It is assumed that the dynamics of valence electrons of alkali-metal atoms can be well accounted for by a quantum-defect theoretic model while the core electrons may be supposed to move in a self-consistent field. This model is used to study the momentum properties of atoms from³Li to³⁷Rb. The numerical results obtained for the momentum density, moments of momentum density and Compton profile are found to be in good agreement with the results of more detailed configuration-interaction calculations for the atom³Li. Similar results for¹¹Na,¹⁹K and³⁷Rb are compared with the corresponding Hartree-Fock-Roothaan values only, for want of data from other realistic calculations