Alton is a city in Sioux County,

Iowa Iowa () is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern region of the United States, bordered by the Mississippi River to the east and the Missouri River and Big Sioux River to the west. It is bordered by six states: Wiscon ...

, United States, along the Floyd River. The population was 1,248 at the 2020 census.

History

Alton was originally called East Orange, and under the latter name was laid out in 1875 when the railroad was extended to that point. East Orange was renamed Alton in 1882. Alton was incorporated as a city in 1883.

Geography

Alton is located at (42.986906, -96.011314). According to the

United States Census Bureau The United States Census Bureau (USCB), officially the Bureau of the Census, is a principal agency of the U.S. Federal Statistical System, responsible for producing data about the American people and economy. The Census Bureau is part of th ...

, the city has a total area of , all land.

Demographics

2010 census

As of the

census A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring, recording and calculating information about the members of a given population. This term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common censuses inc ...

of 2010, there were 1,216 people, 478 households, and 338 families living in the city. The

population density Population density (in agriculture: standing stock or plant density) is a measurement of population per unit land area. It is mostly applied to humans, but sometimes to other living organisms too. It is a key geographical term.Matt RosenberPopu ...

was . There were 493 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 95.9%

White White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no hue). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully reflect and scatter all the visible wavelengths of light. White ...

, 0.7%

African American African Americans (also referred to as Black Americans and Afro-Americans) are an ethnic group consisting of Americans with partial or total ancestry from sub-Saharan Africa. The term "African American" generally denotes descendants of ens ...

, 0.3% Native American, 0.7% Asian, 1.6% from other races, and 0.8% from two or more races.

Hispanic The term ''Hispanic'' ( es, hispano) refers to people, cultures, or countries related to Spain, the Spanish language, or Hispanidad. The term commonly applies to countries with a cultural and historical link to Spain and to viceroyalties for ...

or Latino of any race were 4.7% of the population. There were 478 households, of which 33.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 63.6% were

married couples Marriage, also called matrimony or wedlock, is a culturally and often legally recognized union between people called spouses. It establishes rights and obligations between them, as well as between them and their children, and between ...

living together, 4.4% had a female householder with no husband present, 2.7% had a male householder with no wife present, and 29.3% were non-families. 24.9% of all households were made up of individuals, and 12.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.54 and the average family size was 3.07. The median age in the city was 36.6 years. 27.1% of residents were under the age of 18; 7.5% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 23.2% were from 25 to 44; 28.3% were from 45 to 64; and 13.7% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 49.5% male and 50.5% female.

2000 census

As of the

of 2000, there were 1,095 people, 439 households, and 297 families living in the city. The population density was . There were 466 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 99.54%

, 0.09% Native American, 0.09% from other races, and 0.27% from two or more races.

or Latino of any race were 1.10% of the population. There were 439 households, out of which 32.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 61.3% were

living together, 4.1% had a female householder with no husband present, and 32.3% were non-families. 30.1% of all households were made up of individuals, and 15.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.49 and the average family size was 3.14. In the city, the population was spread out, with 27.4% under the age of 18, 10.5% from 18 to 24, 26.4% from 25 to 44, 19.8% from 45 to 64, and 15.9% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females, there were 95.5 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 99.7 males. The median income for a household in the city was $39,911, and the median income for a family was $47,143. Males had a median income of $30,500 versus $19,570 for females. The

per capita income Per capita income (PCI) or total income measures the average income earned per person in a given area (city, region, country, etc.) in a specified year. It is calculated by dividing the area's total income by its total population. Per capita i ...

for the city was $16,663. About 4.0% of families and 4.2% of the population were below the

poverty line The poverty threshold, poverty limit, poverty line or breadline is the minimum level of income deemed adequate in a particular country. The poverty line is usually calculated by estimating the total cost of one year's worth of necessities for ...

, including 2.4% of those under age 18 and 11.3% of those age 65 or over.

Education

MOC-Floyd Valley Community School District MOC-Floyd Valley Community School District is a rural public school district headquartered in Orange City, Iowa. Most of the district is in Sioux County with a portion in O'Brien County. It serves Orange City, Alton, Hospers, Granville, an ...

is the local school district. The district formed on July 1, 1994 with the merger of the Maurice-Orange City and Floyd Valley districts. Alton houses the district's middle school while elementary and high schools are in Orange City. Spalding Catholic School, which serves elementary grades, is located in a single campus in Alton. It was previously a K-8 school and had multiple campuses, with middle school in Granville, but the Granville campus closed in 2017, and middle school students are now attending Gehlen Catholic School in LeMars. The associated Spalding Catholic High closed in 2013 with students merged into

Gehlen Catholic High School Gehlen Catholic School is a PreK-12 Roman Catholic school located in LeMars, Iowa. Gehlen's athletic teams are known as the Jays. They compete in the War Eagle Conference with eight other teams from northwest Iowa. Their main rival is the other R ...

Notable person

Robert Schuller Robert Harold Schuller (September 16, 1926 – April 2, 2015) was an American Christian televangelist, pastor, motivational speaker, and author. In his five decades of television, Schuller was principally known for the weekly ''Hour of Po ...

, pastor of the Crystal Cathedral, was born and raised a few miles outside of Alton.Penner, James, 'Goliath: The Life of Robert Schuller,' (1992), pg. 119

References

External links

Alton, Iowa
Portal style website, Government, Business, Recreation, and more

Comprehensive Statistical Data and more about Alton
{{authority control Cities in Iowa Cities in Sioux County, Iowa