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The main focus of the company has always been great personal service and attention to detail. We differentiate ourselves from other moving companies for the following reasons:
We are an independently owned moving company based out of McAllen, Texas. In addition to being a full-service moving company serving local and statewide moves, Chapa’s Moving Service offers packaging, loading, and unloading for our clients who prefer to move themselves.
Living in Alton may be all you need to have a great life! The Coahuiltecans, Lipan Apaches, and Comanches lived in the Alton area for thousands of years before Spanish colonists arrived in the mid-1700s. Spanish colonists formed small settlements and then seized control of the area in the early 1800s.
The United States of America took control after the Mexican-American War. White Americans settled in Alton in 1910, forming a stop along the San Benito and Rio Grande Valley Railway. The community grew, with people moving to Alton Texas to work on the railroad and surrounding ranches. Alton gets its name from the city of Alton, Illinois, as many founders of Alton Texas were from Alton, IL.
Alton was incorporated as a city in 1978. The community grew steadily throughout the 20th century and early 21st century. Alton is known for its railway history and caliche quarries. Alton is a nice place to live, with top grocery stores, affordable housing, and delicious restaurants.
Moving to Alton Texas may be your next step. Before you head to Alton, you should learn more about living in Alton so you can take advantage of everything this small city has to offer. Here's what to know about living in Alton.
Where is Alton, and what county is Alton in? Alton is in Hidalgo County, inside the McAllen metro area. Alton is a suburb of McAllen, and it is 10.6 miles from Alton to McAllen. Alton borders cities near McAllen like Palmhurst, West Sharyland, and La Homa. The community is in the Rio Grande Valley, but the community itself contains no notable geographic features. The community contains a mixture of residential and commercial sections with parks and green spaces.
Valley Metro provides public transit services for all residents living in Alton. You can order Flex System rides to and from locations within a half-mile of fixed routes in the Valley Metro bus system. Flex System rides allow you to travel to cities like Brownsville. Valley Metro does not provide fixed route services in Alton, but stops are in neighboring cities, so you can order rides in most locations in Alton. Texas Route 107 runs through the community and provides access to Palmhurst and Mission.
Alton Population and Demographics
According to the US Census, the Alton population in 2020 was 18,198, up by 47.5% since 2010. The population has increased by roughly 4.5 times since 2000, with many families with young children moving to Alton Texas. The Alton population growth is outpacing the Hidalgo County population growth. Alton is one of the fastest-growing cities in Texas. The Alton population density is 2,489.8 people living in Alton per square mile.
Notable people living in Alton and the surrounding area include Cristela Alonzo, Michael Cole, and Gloria Trevi. Notable Alton TX demographics include:
51.7% male, 48.3% female
Median age of people living in Alton: 26.7
Racial and ethnic composition of residents living in Alton: 97.0% Hispanic or Latino, 46.0% two or more races, 31.1% White (2.4% non-Hispanic), 0.8% Native American and Alaska Native, 0.4% Black or African American, 0.1% Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander
Median household income of people living in Alton: $48,777 (roughly two-thirds of the state median)
Educational attainment of residents living in Alton: 62.6% of residents older than 25 have graduated from high school, 12.9% have a bachelor's degree
Foreign-born population of people living in Alton: 27.2%
Alton is a young community. Its median age is 8.8 years younger than the Texas median, and 36.3% of residents living in Alton are under the age of 18. Most residents are under the age of 30, and only 8.3% are older than 65. The average number of people living in Alton per household is 3.7, with married couples heading 64% of Alton households.
Alton is a safe community to live in, especially if you compare it to other communities in South Texas. Here are its latest crime rates, according to the FBI in 2022:
Overall Alton Texas crime rate: 1,573 offenses per 100,000 people living in Alton (26.8% lower than the McAllen crime rate, 42.4% lower than the Texas rate, 32.3% lower than the national average)
Violent Alton Texas crime rate: 490 crimes per 100,000 people living in Alton (13.5% higher than the Texas rate, 32.5% higher than the national average)
Property Alton Texas crime rate: 1,083 crimes per 100,000 residents living in Alton (52.9% lower than the Texas average, 44.6% lower than the national rate)
The Alton Police Department employs 29 police officers who respond to all emergencies in Alton TX.
Cost of Living in Alton
You can use McAllen cost of living statistics to estimate the cost of living in Alton, including housing and transportation costs. The McAllen cost of living index is 80.9, meaning items in the area cost 19.1% less than the national average. According to the Economic Policy Institute, a family of four living in the McAllen metro area would need to earn $81,727 a year to cover their cost of living.
Transportation costs are the highest expense, but they only amount to $14,988 a year. Most people living in Alton will enjoy an affordable cost of living. People moving to Alton Texas from major cities like San Antonio and Corpus Christi can save thousands of dollars a year on their cost of living.
Alton real estate is very affordable, and you have plenty of options for single family homes for sale. According to Redfin, the median home price for Alton homes for sale is $270,000, with an average price per square foot of $178. There are very few Alton apartments for rent, so the average cost of rent in Alton TX is hard to find.
Alton does not have official neighborhoods. While looking for Alton real estate, you may come across websites like Redfin or Zillow mentioning neighborhoods like "Aloha Village Colonia" and "Armstrong's Alton Colonia." The City of Alton does not recognize these communities as official neighborhoods, and Alton real estate is very similar across nearly all these communities.
Alton real estate consists almost entirely of single-family homes for sale, with very few condos, townhomes, apartments, or homes for rent. Many Alton homes for sale are recently constructed to accommodate people moving to Alton Texas, but their floor plans, architectural styles, and features vary.
Some Alton homes for sale are single-level properties with less than 2,000 square feet and two or three bedrooms. Other homes are more upscale, with multiple stories, five bedrooms, and over 4,000 square feet. Prices vary. Single-level and older homes can cost less than $500,000, while multi-level new construction homes can cost well over $1 million.
Alton contains a few apartment complexes, including Orchard Estates. Orchard Estates offers one-, two-, and three-bedroom Alton apartments between 722 and 1,161 square feet. These Alton apartments contain amenities like nine-foot ceilings, fully equipped kitchens, and balconies. Rent starts at $602 a month.
Alton Weather and Climate
Alton has a subtropical climate, meaning it has very hot and oppressive summers and short and mild winters. According to Weather Spark, July and August are the hottest months of Alton weather, with an average temperature of 86 degrees and an average high of 97. Temperatures are relatively consistent through the late spring and summer, with a gradual decline beginning in mid-September.
January is the coldest month of weather Alton, with an average temperature of 60 degrees and an average low of 52. Temperatures below freezing rarely, if ever, occur in Alton, and there is no snow in Alton.
Alton receives 18.9 inches of rain on average per year. Weather in Alton is sunny throughout the year, with each month having at least 50% sunny days except for August. Summers in Alton are extremely humid, with almost every single day being humid and most days being oppressive or miserable.
Heat waves can occur during the summer, with temperatures rising over 105 degrees. You should check weather Alton reports throughout the summer and stay indoors, even if the forecast doesn't predict a heat wave. Being outside in temperatures over 90 degrees can trigger heat sickness.
November is the best month to visit and start moving to Alton Texas. It's one of the clearest months of the year, with 67% sunny days. The average temperature is 68 degrees, warm enough that you can wear a short-sleeved shirt but not too warm to make outdoor activities difficult. Humidity levels drop off significantly in October, so you can enjoy relatively comfortable conditions in November.
Things to Do in Alton
You can enjoy a wide range of great things to do in Alton, including shopping at grocery stores!Junior's Supermarket is a great place to buy groceries, offering premium Mexican groceries. Pulga Los Portales and 812 Market Alton are top flea markets where you can buy clothing, household goods, and other items.
Garcia Park covers 50 acres and is the top outdoor destination in Alton. The park contains dog-friendly walking trails, two soccer fields, a splash pad, a kid-friendly playground, and a community fitness hub. The park is a hub for community gatherings, including live concerts, throughout the year.
Quinta Las 4 Lunas Waterpark is a family-friendly water park open between March and September on Saturdays and Sundays. Kids and adults living in Alton can enjoy swimming pools, water slides, and other fun features.
Las Palmas Race Track is home to concerts and horse races throughout the year. You can rent the race track as an event venue for up to 10,000 people, including for school graduations.
South Texas is well known for its barbecue, Tex-Mex cuisine, and other offerings at casual, kid-friendly, and affordable restaurants. Alton restaurants offer delicious meals in casual and friendly spaces, including quick-service eateries.
Golden Chick is a fast food restaurant that offers fried and roasted chicken, including combo platters with fried chicken, French fries, and other sides. You can order family meals with over a dozen pieces of roasted and fried chicken and two sides for less than $45.
Stars Drive In is a kid-friendly fast food restaurant that serves hamburgers, hot dogs, steak sandwiches, and burritos. All menu items cost less than $12, making Stars Drive In one of the most affordable restaurants in Alton.
Benji's BBQ serves classic dishes like brisket, pork ribs, and sausage with sides like rice, charro beans, and potato salad. Benji's BBQ also serves breakfast, including omelets, pancakes, and egg dishes, making it the best Alton restaurant for breakfast.
According to DataUSA, roughly 7,360 people have jobs in Alton. Alton TX added over 200 jobs to its economy between 2022 and 2023, mostly in health care and manufacturing. Health care, construction, and educational services are the three biggest job sectors in Alton. Office occupations account for 14.7% of jobs in Alton, and they have median earnings of nearly $75,000 a year.
According to Payscale, Alton jobs have an average salary of $31,000 a year, with an average hourly wage of $11.000. Major employers in Alton TX include DHR Health, MCISD, and U.S. Customs and Border Protection. You can apply for Alton jobs using Indeed, and you can research City of Alton jobs online on the city government's website.
US News considers Cantu Elementary School to be the best elementary school in Alton. The school employs 25 full-time teachers, all of whom are professionally certified. All students who attend Cantu Elementary School and most students living in Alton attend Alton Memorial Junior High School. Alton Memorial Junior High School employs 63 full-time teachers, all of whom are certified.
Both Mission High School and Veterans Memorial High School serve students living in Alton. Both high schools have graduation rates of over 90%. The school district is also home to Mission Collegiate High School, an alternative school with a high school/college blended curriculum. Students can earn credits toward an associate's degree while in high school and participate in technical programs. US News ranks Mission Collegiate High School in the top 100 high schools in Texas.
Alton does not have any private schools, colleges, or universities. Alton TX does not have its own library; the closest library is the Hidalgo Public Library in Hidalgo.
Alton Statistics and Information
County: Hidalgo County
Alton area: 7.31 square miles
Alton zip code: 78573
Alton area code: 956
Alton elevation: 161 feet
Alton time zone: Central Time Zone (UTC -5 and -6)
You can use this Alton map to find the best restaurants, Alton attractions, and amenities in the City of Alton!
Start Living in Alton Today
Living in Alton gives you the atmosphere of a small town with the great amenities of a city! You can enjoy safe streets, beautiful parks, and delicious restaurants with an affordable cost of living. Families with young children love Alton TX, and so do retirees and young professionals.
Moving to Alton Texas isn't tricky. Chapa's Moving Service employs the best Alton movers with over 30,000 customers served. Call 956-686-3247 for a free estimate now.
Chapa's Moving Service
We are an independently owned moving company based out of McAllen, Texas. In addition to being a full-service moving company serving local and statewide moves, Chapa’s Moving Service offers packaging, loading, and unloading for our clients who prefer to move themselves.
