive, not recommendations.

At a glance

A city in numbers.

Population
25,013
2025 estimate
Annual change
-0.1%
Population estimate
Density
1,601/sq mi
15.6 sq mi land area
Median age
38 years
ACS 5-year estimate

Living here

The everyday equation.

Households, homes, education, and the time it takes to get around.

Median household income
$54,568
Median home value
$103,700
Median gross rent
$1,015
Bachelor’s degree or higher
21.5%
Typical commute
22.7 min
Drive-alone commute
73.8%
Public transit commute
1.5%
Walked to work
2.3%

Housing

Who rents, and what it takes.

Renter share and rent burden help describe the housing choices visible in this place.

Renter-occupied homes
40.1%
Renters paying 30%+ of income
54.1%

Work

How the workday lands.

Employment status and working-from-home share add context to income and commuting patterns.

Employed residents 16+
57.7%
Unemployed residents 16+
3.3%
Working from home
9.7%

Community

The everyday infrastructure.

Access, mobility, housing growth, and household composition add another layer to a place's day-to-day picture.

Households with broadband
90.5%
Homes built 2020+
0.5%
Households without a vehicle
10.4%
Households with children
28%
Residents with a disability
21.4%
Residents without insurance
6.8%

Environmental context

A record of declared events.

FEMA declarations for Madison County provide historical context, not a forecast or a property-level risk assessment.

Environmental declarations since 2000
6
Tornado declarations
2
Flood declarations
1
Hurricane declarations
1

Climate normals

The long view of weather.

Thirty-year averages, not a forecast. Temperature and precipitation describe the typical conditions recorded from 1991 through 2020.

Representative station: ST CHARLES CO AP (15 mi from place center)
Average high
66.6°F
Average low
45.5°F
Annual rainfall
39.4"
Annual snowfall
0"

Month by month

A year in Alton.

Typical high and low °F
20°F40°F60°F80°F100°F
JFMAMJJASOND
Typical precipitation inches

Data vintage

Population is from the 2025 Population Estimates Program. Household, housing, education, and commute data are from the 2020-2024 American Community Survey 5-year release. Disaster declarations are from FEMA's OpenFEMA dataset and are refreshed with this edition.

Similar places

More places to consider.

Selected by the closest mix of population, density, median home value, and average annual high.

Granite City, IL

Population, housing, work, and travel data for this Census place.

Population
26,807
Median home
$104,300

Ottumwa, IA

Population, housing, work, and travel data for this Census place.

Population
25,319
Median home
$106,300

Portsmouth, OH

Population, housing, work, and travel data for this Census place.

Population
17,282
Median home
$103,300

Keep exploring

Compare Alton with Granite City