Alta is a city in

Buena Vista County, Iowa Buena Vista County (; ) is a County (United States), county located in the U.S. state of Iowa. As of the 2020 United States Census, 2020 census, the population was 20,823. Its county seat is Storm Lake, Iowa, Storm Lake. The county is named for ...

, United States. The population was 2,087 at the 2020 census.

History

Alta was

plat In the United States, a plat ( or ) (plan) is a cadastral map, drawn to scale, showing the divisions of a piece of land. United States General Land Office surveyors drafted township plats of Public Lands Surveys to show the distance and bear ...

ted in 1872, and it was incorporated in 1878. By 2004, Alta contained three general stores, two drug stores, two grocery stores, a shoe store, two hardware stores, a meat market, two lumber dealers, two agriculture implement dealers, bank two furniture stores, clothing store, barber shop, two saloons, music store, two jewelry stores, restaurant, four blacksmiths, two elevators, and a

gristmill A gristmill (also: grist mill, corn mill, flour mill, feed mill or feedmill) grinds cereal grain into flour and Wheat middlings, middlings. The term can refer to either the Mill (grinding), grinding mechanism or the building that holds it. Grist i ...

. Halvor H. Peterson (1831–1917), Wisconsin State Assemblyman and farmer, lived in Alta.

Geography

Alta is located at (42.672030, -95.304757). It is six miles from the city of Storm Lake and is approximately seven miles from

Aurelia Aurelia may refer to: People * Version of feminine given name Aurélie * Aurelia (mother of Caesar) * Aurelia gens, a Roman family * Aurelia Browder, American civil rights activist * Astrud Aurelia, American drag queen Science * ''Aurelia'' (c ...

, and is located on Highway 7. 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 the ...

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

Demographics

2010 census

As of the census of 2010, there were 1,883 people, 759 households, and 509 families residing in the city. The population density was . There were 838 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup was 91.3%

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 on ...

, 1.6%

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 ...

, 0.2% Native American, 1.2%

Asian Asian may refer to: * Items from or related to the continent of Asia: ** Asian people, people in or descending from Asia ** Asian culture, the culture of the people from Asia ** Asian cuisine, food based on the style of food of the people from Asi ...

, 4.7% from

other races Other often refers to: * Other (philosophy), a concept in psychology and philosophy Other or The Other may also refer to: Film and television * ''The Other'' (1913 film), a German silent film directed by Max Mack * ''The Other'' (1930 film), a ...

, and 1.1% from two or more races.

Hispanic The term ''Hispanic'' ( es, hispano) refers to people, Spanish culture, 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 Vic ...

Latino Latino or Latinos most often refers to: * Latino (demonym), a term used in the United States for people with cultural ties to Latin America * Hispanic and Latino Americans in the United States * The people or cultures of Latin America; ** Latin A ...

of any race were 15.7% of the population. There were 759 households, of which 31.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 52.3% were married couples living together, 10.4% had a female householder with no husband present, 4.3% had a male householder with no wife present, and 32.9% were non-families. 28.5% of all households were made up of individuals, and 14.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.48 and the average family size was 3.02. The median age was 36.5 years. 27.1% of residents were under the age of 18; 8.5% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 23.2% were from 25 to 44; 24.3% were from 45 to 64; and 17% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup was 48.6% male and 51.4% female.

2000 census

As of the census of 2000, there were 1,865 people, 726 households, and 506 families. The population density was . There were 791 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 92.44%

, 0.64%

, 0.05% Native American, 1.39%

, 0.05%

Pacific Islander Pacific Islanders, Pasifika, Pasefika, or rarely Pacificers are the peoples of the list of islands in the Pacific Ocean, Pacific Islands. As an ethnic group, ethnic/race (human categorization), racial term, it is used to describe the original p ...

, 4.45% from

, and 0.97% from two or more races.

of any race were 10.62% of the population. There were 726 households, out of which 35.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 55.4% were married couples living together, 9.9% had a female householder with no husband present, and 30.3% were non-families. 25.8% of all households were made up of individuals, and 14.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.56 and the average family size was 3.07. 29.7% are under the age of 18, 7.7% from 18 to 24, 28.3% from 25 to 44, 18.5% from 45 to 64, and 15.9% were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 35 years. For every 100 females, there were 96.9 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 91.1 males. The median income for a household in the city was $31,941, and the median income for a family was $40,694. Males had a median income of $29,655 versus $20,368 for females. The per capita income for the city was $15,908. About 8.5% of families and 11.3% of the population were below the poverty line, including 12.9% of those under age 18 and 5.0% of those age 65 or over.

Education

Alta is within the

Alta–Aurelia Community School District Alta–Aurelia Community School District is a public school district with offices in Alta and Aurelia in Iowa. The district, which serves Alta and Aurelia, covers sections of Buena Vista and Cherokee counties, with a very small section in Sac ...

. It was in the

Alta Community School District Alta Community School District was a school district headquartered in Alta, Iowa. It was mostly in Buena Vista County, with a section in Cherokee County and a very small section in Sac County. It operated Alta Elementary School and Alta Junior- ...

, which previously operated Alta High School. The two districts merged into Alta–Aurelia on July 1, 2018.REORGANIZATION & DISSOLUTION ACTIONS SINCE 1965-66
."

Iowa Department of Education The Iowa Department of Education sets the standards for all public institutions of education in Iowa and accredits private as well as public schools. It is headquartered in Des Moines Des Moines () is the capital and the most populous city i ...

. Retrieved on July 29, 2018.

References

External links

ALTA
Portal style website, Government, Businesses, community events, and more

Comprehensive Statistical Data and more about Alta {{authority control Cities in Buena Vista County, Iowa Cities in Iowa 1872 establishments in Iowa Populated places established in 1872