Town · New Hampshire
Alton, New Hampshire
Alton, town, in Belknap County, New Hampshire. Alton had 6,036 residents on July 1, 2025 by the Census Bureau's estimate, up 2.5% since 2020; the 2020 Census counted 5,894 and the ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates put it at 5,994 (±28). GEOID 3300101060.
Residents, July 2025 estimate
6,036
Census Bureau estimate (no margin published)
2020 Census count: 5,894 · ACS 2020-2024: 5,994 ±28
Median household income
$113,715
±$18,594 (90% margin)
New Hampshire: $99,031
Median home value
$430,400
±$37,387 (90% margin)
New Hampshire: $402,500
Median gross rent
not published
New Hampshire: $1,491
Where is Alton and what county is it in?
Alton is a town in Belknap County, New Hampshire. It covers 63.7 square miles of land, 93 residents per square mile in 2020.
One place lies inside Alton: Alton (CDP, 499 in 2020).
Alton is in the Laconia, NH micropolitan statistical area (Census Bureau delineation, July 2023).
Source: 2024 Gazetteer and 2020 place-by-county files, U.S. Census Bureau · Census reference files
How many people live in Alton, and is it growing?
The Census Bureau estimates that 6,036 people lived in Alton on July 1, 2025, up 2.5% since 2020, in line with New Hampshire (+2.7%). The 2020 Census counted 5,894 residents. The 2020-2024 American Community Survey, a five-year sample, puts the population at 5,994 (±28).
| Measure | Alton | Belknap County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total population | 5,994±28 | 64,659 | +691 |
| Households | 2,253±194 | 26,337 | no clear change |
| Average household size | 2.66±0.23 | 2.41 | no clear change |
| Housing units | 4,614±274 | 39,003 | no clear change |
Alton's population since 2000
From 4,502 in 2000 to 6,036 in 2025: up 34.1%. The 2000, 2010 and 2020 figures are census counts, each for Alton 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 Alton?
The median resident of Alton is 53.7 years old; 13.4% are under 18 and 25.1% are 65 or older. The largest group is non-Hispanic white residents at 96.2%, then non-Hispanic residents of two or more races at 2.0%.
| Measure | Alton | Belknap County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median age | 53.7±3.2 | 48.4 | no clear change |
| Under 18 years | 13.4%±2.9 pts | 17.3% | – |
| 65 years and over | 25.1%±4.6 pts | 24.0% | – |
| Male | 49.7%±3.6 pts | 49.7% | – |
| Hispanic or Latino (any race) | 0.7%±0.9 pts | 2.3% | – |
| White alone, not Hispanic | 96.2%±2.0 pts | 92.7% | no clear change |
| Black or African American alone, not Hispanic | 0.6%±0.8 pts | 0.5% | – |
| Asian alone, not Hispanic | 0.3%±0.3 pts | 1.2% | – |
| American Indian and Alaska Native alone, not Hispanic | 0.0%±0.6 pts | 0.0% | – |
| Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander alone, not Hispanic | 0.1%±0.2 pts | 0.0% | – |
| Two or more races, not Hispanic | 2.0%±1.5 pts | 2.8% | – |
| Some other race alone, not Hispanic | 0.2%±0.3 pts | 0.5% | – |
| Born outside the United States | 1.3%±0.9 pts | 2.8% | – |
| Speak a language other than English at home (age 5+) | 0.5%±0.6 pts | 3.5% | – |
| Civilian veterans (age 18+) | 11.4%±3.0 pts | 9.7% | – |
| With a disability | 12.3%±3.2 pts | 15.0% | – |
| No health insurance coverage | 2.6%±2.2 pts | 5.9% | – |
| High school graduate or higher (age 25+) | 95.6%±2.1 pts | 93.8% | – |
| Bachelor's degree or higher (age 25+) | 35.8%±7.3 pts | 33.6% | no clear change |
| Graduate or professional degree (age 25+) | 11.4%±3.7 pts | 13.1% | – |
| Lived in the same house a year earlier | 96.6%±2.7 pts | 89.9% | – |
| Moved from another state in the past year | 1.4%±2.0 pts | 3.5% | – |
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 Alton earn?
Half of Alton's 2,253 households earn less than $113,715 a year (±$18,594), against $92,783 in Belknap County and $99,031 in New Hampshire. In 2015-2019 it was $106,167 in 2024 dollars; the margins of error cannot tell the two periods apart. 4.1% of residents live below the poverty line.
| Measure | Alton | Belknap County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $113,715±$18,594 | $92,783 | no clear change |
| Mean household income | $145,143±$21,712 | $116,878 | – |
| Per capita income | $55,370±$7,810 | $49,037 | no clear change |
| People below the poverty line | 4.1%±2.5 pts | 8.5% | – |
| Children under 18 below the poverty line | 0.0%±4.3 pts | 11.1% | – |
| Households receiving SNAP | 2.3%±1.8 pts | 6.9% | – |
| Households with a computer | 95.3%±3.2 pts | 95.5% | – |
| Households with a broadband subscription | 94.8%±3.6 pts | 91.9% | – |
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 Alton?
Owners occupy 93.7% of Alton's occupied homes and renters 6.3%. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $430,400 by its owner (±$37,387).
| Measure | Alton | Belknap County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home value (owner-occupied) | $430,400±$37,387 | $374,900 | +$91,344 |
| Renters paying 35% or more of income on rent | 31.7%±29.9 pts | 41.5% | – |
| Median monthly owner costs, with a mortgage | $2,026±$268 | $2,115 | – |
| Owner-occupied homes | 93.7%±3.9 pts | 80.1% | no clear change |
| Renter-occupied homes | 6.3%±3.9 pts | 19.9% | – |
| Housing units | 4,614±274 | 39,003 | no clear change |
| Homeowner vacancy rate | 0.0%±1.6 pts | 0.9% | – |
| Rental vacancy rate | 26.4%±36.3 pts | 2.1% | – |
| Single-family detached homes | 91.8%±3.4 pts | 73.8% | – |
| Mobile homes | 3.9%±2.0 pts | 7.2% | – |
| Built 2020 or later | 1.8%±1.9 pts | 1.0% | – |
| Built 2010 to 2019 | 6.4%±3.4 pts | 6.2% | – |
| Built 1939 or earlier | 16.5%±4.8 pts | 16.7% | – |
| Households with no vehicle | 1.6%±1.6 pts | 4.0% | – |
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 Alton building?
Builders took permits for 38 new housing units in Alton in 2025 (24 in single-family houses), 6.3 per 1,000 residents against 3.6 across New Hampshire.
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 Alton work and get to work?
81.1% of Alton's workers drive alone and 13.1% work from home. The average trip to work takes 33.1 minutes.
| Measure | Alton | Belknap County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| In the labor force (age 16+) | 63.4%±5.5 pts | 62.7% | – |
| Unemployment rate | 2.3%±2.0 pts | 3.1% | – |
| Drove alone to work | 81.1%±6.6 pts | 76.4% | – |
| Carpooled | 4.3%±2.5 pts | 7.7% | – |
| Public transportation | 0.0%±1.1 pts | 0.4% | – |
| Walked | 0.0%±1.1 pts | 1.4% | – |
| Worked from home | 13.1%±5.5 pts | 13.5% | – |
| Mean travel time to work | 33.1 min±6.7 | 25.0 min | no clear change |
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 Alton?
2 census tracts lie mostly in Alton (2020 census blocks). Their median household incomes run from $96,786 (Tract 9665.02) to $121,250 (Tract 9665.01).
| Tract | Residents, 2020-2024 | Median household income |
|---|---|---|
| Tract 9665.01Belknap County | 3,412 | $121,250 |
| Tract 9665.02Belknap County | 2,582 | $96,786 |
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 Alton) · Census block assignment files
How does Alton compare with other places in New Hampshire?
By the Census Bureau's July 2025 estimates, Alton is the 1,975th-most populous of the 16,079 U.S. towns and townships that have one and the 49th-most populous of 221 in New Hampshire.
Alton ranks 63rd of 235 places in New Hampshire with 1,000 or more residents and a reliable estimate, by median household income.
| Measure | Rank | Of |
|---|---|---|
| Population, July 2025 estimate | 49th | 221 |
| Growth 2020-2025 (PEP) | 91st | 187 |
| Residents per square mile | 168th | 241 |
| Median household income | 63rd | 235 |
| Per capita income | 77th | 240 |
| Median home value | 75th | 239 |
| Poverty rate | 135th | 160 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 136th | 239 |
| Median age | 37th | 239 |
| Owner-occupied share | 32nd | 241 |
| Work from home | 139th | 214 |
| Travel time to work | 47th | 241 |
Alton's figures with every place in New Hampshire (CSV)
Every place in New Hampshire, sortable · Compare Alton 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 Alton?
21 of the 56 figures for Alton 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 Alton 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' school search.