City · Iowa
Cantril, Iowa
Cantril, city, in Van Buren County, Iowa. Cantril had 221 residents on July 1, 2025 by the Census Bureau's estimate, down 0.9% since 2020; the 2020 Census counted 224 and the ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates put it at 335 (±108). GEOID 1910450.
Residents, July 2025 estimate
221
Census Bureau estimate (no margin published)
2020 Census count: 224 · ACS 2020-2024: 335 ±108
Median household income
$40,000
±$31,587 (90% margin)
Iowa: $75,059
Median home value
$80,000
±$48,307 (90% margin)
Iowa: $208,000
Median gross rent
$758
±$191 (90% margin)
Iowa: $972
Where is Cantril and what county is it in?
Cantril is a city in Van Buren County, Iowa. It covers 0.5 square miles of land, 433 residents per square mile in 2020.
Source: 2024 Gazetteer and 2020 place-by-county files, U.S. Census Bureau · Census reference files
How many people live in Cantril, and is it growing?
The Census Bureau estimates that 221 people lived in Cantril on July 1, 2025, down 0.9% since 2020, while Iowa grew 1.5%. The 2020 Census counted 224 residents. The 2020-2024 American Community Survey, a five-year sample, puts the population at 335 (±108).
| Measure | Cantril | Van Buren County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total population | 335 ±108 | 7,241 | no clear change |
| Households | 148 ±44 | 2,896 | no clear change |
| Average household size | 2.26 ±0.61 | 2.47 | no clear change |
| Housing units | 169 ±47 | 3,490 | no clear change |
Cantril's population since 2000
From 257 in 2000 to 221 in 2025: down 14.0%. The 2000, 2010 and 2020 figures are census counts, each for Cantril as it was drawn that year: a place that annexed land, or a community that has since incorporated, covered a different area then. The 2005 figure is the Census Bureau's intercensal estimate, revised to fit the 2000 and 2010 counts and drawn on 2010 boundaries; 2015 and 2025 are July 1 estimates made from the census before them.
Source: The 2000, 2010 and 2020 Census counts and the Census Bureau's population estimates (intercensal 2000-2010, Vintage 2020, Vintage 2025) · Census population estimates
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026); Census PEP Vintage 2025 (SUB-EST2025, CO-EST2025); 2020 Census P.L. 94-171 · Check it at data.census.gov
Who lives in Cantril?
The median resident of Cantril is 51.8 years old; 26.3% are under 18 and 31.9% are 65 or older. The largest group is non-Hispanic white residents at 80.0%, then Hispanic or Latino residents (of any race) at 14.3%.
| Measure | Cantril | Van Buren County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median age | 51.8 ±23.0 | 44.7 | +25.9 |
| Under 18 years | 26.3% ±16.2 pts | 23.6% | – |
| 65 years and over | 31.9% ±14.0 pts | 23.6% | – |
| Male | 65.4% ±7.6 pts | 51.3% | – |
| Hispanic or Latino (any race) | 14.3% ±8.0 pts | 1.8% | – |
| White alone, not Hispanic | 80.0% ±9.6 pts | 94.4% | −20.0 pts |
| Black or African American alone, not Hispanic | 0.0% ±7.2 pts | 0.4% | – |
| Asian alone, not Hispanic | 0.3% ±0.6 pts | 0.0% | – |
| American Indian and Alaska Native alone, not Hispanic | 0.0% ±7.2 pts | 0.1% | – |
| Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander alone, not Hispanic | 0.0% ±7.2 pts | 0.0% | – |
| Two or more races, not Hispanic | 5.4% ±5.1 pts | 2.4% | – |
| Some other race alone, not Hispanic | 0.0% ±7.2 pts | 1.0% | – |
| Born outside the United States | 1.8% ±2.6 pts | 0.6% | – |
| Speak a language other than English at home (age 5+) | 5.8% ±5.0 pts | 15.1% | – |
| Civilian veterans (age 18+) | 21.1% ±10.1 pts | 9.5% | – |
| With a disability | 20.9% ±12.6 pts | 17.2% | – |
| No health insurance coverage | 18.8% ±7.9 pts | 17.4% | – |
| High school graduate or higher (age 25+) | 87.7% ±7.1 pts | 85.7% | – |
| Bachelor's degree or higher (age 25+) | 17.2% ±9.4 pts | 18.8% | no clear change |
| Graduate or professional degree (age 25+) | 5.7% ±6.1 pts | 5.8% | – |
| Lived in the same house a year earlier | 98.5% ±2.1 pts | 89.0% | – |
| Moved from another state in the past year | 1.2% ±2.1 pts | 1.8% | – |
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) (Data Profiles DP02, DP05) · Check it at data.census.gov
What do households in Cantril earn?
Cantril's median household income is published as $40,000 with a margin of ±$31,587, too wide to rely on.
| Measure | Cantril | Van Buren County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $40,000 ±$31,587 | $61,161 | – |
| Mean household income | $60,307 ±$12,145 | $82,878 | – |
| Per capita income | $28,615 ±$7,242 | $33,900 | no clear change |
| People below the poverty line | 8.1% ±6.0 pts | 15.1% | – |
| Children under 18 below the poverty line | 3.5% ±7.9 pts | 16.4% | – |
| Households receiving SNAP | 6.8% ±5.5 pts | 8.0% | – |
| Households with a computer | 68.2% ±16.4 pts | 83.6% | – |
| Households with a broadband subscription | 54.1% ±16.5 pts | 72.8% | – |
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) (Data Profile DP03) · Check it at data.census.gov
What does housing cost in Cantril?
Owners occupy 86.5% of Cantril's occupied homes and renters 13.5%. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $80,000 by its owner (±$48,307). The median renter pays $758 a month including utilities.
| Measure | Cantril | Van Buren County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home value (owner-occupied) | $80,000 ±$48,307 | $114,600 | no clear change |
| Median gross rent | $758 ±$191 | $622 | – |
| Renters paying 35% or more of income on rent | 66.7% ±48.0 pts | 37.0% | – |
| Median monthly owner costs, with a mortgage | $1,267 ±$330 | $1,367 | – |
| Owner-occupied homes | 86.5% ±9.3 pts | 81.6% | no clear change |
| Renter-occupied homes | 13.5% ±9.3 pts | 18.4% | – |
| Housing units | 169 ±47 | 3,490 | no clear change |
| Homeowner vacancy rate | 0.0% ±16.9 pts | 0.0% | – |
| Rental vacancy rate | 0.0% ±58.2 pts | 3.3% | – |
| Single-family detached homes | 87.6% ±10.3 pts | 85.9% | – |
| Mobile homes | 12.4% ±10.3 pts | 7.9% | – |
| Built 2020 or later | 0.0% ±13.7 pts | 1.6% | – |
| Built 2010 to 2019 | 14.2% ±10.9 pts | 4.1% | – |
| Built 1939 or earlier | 31.4% ±11.2 pts | 33.6% | – |
| Households with no vehicle | 1.4% ±1.9 pts | 10.2% | – |
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) (Data Profile DP04) · Check it at data.census.gov
How do people in Cantril work and get to work?
82.1% of Cantril's workers drive alone. The average trip to work takes 19.3 minutes.
| Measure | Cantril | Van Buren County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| In the labor force (age 16+) | 58.8% ±14.0 pts | 58.2% | – |
| Unemployment rate | 4.8% ±7.4 pts | 4.1% | – |
| Drove alone to work | 82.1% ±13.3 pts | 67.2% | – |
| Carpooled | 10.0% ±8.3 pts | 14.0% | – |
| Public transportation | 5.0% ±7.2 pts | 0.4% | – |
| Walked | 1.4% ±2.2 pts | 4.8% | – |
| Worked from home | 1.4% ±3.7 pts | 12.7% | – |
| Mean travel time to work | 19.3 min ±5.4 | 22.5 min | no clear change |
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) (Data Profile DP03) · Check it at data.census.gov
What census tracts are in Cantril?
No census tract lies mostly in Cantril; 1 tract reaches into it (2020 census blocks).
| Tract | Residents, 2020-2024 | Median household income |
|---|---|---|
| Tract 9502Van Buren County | 3,284 | $63,032 |
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026); 2020 block assignment files (tract share = share of the tract's census blocks in Cantril) · Census block assignment files
How does Cantril compare with other places in Iowa?
By the Census Bureau's July 2025 estimates, Cantril is the 16,179th-most populous of the 19,476 U.S. incorporated places that have one and the 638th-most populous of 939 in Iowa.
Cantril is not ranked by income or the other survey measures: those rankings include places of 1,000 or more residents (2020 Census) with a reliable estimate.
| Measure | Rank | Of |
|---|---|---|
| Population, July 2025 estimate | 638th | 939 |
Cantril's figures with every place in Iowa (CSV)
Every place in Iowa, sortable · Compare Cantril with other places
Source: PlainCities ranks computed from the American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) and PEP Vintage 2025 · How ranks are computed
How reliable are the figures for Cantril?
27 of the 57 figures for Cantril on this page carry a coefficient of variation over 40% and are marked with a ring: they come from a small sample, so read them as rough.
The American Community Survey samples about one household in eight over five years, so every figure is an estimate with a 90% margin of error (shown under each value). A ring marks an estimate whose coefficient of variation is over 40%. A change is called only when the gap between the two periods is larger than their combined 90% margin (the square root of the sum of the two squared margins), the Census Bureau's test. How to read a margin of error.
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026): margins of error as published · ACS technical documentation
How these figures are made: methodology and release checks · reading a margin of error · every state · corrections
Not on this page: crime, weather and schools for Cantril are other agencies' records. Crime: the FBI's Crime Data Explorer · climate: NOAA's U.S. Climate Normals · schools: the National Center for Education Statistics' public schools in Cantril.