Canton is a small town surrounded by East Texas beauty
Canton, a small town of about 5,000 people between Dallas and Tyler, attracts buyers who want more land than they can find in the city and prefer a quieter lifestyle. Resident and Realtor Cody Brantley with RE/MAX Landmark Rose says that he, like many residents, spends his free time working on his land and hanging out with family. "A lot of people, especially the ones who live in rural areas, take care of their animals and gardens when they get off work." After growing up in Canton, Brantley moved back to Canton with his wife after college because he loves East Texas's beauty and the family-oriented community. "We like to be pretty secluded, and that's easy to do here," he says. "We like that we can get to town if we need to, but we're not close enough that we're there all the time."
New construction and acreage properties
New construction is ongoing in Canton, while the average home value stays far lower than the average for the Dallas-Fort Worth metroplex. D.R. Horton and Altura Homes are major builders in the area. New builds are typically New Traditional homes, while older properties are usually ranch-style. Buyers can find homes in small lots in neighborhoods or on acreage properties, sometimes as large as 90 acres. Home prices vary with acreage. Most homes sell for prices between $200,000 and $700,000, and homes that sell for upwards of that - $700,000 to as high as $4.3 million – are sprawling estates on acreage. Residential streets typically have large trees and no sidewalks.
The highly rated Canton Independent School District
Canton Independent School District gets an A-minus grade from Niche. Canton Elementary receives a B-plus, Canton Intermediate gets an A-minus, Canton Junior High receives a B-plus, and Canton High School gets an A-minus. Canton High School's career and technical education programs include agriculture, human services, information technology and more.
Lakes, sports and golf
Mill Creek Reservoir is popular for boating, fishing and swimming. Old City Lake offers fishing and swimming along with a playground, tennis courts and baseball and soccer fields. The community has additional soccer fields on Billy Street and baseball fields on State Highway 64 East. Cherry Creek Park is a large park with lots of trees, walking paths and a whimsical wooden playground. Van Zandt Country Club has a public golf course, pro shop and restaurant, along with a pool for members only.
Hip eateries, chain restaurants and groceries
Brantley says that most dining options in town are mom-and-pop shops, with a mix of older establishments and newer spots attracting younger crowds. "There are some pretty cool little hangouts around," he says. “Craft 64 is a sports bar with local Texas beers, really good burgers and live music all the time, and the Q & Brew is a barbecue and brewery place just north of Interstate 20." Chain restaurants in town include Applebee's, Pizza Hut and Burger King. Groceries are available at Walmart, Brookshire's and the Canton Farmers Market, open Saturday mornings.
Over 5,000 vendors at First Monday Trade Days
Canton is perhaps best known for First Monday Trade Days, an event that occurs on the Thursday through Sunday preceding the first Monday of each month. This nearly 200-year-old tradition brings in over 5,000 artisans and collectors selling their goods monthly. "When I say you can buy anything up there, I mean, I've been up there, and you can buy a baby kangaroo," Brantley says. "If you can think of it, and it's legal, it's probably there." Brantley says the monthly event turns Canton from a town of 5,000 to attracting as many as 500,000 visitors and that it's hard to even scrape the surface of what's available. "If you spent four days and walked every bit of it, I don't think you'd see everything," he says.
Medical and airport options
Interstate 20 connects Canton to Dallas to the West and Tyler to the east. UT Health East Texas Urgent Care and CHRISTUS Emergency Care Center provide medical services in town. To travel out of town, residents can drive about 30 miles east to Tyler Pounds Regional Airport, which offers flights to Dallas-Fort Worth, or about 70 miles west to Dallas Love Field or 80 miles west to Dallas Fort Worth International Airport.
