Jobs, pay and daily life in Alton, from official statistics with source and year on every table.
Click any dot to open that city: jobs, pay, rent, commute, county economy and climate. Dot size follows population; colours follow the state flag.
By AtiveSite · Published 07/11/2026 · Updated 07/11/2026 · Every figure is linked to its source below.
Alton is a city in Illinois with 25,279 residents. The median household earns $54,568 a year and the median rent is $1,015 a month, which is 22.3% of the median household income. It is part of the St. Louis, MO-IL metropolitan area, where BLS counts 1,341,320 jobs.
How Alton compares. Among the 100 largest places in Illinois, Alton is #87 by population, #93 for household income (#1 = highest), #16 for rent (#1 = cheapest), #84 for college degrees (#1 = most). Its county, Madison County, is #26 of 102 counties for average pay ($57,153).
Alton has 25,279 residents (ACS 2020–2024), about 0.2% of the population of Illinois. It covers 16 square miles of land, which works out to roughly 1,613 people per square mile. The median age is 38.0, about the same as the state median (38.0 against 39.0).
The median gross rent is $1,015 a month (rent plus utilities), 20% below the state median ($1,015 against $1,274). Over a year that is 22.3% of the median household income. US housing guidance treats housing as affordable when it takes 30% of income or less, so the typical household is under that line. The median home value is $103,700, which is 1.9 times the median household income ($54,568); a ratio under 4 usually means ownership is within reach for many households. 59.9% of households own their home, 11% below the state average (59.9% against 67.1%).
The St. Louis, MO-IL metropolitan area has 1,341,320 jobs in the BLS wage survey, and the median pay across all occupations is $49,990 a year, about the same as the national median ($49,990 against $50,980). The biggest occupation groups are office and administrative support (149,950 jobs, median $46,840); food preparation and serving related (120,730 jobs, median $33,040); transportation and material moving (110,460 jobs, median $44,750). The area is most specialised in healthcare practitioners and technical (1.1 times) and healthcare support (1.1 times), where the share of workers is above the national share. The best-paying groups with at least 5,000 jobs are management ($107,830) and computer and mathematical ($99,080). In 2026M09 the unemployment rate of Madison County was 3.4%. 60.9% of residents aged 16 and over are in the labour force. The city lies in Madison County; its jobs, pay by industry and GDP are on the county page.
Among workers, 73.8% drive alone, 1.4% use public transit, 2.3% walk, 9.7% work from home. 12.3% of workers commute 45 minutes or more, 38% below the state average (12.3% against 19.7%).
21.5% of adults aged 25 and over hold a bachelor's degree or higher, 43% below the state share (21.5% against 37.9%). 2.6% of residents were born outside the United States, 82% below the state share (2.6% against 14.8%). The poverty rate is 21.0%, 78% above the state rate (21.0% against 11.8%).
The warmest month is Jul, averaging 78°F (25.4°C), and the coolest is Jan at 29°F (-1.9°C). About 1,079 mm (42 inches) of precipitation falls in a year; May is the wettest month (127 mm) and Feb the driest (60 mm). These values come from NASA satellite-based climatology on a grid of about 50 km, so they describe the wider area, not a weather station in the city.
Closest cities in this guide: Spanish Lake (9 miles, rent 14% higher); Old Jamestown (9 miles, rent 81% higher); Edwardsville (12 miles, rent 29% higher); Florissant (12 miles, rent 27% higher). Rent differences are against Alton; use the Compare tab to put any two cities side by side.
Federal jobs in Illinois (1,066) →State guide: IllinoisCountry guideMadison CountyIllinois rankings
These links go to official sources and open in a new window. The first one is the government's or company's own site as listed in Wikidata (property "official website"); check it before relying on it.
There are 1,066 federal postings open in Illinois (USAJOBS, state level; we do not have a city filter for them). Private-sector jobs are not in this feed.
Open federal jobs in Illinois →
| Occupation ⇅ | Jobs ⇅ | Location quotient ⇅ | Median pay (year) ⇅ | Entry (10th pct.) ⇅ | Top (90th pct.) ⇅ | Median vs US ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| General and Operations Managers | 46,410 | 1.54 | $93,140 | $45,690 | $210,790 | -12% |
| Home Health and Personal Care Aides | 44,200 | 1.19 | $34,490 | $28,600 | $42,720 | -4% |
| Registered Nurses | 35,200 | 1.21 | $83,180 | $63,440 | $104,460 | -15% |
| Cashiers | 31,130 | 1.17 | $32,380 | $29,630 | $44,310 | -2% |
| Retail Salespersons | 29,750 | 0.88 | $33,820 | $29,670 | $47,490 | -4% |
| Stockers and Order Fillers | 28,940 | 1.18 | $37,840 | $31,200 | $52,940 | +1% |
| Customer Service Representatives | 23,760 | 1.06 | $45,800 | $34,160 | $65,620 | +2% |
| Office Clerks, General | 22,540 | 1.06 | $44,980 | $31,200 | $64,830 | -0% |
| Laborers and Freight, Stock, and Material Movers, Hand | 21,340 | 0.84 | $41,780 | $31,770 | $55,780 | +4% |
| Waiters and Waitresses | 20,170 | 1.03 | $31,200 | $28,600 | $62,520 | -11% |
| Janitors and Cleaners, Except Maids and Housekeeping Cleaners | 19,680 | 1.03 | $36,620 | $30,730 | $47,620 | -1% |
| Fast Food and Counter Workers | 19,170 | 0.58 | $31,260 | $29,470 | $36,480 | +0% |
| Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers | 18,270 | 1.03 | $58,240 | $40,540 | $79,300 | -1% |
| Cooks, Fast Food | 17,700 | 3.20 | $30,860 | $29,510 | $36,450 | -0% |
| Secretaries and Administrative Assistants, Except Legal, Medical, and Executive | 15,000 | 1.02 | $46,200 | $32,070 | $62,040 | -3% |
| Nursing Assistants | 14,620 | 1.17 | $39,110 | $35,300 | $46,890 | -7% |
| Accountants and Auditors | 13,610 | 1.09 | $78,880 | $51,040 | $130,340 | -6% |
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | 13,440 | 1.12 | $60,650 | $47,210 | $83,750 | -5% |
| Maintenance and Repair Workers, General | 13,170 | 1.00 | $53,930 | $36,320 | $79,330 | +9% |
| Cooks, Restaurant | 12,970 | 1.07 | $37,690 | $29,690 | $47,230 | +1% |
| Occupation ⇅ | Jobs ⇅ | Location quotient ⇅ | Median pay (year) ⇅ | Entry (10th pct.) ⇅ | Top (90th pct.) ⇅ | Median vs US ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Physicians, All Other | 2,470 | 0.83 | $246,440 | $81,950 | $560,130 | -7% |
| Nurse Anesthetists | 650 | 1.44 | $232,300 | $214,980 | $332,800 | -2% |
| Dentists, General | 1,250 | 1.17 | $210,430 | $96,300 | $559,260 | +23% |
| Chief Executives | 1,120 | 0.64 | $202,840 | $93,620 | $504,140 | -5% |
| Computer and Information Systems Managers | 6,160 | 1.06 | $167,130 | $103,330 | $217,130 | -5% |
| Architectural and Engineering Managers | 1,280 | 0.67 | $162,660 | $107,830 | $209,340 | -5% |
| Natural Sciences Managers | 650 | 0.69 | $158,820 | $81,460 | $275,340 | -5% |
| Financial Managers | 7,190 | 0.99 | $158,780 | $92,720 | $304,260 | -5% |
| Lawyers | 6,100 | 0.94 | $142,690 | $67,600 | $306,650 | -11% |
| Pharmacists | 2,910 | 1.05 | $138,530 | $111,110 | $166,840 | -2% |
| Marketing Managers | 3,540 | 1.04 | $137,900 | $80,740 | $231,700 | -17% |
| Physician Assistants | 1,260 | 0.90 | $136,120 | $77,620 | $170,960 | +0% |
| Purchasing Managers | 700 | 0.96 | $135,400 | $83,600 | $202,180 | -9% |
| Human Resources Managers | 1,940 | 1.02 | $133,880 | $84,630 | $247,350 | -10% |
| Nurse Practitioners | 3,430 | 1.23 | $131,580 | $108,340 | $164,280 | -1% |
| Managers, All Other | 5,580 | 1.04 | $130,590 | $68,180 | $217,090 | -8% |
| Software Developers | 9,820 | 0.67 | $129,030 | $77,730 | $169,030 | -5% |
| Electrical Engineers | 1,290 | 0.75 | $123,960 | $77,770 | $165,120 | +3% |
| Sales Managers | 4,060 | 0.74 | $123,870 | $64,370 | $243,000 | -16% |
| Industrial Production Managers | 2,250 | 1.06 | $122,860 | $78,090 | $185,160 | -3% |
These figures are for the whole St. Louis, MO-IL metropolitan area, not the city alone.
Median pay across all occupations: $49,990 (US $50,980); unemployment 3.4% (2026M09).
| Industry (residents) ⇅ | Share of employed residents ⇅ |
|---|---|
| Education and health care | 25.5% |
| Retail trade | 15.3% |
| Arts, entertainment, accommodation, food | 11.8% |
| Professional, scientific, management, administrative | 10.2% |
| Manufacturing | 7.6% |
| Transportation, warehousing, utilities | 7.2% |
| Other services | 5.2% |
| Finance, insurance, real estate | 4.8% |
| Construction | 4.8% |
| Public administration | 3.5% |
| Information | 2.0% |
| Wholesale trade | 1.3% |
| Agriculture, forestry, fishing, mining | 0.7% |
Cities have no official GDP or payroll count of their own. These figures are for the county where Alton lies and cover the whole county, not only the city.
| County ⇅ | Population ⇅ | GDP (2024) ⇅ | GDP per resident ⇅ | Jobs (QCEW 2024) ⇅ | Employer sites ⇅ | Average annual pay ⇅ | Job change vs 2023 ⇅ | Unemployment rate ⇅ | Labour force ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Madison County | 264,238 | $16,575 million | $62,729 | 105,166 | 5,398 | $57,153 | +1.6% | 3.4% | 132,941 |
| Industry ⇅ | Jobs ⇅ | Share of private jobs ⇅ | Average annual pay ⇅ | Concentration vs US (location quotient) ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Health care and social assistance | 15,366 | 17.0% | $60,070 | 1.02 |
| Transportation and warehousing | 12,203 | 13.5% | $58,033 | 2.74 |
| Retail trade | 11,991 | 13.2% | $37,015 | 1.14 |
| Accommodation and food services | 11,107 | 12.3% | $22,457 | 1.16 |
| Manufacturing | 9,524 | 10.5% | $85,621 | 1.10 |
| Construction | 6,696 | 7.4% | $79,540 | 1.21 |
| Administrative and waste services | 4,873 | 5.4% | $48,530 | 0.79 |
| Professional and technical services | 3,777 | 4.2% | $99,884 | 0.52 |
| Other services (except public administration) | 3,627 | 4.0% | $38,705 | 1.15 |
| Wholesale trade | 3,127 | 3.4% | $72,223 | 0.75 |
| Finance and insurance | 2,791 | 3.1% | $71,976 | 0.65 |
| Arts, entertainment, recreation | 1,678 | 1.9% | $27,098 | 0.95 |
| Educational services | 1,021 | 1.1% | $29,424 | 0.47 |
| Utilities | 823 | 0.9% | $128,215 | 2.06 |
| Real estate and rental | 770 | 0.8% | $61,706 | 0.47 |
| Information | 553 | 0.6% | $74,331 | 0.28 |
| Management of companies | 384 | 0.4% | $92,943 | 0.22 |
| Agriculture, forestry, fishing | 197 | 0.2% | $36,538 | 0.23 |
| Mining, oil and gas | 132 | 0.1% | $79,864 | 0.33 |
QCEW counts jobs covered by unemployment insurance; sectors with too few employers are withheld by BLS. Latest-month unemployment is preliminary.
| How residents get to work ⇅ | Share ⇅ |
|---|---|
| Drive alone | 73.8% |
| Public transit | 1.4% |
| Walk | 2.3% |
| Work from home | 9.7% |
| Commute of 45 minutes or more | 12.3% |
Shares are of workers aged 16 and over; they describe residents, wherever they work.
| Indicator ⇅ | Value ⇅ |
|---|---|
| Median household income | $54,568 |
| Income per person | $29,314 |
| Median gross rent per month | $1,015 |
| Yearly rent as share of median household income | 22.3% |
| Median home value | $103,700 |
| Homeowners | 59.9% |
| Poverty rate | 21.0% |
| Price level of the metro area (US = 100) | 95.1 |
| Metro median pay, all occupations | $49,990 |
Estimate for a wage earner: 2026 federal brackets and standard deduction (IRS), Social Security 6.2% up to $184,500, Medicare 1.45% (+0.9% above $200,000 single / $250,000 married), and a state rate you set. It ignores credits, pre-tax deductions, local taxes and benefits. Sources: IRS: tax year 2026 inflation adjustments · SSA wage base per Federal Register notice 2025-19763.
State tax: Flat 4.95%.
| Indicator ⇅ | Value ⇅ |
|---|---|
| Median age | 38.0 |
| High school or higher (25+) | 91.3% |
| Bachelor's degree or higher (25+) | 21.5% |
| Born abroad | 2.6% |
| Labour force participation (16+) | 60.9% |
Work permits are federal: see permits and first steps.
| Month ⇅ | Mean temperature (°C) ⇅ | Mean temperature (°F) ⇅ | Precipitation (mm) ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | -1.9 | 29 | 61 |
| Feb | -0.2 | 32 | 60 |
| Mar | 6.3 | 43 | 84 |
| Apr | 12.9 | 55 | 116 |
| May | 18.3 | 65 | 127 |
| Jun | 23.3 | 74 | 113 |
| Jul | 25.4 | 78 | 101 |
| Aug | 24.6 | 76 | 95 |
| Sep | 20.6 | 69 | 80 |
| Oct | 13.3 | 56 | 92 |
| Nov | 6.4 | 44 | 79 |
| Dec | 0.7 | 33 | 71 |
Satellite-reanalysis climatology on a grid of roughly 50 km, so it smooths local effects (hills, coast, city heat). It is not a weather-station record.
| City ⇅ | State ⇅ | Distance (straight line) ⇅ | Population ⇅ | Median household income ⇅ | Median rent ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spanish Lake | MO | 9 mi | 17,873 | $55,920 | $1,160 |
| Old Jamestown | MO | 9 mi | 20,651 | $99,521 | $1,835 |
| Edwardsville | IL | 12 mi | 26,474 | $86,721 | $1,306 |
| Florissant | MO | 12 mi | 51,773 | $65,318 | $1,288 |
| Granite City | IL | 12 mi | 26,549 | $59,205 | $834 |
| Ferguson | MO | 13 mi | 18,213 | $47,524 | $1,119 |
| Jennings | MO | 14 mi | 12,918 | $38,984 | $961 |
| Hazelwood | MO | 15 mi | 25,114 | $55,908 | $996 |
| Bridgeton | MO | 17 mi | 11,369 | $72,005 | $1,172 |
| Collinsville | IL | 18 mi | 24,031 | $67,612 | $1,038 |
Straight-line distance in miles, not driving distance.
Pick two cities.
vs
25,279 (Census Bureau ACS 2020–2024 5-year estimate).
$1,015 a month (ACS 2020–2024), which is 22.3% of the median household income.
$54,568 (ACS 2020–2024, in 2024 dollars).
3.4% (BLS county, Madison County (latest month 2026M09)).
Illinois. See the state guide for minimum wage, taxes and pay.