East Alton, IL — Momentum Score, Home Values & Best-For

All states·Illinois·East Alton

Madison County · St. Louis · population 5,621

AffordabilityShrinkingSmall-town feel
OverviewCost of livingMoving guide
View watchlist →
49
Stable
Momentum score · 0–100

Where East Alton stands

Population shrinking 0.7% per year.

Median home $97,431
1-year -1.1%
5-yr CAGR +3.2%
vs 5-yr peak -5.5%
Population -0.7%/yr

Home value trajectory · last 10 years

Zillow ZHVI · monthly
peak 2024-07$97k$59k$75k$91k$107k201620182020202220242026

Lifestyle scores

🚶
Walkability
25/100
Very car-dependent
Estimated from population density. Higher = denser, more amenities within walking distance.
🚉
Public transit
10/100
Transit limited
Curated list of major US transit systems + population-based estimate. Higher = real subway/rail/bus options.
💻
Remote work fit
40/100
Marginal for remote
Composite of city size, housing cost, state tax structure, and region's remote-work track record.

Scores are heuristic estimates from population density, state, and known transit/walkable cities. Not based on a paid Walk Score / Transit Score API — see methodology for the formula.

How the momentum score breaks down

methodology →
Home YoY
44 · w22%
Home 5-yr CAGR
54 · w22%
Distance from peak
58 · w18%
Population growth
34 · w16%
Home 10-yr CAGR
53 · w10%
Long thesis

East Alton offers a $97,431 median home with +3.2% annualized 5-year appreciation. Affordability + positive trend is one of the better risk/reward setups in US residential — small downside, room to compound.

Short thesis

East Alton's population is shrinking 0.7% per year. Housing demand has to come from somewhere — if people are leaving, the buyer pool is shrinking faster than the inventory. That eventually shows up in price.

About East Alton

East Alton is a city in Madison County, Illinois, with an estimated population of 5,621. It anchors the St. Louis metro area. The population has contracted 0.7% per year on average since 2020. The median home value in East Alton is $97,431 as of 2026-04, down 1.1% over the last 12 months. Over the last five years, home values have averaged +3.2% annual growth (-5.5% from the 5-year peak). The composite momentum score is 49 of 100 (Stable). Conditions are neither hot nor cold, so the local fit matters more than market timing.

▲ Bull case

●Cheap entry point: $97,431 median home is well below the US median of $355k — room to grow without overpaying.
○The data is the data: East Alton has at least 5 years of Zillow tracking, full Census identification, and is included in the 2-criteria momentum score on this page.

▼ Bear case

●Flat or shrinking population: -0.7% per year. Housing demand has to come from somewhere — verify the source.
○Thin housing market: small population means fewer transactions and slower resale. Liquidity risk on exit.

Playbook

Buyer

Lifestyle fit matters more than market timing in a Stable market. Take your time on the home and neighborhood; the macro trend isn't urgent. Negotiate normally.

Seller

Price competitively from day one or risk a 60+ day listing. Staging, photography, and presentation matter more in Stable markets than in Hot ones.

Investor

Stable cap rates, no big appreciation story to lean on. Underwrite this as a pure cash-flow play — the math has to work on rent alone.

Local safety & alerts

No active National Weather Service alerts for Madison County right now.

NWS active alerts (IL)Illinois Emergency ManagementHow to prepare (NWS)

Public-safety links are official .gov sources, not curated by us. Madison County routes NWS alerts; check the state EM portal for non-weather emergencies.

Cities like East Alton

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Run the numbers for East Alton

ToolCan I afford East Alton?Income → city shortlistToolROI on a East Alton rentalCap rate, cash-on-cash, DSCRToolCompare East Alton to anywhereSide-by-side up to 3 citiesToolEast Alton cost-of-livingEquivalent income elsewhere

Sources: Zillow ZHVI (home values), Zillow ZORI (rents), US Census ACS + place population. Updated when source agencies publish revisions.

Climate & natural-disaster risk

Winter (Jan)
33° / 18°
avg high / low
Summer (Jul)
85° / 64°
avg high / low
Sunny days/yr
189
~52% of year
Annual precip
38″ rain
22″ snow
Disaster risk (1=very low, 5=very high)
Hurricane
Very low
Tornado
High
Wildfire
Very low
Earthquake
Low
Flood
Moderate

State-level averages from NOAA Climate Normals (1991-2020) and FEMA National Risk Index. City-level conditions can vary significantly within a state.

Local sports teams

Major professional teams the St. Louis area cheers for. Detailed stats, schedules, and player pages on intherafters.com.

Current weather

Loading current conditions…

7-day forecast on weather.gov →

Find rentals & listings

Open current East Alton listings on the major real-estate sites.

Links open the live search on the destination site — results are always current.

Local economy & environment

Humidity
71%
Humid climate
Median household income
$78,400
Illinois state median
Top industries (state-level)
FinanceManufacturingHealthcare

Humidity is annual average relative humidity (NOAA). Income is Census ACS 5-year estimate. Industries are largest employment sectors statewide (BLS); the local mix in a given city may vary.

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