Lucky Horseshoe Lottery, 2016
Cana’s story
145 years in pictures
The archive holds 1 old photo or paper going back to 2016 and 4 maps from 1957 on.
- 1881Cana is settled
CanaVA
Settled in 1881, this town now has 964 residents.
Photo: Idawriter · CC BY-SA 3.0
Population
964
Census survey, 2020–24
Typical home
$142K
+0.4% in a year
Household income
$62K
median
Median age
47.6
years
Jobs based here
164
A commuter town
Is Cana a good place to live?
Only 4 of the 138 Virginia towns we compare have a lower typical home value than Cana. Cana has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.
Small town
964 people, and everyone knows the way
In a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.
Nearby towns
Nearby attractions
All 26 attractions →Blue Ridge Parkway and 8 more within 40 miles
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Cana. Close and well known come first.
5 mi ParkwayBlue Ridge Parkway16.5M visitors a year
20 mi MountainPilot Mountain
39 mi Stadium & arenaAllegacy Federal Credit Union Stadium
26 mi State parkHanging Rock State Park
38 mi MuseumReynolda House Museum of American Art
10 mi MuseumBlue Ridge Music CenterSources: National Park Service · ski areas © OpenSkiMap / OpenStreetMap contributors · Wikidata · Wikipedia readership · photos via Wikimedia Commons
Photo credits
Blue Ridge Parkway: Ken Thomas, Public domain · Pilot Mountain: Berean Hunter, CC BY-SA 2.5 · Allegacy Federal Credit Union Stadium: BobHWS, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Hanging Rock State Park: Jacalyn Engler from Greensboro, United States, CC BY-SA 2.0 · Reynolda House Museum of American Art: Zsrarticle, CC BY-SA 4.0 · Blue Ridge Music Center: RMLark, CC BY-SA 4.0
Getting set up
Moving to Cana: who provides what
Cana is unincorporated, so Carroll County and regional agencies provide most services.
PowerAppalachian Power17.2¢/kWh · EIA 2025HIFLD · EIA
WaterPinebrook Subdivision water systemNo health-based violations in 5 years · EPAEPA
Internet4 providers72% of addresses get 100/20 MbpsFCC
Trash & county servicesCarroll CountyCarroll County provides services here
Register to voteOnlineIn Virginia you can register online until 11 days before Election Day, in person up to and including Election Day, or by mail (postmarked 11 days before).vote.govWho runs elections hereCarroll General RegistrarCarroll County; contacts on the Handbook page.FVAP, Jun 2025
ZIP code2431724317 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 Cana.
Housing
Zillow puts the typical Cana home at about $142K
In Cana, the typical rent is $1,083 a month. Cana: nearly two thirds of households are owner-occupiers, where Virginia’s towns sit at 68% and U.S. towns at 73%.
$142KZillow home value
| Cana | Virginia towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $1,083 a month | $1,762 a month | $1,185 a month |
| Households that own their home | 66% | 68% | 73% |
Typical home value
Cana$142K
Virginia$412K
+0.4%
value change, 1 year
0
homes sold in September
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Schools
The schools Cana’s kids attend
Its one school is below. Enrollment at Cana’s public school: 304 students.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| St. PaulLargest public elementary schoolGrades PK–7 | Grades PK–7 | 304 | B+ |
NCES · EDFacts
Natural hazards
The biggest natural risk in Cana is cold waves, at a low overall level
Cana’s risk rating from FEMA stands at 21 of 100, close to Virginia’s towns (22 of 100) and below U.S. towns (44 of 100). Of the losses FEMA expects locally, 43% come from cold waves and 42% from inland flooding. Federal disaster aid has reached households in Cana once, in 2024.
21risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
Cold wavesInland flooding
1
federal disasters paid out here
FEMA disaster declarations and aid · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Work & commute
Cana has 0.4 jobs for every working resident, so most commute out
For half of commuters, work is under 14 miles away. In Cana, 15% of residents live below the poverty line. Most working residents leave Cana for work: only 4% work in town. The top destinations are Mount Airy (20%), Hillsville (8%) and Galax (4%).
4%work in town
| Cana | Virginia towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Below the poverty line | 15% | 7.7% | 9.6% |
| Working residents who work in town | 4.1% | 4.9% | 8% |
Where working residents work
In Cana4%
Mount Airy20%
Hillsville8%
Galax4%
Dobson3%
14 mi
median commute distance
164
jobs based in Cana
A commuter town
jobs vs. working residents
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Climate
Four seasons and pleasant summers: that is Cana’s year
The range runs from 27° on a January night to 87° on a July afternoon, with about 8 inches of snow a winter.
8″snow a winter
Typical low → high °F
Winter28–50°
Spring43–68°
Summer62–85°
Fall45–70°
Oct 23
typical first frost
Apr 19
typical last frost
+1.5°
vs. the 20th-century average
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Health
Compared with most of Virginia and the rest of the country, more of Cana’s adults smoke cigarettes
For adults in Cana, the share who say their health is fair or poor is 25%. Among 254 Virginia towns, just 9 have a higher share of adults who have been diagnosed with depression than Cana.
| Cana | Virginia towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Frequent physical distress (CDC PLACES) | 18% | 12% | 14% |
| Smoke cigarettes (CDC PLACES) | 20% | 12% | 14% |
| High blood pressure (CDC PLACES) | 43% | 33% | 35% |
| Diabetes (CDC PLACES) | 16% | 11% | 12% |
32 measures vs. Virginia
0 better15 too close to call17 worse
| What stands out | Cana | VA |
|---|---|---|
| More adults with COPD | 11.3% | 6.2% |
| More smokers | 19.5% | 12.2% |
| More adults with heart disease | 9.5% | 6.1% |
Northern Regional Hospital
7.1 mi away · emergency room
3 of 3
care shortages: primary care, dental, mental health
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Outdoors
0% of Cana is conserved land
1.8 miles of trail. Cana’s density of trails stands at 0.2 miles per square mile.
0%conserved
0%
conserved · 0 of 5,058 acres
1.8 mi
of trails · 0.2 per sq mi
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Cana
18pages on Cana
The big questions
Out and about
After high school
Colleges nearby
1 within 15 miles of the center of Cana
About 2 of every 100 Cana residents are enrolled in college, against 7 across Virginia.
A commuter town
96% of working residents leave Cana for work
Where Cana’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
164jobs based in Cana
4%of working residents work in town
14 mimedian commute distance
Census LEHD 2023
About Cana
CDP in Virginia, United States
Cana () is a census-designated place (CDP) in Carroll County, Virginia, United States. As of the 2020 census, Cana had a population of 1,243. It is the only CDP designated area in the county that is outside of the Appalachian Mountains in the Virginia Piedmont .
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Area
- 7.9 sq mi
- Elevation
- 1,440 ft
- ZIP code
- 24317
Questions about Cana
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Cana, VA a good place to live?
Cana has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.