CitytisticsShortlist

Cost of living, pay and housing

40.12° N · 105.30° W · GEOID 0801740

Altona

Boulder County, Colorado · part of the Boulder, CO metro

Limited data population under 5,000, core figures borrowed from county or metro: median_household_income

ColoradoAltona, COAltonaAltona

The short answer

Altona is home to 587 people. Median household income is $103,994 a year and median rent is $3,501 a month, 40.4% of income (a ratio of two medians, not any one household's burden). That is above the usual 30% line for cost burden. The median home is valued at $1,084,000, about 10.4x annual median household income.

Median gross rent
$3,501
156% above the median place
Median household income
$103,994
30% above the median place
Median home value
$1,084,000
239% above the median place
Unemployment
4.8%
1% below the median place

Compared with the median of the 6,645 places we track. The bundle was checked 2026-11-14; each measure may refer to an older release.

What stands out about Altona

  • The median rent takes 40.4% of the median household's income, a bigger share than in 99% of the 2,480 places under 10,000 people we track. It is the highest of 111 Colorado places.
  • Household income has grown -3.2% a year across the last five survey releases, slower than in 99% of places its size. It is the lowest of 111 Colorado places.
  • The median home is valued at $1,084,000, more than in 97% of places its size. It is the 3rd-highest of 111 Colorado places.
  • 76% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, a larger share than in 97% of places its size.
  • 30% of workers mostly work from home, more than in 93% of places its size.
01

Moving to Altona

Boulder County loses about 6.1 residents per 1,000 a year to moves between counties.

Moved in19,040
Moved out20,627
Net−1,587

Where people come from and where they go, top counties

Weld County, CO1,4462,735−1,289
Denver County, CO1,3761,480−104
Adams County, CO1,1431,396−253
Larimer County, CO1,0401,464−424
Jefferson County, CO1,1031,372−269
Broomfield County, CO9871,138−151

Within Colorado, other states or abroad

Arrivals
Leavers
Within ColoradoOther statesAbroad

Income per tax return

Arrivals$98K
Leavers$89K

People on tax returns who moved between counties, from IRS migration data, 2022 to 2023. Figures are for all of Boulder County; flows under 20 returns are not published.

Who moves here
11.5% of residents arrived from another county in the past year, 5.1% from another state. County figure.
Who arrives and who leaves
Households moving into Boulder County report $98,100 a year in income on average; those leaving, $88,500, so newcomers earn more than leavers.
Income you would need
$140,000 a year to rent the median home at the 30% line. From your city
Rent or buy
Median rent is $3,501 a month; owners with a mortgage pay $4,001 a month including taxes and insurance, on a median home of $1,084,000.
Getting to work
22 minutes each way on average; 29.9% work from home.
If it is close but not quite
New Canaan, CT matches it on character. Compare the two
Moved from another state1
5.1%
158% above the median place
Moved here in the past year1
11.5%
101% above the median place
Income of households moving in7
$98,093
39% above the median place
All 5 moving measures
MeasureAltonaAmong 6,645 placesVs median
Moved here in the past year1County figure11.5%101% above
Moved from another state1County figure5.1%158% above
Net movers per 1,000 people7County figure-6.1below (median -0.6)
Income of households moving in7County figure$98,09339% above
Income of households moving out7County figure$88,53226% above
02

What it costs to live here

Rent to income is 40.4%, 98% above the median place.

Altona40.4%
Typical place20.4%

Share of the median household income that goes to the median rent. Above 30% is the usual stress line.

Income needed to rent
$140,040
a year, at the 30% line
Rent to income
40.4%
98% above the median place
Home price to income
10.4x
174% above the median place

Could you afford it?

The median rent would take
40%
well over the 30% line
Left after rent, in US prices
$65,500
a year
Vs the typical household here
Same
as the median household

Uses the median rent in Altona, $3,501 a month, and local prices for everything else (94.6 against a US average of 100). It runs in your browser and stores nothing.

Moving from somewhere else? Work out the salary you would need in Altona.

Sponsored · exampleMoving to Altona? Compare quotes from licensed movers. No partner is signed yet. Sponsored offers are always labelled and never change the data.
Median home value1
$1,084,000
239% above the median place
Owner costs with a mortgage1
$4,001
114% above the median place
Property tax paid (median)1
$8,293
154% above the median place
All 16 cost and housing measures
MeasureAltonaAmong 6,645 placesVs median
Median gross rent1$3,501156% above
Rent to income140.4%98% above
Property tax rate10.8%15% below
Home price to income110.4x174% above
Prices vs US average2Metro figure105.24% above
Fair market rent, 2 bedrooms3County figure$2,03326% above
HUD area median income4County figure$150,00040% above
Property tax paid (median)1$8,293154% above
Median home value1$1,084,000239% above
Home prices, 1-year change5County figure-0.1%below (median 3.2%)
Home prices, 5-year change5County figure35.3%31% below
Homeownership180.7%22% above
Renters paying 30%+1County figure59.9%18% above
Owner costs with a mortgage1$4,001114% above
Vacant homes1County figure5.3%25% below
Median year built119780% above
03

Work and pay

Commutes by transit is 0.0%, below the median place (median 0.8%).

Commutes by transit1
0.0%
below the median place (median 0.8%)
Income per person1
$92,799
132% above the median place
Works from home1
29.9%
141% above the median place
All 10 work and pay measures
MeasureAltonaAmong 6,645 placesVs median
Median household income1County figure$103,99430% above
Income per person1$92,799132% above
Unemployment1County figure4.8%1% below
Average annual pay6County figure$101,25953% above
Pay growth, 1 year6County figure5.0%35% above
Jobs6County figure191,48727% above
Poverty rate1County figure11.2%4% above
Mean commute1County figure22 min10% below
Works from home129.9%141% above
Commutes by transit10.0%below (median 0.8%)
04

Who lives here

Bachelor's or higher is 75.8%, 136% above the median place.

Bachelor's or higher1
75.8%
136% above the median place
Median age1
47.7
22% above the median place
High school or higher1
97.2%
5% above the median place
All 8 people measures
MeasureAltonaAmong 6,645 placesVs median
Population15876646th largest
Median age147.722% above
Bachelor's or higher175.8%136% above
High school or higher197.2%5% above
Household size12.39% below
Born abroad1County figure10.1%14% above
No health insurance1County figure4.4%31% below
Homes with broadband188.0%5% below
05

Life in Altona

95 sites are on the National Register of Historic Places, 3 of them National Historic Landmarks.

Businesses per 10,000 residents (county figures)

Restaurants and bars26.7 +28%
Shops34.6 +14%
Arts, recreation and fitness10.6 2.6×
Doctors' offices and clinics40.9 2.0×
Child care centers2.6 +13%

Counts businesses with paid staff, so small owner-run shops are not included.

Doctors' offices and clinics per 10k8
40.9
102% above the median place
Arts, recreation and fitness per 10k8
10.6
159% above the median place
Restaurants and bars per 10k8
26.7
28% above the median place
All 9 schools and local life measures
MeasureAltonaAmong 6,645 placesVs median
Public schools10County figure86above (median 9)
Public school students10County figure42,200above (median 4,897)
Students per teacher10County figure17.312% above
Restaurants and bars per 10k8County figure26.728% above
Shops per 10k8County figure34.614% above
Arts, recreation and fitness per 10k8County figure10.6159% above
Doctors' offices and clinics per 10k8County figure40.9102% above
Child care centers per 10k8County figure2.613% above
National Register listings9County figure95above (median 13)
06

Safety, weather and risk

Average temperature is 45°F, 18% below the median place.

No crime figure yet. Either the city police department did not report to the FBI for the latest year, or our monthly fetch has not reached Altona. Larger places are fetched first.

Average temperature11
45°F
18% below the median place
July average high11
81°F
7% below the median place
Wildfire risk12
97.9
60% above the median place
All 10 weather and risk measures
MeasureAltonaAmong 6,645 placesVs median
July average high11County figure81°F7% below
January average low11County figure17°F34% below
Average temperature11County figure45°F18% below
Annual precipitation11County figure20.6 in53% below
Natural hazard risk12County figure90.72% below
Tornado risk12County figure92.614% above
Wildfire risk12County figure97.960% above
Heat wave risk12County figure60.433% below
Median air quality index13County figure4812% above
Good air days13County figure58.4%15% below
08

Altona in 2030: where the trends point

Citytistics projections to 2030: each figure's own trend, blended with the typical trend across the places we rate, eased toward long-run US growth and carried forward from the latest release. The range is where 80% of places landed when we tested the same method on past releases.

MeasureLatest2030 projectionLikely rangeAvg. per year
Median household income$149,327 (2024)$184,000$155,500 to $217,500+3.5%
Median home value$1,084,000 (2024)$1,483,000$1,076,000 to $2,043,000+5.4%

The median home would be worth 8.1 years of the median income in 2030, against 7.3 now.

A projection of recent trends, not a prediction of the economy or advice to buy or sell. How we project.

09

Places like Altona

The closest matches on income, rent, home value, education and age, and the places nearby.

PlaceRentIncome
New Canaan, CT$3,425$146,700Compare
Walnut, CA$3,202$129,449Compare
Walnut Creek, CA$2,680$130,432Compare
Snyderville, UT$2,875$143,517Compare
Snyderville, UTWalnut Creek, CAWalnut, CANew Canaan, CTAltona, COAltonaNew CanaanWalnutSnydervilleAltonaNew CanaanWalnutSnyderville

Common questions

Is Altona a good place to live?

It depends on what you need, so here is what the numbers say. The median rent takes 40.4% of the median household's income, a bigger share than in 99% of the 2,480 places under 10,000 people we track. It is the highest of 111 Colorado places. Household income has grown -3.2% a year across the last five survey releases, slower than in 99% of places its size. It is the lowest of 111 Colorado places. See how it ranks with your own weights.

Is Altona expensive to live in?

The median rent takes 40.4% of the median household income, against 20.4% in the typical place we track. Housing is a heavier load here than usual. The median home is valued at $1,084,000.

What salary do you need to live in Altona?

To rent the median home without spending more than 30% of income on rent, a household needs about $140,040 a year. Work it out from your current city.

What places are similar to Altona?

On income, rent, home value, education and age, the closest matches are New Canaan, CT, Walnut, CA, Walnut Creek, CA and Snyderville, UT.

Sources and methods

The small numbers beside each measure point here. Every dataset is public; links go to the publisher.

  1. American Community Survey 5-year estimates · US Census Bureau · 2020 to 2024 estimatesTables B01002, B01003, B05002, B07003, B08013, B08301, B15003, B17001, B19013, B19301, B23025, B25002, B25003, B25010, B25035, B25064, B25070, B25077, B25088, B25103, B28002, S2701
  2. Regional Price Parities · US Bureau of Economic Analysis · Latest release, retrieved 2026-11-14
  3. Fair Market Rents · US Department of Housing and Urban Development · Fiscal year 2027
  4. Income Limits · US Department of Housing and Urban Development · Fiscal year 2026
  5. House Price Index · Federal Housing Finance Agency · Latest release, retrieved 2026-11-14
  6. Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages · US Bureau of Labor Statistics · 2025 annual averages
  7. SOI Tax Stats, county-to-county migration · Internal Revenue Service · Tax years 2022 to 2023Counts tax returns and the people on them; flows under 20 returns are suppressed.
  8. County Business Patterns · US Census Bureau · 2023 data
  9. National Register of Historic Places · National Park Service · Listings through 2026-05-22
  10. Common Core of Data · National Center for Education Statistics · 2024 release
  11. 1991-2020 climate normals · NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information · Series updated 2026-11-05Averages for 1991 to 2020 computed from NOAA's county climate series (nClimDiv).nClimDiv county series
  12. National Risk Index · Federal Emergency Management Agency · Latest release, retrieved 2026-11-14NRI data and maps
  13. Air Quality System, annual AQI by county · US Environmental Protection Agency · 2025 dataAirData download files

Derived by Citytistics from the tables above: rent to income (B25064, B19013); property tax rate (B25103, B25077); home price to income (B25077, B19013).

What stands out compares Altona with places of a similar size, using only figures measured for Altona itself; county and metro figures never count. Survey figures are estimates with margins of error. Formulas and definitions: methodology. API: /api/v1/places/altona-colorado

Citytistics. “Altona, Colorado.” Data as of 2026-11-14. https://www.citytistics.com/city/altona-colorado/

This product uses the Census Bureau Data API but is not endorsed or certified by the Census Bureau.