Alton’s story
Alton in pictures
1 places on the National Register of Historic Places.
Explore the history →AltonSD
A town of 150.
Population
150
residents
Median home value
$289K
Census ACS
Household income
$93K
median
Median age
57.8
years
Jobs based here
12
A commuter town
Small town
150 people, and everyone knows the way
In a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.
Nearby towns
RichlandShermanBushnellParnellAuroraAlton
Alton’s report card
Now in Alton
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Residents weigh in
Live in Alton? Is a B− for its schools right?
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The data
Ordered by what stands out in Alton. Another town gets a different order.
Work & commute
Most working residents commute out of Alton
Most working residents leave Alton for work: only 1% work in town. The top destinations are Brookings (61%), Sioux Falls (9%) and Mitchell (4%). Half commute less than 10 miles.
1%work in town
Where working residents work
In Alton1%
Brookings61%
Sioux Falls9%
Mitchell4%
Hendricks1%
10 mi
median commute distance
12
jobs based in Alton
A commuter town
jobs vs. working residents
Census LEHD 2023 · ACSCommute map →
Climate
Four seasons, pleasant summers
Alton has cold, snowy winters and pleasant summers. A typical July afternoon reaches 82°, a January night drops to 5°, and about 36 inches of snow falls in a normal winter.
36″snow a winter
Typical low → high °F
Winter8–26°
Spring32–54°
Summer57–79°
Fall35–57°
Oct 1
typical first frost
May 6
typical last frost
+0.6°
vs. the 20th-century average
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020Full climate →
Health
How healthy Alton is
Alton beats the South Dakota average on 4 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 0.
32 measures vs. South Dakota
4 better28 too close to call0 worse
| What stands out | Alton | SD |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer older adults who have lost all their teeth | 9.6% | 12.7% |
| Fewer adults who have had a stroke | 3.1% | 3.5% |
Brookings Health System
9.4 mi away · emergency room
3 of 3
care shortages: primary care, dental, mental health
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSAFull health report →
Natural hazards
Moderate risk, with inland flooding at the top
Expected storm and flood damage is higher than in 40% of U.S. communities.
40risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
Inland floodingTornadoesCold waves
FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMANatural hazards →
Schools
Alton’s public schools outperform 51% of South Dakota districts
The public schools Alton’s kids attend, from kindergarten through graduation, outperform 51% of South Dakota’s districts on state tests and graduation. Among towns with similar incomes, they sit near the middle.
B−School Grade
| School | Grades | Students | Grade |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rolland Colony Elementary - 05 | K–8 | 9 | Not graded |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within SD on state tests and graduationAll 1 schools →
Outdoors
0.7% of Alton is conserved land
2.0 miles of trails across 0 parks and preserves.
0.7%conserved
0.7%
conserved · 148 of 22,377 acres
2.0 mi
of trails · 0.1 per sq mi
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-USParks & trails →
A commuter town
99% of working residents leave Alton for work
Where Alton’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
12jobs based in Alton
1%of working residents work in town
10 mimedian commute distance
Census LEHD 2023