What it's like to live in Alton
Alton is a small city in Texas with rent below the national average, home prices that remain within reach, a population that has grown fast since 2020, and schools with smaller class sizes than the national average. Those factors carry real weight for anyone weighing where to move next.
The tradeoffs are worth naming plainly. Alton deals with county unemployment above the national average, household incomes below the national average, crime rates above the national average, and air quality that falls short of national benchmarks.
The good
- Rent below the national average
- Affordable home prices
- Fast-growing population
- Low student-teacher ratio
The not so good
- Above-average unemployment in the county
- Below-average household incomes
- Crime above national average
- Air quality concerns
- Low college degree attainment
- High poverty rate
How Alton compares
Median household income
Median rent (per month)
Median home value
What it takes to move to Alton
Based on Alton's median rent, home value and household income
To rent
$2,076
up front: first month plus a typical one-month deposit
- Income to keep rent under 30%: $41,520 a year
- 31% of Alton renters spend 30% or more of their income on rent
To buy
$31,260
a 20% down payment on the median home
- With 10% down: $15,630
- Homes cost 3.0× the typical local household income (US: 4.1×)
Moving costs, closing costs and taxes not included.
The details
Cost of living▼ 27% below US
$1,038/mo median rent
Rent here is genuinely low, with median rent around $1,038 a month. Factoring in local incomes, the value gets even better. Money stretches further here than in most of the country. Home prices here are genuinely accessible, with a median around $156,300. That kind of affordability is rare in today's market.
Median home value $156,300 · 31% of renters cost-burdened
Job market
6.3% county unemployment
Unemployment in Hidalgo County is 6.3%, well above the national average of 4.3%. Moving with a job already lined up matters more here. That's the county-wide rate; BLS doesn't measure a place this size on its own.
Hidalgo County (county-wide)
Safety▲ 182% above US
929 violent crimes per 100k
Crime is a real factor here, with violent rates significantly above the national average. That doesn't make the whole city a write-off, but it does mean specific neighborhoods deserve real research before signing a lease.
Property crime 673/100k · Alton Police Department · 2025 data
Getting aroundNear US average
24 min average commute
Commutes run about average, at 24.4 minutes. Fine day to day, but it adds up over a year, and where someone lives relative to where they work starts to matter. 9 in 10 workers drive to work; 12% work from home.
How workers get to work
Climate
Summers run seriously hot, with average highs pushing 95°F, and winters are mild, with lows rarely dropping below 49°F.
Average month
30-year averages, 1991–2020
Education & workforce▼ 61% below US
14% bachelor's degree or higher
This is a working-class city, and college degree rates reflect that. Trades, manufacturing, and service industries tend to dominate the local economy, which is a strength for some fields and a real constraint for others.
Schools
8 public schools inside the boundary
There are 8 public schools inside the boundary. The student-to-teacher ratio is 15:1, well below the national average of 16:1. Smaller class sizes are generally a positive sign for a district.
Parks & recreation
The nearest national park or historic site is Palo Alto Battlefield National Historical Park (56 miles away). There are 2 national parks and sites within a day's drive.
Bottom line
Alton's strongest points are rent below the national average and home prices that remain within reach; the main tradeoffs are county unemployment above the national average and household incomes below the national average. A year of median rent ($1,038/mo) equals 24% of the median household income here, more than the 21% typical nationwide. It tends to suit people watching their budget. It may be a harder fit for anyone moving without a job lined up.
Other places near Alton
All Texas guides →Not sure Alton is the one?
Put it side by side with another city.