City · Kansas
Alta Vista, Kansas
Alta Vista, city, in Wabaunsee County, Kansas. Alta Vista had 401 residents on July 1, 2025 by the Census Bureau's estimate, down 2.0% since 2020; the 2020 Census counted 409 and the ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates put it at 443 (±120). GEOID 2001575.
Residents, July 2025 estimate
401
Census Bureau estimate (no margin published)
2020 Census count: 409 · ACS 2020-2024: 443 ±120
Median household income
$51,250
±$12,874 (90% margin)
Kansas: $74,275
Median home value
$85,000
±$14,398 (90% margin)
Kansas: $217,200
Median gross rent
$983
±$397 (90% margin)
Kansas: $1,060
Where is Alta Vista and what county is it in?
Alta Vista is a city in Wabaunsee County, Kansas. It covers 0.3 square miles of land, 1,172 residents per square mile in 2020.
Alta Vista is in the Topeka, KS metropolitan statistical area, which takes in 5 counties (Census Bureau delineation, July 2023).
Alta Vista lies entirely within Garfield Township (Wabaunsee County), a township with its own local government (2020 census blocks).
Source: 2024 Gazetteer and 2020 place-by-county files, U.S. Census Bureau · Census reference files
How many people live in Alta Vista, and is it growing?
The Census Bureau estimates that 401 people lived in Alta Vista on July 1, 2025, down 2.0% since 2020, while Kansas grew 1.3%. The 2020 Census counted 409 residents. The 2020-2024 American Community Survey, a five-year sample, puts the population at 443 (±120).
| Measure | Alta Vista | Wabaunsee County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total population | 443 ±120 | 7,009 | no clear change |
| Households | 188 ±41 | 2,684 | no clear change |
| Average household size | 2.36 ±0.41 | 2.56 | no clear change |
| Housing units | 228 ±43 | 3,136 | no clear change |
Alta Vista's population since 2000
From 442 in 2000 to 401 in 2025: down 9.3%. The 2000, 2010 and 2020 figures are census counts, each for Alta Vista as it was drawn that year: a place that annexed land, or a community that has since incorporated, covered a different area then. The 2005 figure is the Census Bureau's intercensal estimate, revised to fit the 2000 and 2010 counts and drawn on 2010 boundaries; 2015 and 2025 are July 1 estimates made from the census before them.
Source: The 2000, 2010 and 2020 Census counts and the Census Bureau's population estimates (intercensal 2000-2010, Vintage 2020, Vintage 2025) · Census population estimates
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026); Census PEP Vintage 2025 (SUB-EST2025, CO-EST2025); 2020 Census P.L. 94-171 · Check it at data.census.gov
Who lives in Alta Vista?
The median resident of Alta Vista is 38.6 years old; 24.2% are under 18 and 19.2% are 65 or older. The largest group is non-Hispanic white residents at 85.6%, then Hispanic or Latino residents (of any race) at 9.3%.
| Measure | Alta Vista | Wabaunsee County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median age | 38.6 ±6.0 | 43.3 | no clear change |
| Under 18 years | 24.2% ±6.6 pts | 22.7% | – |
| 65 years and over | 19.2% ±6.2 pts | 21.6% | – |
| Male | 50.8% ±5.2 pts | 51.4% | – |
| Hispanic or Latino (any race) | 9.3% ±6.3 pts | 4.8% | – |
| White alone, not Hispanic | 85.6% ±7.6 pts | 89.6% | no clear change |
| Black or African American alone, not Hispanic | 0.0% ±6.5 pts | 0.2% | – |
| Asian alone, not Hispanic | 0.5% ±1.2 pts | 0.4% | – |
| American Indian and Alaska Native alone, not Hispanic | 0.0% ±6.5 pts | 0.0% | – |
| Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander alone, not Hispanic | 0.0% ±6.5 pts | 0.0% | – |
| Two or more races, not Hispanic | 4.7% ±4.4 pts | 4.5% | – |
| Some other race alone, not Hispanic | 0.0% ±6.5 pts | 0.5% | – |
| Born outside the United States | 1.4% ±1.6 pts | 1.2% | – |
| Speak a language other than English at home (age 5+) | 4.0% ±3.3 pts | 2.5% | – |
| Civilian veterans (age 18+) | 17.9% ±7.2 pts | 10.0% | – |
| With a disability | 26.4% ±11.4 pts | 16.6% | – |
| No health insurance coverage | 10.4% ±4.2 pts | 12.6% | no clear change |
| High school graduate or higher (age 25+) | 92.8% ±4.2 pts | 95.2% | – |
| Bachelor's degree or higher (age 25+) | 9.9% ±5.7 pts | 25.0% | no clear change |
| Graduate or professional degree (age 25+) | 2.6% ±2.7 pts | 8.4% | – |
| Lived in the same house a year earlier | 94.1% ±4.5 pts | 93.2% | – |
| Moved from another state in the past year | 0.7% ±0.9 pts | 1.2% | – |
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) (Data Profiles DP02, DP05) · Check it at data.census.gov
What do households in Alta Vista earn?
Half of Alta Vista's 188 households earn less than $51,250 a year (±$12,874), against $76,908 in Wabaunsee County and $74,275 in Kansas. In 2015-2019 it was $54,612 in 2024 dollars; the margins of error cannot tell the two periods apart. 25.7% of residents live below the poverty line.
| Measure | Alta Vista | Wabaunsee County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $51,250 ±$12,874 | $76,908 | no clear change |
| Mean household income | $65,166 ±$11,851 | $93,653 | – |
| Per capita income | $27,561 ±$6,469 | $37,237 | no clear change |
| People below the poverty line | 25.7% ±10.7 pts | 8.5% | no clear change |
| Children under 18 below the poverty line | 22.4% ±18.0 pts | 8.0% | – |
| Households receiving SNAP | 24.5% ±12.4 pts | 4.6% | – |
| Households with a computer | 94.7% ±4.1 pts | 90.4% | – |
| Households with a broadband subscription | 85.1% ±9.1 pts | 87.2% | – |
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) (Data Profile DP03) · Check it at data.census.gov
What does housing cost in Alta Vista?
Owners occupy 58.0% of Alta Vista's occupied homes and renters 42.0%. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $85,000 by its owner (±$14,398). The median renter pays $983 a month including utilities, and 47.3% of renters pay 35% or more of their income on rent.
| Measure | Alta Vista | Wabaunsee County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home value (owner-occupied) | $85,000 ±$14,398 | $177,300 | no clear change |
| Median gross rent | $983 ±$397 | $780 | no clear change |
| Renters paying 35% or more of income on rent | 47.3% ±24.3 pts | 25.5% | no clear change |
| Median monthly owner costs, with a mortgage | $1,013 ±$101 | $1,439 | – |
| Owner-occupied homes | 58.0% ±11.9 pts | 81.1% | −17.0 pts |
| Renter-occupied homes | 42.0% ±11.9 pts | 18.9% | – |
| Housing units | 228 ±43 | 3,136 | no clear change |
| Homeowner vacancy rate | 3.5% ±5.4 pts | 0.3% | – |
| Rental vacancy rate | 0.0% ±30.6 pts | 4.0% | – |
| Single-family detached homes | 92.5% ±5.2 pts | 85.8% | – |
| Mobile homes | 2.2% ±2.3 pts | 5.5% | – |
| Built 2020 or later | 0.0% ±12.3 pts | 0.6% | – |
| Built 2010 to 2019 | 5.3% ±3.7 pts | 5.0% | – |
| Built 1939 or earlier | 55.7% ±10.5 pts | 36.5% | – |
| Households with no vehicle | 1.6% ±2.2 pts | 2.6% | – |
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) (Data Profile DP04) · Check it at data.census.gov
How many new homes is Alta Vista building?
Builders took permits for 0 new housing units in Alta Vista in 2025 (0 in single-family houses), 0.0 per 1,000 residents against 3.5 across Kansas.
Counts of units in permits a local office issued; not every permitted unit is built. A year marked with months was reported for part of the year.
Source: Building Permits Survey, annual place files 2019-2025, U.S. Census Bureau · Census Building Permits Survey
How do people in Alta Vista work and get to work?
69.5% of Alta Vista's workers drive alone. The average trip to work takes 31.5 minutes.
| Measure | Alta Vista | Wabaunsee County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| In the labor force (age 16+) | 67.0% ±7.5 pts | 62.3% | – |
| Unemployment rate | 12.8% ±14.2 pts | 4.4% | – |
| Drove alone to work | 69.5% ±14.3 pts | 73.8% | – |
| Carpooled | 14.0% ±9.9 pts | 9.8% | – |
| Public transportation | 0.0% ±13.9 pts | 0.2% | – |
| Walked | 4.5% ±5.9 pts | 3.1% | – |
| Worked from home | 3.0% ±4.7 pts | 11.1% | – |
| Mean travel time to work | 31.5 min ±3.5 | 28.3 min | +7.7 min |
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) (Data Profile DP03) · Check it at data.census.gov
What census tracts are in Alta Vista?
No census tract lies mostly in Alta Vista; 1 tract reaches into it (2020 census blocks).
| Tract | Residents, 2020-2024 | Median household income |
|---|---|---|
| Tract 4831Wabaunsee County | 4,660 | $76,957 |
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026); 2020 block assignment files (tract share = share of the tract's census blocks in Alta Vista) · Census block assignment files
How does Alta Vista compare with other places in Kansas?
By the Census Bureau's July 2025 estimates, Alta Vista is the 14,110th-most populous of the 19,476 U.S. incorporated places that have one and the 307th-most populous of 625 in Kansas.
Alta Vista is not ranked by income or the other survey measures: those rankings include places of 1,000 or more residents (2020 Census) with a reliable estimate.
| Measure | Rank | Of |
|---|---|---|
| Population, July 2025 estimate | 307th | 625 |
Alta Vista's figures with every place in Kansas (CSV)
Every place in Kansas, sortable · Compare Alta Vista with other places
Source: PlainCities ranks computed from the American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) and PEP Vintage 2025 · How ranks are computed
How reliable are the figures for Alta Vista?
23 of the 57 figures for Alta Vista on this page carry a coefficient of variation over 40% and are marked with a ring: they come from a small sample, so read them as rough.
The American Community Survey samples about one household in eight over five years, so every figure is an estimate with a 90% margin of error (shown under each value). A ring marks an estimate whose coefficient of variation is over 40%. A change is called only when the gap between the two periods is larger than their combined 90% margin (the square root of the sum of the two squared margins), the Census Bureau's test. How to read a margin of error.
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026): margins of error as published · ACS technical documentation
How these figures are made: methodology and release checks · reading a margin of error · every state · corrections
Not on this page: crime, weather and schools for Alta Vista are other agencies' records. Crime: the FBI's Crime Data Explorer · climate: NOAA's U.S. Climate Normals · schools: the National Center for Education Statistics' public schools in Alta Vista.