Cantril, IA · standard
ZIP Code 52542
Van Buren County, Iowa - Census ACS demographics, housing tenure, and business patterns, benchmarked against every US ZIP.
- 435
- 4/sq mi Low-density area
- $65,000
- Median income Near-median income area
- $100,000
- Median home value Below-median home value
- 14.3%
- Bachelor's or higher Below-average bachelor's attainment
National ZIP placement
Cantril pairs a below-median household income with among the most affordable home values nationally, in a rural, homeowner-dominated area.
- 38th pct
- household income, US ZIPs
- 10th pct
- home value, US ZIPs
- 4
- people per sq mi
- 91%
- owner-occupied homes
Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year Estimates (2019–2023). Percentiles rank ZIP 52542 against every reporting US ZIP.
ZIP code 52542 is a sparsely populated ZIP (a standard USPS delivery area) in Cantril, Van Buren County, Iowa, home to just 435 residents across 117.6 square miles, a density of 4 people per square mile, in the Chicago time zone.
ZIP 52542 reports a modest median household income of $65,000 (15% below the average Iowa ZIP), while per-capita income is $32,913. The poverty rate is 9.1%, with unemployment at 2.5%; those measures add context to the income figure. Home values sit below the statewide ZIP benchmark: the median is $100,000 (43% below the average Iowa ZIP), and median rent is $758; owner occupancy is 91.4%.
Formal educational attainment runs low here: just 14.3% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, the median age is 35.6, and the average commute is -. The page also surfaces 5 ZIP codes within roughly 10 miles and 6 more in Van Buren County, so 52542 can be compared with both its immediate and county-level context.
Every figure on this page is sourced from the U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates (including median rent) and the FHFA House Price Index, no estimates, no proprietary scoring. Verify with Census →
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates + ZIP Code Business Patterns + FHFA HPI ACS demographics and median rent, ZBP business establishments, FHFA HPI for ZIP 52542, Cantril, IA · 2023 Census ACS 5-Year Estimates use a rolling 60-month sample for stable small-geography estimates; ZBP updated annually; FHFA HPI updated quarterly/annually.
Quick Facts
435
Population
117.6
Area (sq mi)
4
People / sq mi
Chicago
Time Zone
standard
ZIP Type
Who lives in ZIP 52542?
35.6
Median Age
62.1%
Male
37.9%
Female
1.0%
Foreign-Born
Hispanic or Latino is an ethnicity category from the Census Bureau and may overlap with other categories above.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates (2023)
How much do residents earn?
$65,000
Median Household Income
-15% vs state ZIP avg
$32,913
Per Capita Income
9.1%
Poverty Rate
2.5%
Unemployment Rate
How ZIP 52542 ranks among Iowa ZIPs
Cantril, IA household income vs. every Iowa ZIP code
Median household income among 911 reporting Iowa ZIPs (this ZIP's population is too small for a reliable national-corpus placement)
$65,000 30th percentile higher than 30% of 911 Iowa ZIPs
Each bar is a $20K-wide band; taller bars hold more Iowa ZIPs. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count, share, and where it sits relative to this entry.
Source U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates · 2019–2023
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates (2023)
What is the education profile here?
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates (2023)
What does housing look like?
Housing stock: occupied vs vacant
264housing units
264
Total Housing Units
232
Occupied Units
32
Vacant Units
2.53
Avg Household Size
Occupancy Type
$100,000
Median Home Value
-43% vs state ZIP avg
$758
Median Rent
1973
Median Year Built
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates (2023)
What businesses operate in this ZIP?
Census Bureau data shows 15 business establishments in ZIP 52542, employing approximately 153 people with a combined annual payroll of $7,313,000.
15
Businesses
153
Employees
$7.3M
Annual Payroll
0
Industry Sectors
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ZIP Code Business Patterns (ZBP), 2023. Employment figures may include noise for disclosure avoidance.
Nearby ZIP Codes
Want a side-by-side? Compare 52542 vs 52573 →
ZIP 52542 vs its nearest neighbors, by population
Resident population of this ZIP and the closest reporting ZIP codes within ~10 miles.
- 63555
Memphis (63555)
3,201 residents
- 52565
Keosauqua (52565)
2,027 residents
- 52570 954
Milton (52570)
954 residents
- 63432 513
Arbela (63432)
513 residents
- 52542 435
Cantril (52542)
435 residents
- 52573 162
Mount Sterling (52573)
162 residents
What this shows Among its immediate neighbors, ZIP 52542 ranks #5 by population - useful context the national average alone can't give.
ZIP 52542 vs its nearest neighbors, by median income
Median household income of this ZIP and the closest reporting ZIP codes within ~10 miles.
- 52570
Milton (52570)
$68,750 median income
- 63555
Memphis (63555)
$67,426 median income
- 52542
Cantril (52542)
$65,000 median income
- 52565
Keosauqua (52565)
$62,992 median income
- 63432
Arbela (63432)
$60,481 median income
- 52573
Mount Sterling (52573)
$35,179 median income
What this shows By household income, ZIP 52542 ranks #3 of 6 neighboring ZIPs, local affluence varies block to block, not just metro to metro.
Nationwide ZIPs with similar ACS profiles
Two Census-derived peer sets for ZIP 52542, both outside IA so the neighborhoods are not geographic containment (Nearby and same-county blocks stay local).
Similar median household income
Nearest cross-state ZIPs by ACS median household income.
More ZIP Codes in Van Buren County
Related Areas
Frequently Asked Questions
What county is ZIP code 52542 in?
ZIP code 52542 (Cantril) is located in Van Buren County, Iowa. Van Buren County contains multiple ZIP codes, see the full list at /counties/van-buren-ia.
What is the population of ZIP code 52542?
ZIP code 52542 in Cantril, IA has a population of 435 according to the Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates.
What is the median household income in ZIP 52542?
The median household income in ZIP 52542 is $65,000, which is 15% below the national average of $76,288.
What is the average home value in ZIP 52542?
The median home value in ZIP 52542 is $100,000, which is 64% below the national average of $278,155.
What is the demographic makeup of ZIP 52542?
The largest racial group in ZIP 52542 is White at 94.0%. Hispanic or Latino residents make up 8.2% of the population.
How many businesses are in ZIP code 52542?
ZIP code 52542 has 15 business establishments employing approximately 153 people, according to Census Bureau ZIP Code Business Patterns (ZBP) 2023 data.
What is the education level in ZIP code 52542?
In ZIP code 52542, 55.8% of residents aged 25+ have a high school diploma or higher, and 14.3% hold a bachelor's degree or higher. These figures come from the Census Bureau ACS 5-Year Estimates (2023).
What percentage of residents own vs. rent in ZIP 52542?
In ZIP code 52542, approximately 91.4% of occupied housing units are owner-occupied and 8.6% are renter-occupied, based on Census ACS 2023 data.
What is the poverty rate in ZIP code 52542?
The poverty rate in ZIP code 52542 is 9.1% according to Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates. This measures the percentage of the population living below the federal poverty threshold.
Related
Take this with you
What to do with ZIP 52542's numbers, next.
- See how ZIP 52542 compares to a neighboring ZIP code on the same Census fields Compare this ZIP
- Check where Cantril, IA ranks among every U.S. ZIP code on income, education, or homeownership View national rankings
- Save this ZIP to your shortlist to track alongside others you're considering View your shortlist
ZIP Code Tabulation Areas (ZCTAs) are Census Bureau approximations of USPS ZIP codes; figures describe the ZCTA area, not any single address within it.