Alta is a city in

Buena Vista County, Iowa Buena Vista County (; ) is a county located in the U.S. state of Iowa. As of the 2020 census, the population was 20,823. Its county seat is Storm Lake. The county is named for the final victory of Field General Zachary Taylor in the Mexican– ...

, 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 bea ...

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 middlings. The term can refer to either the grinding mechanism or the building that holds it. Grist is grain that has been separated ...

Halvor H. Peterson Halvor Halvorson Haugan Peterson (March 21, 1831 – July 24, 1917) was an American farmer and politician. Peterson was born in Numedal, Norway. He emigrated with his parents to the United States in 1839 and eventually settled in the town ...

(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, 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 An economy is an area of th ...

, 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 lightness, 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 diffuse reflection, reflect and scattering, scatter all the ...

, 1.6%

African American African Americans (also referred to as Black Americans and Afro-Americans) are an Race and ethnicity in the United States, ethnic group consisting of Americans with partial or total ancestry from sub-Saharan Africa. The term "African American ...

, 0.2% Native American, 1.2% Asian, 4.7% from other races, and 1.1% 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 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% Asian, 0.05%

Pacific Islander Pacific Islanders, Pasifika, Pasefika, or rarely Pacificers are the peoples of the Pacific Islands. As an ethnic/racial term, it is used to describe the original peoples—inhabitants and diasporas—of any of the three major subregions of Ocea ...

, 4.45% from other races, and 0.97% from two or more races.

or Latino 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 ...

. 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 Public school may refer to: *State school (known as a public school in many countries), a no-fee s ...

. 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