CITY · 1990 CENSUS

Alton

Illinois · 32,905 residents · 15.7 sq mi

Time machine

VIEWING

COMPARE TO

The short version

Alton is home to 32,905 people in Illinois. Median home value sits at $37,500. Households here earn about 29% less than in Illinois as a whole. 12% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher. The poverty rate is 19.9%, above the 13.2% national rate. Renters pay $330 a month at the median.

At a glance

Lower income

below the US median

US median: $30,130

Mid-age

median age 33.6

US median: 33.0

Less educated

12% hold a bachelor's degree

US average: 20%

More affordable

home values down 11%, inflation adjusted

US median home: $93,722

Section 01

Population & growth

Total population

32,905

+8%vs 2000

vs 30,496 in 2000

1990 – 2025

Median age

33.6

−5%vs 2000

vs 35.4 in 2000

US average: 33.0

Land area

15.7 sq mi

Population, 1990 – 2024

202425K

Age distribution, 1990

Under 58.1%(2,664)

US avg: 7.3%

5 to 97.8%(2,568)

US avg: 7.3%

10 to 146.5%(2,139)

US avg: 6.9%

15 to 196.3%(2,086)

US avg: 7.1%

20 to 246.6%(2,173)

US avg: 7.5%

25 to 3417.3%(5,682)

US avg: 17.5%

35 to 4413.3%(4,383)

US avg: 15.1%

45 to 548.2%(2,698)

US avg: 10.2%

55 to 648.6%(2,843)

US avg: 8.5%

65 to 748.4%(2,757)

US avg: 7.3%

75 to 847%(2,293)

US avg: 4%

85 and over1.9%(619)

US avg: 1.2%

BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE

Section 02

Income & economy

Median household income

$22,948

−3%inflation adjusted, since 2000

vs $31,213 in 2000

US average: $30,130

1990 – 2024

Per capita income

$10,904

−35%vs 2000

vs $16,817 in 2000

US average: $14,340

Poverty rate

19.9%

+1.2 ptsvs 2000

vs 18.7% in 2000

US average: 13.2%

Section 03

Housing

Median home value

$37,500

−11%inflation adjusted, since 2000

vs $55,400 in 2000

US average: $93,722

1990 – 2024

Median gross rent

$330

+1%inflation adjusted, since 2000

vs $430 in 2000

US average: $450

Owner-occupied

64.8%

−0.6 ptsvs 2000

vs 65.4% in 2000

35.2% rent

Section 04

Race & ethnicity

2000

White, non-Hispanic71.6%(21,825)

Black24.6%(7,504)

Hispanic / Latino1.5%(454)

Asian0.4%(112)

Other0%

1990

White, non-Hispanic75.7%(24,912)

Black23.1%(7,587)

Hispanic / Latino1.1%(369)

Asian0.3%(99)

Other0.9%(307)

No data for the years selected.

Section 04 · Origins

Detailed origins & ancestry

Detailed origin tables are available for 2024; showing 2024 data.

Hispanic origin

Mexican2.4%(599)

South American0.1%(26)

Spaniard0.1%(26)

Chilean0.1%(22)

Central American0%(8)

Honduran0%(8)

Puerto Rican0%(7)

Ecuadorian0%(4)

Asian origin

Asian Indian1%(245)

Filipino0.2%(52)

Chinese0.1%(17)

Vietnamese0.1%(17)

Pakistani0.1%(17)

Thai0%(6)

Japanese0%(5)

Korean0%(5)

Pacific Islander origin

Native Hawaiian0.2%(38)

Ancestry

German20.8%(5,258)

Irish14.3%(3,627)

English10.2%(2,580)

American3.7%(943)

Italian3.4%(866)

Polish2.2%(546)

Scottish1.8%(457)

French1.6%(396)

Scotch-Irish1.4%(354)

Dutch0.7%(180)

Swedish0.7%(170)

Subsaharan African0.5%(121)

+ 28 more ancestry groups with data

Croatian0.4%(95)

Russian0.4%(92)

Nigerian0.4%(92)

Welsh0.3%(86)

Norwegian0.3%(79)

Australian0.3%(66)

French Canadian0.2%(60)

Greek0.2%(60)

Czech0.2%(58)

Arab0.2%(55)

Canadian0.2%(54)

Ukrainian0.2%(53)

Hungarian0.2%(51)

West Indian0.2%(51)

British0.2%(44)

Syrian0.2%(43)

Austrian0.1%(37)

Swiss0.1%(33)

Slovak0.1%(31)

Lithuanian0.1%(15)

Macedonian0.1%(13)

Portuguese0.1%(13)

Romanian0.1%(13)

Egyptian0%(12)

Ethiopian0%(8)

Jamaican0%(7)

Cape Verdean0%(6)

Turkish0%(5)

RANKED:Largest German population · Largest Irish population · Largest English population · Largest American population · Largest Italian population

Section 05

Education

Bachelor's degree or higher

11.6%

−4.5 ptsvs 2000

vs 16.1% in 2000

US average: 20.3%

High school or higher

72.4%

−8.8 ptsvs 2000

vs 81.2% in 2000

US average: 75.2%

Graduate degree

3.2%

−2.0 ptsvs 2000

vs 5.2% in 2000

US average: 7.1%

Section 06

Commute & transportation

Average commute

18.3 min

+11%vs 2000

vs 16.5 min in 2000

US average: 21.9

Section 07

Work & employment

No data for the years selected.

Section 08

People & community

No data for the years selected.

Marital status (2024)

Men 15+

Never married46.3%(4,351)

Married37.2%(3,500)

Widowed3.3%(306)

Divorced13.2%(1,240)

Women 15+

Never married36.7%(4,009)

Married34.8%(3,799)

Widowed9.9%(1,083)

Divorced18.6%(2,031)

SHARE WITHIN EACH SEX · POPULATION 15 AND OVER · 2024

Section 09

Health coverage

Showing 2024 (the nearest year with coverage data).

Uninsured

6.8%

−5.6 ptssince 2013

from 12.4% in 2013

US average: 8.4%

Employer-based

46.3%

Unchangedsince 2020

from 46.3% in 2020

US average: 54.8%

Direct-purchase

10.7%

−0.1 ptssince 2020

from 10.8% in 2020

US average: 13.8%

Medicare

20.2%

+0.6 ptssince 2020

from 19.6% in 2020

US average: 18.4%

Medicaid

34.5%

−0.2 ptssince 2020

from 34.7% in 2020

US average: 20.9%

VA health care

2.4%

+0.4 ptssince 2020

from 2.0% in 2020

US average: 2.2%

Any private

55.6%

Unchangedsince 2020

from 55.6% in 2020

US average: 67.1%

Any public

49.8%

−0.7 ptssince 2020

from 50.5% in 2020

US average: 36.7%

Shares are "alone or in combination": a person with both Medicare and Medicaid counts in each, so categories overlap and do not sum to 100%.

Section 09 · Service history

Veterans

Veterans by period of service, 2024

Gulf War (2001 or later)19.2%(308)

US avg: 26.4%

Gulf War (1990s)25.7%(413)

US avg: 24.3%

Vietnam era31.3%(503)

US avg: 33.1%

Korean War2.6%(41)

US avg: 4.5%

World War II0%(0)

US avg: 1%

Share of the 1,606 veterans here. A veteran who served across eras counts in each, so shares can total more than 100%. Peacetime-only service is included in the total but not shown as an era.

BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE

Drill deeper