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Compare towns

Appleton City vs Alton

178 miles apart. The biggest differences: trails (13× in Alton) and growth since 2010 (+10.4 pts in Appleton City).

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Appleton City, MOOne of the healthiest townsMissouri · 1,221 people
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Alton, MOA regional job hubMissouri · 744 people
Swap order
Where each one shines

Two towns, two different strengths

What each town does better than most of its state (not better than each other). Tap one to see the page behind it.

Appleton CityOne of the healthiest towns
Health89% of U.S. towns are healthieron CDC estimates SchoolsBetter than 19%of MO districts Housing$174K typical home35% below the MO typical home All about Appleton City →
AltonA regional job hub
Work346 jobsbased in Alton, a regional job hub SchoolsBetter than 17%of MO districts Housing$174K typical home35% below the MO typical home All about Alton →
The biggest differences

Where they part ways

The rows below where the towns are furthest apart, beyond the Census margin of error. The full table is further down.

Trails13×
Alton has more miles of trail
Alton 2.6 miAppleton City 0.2 mi
Growth since 2010+10.4 pts
Appleton City has grown faster since 2010
Appleton City -8.4%Alton -18.8%
Age 65++11.7 pts
Appleton City has more people 65 and up
Appleton City 29.3%Alton 17.6%
Average commute7 min
Alton has the shorter commute
Appleton City 23 minAlton 16 min
Street grid+62%
Appleton City has the more walkable street grid
Appleton City 89.2Alton 55.2
Property tax bill+17%
Tax bills are bigger in Alton
Alton $1,052Appleton City $900
★ What stands out · Monthly cost

A typical home costs about the same each month

A typical home in each town, bought with 20% down at 6.3% for 30 years, plus property tax at the town’s own rate and insurance. Change the numbers to fit you.

Appleton City$1,040/mo
Typical home $174K (Zillow) · tax rate 0.92% · or rent about $557/mo · Housing →
Alton$1,040/mo
Typical home $174K (Zillow) · tax rate 0.92% · or rent about $639/mo · Housing →

Within $50 a month of each other.

Estimates, not a quote: your price, rate, tax bill and insurance will differ. Tax rate = the Census median tax bill over the median home value.

Report cards

Grades and rankings, side by side

Our letter grades for safety, schools and health, then every Missouri ranking list both towns are on. A grade is one measure; read the page behind it.

Schools
C−Appleton CityBetter than 19% of districts in the state C−AltonBetter than 17% of districts in the state
Health
DAppleton CityHealthier than 11% of U.S. towns –AltonNot graded
Life in each

What daily life feels like in each

The weather, the land, the history and the people, row by row. None of it is a grade: more snow is a plus to a skier.

Seasons
Appleton CityAlton
Snow a year10″4″
January low21°F22°F
July high88°F88°F
Growing season (days)202d187d
Hazard risk (U.S. pctl)61st83rd
Outdoors & history
Appleton CityAlton
Trails—3 mi
Conserved land—0%
Settled18701929
National Register places1—
Archive photos33
Famous people born here5—
Community
Appleton CityAlton
Library hours a week24 hrs40 hrs
Posts this month00
Neighbors joined00

A dot marks the most on each row. Climate: NOAA 1991–2020 normals at the nearest station. Hazard risk: FEMA National Risk Index, expected yearly damage vs U.S. towns.

Where they are

178 miles apart

Straight-line miles between town centers.

Appleton CityMOAltonMO
Appleton City ↔ Alton178 miles apart
Everything, side by side

What matters to you?

Pick a few. Those rows jump to the top and the best fit on each is marked. There’s no overall score: what matters is up to you.

Appleton CityAlton
People
Population 1,221Highest 744Lowest
Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census -8.4%Highest MO: +2.8% -18.8%Lowest MO: +2.8%
Median age 39.7±5.2Highest about the MO average 36.5±6.1Lowest 6% below MO
Appleton City and Alton are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Kids under 18 20%±5.1Lowest MO: 22.3% 22.6%±7.9Highest MO: 22.3%
Alton and Appleton City are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Age 65+ 29.3%±5.6Highest MO: 17.9% 17.6%±1.3Lowest MO: 17.9%
Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ 18.2%Lowest MO: 32.4% 19.3%Highest MO: 32.4%
Enrolled in collegeshare of residents 2.4%±2.3Highest MO: 5.7% 1.2%±2.7Lowest MO: 5.7%
Appleton City and Alton are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Cost of living
Household incomemedian $49,036±$5kLowest 31% below MO $50,208±$8kHighest 29% below MO
Alton and Appleton City are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Home valuemedian, owner-occupied $98,200±$19kLowest 57% below MO $114,200±$106kHighest 50% below MO
Alton and Appleton City are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Rentmedian gross, monthly $557±$110Lowest 46% below MO $639±$78Highest 38% below MO
Alton and Appleton City are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Property taxmedian, yearly $900Lowest 54% below MO $1,052Highest 46% below MO
Renters paying 30%+of income on rent 33.8%±17.8Lowest MO: 45.6% 37.7%±23.2Highest MO: 45.6%
Alton and Appleton City are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Below poverty line 10.9%Lowest MO: 12.6% 16.5%Highest MO: 12.6%
Housing
Homeownersof occupied homes 58%Highest MO: 68.1% 55.7%Lowest MO: 68.1%
Typical home builtmedian year 1972Highest 6 yrs older than MO 1968Lowest 10 yrs older than MO
Getting to work
Average commuteone way 23 minHighest about the MO average 16 minLowest 32% below MO
Work from home 7.5%±3.3Highest MO: 13% 4.6%±6.5Lowest MO: 13%
Appleton City and Alton are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Work in townworking residents 12%Lowest 17.9%Highest
Typical commute distancemedian, straight-line 32.8 miHighest 25.3 miLowest
Jobs per working residentover 1.5 = a job hub 1.36Lowest 1.54Highest
Top workplaceoutside town Clinton (16%)West Plains (17%)
Between these townsresidents who work in the others Few work in AltonFew work in Appleton City
Outdoors
Conserved landshare of the town 0% 0%
Trailsmapped miles 0.2 miLowest 2.6 miHighest
Trail densitymiles per sq mi 0.2 miLowest 1.6 miHighest
Parks & preservesnamed on the map 0 0
Street connectivityintersections per sq mi, a walkability measure 89.2Highest 55.2Lowest
Schools
School district APPLETON CITY R-IIALTON R-IV
High school in town Appleton City HighAlton High
Students per teacherat that high school 8.8Lowest 9.2Highest
Missouri average“±” Census margin of errorACS 2020–2024
Deciding?

Ask the people who live there

The numbers stop at the town line. Neighbors can tell you about the commute at 7am, the schools, the winters and the feel of the place.

Appleton City neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Appleton City’s Town Square.

Alton neighborsTown Square →

Your question goes to Alton’s Town Square.

Add a town

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Towns like Appleton City

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Sources: U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2010 & 2020 censuses, LEHD commute flows; Zillow Home Value Index; NCES Common Core of Data; FBI crime reporting; CDC PLACES; FEMA National Risk Index; NOAA U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020; USGS PAD-US and OpenStreetMap. “±” is the Census margin of error; differences inside it are never called. Property tax is top-coded by the Census at $10,000+. There is no overall score: which town is better depends on what matters to you.

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