City profile · California · Census ACS 2023

Alta, CA

Population, income, housing, safety, climate and schools for Alta - drawn straight from Census ACS, FBI UCR, NOAA, NCES, HUD and FEMA, refreshed on the 2024–2025 release cycle.

740
Residents
$94,718
Median income
$468,200
Median home
$1,813
Median rent (state)

Alta - the verdict

Out of every US city with 1,000+ residents, Alta places in the 74th percentile for household income. Source: Census ACS.

74th
percentile, household income
83rd
percentile, home value
76th
percentile, median rent
📝 How we sourced this

Population, income, and housing-cost figures come from the U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey 5-year estimates (B-series tables). Crime data uses FBI UCR; climate uses NOAA Climate Normals; school counts come from NCES Common Core of Data; permits use the Census Building Permits Survey (BPS). See our methodology page for the full ETL pipeline and OMB / FIPS join keys.

Data Snapshot: Alta, CA

Alta is a small town in California, home to 740 residents per U.S. Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates. Median household income here is $94,718 per year, above the median for U.S. cities on this measure, with a poverty rate of 3.9%. Alta's housing stock carries a median value of $468,200, and the median resident age is 46.8 years. Educational attainment runs 35.1% of adults with a bachelor's degree or higher. Separately, 60.5% of working-age residents are in the labor force.

The city is served by 1 public schools according to NCES Common Core of Data.

California carries a cost-of-living premium: on BEA's 100-equals-national-average cost index, California scores 110.7 (Well Above Average), per the 2024 Regional Price Parities release. A typical two-bedroom carries a HUD Fair Market Rent of $1,813 per month statewide. Statewide, average monthly utility bills in California run around $275, per EIA 2023 residential energy data. Commute times here average 31.3 minutes, with 61.5% driving alone and 33.2% working from home, per Census ACS commuting data. FEMA's National Risk Index rates natural-hazard exposure at 89.9 out of 100 (Very High).

Population

740 residents

Census ACS 2023 - California

Median Household Income

$94,718 /yr

Poverty 3.9%

Cost of Living Index (state)

110.7 (US=100)

Well Above Average - BEA RPP 2024, California average

How does Alta compare to other US cities?

Alta measured against every US city with 1,000+ residents, computed live from the same Census and FBI data shown throughout this page.

Household income 74% higher than other cities
Home value 83% pricier than other cities
Median rent 76% pricier than other cities

"Safer than" reflects total crime rate from FBI UCR; the others use Census ACS estimates.

How we calculate these percentiles & ranks

For each metric we count every US city with population 1,000+ and a non-null value, then compute what share of them fall below Alta's value: round(cities-below ÷ total × 100). Safety is inverted (percentile = share of cities with a higher crime rate) so a higher number always means safer. The in-state rank narrows that same crime-rate comparison to only the cities PlainCities tracks in California, breaking ties alphabetically. See the methodology page for the full source-to-figure lineage.

74thIncome percentile

74th percentile nationally for median household income. Source: Census ACS 2023 / FBI UCR 2023.

How Alta's home value compares nationally

Median home value vs. every US city (population 1,000+)

$468,200 17th percentile more affordable than 17% of 15,600 US cities

$0–$25,000: 5 US cities (0%). Below this entry. $25,000–$50,000: 54 US cities (0%). Below this entry. $50,000–$75,000: 352 US cities (2%). Below this entry. $75,000–$100,000: 1,086 US cities (7%). Below this entry. $100,000–$125,000: 1,516 US cities (10%). Below this entry. $125,000–$150,000: 1,170 US cities (8%). Below this entry. $150,000–$175,000: 1,278 US cities (8%). Below this entry. $175,000–$200,000: 1,229 US cities (8%). Below this entry. $200,000–$225,000: 1,035 US cities (7%). Below this entry. $225,000–$250,000: 976 US cities (6%). Below this entry. $250,000–$275,000: 754 US cities (5%). Below this entry. $275,000–$300,000: 712 US cities (5%). Below this entry. $300,000–$325,000: 521 US cities (3%). Below this entry. $325,000–$350,000: 526 US cities (3%). Below this entry. $350,000–$375,000: 465 US cities (3%). Below this entry. $375,000–$400,000: 393 US cities (3%). Below this entry. $400,000–$425,000: 317 US cities (2%). Below this entry. $425,000–$450,000: 300 US cities (2%). Below this entry. $450,000–$475,000: 307 US cities (2%). This entry sits in this band. $475,000–$500,000: 250 US cities (2%). Above this entry. $500,000–$525,000: 160 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $525,000–$550,000: 156 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $550,000–$575,000: 172 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $575,000–$600,000: 172 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $600,000–$625,000: 163 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $625,000–$650,000: 167 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $650,000–$675,000: 135 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $675,000–$700,000: 101 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $700,000–$725,000: 95 US cities (1%). Above this entry. $725,000–$750,000: 71 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $750,000–$775,000: 65 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $775,000–$800,000: 70 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $800,000–$825,000: 57 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $825,000–$850,000: 67 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $850,000–$875,000: 60 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $875,000–$900,000: 58 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $900,000–$925,000: 47 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $925,000–$950,000: 37 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $950,000–$975,000: 31 US cities (0%). Above this entry. $975,000–$1,000,000: 470 US cities (3%). Above this entry. $1,000,000–$1,025,000: 0 US cities (0%). Above this entry. Alta $0 $1,025,000 every US city, bucketed by value

Each bar is a $25K-wide band; taller bars hold more US cities. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count, share, and where it sits relative to this entry.

Source U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year Estimates · 2023

Income distribution context

Household income distribution - Alta, CA Alta, CA's reported median household income shown against the U.S. national quintile-share pattern (not Alta, CA-specific quintile data). The Lorenz curve traces the national cumulative income share against cumulative population share, perfect equality is the diagonal; observed inequality bows below. $ Household Income Distribution Alta, CA median $94,718/yr, vs. U.S. national quintile pattern QUINTILE SHARE OF AGGREGATE INCOME Lowest 20% 3.4% Second 20% 9.2% Middle 20% 15.1% Fourth 20% 23.2% Top 20% 49.1% LORENZ CURVE cumulative income vs. population 100% 0% 100% pop. 0%
Alta, CA's median household income (Census ACS 5-year estimate) plotted against the U.S. national income-quintile distribution pattern for context; the quintile shares and Lorenz curve are national figures, not computed specifically for Alta, CA. Diagonal = perfect equality.

Key socioeconomic indicators

Bachelor's degree or higher (adults 25+) 35.1%

Census ACS S1501, educational attainment

Poverty rate (households below FPL) 3.9%

Census ACS S1701, poverty status

Labor force participation (adults 16+) 60.5%

Census ACS S2301, share of working-age residents in the labor force

Population
740
Median Income
$94,718
Median Home Value
$468,200
Median Age
46.8
Poverty Rate
3.9%
Labor force participation
60.5%
Bachelor's Degree+
35.1%

Schools

Total Schools
1
Public schools in this city

Commute Patterns

How workers travel to work, Census ACS 2023

Average Commute Time
31.3 minutes
Drive Alone
61.5%
Carpool
5.4%
Public Transit
0.0%
Walk
0.0%
Work from Home
33.2%

Based on 392 workers 16 and over.

Monthly Utility Costs

State-average estimates for California - EIA 2023 residential energy data

Electricity
$150
avg/month
Natural Gas
$55
avg/month
Water & Sewer
$70
avg/month
Total Utilities
$275
estimated/month

Estimates reflect California state averages. Actual costs vary by home size, usage, and local rates. Source: U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) 2023.

Living Costs & Risk

Cost of living is a California state average from BEA; rent and hazard risk are county-level figures from HUD and FEMA for the county Alta sits in

Cost of Living Index
110.7
Well Above Average
US average = 100 · BEA RPP 2024
Typical 2-BR Rent
$1,813/mo
HUD Fair Market Rent
County-level FMR estimate
Natural Hazard Risk
89.9 / 100
Very High
FEMA NRI composite score (county)

Similar Cities in California

Deer Park
740 people
Mi-Wuk
743 people
Wallace
743 people
Lakeside CDP (Kern County)
734 people
Patton
732 people
Hickman
749 people

Cities of a Similar Size Nationwide

Population-matched peers from other states, closest to Alta's 740 residents (Census ACS 5-Year 2023).

New Site, AL
740 people
Ponemah, MN
740 people
Batavia, MT
740 people
McCool Junction, NE
740 people
North Haverhill, NH
740 people
McLeansville, NC
740 people

Cities with a Similar Household Income Nationwide

Median-household-income-matched peers from other states, closest to Alta's $94,718 (Census ACS 5-Year 2023, table B19013).

Park, TN
$94,716 median income
Bradley Beach, NJ
$94,722 median income
Center City, MN
$94,712 median income
Sonterra, TX
$94,728 median income
Villa Park, IL
$94,698 median income
Lake Darby, OH
$94,743 median income

Race & Ethnicity Composition

Race and ethnicity - Alta, CA Race categories sum to one hundred percent per Census methodology. Hispanic or Latino is shown separately as an ethnicity overlay; it cuts across all race categories per OMB Directive 15. Race & Ethnicity Composition Alta, CA - Census ACS, OMB race + ethnicity categories RACE, sums to 100% 87.0% 7.3% ETHNICITY, Hispanic or Latino (any race) 4.2% White 87.0% Black or African American 0.3% Asian 0.0% American Indian 0.0% Native Hawaiian 0.0% Some other race 7.3% Two or more races 5.4% Per OMB Directive 15: Hispanic/Latino ethnicity is reported separately from the race categories.
Race categories sum to 100%. Hispanic or Latino ethnicity is reported separately and cuts across race per Census/OMB methodology.

City-level race and ethnicity, Census ACS 5-year 2023 (tables B02001, B03001), OMB Directive 15 categories.

How Alta compares to nearby California cities

Population + median household income, sourced from Census Bureau ACS 5-year B01001 (population) and B19013 (median household income).

City Population Median Household Income
Alta (this city) 740 $94,718
Deer Park 740 $108,261
Mi-Wuk 743 $132,870
Wallace 743 $113,462
Census ACS 5-year FIPS CA NCES CCD OMB Bulletin 23-01

What do people ask about Alta, CA?

What is the population of Alta, CA? +

Alta, CA has a population of 740 according to U.S. Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates.

What is the median household income in Alta, CA? +

In Alta, the typical household earns $94,718 per year, based on Census ACS 2023 data.

What is the cost of living in Alta? +

BEA does not publish a city-level cost-of-living figure for Alta; the closest available measure is the California state average, a cost of living index of 110.7 (U.S. average = 100), rated "Well Above Average" based on BEA Regional Price Parities 2024 data. Costs within California vary by metro area.

What is the median home value in Alta, CA? +

Alta's median home value sits at $468,200, according to Census ACS 2023 estimates.

Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year 2023, NCES CCD, Census ACS B08301/B08136, U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) 2023, BEA Regional Price Parities 2024, HUD Fair Market Rents 2026, FEMA National Risk Index.

Read our methodology - how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.

Primary sources: Census ACS, FBI UCR, NOAA Climate Normals, NCES.

Citation & verification links Data sourced from the U.S. Census Bureau. See our methodology for details. Retrieved and formatted by PlainCities Editorial

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Every figure on PlainCities is rendered directly from Census ACS source data, no number is typed in by an editor. This page draws directly on Census ACS source data, no figure is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error.