CantrilIA
A town of 221, settled in 1872.
Is Cantril a good place to live?
Cantril’s density of trails is 1.4 miles per square mile, above both Iowa’s towns (0.3) and U.S. towns (0.4). Cantril has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.
What makes Cantril stand out
Where Cantril beats most towns.
221 people, and everyone knows the way
In a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.
Moving to Cantril: who provides what
Who provides power, water and the rest in Cantril, and how to reach them.
EPA SDWIS (Oct 9, 2026) · HIFLD + EIA-861 2025 · Census 2020 ZCTAs · NCES 2024–25 · registration: vote.gov, updated Nov 18, 2024.
The data
Ordered by what stands out in Cantril.
A smaller share of working residents in Cantril work locally than in the typical Iowa or U.S. town
Cantril’s average commute stands at 19 minutes, near the Iowa town median (19 minutes) and below the median of U.S. towns (25 minutes). Jobs based in Cantril grew to 109 in 2023, 31 more than in 2013. The top destinations are Keosauqua (18%), Mount Pleasant (7%) and Bloomfield (5%).
| Cantril | Iowa towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Working residents who work in town | 1.7% | 31% | 8% |
| Average trip to work | 19 minutes | 19 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Below the poverty line | 8.1% | 11% | 9.6% |
Where working residents work
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Compared with most of Iowa and the rest of the country, the FEMA risk score in Cantril is higher
One declared disaster, in 2010, has brought federal aid to Cantril households. FEMA puts 47% of the town’s expected hazard losses down to inland flooding, and 13% to tornadoes. Expected storm and flood damage is higher than in 83% of U.S. communities.
FEMA disaster declarations and aid · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
A home in Cantril is worth about $168K, on Zillow’s estimate
Among 141 Iowa towns, just 8 have a higher share of homes lived in by their owners than Cantril. The median rent for Cantril comes to $758 a month. Typical home values rose 1.3% in the year to September 2026.
| Cantril | Iowa towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Households that own their home | 87% | 70% | 73% |
| Median rent | $758 a month | $911 a month | $1,185 a month |
Typical home value
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Cantril has four seasons and pleasant summers
Summer afternoons peak near 86° in July, and January nights bottom out around 15°; snowfall runs to about 23 inches a winter. The seasons in Cantril: chilly winters, warm summers.
Typical low → high °F
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
How healthy Cantril is
CDC measures, 32 in all: Cantril beats Iowa on 1 and trails on 11. For adults here, the share who say their health is fair or poor is 24%. Only 9 of the 141 Iowa towns we compare have a lower share of adults who binge drink than Cantril. 16% of adults in Cantril report frequent physical distress; 15% have diabetes.
| Cantril | Iowa towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| High blood pressure (CDC PLACES) | 41% | 35% | 35% |
| Frequent physical distress (CDC PLACES) | 16% | 13% | 14% |
| Diabetes (CDC PLACES) | 15% | 12% | 12% |
| Fair or poor health (CDC PLACES) | 24% | 18% | 19% |
| What stands out | Cantril | IA |
|---|---|---|
| More adults treating high blood pressure | 81.8% | 77.8% |
| More adults with COPD | 10.9% | 6.9% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
0% of Cantril is conserved land
Walkers can cover 0.7 miles of trail in 1 park or preserve. Parks and preserves in Cantril: one, of 16 acres.
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Waubonsie Trail Park | 0.6 mi | 16 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Everything we know about Cantril
Colleges nearby
None within 15 miles of Cantril; the nearest are
About 0 of every 100 Cantril residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Iowa.
Every workday, about 108 people come to Cantril for work
Where Cantril’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
Census LEHD 2023
About Cantril
City in Iowa, United States
Cantril is a city in Van Buren County, Iowa, United States. The population was 224 at the 2020 census. Founded in 1871, Cantril is a regional hub of a large Amish and Mennonite community.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Area
- 0.5 sq mi
- Elevation
- 781 ft
- ZIP code
- 52542
Questions about Cantril
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Cantril, IA a good place to live?
Cantril has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.