Alton, Texas
| Alton, Texas | |
|---|---|
| City | |
 Location of Alton, Texas |
|
 |
|
| Coordinates: 26°17′4″N 98°18′21″W / 26.28444°N 98.30583°WCoordinates: 26°17′4″N 98°18′21″W / 26.28444°N 98.30583°W | |
| Country |  United States of America |
| State |  Texas |
| County |  Hidalgo |
| Area | |
| • Total | 5.90 sq mi (15.29 km2) |
| • Land | 5.88 sq mi (15.23 km2) |
| • Water | 0.02 sq mi (0.06 km2) |
| Elevation | 161 ft (49 m) |
| Population (2010)[1] | |
| • Total | 12,298 |
| • Estimate (2016)[2] | 16,895 |
| • Density | 2,873/sq mi (1,109.1/km2) |
| Time zone | Central (CST) (UTC-6) |
| • Summer (DST) | CDT (UTC-5) |
| ZIP code | 78573 |
| Area code(s) | 956 |
| FIPS code | 48-02212[3] |
| GNIS feature ID | 1329468[4] |
| Website | www |
Alton is a city in Hidalgo County, Texas, United States. The population was 12,298 at the 2010 census[1] and an estimated 16,895 in 2016.[2]
History[edit]
Alton was founded in 1910 or 1911 by citizens and railroad officials of Alton, Illinois.[5]
Geography[edit]
Alton is located at 26°17′4″N 98°18′21″W / 26.28444°N 98.30583°W (26.284307, -98.305940).[6] It is bordered to the south by Palmhurst and to the north and east by McAllen, although downtown McAllen is 10 miles (16 km) southeast of Alton. According to the United States Census Bureau, Alton has a total area of 5.9 square miles (15.3 km2), of which 0.02 square miles (0.06 km2), or 0.40%, are water.[1]
Demographics[edit]
| Historical population | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Census | Pop. | %± | |
| 1980 | 2,732 | — | |
| 1990 | 3,069 | 12.3% | |
| 2000 | 4,384 | 42.8% | |
| 2010 | 12,341 | 181.5% | |
| Est. 2016 | 16,895 | [2] | 36.9% |
| U.S. Decennial Census[7] | |||
Alton is part of the McAllen–Edinburg–Mission and Reynosa–McAllen metropolitan areas.
As of the census[3] of 2000, there were 4,384 people, 1,059 households, and 988 families residing in the city. The population density was 2,075.5 people per square mile (802.2/km²). There were 1,175 housing units at an average density of 556.3 per square mile (215.0/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 79.33% White, 0.05% African American, 0.32% Native American, 19.02% from other races, and 1.28% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 97.90% of the population.
There were 1,059 households out of which 58.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 70.7% were married couples living together, 17.8% had a female householder with no husband present, and 6.7% were non-families. 6.2% of all households were made up of individuals and 3.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 4.14 and the average family size was 4.29.
In the city, the population was spread out with 37.9% under the age of 18, 12.1% from 18 to 24, 28.7% from 25 to 44, 14.7% from 45 to 64, and 6.6% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 25 years. For every 100 females there were 94.8 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 88.0 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $22,097, and the median income for a family was $23,563. Males had a median income of $18,487 versus $15,341 for females. The per capita income for the city was $6,230. About 38.7% of families and 42.7% of the population were below the poverty line, including 51.9% of those under age 18 and 39.3% of those age 65 or over.
Education[edit]
Most of Alton is a part of the Mission Consolidated Independent School District. A small portion is a part of the Sharyland Independent School District. La Joya Independent School District serves a small portion of the city as well.
In addition, South Texas Independent School District operates magnet schools that serve the community.
References[edit]
- ^ a b c "Geographic Identifiers: 2010 Census Summary File 1 (G001): Alton city, Texas (revised 11-19-2013)". American Factfinder. U.S. Census Bureau. Retrieved February 14, 2018.
- ^ a b c "Population and Housing Unit Estimates". Retrieved June 9, 2017.
- ^ a b "American FactFinder". United States Census Bureau. Archived from the original on 2013-09-11. Retrieved 2008-01-31.
- ^ "US Board on Geographic Names". United States Geological Survey. 2007-10-25. Retrieved 2008-01-31.
- ^ History of Alton; City of Alton.
- ^ "US Gazetteer files: 2010, 2000, and 1990". United States Census Bureau. 2011-02-12. Retrieved 2011-04-23.
- ^ "Census of Population and Housing". Census.gov. Archived from the original on May 12, 2015. Retrieved June 4, 2015.
