Alto, Texas
Encyclopedia
Alto is a town in Cherokee County
Cherokee County, Texas
As of the census of 2000, there were 46,659 people, 16,651 households, and 12,105 families residing in the county. The population density was 44 people per square mile . There were 19,173 housing units at an average density of 18 per square mile...

, Texas
Texas
Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...

, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...

. The population was 1,190 at the 2000 census.

Geography

Alto is located at 31°39′0"N 95°4′26"W (31.650131, -95.073810).

According to the United States Census Bureau
United States Census Bureau
The United States Census Bureau is the government agency that is responsible for the United States Census. It also gathers other national demographic and economic data...

, the town has a total area of 1.7 square miles (4.4 km²), all of it land.
In 1946 Alto had a concentration camp for WWII POW's. It served the Cherokee county area.

Demographics

As of the census
Census
A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring and recording information about the members of a given population. It is a regularly occurring and official count of a particular population. The term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common...

of 2000, there were 1,190 people, 452 households, and 282 families residing in the town. The population density
Population density
Population density is a measurement of population per unit area or unit volume. It is frequently applied to living organisms, and particularly to humans...

 was 707.1 people per square mile (273.5/km²). There were 534 housing units at an average density of 317.3 per square mile (122.7/km²). The racial makeup of the town was 65.55% White, 24.79% African American, 0.50% Native American, 0.17% Asian, 6.81% from other races
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...

, and 2.18% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 10.25% of the population.

There were 452 households out of which 29.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 42.0% were married couples
Marriage
Marriage is a social union or legal contract between people that creates kinship. It is an institution in which interpersonal relationships, usually intimate and sexual, are acknowledged in a variety of ways, depending on the culture or subculture in which it is found...

 living together, 16.4% had a female householder with no husband present, and 37.6% were non-families. 34.5% of all households were made up of individuals and 19.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.44 and the average family size was 3.16.

In the town the population was spread out with 27.6% under the age of 18, 7.3% from 18 to 24, 22.5% from 25 to 44, 20.1% from 45 to 64, and 22.4% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females there were 80.6 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 76.8 males.

The median income for a household in the town was $19,438, and the median income for a family was $24,167. Males had a median income of $22,955 versus $16,875 for females. The per capita income
Per capita income
Per capita income or income per person is a measure of mean income within an economic aggregate, such as a country or city. It is calculated by taking a measure of all sources of income in the aggregate and dividing it by the total population...

 for the town was $11,648. About 28.3% of families and 33.8% of the population were below the poverty line, including 40.3% of those under age 18 and 29.1% of those age 65 or over.

Education

Public schools are managed by the Alto Independent School District
Alto Independent School District
The Alto Independent School District is a school district based in Alto, Texas, USA. It is managed by a six-person Board of Trustees. The superintendent is Ray DeSpain...

. These are Alto High School
Alto High School
Alto High School is a public high school in Alto, Texas. It is part of the Alto Independent School District which is located in south central Cherokee County....

, Alto Middle School,
and Alto Elementary School.

Public safety

In 2011, the city eliminated its entire police force after after the city council cut the police budget to zero, causing residents to brace for increased crime. A councilman is quoted as saying "The police department, being a non-money-making entity, was the easiest to get rid of." Meanwhile police services are provided by the county sheriff and, assuming the town's finances improve, it will be opened up again in December. http://blogs.forbes.com/greatspeculations/2011/06/29/texas-town-dismisses-police-because-of-budget-crisis/
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