Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
Canton grades C+ overall, 256th among Texas's 640 graded towns, with clear strengths and some subjects that lag. Its public schools beat 78% of Texas towns on state tests and graduation and 17% of its land is conserved. Its lowest everyday mark is in cost of living: homes are expensive, about $299K for a typical one and 4.3 times the county’s $69K median household income. Canton’s average trip to work is 37 minutes, where Texas’ towns sit at 25 minutes and U.S. towns at 25 minutes. Van Zandt County Courthouse is on the National Register of Historic Places.
Where Canton beats most towns.
| School | Grades | Students |
|---|---|---|
| Canton El | PK–2 | 569 |
| Canton Int | 3–5 | 533 |
| Canton J H | 6–8 | 557 |
3,581 counted in 2010 and 4,229 in 2020; an estimated 5,070 in 2025.
Growth hasn’t slowed: 19.3% since 2020, after 18.1% in the decade before.
U.S. Census 2010 & 2020 counts · Census Bureau estimate, July 1, 2025
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Texas), ordered by how far Canton is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Census counts: 183 in 1870, 4,229 in 2020. The archive holds 6 old photos and papers going back to 2001 and 2 maps from 1962 on.
1 place on the National Register of Historic Places.
Who provides power, water and the rest in Canton, 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.
Ordered by what stands out in Canton.
Canton draws workers from Tyler and beyond and has more 90° days than most of the country, though not than most of Texas; it also is a long drive from an emergency room.
3,065 jobs are based in Canton, 2 for every working resident, so most of the people who work here commute in. The average commute takes 36.7 minutes, against 26.7 across Texas.
Most working residents leave Canton for work: only 19% work in town. The median household income in Canton is $51,000. Jobs based in Canton grew to 3,065 in 2023, 447 more than in 2013.
| Canton | Texas towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Working residents who work in town | 19% | 8.3% | 8% |
| Median household income | $51,000 | $69,000 | $80,000 |
| Below the poverty line | 12% | 12% | 9.6% |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Its public schools are run by Canton ISD. Three of its 4 schools are below, each with why it’s listed. The largest public high school is Canton H S, with 650 students.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Canton ElLargest public elementary schoolGrades PK–2 | Grades PK–2 | 569 | – |
| Canton H SLargest public high schoolGrades 9–12 | Grades 9–12 | 650 | A+ |
| Canton J HTop results in townGrades 6–8 | Grades 6–8 | 557 | A− |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within TX on state tests and graduation
Expected storm and flood damage is lower than in 70% of U.S. communities. Since 1979, 2 flood insurance claims have been paid out in Canton.
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
1.4 miles of trail in 3 parks and preserves. The biggest park or preserve is Old City Lake, at 481 acres.
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Old City Lake | — | 481 |
| 2. Cherry Creek Park | 0.2 mi | 141 |
| 3. Van Zandt County Veterans Memorial Plaza | — | 2 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
The Mineola weather station, 23 miles away, records that about 99 days a year reach 90°: more than most of the country, but fewer than 87% of Texas places with climate records. July afternoons average 93.4°: hotter than most of the country, but cooler than 81% of Texas places with climate records; January nights average 35.4°.
Canton has mild winters and hot summers. Canton’s July high is 93°F. Snow is almost unheard of.
| Canton | Texas towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| July high | 93°F | 95°F | 85°F |
| January low | 35°F | 37°F | 22°F |
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
People 65 and older are 18% of residents (13% statewide). 25% of adults 25 and older have a bachelor’s degree or more, vs 34% across Texas.
| Canton | Texas towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median age | 36.5 years | 35.8 years | 40.5 years |
| Aged 65 or older | 18% | 14% | 18% |
| Bachelor’s degree or more, 25+ | 25% | 23% | 29% |
48% women, 52% men
That’s an even split within the survey’s margin of ±4.6 points. Across Texas, 50.1% of residents are women.
| Canton | TX | U.S. | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 10 | 17.4% | 13.3% | 11.6% |
| 10 to 17 | 7.8% | 11.7% | 10.3% |
| 18 to 24 | 7.9% | 9.7% | 9.1% |
| 25 to 34 | 14.9% | 14.5% | 13.7% |
| 35 to 44 | 11.6% | 14.1% | 13.2% |
| 45 to 54 | 10.2% | 12.3% | 12.2% |
| 55 to 64 | 12.1% | 11.1% | 12.7% |
| 65 to 74 | 8.7% | 8.2% | 10.2% |
| 75 and older | 9.3% | 5.2% | 7% |
| No diploma | 11.2% | 14% | 10.4% |
| High school | 29.6% | 24.3% | 26% |
| Some college | 26.8% | 20.1% | 19.1% |
| Associate’s | 7.9% | 7.7% | 8.8% |
| Bachelor’s | 13.8% | 21.5% | 21.6% |
| Graduate | 10.7% | 12.3% | 14.1% |
U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates
Reported crimes fell from 137 to 69 over the last three FBI years, a drop beyond ordinary year-to-year swings.
FBI crime data, 2025 · crimes reported to police
The nearest emergency room, Texas Health Presbyterian Hospital Kaufman, is 22.5 miles away in a straight line. Against the 6,136 U.S. towns with household incomes like Canton’s, it is healthier than 80%, so its C+ isn’t only a matter of income.
Canton beats the Texas average on 7 of 31 CDC measures and trails it on 6. 25% of Canton adults have been diagnosed with depression.
| Canton | Texas towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Depression (CDC PLACES) | 25% | 22% | 23% |
| No health insurance, 18–64 (CDC PLACES) | 13% | 18% | 8.1% |
| Yearly checkup (CDC PLACES) | 75% | 74% | 79% |
| Frequent mental distress (CDC PLACES) | 18% | 18% | 17% |
| What stands out | Canton | TX |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer uninsured adults | 12.7% | 19.1% |
| Fewer adults facing food insecurity | 13.7% | 19.3% |
| More adults who have had cancer | 9.3% | 6.1% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
None within 15 miles of Canton; the nearest are
About 4 of every 100 Canton residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Texas.
Where Canton’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
Census LEHD 2023
3 notable people were born in Canton.
City in Texas, United States
Canton is a city in and the county seat of Van Zandt County in East Texas, United States. It is located about 40 miles west of Tyler. As of the 2020 census, the city had a population of 4,229. The city sustained severe damage on April 29, 2017, from several tornadoes, and two years later from another tornado that struck downtown on May 29, 2019, both of which occurred just before First Monday Trade Days, the popular flea market which draws thousands to the city each month.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
One town shares a border with Canton.
| Town | TX rank | Overall | Cost | Safety | Schools | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Canton | #256 | C+ | C | C+ | A− | C+ |
| Myrtle Springs | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Myrtle Springs isn’t graded (fewer than 1,000 residents, or not enough data). Compare Canton with a neighbor →
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Canton grades C+ overall, better than 38% of U.S. towns and #256 of 640 in Texas. It grades C+ for health, C+ for safety and A− for schools.
Cost of living, which also weighs rents, property taxes and how many households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, grades C.
3 notable people were born here, including Calvin Graham and Keavon Milton.
