PlainZIP

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
$65,000
Median income
$100,000
Median home value
14.3%
Bachelor's or higher

The verdict

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 Iowa average), while per-capita income is $32,913. 9.1% of residents live below the poverty line, and the unemployment rate reads 2.5%. Housing costs here run $100,000 for a typical home value (43% below the state average), with rent averaging $758 a month; 91.4% of homes are owner-occupied.

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 -. We also surface 5 nearby ZIP codes within roughly 10 miles and 6 additional ZIPs sharing Van Buren County, so you can benchmark 52542 against its immediate geography rather than a national average alone.

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

Neighborhood Scorecard
Get an A-F grade across income, safety, housing, rent, education, commute, and childcare for this ZIP code.
View Scorecard →

Who lives in ZIP 52542?

35.6

Median Age

62.1%

Male

37.9%

Female

1.0%

Foreign-Born

White 94.0%
African American 0.0%
Asian 0.2%
American Indian or Alaska Native 0.0%
Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander 0.0%
Two or More Ethnicities 5.8%
Hispanic or Latino 8.2%

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

$32,913

Per Capita Income

9.1%

Poverty Rate

2.5%

Unemployment Rate

How ZIP 52542 ranks nationally

Cantril, IA household income vs. every US ZIP code

Median household income, the full national distribution, with this ZIP marked

$65,000 38th percentile higher than 38% of 30,318 US ZIPs

$0–$20,000: 118 US ZIPs (0%). Below this entry. $20,000–$40,000: 1,573 US ZIPs (5%). Below this entry. $40,000–$60,000: 7,092 US ZIPs (23%). Below this entry. $60,000–$80,000: 9,980 US ZIPs (33%). This entry sits in this band. $80,000–$100,000: 5,778 US ZIPs (19%). Above this entry. $100,000–$120,000: 2,855 US ZIPs (9%). Above this entry. $120,000–$140,000: 1,362 US ZIPs (4%). Above this entry. $140,000–$160,000: 686 US ZIPs (2%). Above this entry. $160,000–$180,000: 364 US ZIPs (1%). Above this entry. $180,000–$200,000: 186 US ZIPs (1%). Above this entry. $200,000–$220,000: 324 US ZIPs (1%). Above this entry. This ZIP $0 $200K+ every reporting US ZIP, bucketed by value

Each bar is a $20K-wide band; taller bars hold more US 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?

High School Graduate or Higher 55.8%
Bachelor's Degree or Higher 14.3%

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates (2023)

What does housing look like?

264

Total Housing Units

232

Occupied Units

32

Vacant Units

2.53

Avg Household Size

Occupancy Type

Owner 91.4%
Renter 8.6%

$100,000

Median Home Value

-43% vs state

$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.

residents

What this shows Among its immediate neighbors, ZIP 52542 ranks #5 by population - useful context the national average alone can't give.

Source U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 5-Year Estimates As of 2019–2023

ZIP 52542 vs its nearest neighbors, by median income

Median household income of this ZIP and the closest reporting ZIP codes within ~10 miles.

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.

Source U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 5-Year Estimates As of 2019–2023
ZIP Code City Population Distance
52573 Mount Sterling, IA 162 5.9 mi
52570 Milton, IA 954 6.5 mi
63432 Arbela, MO 513 9.2 mi
52565 Keosauqua, IA 2,027 9.7 mi
63555 Memphis, MO 3,201 12.7 mi

More ZIP Codes in Van Buren County

52565 standard
Keosauqua, IA
Pop: 2,027
52570 standard
Milton, IA
Pop: 954
52620 standard
Bonaparte, IA
Pop: 938
52535 standard
Birmingham, IA
Pop: 888
52551 standard
Douds, IA
Pop: 688
52651 standard
Stockport, IA
Pop: 646

Related Areas

Van Buren County Cantril, IA Iowa

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.

Read our methodology to see how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.