Alton is a city and the county seat of Oregon County,

Missouri Missouri is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern region of the United States. Ranking List of U.S. states and territories by area, 21st in land area, it is bordered by eight states (tied for the most with Tennessee ...

, United States. The population was 707 at the 2020 census.

History

Alton 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 1859. The city was named after

Alton, Illinois Alton ( ) is a city on the Mississippi River in Madison County, Illinois, Madison County, Illinois, United States, about north of St. Louis, St. Louis, Missouri. The population was 25,676 at the 2020 United States Census, 2020 census. It is a p ...

. A post office has been in operation in Alton since 1860. Alton was incorporated as a city in 1929. Greer Mill was listed on the

National Register of Historic Places The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the United States federal government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures and objects deemed worthy of preservation for their historical significance or "great artistic v ...

in 2005.

Geography

Alton is located at (36.693920, -91.399076). 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 , of which is land and is water.

Climate

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 incl ...

of 2010, there were 871 people, 352 households, and 213 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 RosenberPopul ...

was . There were 406 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 95.64%

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 o ...

, 0.46%

Black Black is a color which results from the absence or complete absorption of visible light. It is an achromatic color, without hue, like white and grey. It is often used symbolically or figuratively to represent darkness. Black and white ...

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 ...

, 0.69% Native American, and 3.21% 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 ...

people of any race were 1.38% of the population. There were 352 households, of which 32.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 39.8% were married couples living together, 16.2% had a female householder with no husband present, 4.5% had a male householder with no wife present, and 39.5% were non-families. 35.5% of all households were made up of individuals, and 23% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.34 and the average family size was 2.99. The median age in the city was 39.2 years. 28.7% of residents were under the age of 18; 6.3% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 22.2% were from 25 to 44; 16.9% were from 45 to 64; and 25.6% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 45.7% male and 54.3% female.

2000 census

As of the

of 2000, there were 668 people, 321 households, and 188 families living in the city. The

was 797.2 people per square mile (307.0/km²). There were 364 housing units at an average density of 434.4 per square mile (167.3/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 97.01%

, 0.30%

, 1.95% Native American, and 0.75% from two or more races.

people of any race were 0.60% of the population. There were 321 households, out of which 24.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 45.2% were married couples living together, 11.2% had a female householder with no husband present, and 41.4% were non-families. 38.6% of all households were made up of individuals, and 26.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.07 and the average family size was 2.70. In the city, the population was spread out, with 20.1% under the age of 18, 7.3% from 18 to 24, 23.2% from 25 to 44, 22.3% from 45 to 64, and 27.1% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 45 years. For every 100 females there were 82.5 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 78.6 males. The median income for a household in the city was $16,667, and the median income for a family was $21,667. Males had a median income of $21,184 versus $13,929 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 $10,071. About 18.0% of families and 27.4% 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 t ...

, including 28.1% of those under age 18 and 33.6% of those age 65 or over.

Education

Alton R-IV School District operates Alton Elementary School and Alton High School. The town has a lending library, the Alton Branch Library.

References

External links

* * Historic maps of Alton in th
Sanborn Maps of Missouri Collection
at the

University of Missouri The University of Missouri (Mizzou, MU, or Missouri) is a public land-grant research university in Columbia, Missouri. It is Missouri's largest university and the flagship of the four-campus University of Missouri System. MU was founded in ...

{{authority control Cities in Missouri Cities in Oregon County, Missouri County seats in Missouri