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Buying a home in Alton, Iowa

The typical owner-occupied home in Alton is worth about $218,900, 5% above the Iowa median of $208,000 and 34% below the national median of $332,700. Owners pay a median $2,722 a year in property taxes, about 1.24% of their home's value, lower than the Iowa rate of 1.39%. The median household earns $98,036 a year, so the median home costs 2.2 times the median income (2.8 times for Iowa). 88% of occupied homes here are lived in by their owners, and 61% of those owners still have a mortgage.

Alton at a glance

Alton Iowa U.S.
Median home value $218,900 $208,000 $332,700
Median property tax paid per year $2,722 $2,897 $3,119
Property tax as a share of value 1.24% 1.39% 0.94%
Median household income $98,036 $75,059 $80,734
Homes lived in by their owners 88% 72% 65%
Owner homes with a mortgage 61% 59% 61%
Median monthly costs, owners with a mortgage $1,585 $1,533 $1,963
Those costs as a share of the owners' income 18.4% 18.7% 21.0%
Median rent $813 $972 $1,413
Rent as a share of renters' income 18.1% 27.4% 30.6%
Median year homes were built 1967 1972 1980
Vacant homes 8.9% 8.5% 10.1%
Population 1,459 3,210,507 334,922,499

What a typical home costs per month in Alton

At this week's average 30-year rate of 7.11%, buying the median Alton home of $218,900 with 20% down costs about $1,495 a month, including property taxes and insurance. With an FHA loan and 3.5% down, it's about $1,860, because the loan is bigger and FHA adds mortgage insurance.

Lenders usually want housing costs under about 28% of gross income, which means an income of roughly $64,091 for the 20%-down payment. That payment is 18% of the median Alton household income of $98,036; at that income and 20% down, the 28% guideline points to a home of about $335,000.

The median rent here is $813 a month, so owning the median home costs about $682 a month more than renting, before you count the equity you build and any tax benefits.

20% down, 30-year conventional loan
Down payment$43,780
Loan amount$175,120
Principal and interest$1,178
Property taxes (1.24% a year)$226
Homeowners insurance (our estimate, 0.5% a year)$91
PMI$0
Total per month$1,495

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3.5% down, 30-year FHA loan
Down payment$7,662
Loan amount$214,935
Principal and interest$1,446
Property taxes (1.24% a year)$226
Homeowners insurance (our estimate, 0.5% a year)$91
FHA mortgage insurance$97
Total per month$1,860

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Questions about home buying in Alton

What is the median home value in Alton?

About $218,900 for owner-occupied homes, according to the Census Bureau's 2020–2024 American Community Survey.

How much are property taxes in Alton?

Homeowners pay a median $2,722 a year, which is about 1.24% of the median home value. Your bill depends on your home's assessed value and local rates.

What income do you need to buy a home in Alton?

For the median home with 20% down at 7.11%, the payment is about $1,495 a month. Keeping that under 28% of gross income takes about $64,091 a year.

More about Alton

Sources: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2020–2024 5-year estimates; Freddie Mac Primary Mortgage Market Survey, week of November 12, 2026. Estimates for small places have wide margins of error. About our data