Cantwell, Alaska, 2007
Cantwell’s story
110 years in pictures
Census counts: 17 in 1940, 200 in 2020. The archive holds 6 old photos and papers going back to 2007 and 2 maps from 1949 on.
- 1916Cantwell is settled
CantwellAK
Population 128: a town settled in 1916.
1 bordering townMap →
Photo: Lpangelrob · CC BY-SA 3.0
Population
128
Census survey, 2020–24
Median home value
$256K
Census ACS
Household income
$43K
median
Median age
65.0
years
Land area
118 sq mi
Is Cantwell a good place to live?
Cantwell’s January low is -9°F, against 7°F in Alaska’s towns and 22°F across U.S. towns. No town among the 42 in Alaska we compare has a higher age of the median resident than Cantwell. 52% of the land in Cantwell is conserved, above both the Alaska town median (15%) and the median of U.S. towns (4.3%). The biggest park or preserve is Denali National Park, at 3,977 acres. Cantwell has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.
Small town
128 people, and everyone knows the way
In a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.
Denali ParkCantwell
Getting set up
Moving to Cantwell: who provides what
Cantwell is unincorporated, so Denali Borough and regional agencies provide most services.
PowerGolden Valley Elec Assn31.5¢/kWh · EIA 2025HIFLD · EIA
Internet1 providers16% of addresses get 100/20 MbpsFCC
Trash & county servicesDenali BoroughDenali Borough provides services here
Register to voteOnlineIn Alaska you can register online until 30 days before Election Day, in person until 30 days before Election Day, or by mail (received 30 days before).vote.govWho runs elections hereAbsentee and Petition OfficeState of Alaska; contacts on the Handbook page.FVAP, Jun 2025
ZIP code9972999729 100%Census 2020
EPA SDWIS (Oct 9, 2026) · HIFLD + EIA-861 2025 · Census 2020 ZCTAs · NCES 2024–25 · registration: vote.gov, updated Sep 30, 2026.
The data
Ordered by what stands out in Cantwell.
Who lives here
50% of residents are 65 or older
Cantwell: 22% of adults 25 and older hold a bachelor’s degree or more.
65median age · AK 35.8
CantwellAlaskaUnited States
Ages · share of residents
34%
Education · adults 25 and older
No diploma7%
High school50%
Some college18%
Associate’s3%
Bachelor’s15%
Graduate8%
Women and men · all residents
40% women, 60% men
About 151 men for every 100 women (the survey’s margin: ±8.5 points). Across Alaska, 47.5% of residents are women.
| Cantwell | AK | U.S. | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 10 | 5.5% | 13.2% | 11.6% |
| 10 to 17 | 2.3% | 10.9% | 10.3% |
| 18 to 24 | 0.8% | 9.2% | 9.1% |
| 25 to 34 | 11.7% | 15.4% | 13.7% |
| 35 to 44 | 11.7% | 14.2% | 13.2% |
| 45 to 54 | 6.3% | 11.3% | 12.2% |
| 55 to 64 | 11.7% | 11.9% | 12.7% |
| 65 to 74 | 16.4% | 9.2% | 10.2% |
| 75 and older | 33.6% | 4.6% | 7% |
| No diploma | 6.8% | 6.4% | 10.4% |
| High school | 50.4% | 28.9% | 26% |
| Some college | 17.9% | 24% | 19.1% |
| Associate’s | 2.6% | 9.1% | 8.8% |
| Bachelor’s | 14.5% | 19.8% | 21.6% |
| Graduate | 7.7% | 11.8% | 14.1% |
U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates · in a town of 100, single groups can be off by several points
Schools
The schools Cantwell’s kids attend
The Denali Borough School District runs its public schools. Its one school is below.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cantwell SchoolLargest public high schoolGrades PK–12 | Grades PK–12 | 14 | – |
NCES · EDFacts
Outdoors
Protected land: nearly a third of Cantwell
Trails run 14 miles in 2 parks and preserves. The concentration of trails in Cantwell is 0.1 miles per square mile.
52.3%conserved
52.3%
conserved · 39,521 of 75,573 acres
14 mi
of trails · 0.1 per sq mi
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Denali National Park | 0.2 mi | 3,977 |
| 2. Denali Wilderness | — | 3 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Natural hazards
Very high risk in Cantwell, with avalanches at the top
Federal disaster aid has reached households in Cantwell once, in 2002. Storm and flood damage is expected to run higher than in 88% of U.S. communities. Of the losses FEMA expects in the town, 55% come from avalanches and 18% from cold waves.
88risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
AvalanchesCold wavesEarthquakes
1
federal disasters paid out here
FEMA disaster declarations and aid · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
77″snow a winter
Typical low → high °F
Winter-6–14°
Spring14–40°
Summer41–64°
Fall16–34°
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Health
Cantwell stands out in Alaska and nationally: a larger share of its adults have high blood pressure
Only 2 of the 42 Alaska towns we compare have a lower share of adults who have been diagnosed with depression than Cantwell. The share of adults in Cantwell who have diabetes: 12%. Of 32 CDC measures, Cantwell beats the Alaska average on 7 and trails it on 8. Two figures for adults in the town: 29% feel lonely, 14% report frequent mental distress.
| Cantwell | Alaska towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| High blood pressure (CDC PLACES) | 41% | 32% | 35% |
| Feel lonely (CDC PLACES) | 29% | 32% | 33% |
| Frequent mental distress (CDC PLACES) | 14% | 16% | 17% |
| Yearly checkup (CDC PLACES) | 72% | 68% | 79% |
32 measures vs. Alaska
7 better17 too close to call8 worse
| What stands out | Cantwell | AK |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer adults facing housing insecurity | 9.8% | 12.3% |
| Fewer adults without reliable transportation | 7.3% | 9% |
| More adults with heart disease | 8.4% | 5.7% |
Fairbanks Memorial Hospital
102.9 mi away · emergency room
3 of 3
care shortages: primary care, dental, mental health
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Cantwell
15pages on Cantwell
The big questions
After high school
Colleges nearby
None within 15 miles of Cantwell; the nearest are
About 2 of every 100 Cantwell residents are enrolled in college, against 5 across Alaska.
About Cantwell
Census-designated place in Alaska, United States
Cantwell (Yidateni Na’ in Ahtna Athabascan) is a census-designated place (CDP) in Denali Borough, Alaska, United States. As of the 2020 census, the population of the CDP was 200. Cantwell is the western terminus of the Denali Highway. Once an Alaska Railroad flag stop at the junction with the Denali Highway, it was founded off the Parks Highway.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Established
- 1916
- Area
- 118 sq mi
- Elevation
- 2,190 ft
- ZIP code
- 99729
Questions about Cantwell
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Cantwell, AK a good place to live?
Cantwell has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.