In Alton, a typical home is worth $156,300 and typical rent is $1,038 a month. Compared with all of Hidalgo County, the typical home value is 11% higher, typical rent is 8% higher, and the share of households that own their home is 12 points lower.
Typical home value from Zillow, September 2021 to September 2026: from $145,851 to $187,600.
Typical rent
$1,022a month
▲ 3.2% more than 12 months ago
Typical rent from Zillow, December 2024 to September 2026: from $992 to $1,022.
From Zillow (ZHVI/ZORI), September 2026. The Census figures above are 5-year averages (2020–2024).
Alton is in Hidalgo County. The FHA loan limit ($541,287 for a one-unit home), the fair market rents and the help on this page are those of all of Hidalgo County. See the county
What this place has that others do not, from public data, most unusual first.
1
Alton has the 7th smallest share of rent-burdened renters of the 356 cities in Texas with more than 5,000 people (33%).
2
Nearby, in Doffing, the typical home value is $101,700: 35% less than in Alton ($156,300).
3
Nearby, in Palmview, the typical rent is $678: 35% less than in Alton ($1,038).
4
55% of households in Alton own their home, against 67% in Hidalgo County.
Sources: U.S. Census Bureau (Average 2020–2024).
The homes here
Housing in Alton
What homes there are in Alton, what they cost, how that changed and how people live, from Census figures (2020–2024).
What homes there are
U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-year, 2020–2024
Kind of home
Detached houseAttached houseBuilding of 2 to 4Apartments (5 or more)Mobile homeBoat, RV and otherUnreliable estimate
Alton
Hidalgo County
Texas
United States
Kind of home: Alton and its comparisons
Measure
Alton
Hidalgo County
Texas
United States
Detached house
63%
65%
64%
61%
Attached house
Unreliable estimate
2%
3%
6%
Building of 2 to 4
21%
10%
5%
8%
Apartments (5 or more)
Unreliable estimate
9%
21%
19%
Mobile home
5%
14%
6%
6%
Boat, RV and other
Unreliable estimate
1%
0%
0%
As in Hidalgo County, most homes in Alton are detached houses (63%).
Year built
Before 19601960–19791980–19992000–20092010 or laterUnreliable estimate
Alton
Hidalgo County
Texas
United States
Year built: Alton and its comparisons
Measure
Alton
Hidalgo County
Texas
United States
Before 1960
Unreliable estimate
4%
12%
26%
1960–1979
9%
13%
21%
24%
1980–1999
26%
33%
28%
25%
2000–2009
24%
27%
18%
14%
2010 or later
40%
22%
21%
11%
Homes in Alton are newer: the typical year built is 2006; in Hidalgo County, 2000.
What it costs here
U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-year, 2020–2024
Value of owner-occupied homes
Under the limitOver the limitUnreliable estimate
Under $100K29%
$100K–$200K46%
$200K–$300K13%
$300K–$500K11%
$500K–$750KUnreliable
FHA limit: $541,287
$750K–$1MUnreliable
$1M or moreUnreliable
Value of owner-occupied homes: Alton and its comparisons
Measure
Alton
Under $100K
29%
$100K–$200K
46%
$200K–$300K
13%
$300K–$500K
11%
$500K–$750K
Unreliable estimate
$750K–$1M
Unreliable
$1M or more
Unreliable
At least 99% of owner-occupied homes in Alton are worth less than $500,000, below the FHA loan limit for Hidalgo County ($541,287).
Monthly rent with utilities
Unreliable estimate
Under $500Unreliable
$500–$99939%
$1,000–$1,49951%
$1,500–$1,999Unreliable
$2,000–$2,499Unreliable
$2,500–$2,999Unreliable
$3,000 or moreUnreliable
Monthly rent with utilities: Alton and its comparisons
Measure
Alton
Under $500
Unreliable estimate
$500–$999
39%
$1,000–$1,499
51%
$1,500–$1,999
Unreliable estimate
$2,000–$2,499
Unreliable
$2,500–$2,999
Unreliable
$3,000 or more
Unreliable
With a mortgage
$1,492 a month
Hidalgo County: $1,486 a month
Without a mortgage
$444 a month
Hidalgo County: $472 a month
Owners with a mortgage
46%
Hidalgo County: 39%
In Alton, 46% of owners have a mortgage; their typical cost is $1,492 a month, about the same as in Hidalgo County.
How it changed
U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-year, 2015–2019 and 2020–2024
Change since 2015–2019
Typical home value
Alton+112%
Hidalgo County+62%
Texas+65%
United States+53%
Typical rent
Alton+42%
Hidalgo County+30%
Texas+34%
United States+33%
Typical household income
Alton+62%
Hidalgo County+36%
Texas+27%
United States+29%
Change since 2015–2019: Alton and its comparisons
Measure
Alton
Hidalgo County
Texas
United States
Typical home value
+112%
+62%
+65%
+53%
Typical rent
+42%
+30%
+34%
+33%
Typical household income
+62%
+36%
+27%
+29%
From 2015–2019 to 2020–2024, the typical home value in Alton rose 112%; in Hidalgo County, it rose 62%.
Rents in Alton rose faster than in Hidalgo County: 42% since 2015–2019, against 30%.
The typical household income in Alton rose 62% over that time; home values changed +112% and rent +42%.
How people live
U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-year, 2020–2024
How people live: Alton and its comparisons
Measure
Alton
Hidalgo County
Texas
United States
Rental vacancy
Unreliable estimate
6.7%
7.7%
5.5%
Homeowner vacancy
Unreliable estimate
1.3%
1.1%
0.9%
More than one person per room
21.0%
10.9%
4.8%
3.4%
People per household
3.78
3.27
2.69
2.53
Drive alone
76%
75%
71%
69%
Carpool
10%
11%
10%
9%
Public transit
Unreliable estimate
0%
1%
3%
Walk or bike
Unreliable estimate
1%
2%
3%
Work from home
12%
9%
14%
15%
Other means
Unreliable estimate
4%
2%
2%
Typical commute
20 to 29 minutes
Unreliable estimate
20 to 29 minutes
20 to 29 minutes
In Alton, 21.0% of households live with more than one person per room, against 10.9% in Hidalgo County.
Households in Alton are bigger: 3.78 people on average; in Hidalgo County, 3.27.
To get to work, 76% of workers in Alton drive alone; in Hidalgo County, 75%.
Do the math
What would you pay each month for a home in Alton?
A typical home is tight for the typical income
We start with a typical home in Alton, worth $156,300, an FHA loan with 3.5% down and the latest average rate (7.18%). That payment would take 31% of the typical household income in Alton, which is $52,715 a year. For that payment to be 28% of income, a household would need to earn about $58,349 a year.
The calculator's FHA and conventional loan limits are those of all of Hidalgo County.
Change the price, the down payment or the loan: the payment updates right away.
Your numbers
Local data
$
Starts at the typical home value in Alton. Change it to the price you have in mind.
Your score changes which loans apply and FHA's minimum down payment. Your real rate also depends on your credit.
Down payment
%
That is $5,471 (3.5% of the price). The usual minimum for this loan is 3.5%.
This week's average ± a quarter or half point.
National average as of November 5, 2026 (Freddie Mac); your rate may be different.
Adjust advanced details⌄
Estimated monthly payment
Local data
$1,362
at 7.18% · 30 years
Loan amount
$153,469
Total interest
$220,805
Paid off in
November 2056
Includes $2,640 FHA upfront mortgage insurance premium.
Does it fit the income?
Comfortable
up to $1,230 a month
Tight
$1,230 to $1,581 a month
Your payment · 31%
Hard
more than $1,581 a month
Compared with the typical household income in Alton ($52,715 a year). Reference: HUD calls paying more than 30% of income for housing a cost burden.
Monthly payment breakdown
Principal & interest
$1,040
Property tax
$188
Home insurance
$65
FHA mortgage insurance (MIP)
$69
You need at least $5,471 for the down payment, plus closing costs.
This is an estimate to give you an idea, not a loan offer. Your real payment depends on your rate, your credit, and the insurance and taxes on the home you buy.
Total monthly payment $1,362; principal and interest $1,040.
The city and its county
Alton and Hidalgo County
Alton is in Hidalgo County, Texas. The U.S. Census Bureau publishes its own numbers for the city: home values, rent, household income, how many households own their home and the property tax. They are American Community Survey estimates (average 2020–2024).
Alton
Map of Hidalgo County, Texas, with Alton marked. Around it, the neighboring counties.
Alton
Hidalgo County
Other cities with a page
Alton's own numbers
Typical home value
$156,300
Typical monthly rent
$1,038
Typical yearly household income
$52,715
Households that own their home
55%
Effective property tax rate
1.44%
U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey (average 2020–2024).
Numbers for all of Hidalgo County
FHA limit, one-unit home
$541,287
Conventional limit, one unit
$832,750
HUD fair market rent, 2 bedrooms
$1,017
Price change over 5 years (FHFA)
+56%
HUD, FHFA and FEMA don't publish these numbers by city.
Other numbers are not published by city, only for the whole county: FHA and conventional loan limits, HUD’s fair market rents, FHFA’s price index and FEMA’s flood data. On this page, those numbers always say they are for all of Hidalgo County.
A typical home in Alton is worth $156,300: 11% above the county and 45% below Texas. With the typical household income in Alton ($52,715 a year), a typical home costs 3.0 times what the household earns in a year.
Years of income to pay for a typical home
The typical home value divided by the typical household income for one year. The lower it is, the less buying weighs.
Alton3.0 years
Hidalgo2.6 years
Texas3.6 years
United States4.1 years
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Average 2020–2024
How prices have changed in Hidalgo County
According to FHFA’s house price index, home prices in Hidalgo County rose 88% in the 10 years through 2025.
FHFA does not publish this index by city: these are the numbers for all of Hidalgo County.
Yearly change in FHFA’s price index in Hidalgo County, 2016 to 2025
2016: +3.6% +3.6% 2016
2017: +3.6% +3.6% 2017
2018: +4.0% +4.0% 2018
2019: +3.5% +3.5% 2019
2020: +4.4% +4.4% 2020
2021: +10.0% +10.0% 2021
2022: +17.9% +17.9% 2022
2023: +11.0% +11.0% 2023
2024: +4.3% +4.3% 2024
2025: +4.1% +4.1% 2025
Change in FHFA’s price index in Hidalgo County, Texas and the United States
Period
County
Texas
U.S.
Last year (2025)
+4.1%
+0.8%
+2.9%
5 years (2020–2025)
+56%
+44%
+47%
10 years (2015–2025)
+88%
+88%
+85%
The index follows the price of the same homes over time (sales and appraisals with Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac loans). It is not the average price of a home. FHFA considers its annual county indexes experimental. Source: FHFA, 2025 data
Alton next to Hidalgo County, Texas and the U.S.
Three numbers side by side. “Typical” means the median: half are above it and half below.
Typical home value
Alton$156,300
Hidalgo$140,900
Texas$283,800
United States$332,700
Typical monthly rent
Alton$1,038
Hidalgo$957
Texas$1,403
United States$1,413
Typical yearly household income
Alton$52,715
Hidalgo$54,338
Texas$78,476
United States$80,734
See the full table
Alton next to Hidalgo County and Texas
Measure
Alton
Hidalgo County
Texas
U.S.
Typical home value
$156,300 ▲11% above the county
$140,900
$283,800
$332,700
Typical monthly rent
$1,038 ▲8% above the county
$957
$1,403
$1,413
Typical yearly household income
$52,715 ▼3% below the county
$54,338
$78,476
$80,734
Households that own their home
55% ▼12 points below the county
67%
63%
65%
Typical yearly property tax
$2,245
$2,279
$4,232
$3,119
Effective property tax rate
1.44% ▼0.18 points below the county
1.62%
1.49%
0.94%
Renters with high rent for their income
33% ▼16 points below the county
49%
52%
51%
“Typical” means the median: half are above and half are below. ▲ and ▼ say whether the city is above or below Hidalgo County. “High rent” is the Census measure: renter households that pay 30% or more of their income in rent.
Four ways to pay for a typical home in Alton
For a typical $156,300 home in Alton, at Freddie Mac's average rate (7.18% as of November 5, 2026) over 30 years. The monthly payment adds principal and interest, Alton's typical property tax, an example home insurance and mortgage insurance when it applies.
FHA, 3.5% down$1,361a month
Least cash to close
Down payment
$5,471
Cash to close
$10,160
Rate
7.18%
Mortgage insurance
FHA MIP · $69
Conventional, 5% down$1,333a month
Down payment
$7,815
Cash to close
$12,504
Rate
7.18%
Mortgage insurance
PMI · $74
Conventional, 20% down, no PMI$1,100a month
Down payment
$31,260
Cash to close
$35,949
Rate
7.18%
Mortgage insurance
None
ITIN, 15% down (example)$1,244a month
Down payment
$23,445
Cash to close
$28,134
Rate
8.18%
Mortgage insurance
None
Four ways to pay for a typical home in Alton
Loan
Monthly payment
Down payment
Loan amount
Rate
Mortgage insurance
Cash to close
Minimum score
FHA, 3.5% down Least cash to close
$1,361
$5,471
$153,469
7.18%
FHA MIP · $69
$10,160
580
Conventional, 5% down
$1,333
$7,815
$148,485
7.18%
PMI · $74
$12,504
620*
Conventional, 20% down, no PMI
$1,100
$31,260
$125,040
7.18%
None
$35,949
620*
ITIN, 15% down (example)
$1,244
$23,445
$132,855
8.18%
None
$28,134
Set by the lender
The option that asks for the least cash to close is FHA, 3.5% down.
Cash to close = down payment plus 3% of the price in closing costs (example).
Minimum score: FHA requires 580 or higher for the minimum down payment (HUD Handbook 4000.1). * Fannie Mae requires 620 when a loan is underwritten by hand; its automated system has no fixed minimum.
The ITIN row is an example with a rate 1 percentage point higher: ITIN loans follow no federal rule and each lender sets its own down payment and rate. Nothing in this table promises an approval.
Typical rent in Alton is $1,038 a month: 8% above the county. In Alton, 33% of renter households pay 30% or more of their income in rent.
HUD publishes a fair market rent for all of Hidalgo County, by unit size. To pay the 2-bedroom one ($1,017 a month) without spending more than 30% of your income, you would need to earn $19.56 an hour working full time.
What you need to earn to pay it without spending more than 30% of income, working full time.
HUD fair market rent in Hidalgo County (Fiscal year 2027)
Size
Fair rent a month
Hourly wage
Yearly income
Studio
$801
$15.40
$32,040
1 bedroom
$806
$15.50
$32,240
2 bedrooms
$1,017
$19.56
$40,680
3 bedrooms
$1,305
$25.10
$52,200
4 bedrooms
$1,439
$27.67
$57,560
Includes basic utilities. It isn't the lowest or highest rent: it's a reference point. Source: HUD, Fiscal year 2027
By ZIP code
Fair market rent by ZIP code in Alton
HUD also publishes a fair market rent for each ZIP code (Small Area FMR, fiscal year 2027). Alton is in ZIP code 78573.
For 2 bedrooms it is $1,010: $7 less than the fair market rent for Hidalgo County ($1,017).
Fair market rent by ZIP code and size in Alton, fiscal year 2027.
ZIP code
Studio
1 bd
2 bd
3 bd
4 bd
78573
$800
$800
$1,010
$1,310
$1,440
ZIP code2 bd3 bd
78573 $1,010$1,310
1 of these ZIP codes crosses the city line: HUD sets the rent by ZIP code, not by city. A ZIP code counts for Alton when at least 50% of its land is inside the city or it covers at least 15% of the city (Census 2020 boundaries). Source: Small Area Fair Market Rents (HUD)Fiscal year 2027Small Area Fair Market Rents (HUD) (external site)Source: Census Bureau ZCTA-to-place relationship fileData from 2020 dataCensus Bureau ZCTA-to-place relationship file (external site)
You do not have to do this alone. A HUD-approved housing counseling agency helps for free or at low cost: getting ready to buy, understanding your credit, or solving a problem with your rent.
There is 1 HUD-approved agency with an office in Hidalgo County; 1 says it serves in Spanish.
No down payment, repair or rent-help program on our list is for Alton or Hidalgo County. The ones below are statewide in Texas: they work in Alton the same as in the rest of the state.
Texas state program for first-time buyers: a 30-year mortgage with down payment assistance.Offered by Texas Department of Housing and Community Affairs (TDHCA).
Texas state program with down payment assistance for any buyer, not only first-time buyers.Offered by Texas Department of Housing and Community Affairs (TDHCA).
Texas state certificate that turns part of your mortgage interest into a credit on your federal tax return.Offered by Texas Department of Housing and Community Affairs (TDHCA).
No legal help resource on our list is for Alton or Hidalgo County in particular.
If you have a problem with your landlord, an eviction notice or a scam, the Legal Services Corporation (LSC) search shows the free legal aid offices that serve your area.
Short answers with the numbers for Alton and all of Hidalgo County. If your case is different, a HUD-approved counseling agency can guide you for free or at low cost.
How much does a typical home cost in Alton?
The typical home value in Alton is $156,300, according to the U.S. Census Bureau (average 2020–2024). For comparison, in Hidalgo County it is $140,900.
How much does it cost to rent in Alton?
Typical rent in Alton is $1,038 a month, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. HUD’s fair market rent for 2 bedrooms in Hidalgo County is $1,017.
What is the FHA loan limit in Alton?
Alton uses the FHA limit for all of Hidalgo County (2026): $541,287 for a one-unit home and $1,041,125 for a four-unit home.
How much property tax do owners pay in Alton?
The typical homeowner in Alton pays $2,245 a year, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. That is 1.44% of the home’s value; in Hidalgo County, the rate is 1.62%.
Where can I find free help to buy or rent in Alton?
There is 1 HUD-approved counseling agency with an office in Hidalgo County. 1 says it serves in Spanish. They can help you get ready to buy, with your credit, or with rent.
