Deer LakeNewfoundland and Labrador
A town in Newfoundland and Labrador, home to 5,319 people. Its census division is Division No. 5.
Is Deer Lake a good place to live?
A tough set of grades. Health outcomes fall short of most towns (D). Walking, cycling and public transport work well here (A−). Homes were valued at a median $220,000 at the 2021 census, 3.5 times the typical household’s income. All told, that adds up to a D overall and a rank of #25 of 32 in Newfoundland and Labrador. It comes out better than just over a tenth of Canadian towns.
Figures: home values and income: Statistics Canada, Census 2021.
This town's rent is the 2021 census rent scaled to 2025 by its province's ratio of surveyed to census rents: no rental survey covers it, so its Cost Grade is less sure. Safety is the police detachment's figure, shared with the towns and countryside around it. No School Grade: this province doesn't publish comparable results school by school. Health is graded on the health region's survey figures and life expectancy, with the distance to hospital giving the town its own spread.
How Deer Lake grades
Each subject compares Deer Lake with Canadian towns of 2,500 or more, ordered by how far it is from the middle. Towns in other countries are graded separately.
How TownRatings grades Canadian towns →
What makes Deer Lake stand out
The 3 things Deer Lake does most differently from other towns.
The data
Data highlights are ordered by what stands out in Deer Lake.
Deer Lake is graded a D for health
The town’s own part is the trip to care: residents of Deer Lake live 45 km from a hospital on average, and 100% of them more than 30 km. The three chronic conditions the survey tracks average 20% of adults, lower than Newfoundland and Labrador’s towns (22%) yet higher than Canadian towns (17%). Adults here are less upbeat about their health than the province: 47% very good or excellent, against 52% in Newfoundland and Labrador. A baby born in the region can expect 78.5 years, 81.1 for a girl and 76.0 for a boy (2022/2024).
Very good or excellent health · adults, age-standardised
| Health | Deer Lake | Newfoundland and Labrador | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Very good or excellent health | 47% | 50% | 52% |
| Chronic conditions (average share) | 20% | 22% | 17% |
| Life expectancy at birth | 78.5 | 78.6 | 81.5 |
| Smokers | 15% | 15% | 12% |
Statistics Canada, Canadian Community Health Survey 2023/2024 and life expectancy 2022/2024; Open Database of Healthcare Facilities · Health survey and life expectancy: the Western Zone
Crime runs heavier where Deer Lake is policed than in Newfoundland and Labrador’s towns or Canadian towns, at an index of 96
Violent incidents in its police area came to 16.8 per 1,000 residents a year, close to Newfoundland and Labrador’s towns (16.7) and above Canadian towns (12). The violent index for its police area came to 99, above Newfoundland and Labrador’s towns (82) and Canadian towns (86) alike.
Year by year · Crime Severity Index for each year
| 2023–2025 | Deer Lake | Newfoundland and Labrador | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Crime Severity Index | 96 | 81 | 67 |
| Violent Crime Severity Index | 99 | 82 | 86 |
| Violent crime | 16.8 | 16.7 | 12 |
Statistics Canada, Uniform Crime Reporting Survey, 2023–2025 average · Crime Severity Index, Violent Crime Severity Index, violent crime and property crime per 1,000: one figure for all of the Deer Lake detachment area
A flood study covers Deer Lake: 1 on the national inventory, the newest from Water Resources Management Division (WRMD), Department of Environment and Climate Change, Government of Newfoundland and Labrador
Radon is higher than usual: a tenth of tested homes in the survey area topped the guideline, against 6.6% for the typical town. Shaking is less of a worry than in most places, at $0.007 a year per $1,000 of building value ($0.030 typical). Deer Lake shares its radon tests numbers with the rest of the Western Regional Integrated Health Authority.
Radon tests above the guideline · share of tested homes, 200 Bq/m³
| Hazards | Deer Lake | Newfoundland and Labrador | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Radon tests above the guideline | 10% | 4% | 6.6% |
| Earthquake loss per $1,000 of buildings a year | $0.007 | $0.011 | $0.030 |
NRCan seismic risk model and burned areas, Health Canada radon survey, the Flood Hazard Map Inventory
Commuters in Deer Lake have a short way to work, 16 min on average, less than in both Newfoundland and Labrador’s towns and Canadian towns
89% of commuters drove, below Newfoundland and Labrador’s towns (92%) and close to Canadian towns (89%).
How working residents got to work · census 2021
| Census 2021 | Deer Lake | Newfoundland and Labrador | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average trip | 16 min | 19 min | 26 min |
| Car or van | 89% | 92% | 89% |
Statistics Canada, Census 2021 (labour and commuting) · Counted in May 2021, under pandemic rules: fewer commutes and more people between jobs than in a normal year.
July highs in Deer Lake: 22.9°C, against 21.2°C in Newfoundland and Labrador’s towns and 25.5°C in Canadian towns
Between the last spring frost, 10 June, and the first in autumn, 20 September, lie 102 days. Snow totals 433 cm over the year, higher than both Newfoundland and Labrador’s towns (363 cm) and Canadian towns (141 cm). A normal January brings 126 mm of precipitation, more than any other month. Most of the snow comes in January, about 117 cm.
Average high by season · ECCC normals, 1991–2020
| Normals, 1991–2020 | Deer Lake | Newfoundland and Labrador | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Snowfall a year | 433 cm | 363 cm | 141 cm |
| July afternoon high | 22.9°C | 21.2°C | 25.5°C |
| Days with frost a year | 191 | 171 | 159 |
| Precipitation a year | 1,146 mm | 1,305 mm | 883 mm |
Environment and Climate Change Canada, Canadian Climate Normals 1991–2020 (Deer Lake)
More of Deer Lake’s residents have an Indigenous identity than in Newfoundland and Labrador’s towns or Canadian towns: 14%
Children under 15 make up 13%, about level with Newfoundland and Labrador’s towns (13%) and below Canadian towns (16%). People 65 and over make up 28% of the town.
Ages · Share of residents in each age group, Census 2021
Schooling · Highest qualification, residents 15 and over
Women and men · all residents
51.9% of Deer Lake’s residents are women
2,525 women and 2,340 men at the 2021 census; across Canada, women are 50.9%.
| Deer Lake | Newfoundland and Labrador | Canada | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 15 | 13% | 13% | 16% |
| 15 to 64 | 59% | 61% | 64% |
| 65+ | 28% | 26% | 19% |
| No certificate, diploma or degree | 21% | 21% | 16% |
| Postsecondary qualification | 45% | 53% | 56% |
Statistics Canada, Census 2021; Newfoundland and Labrador and Canada: medians of towns of 2,500+
In Deer Lake, November normally means 5°C afternoons and −3°C nights
For today and the week ahead, the Weather page carries ECCC’s Deer Lake forecast. About 29 cm of snow falls in a normal November. Then December: freezing by day, −7°C at night. Expect about 95 mm of rain and snow over November.
Normal highs, the months ahead · ECCC normals, 1991–2020
| Season | High | Low | Rain and snow |
|---|---|---|---|
| Winter | −2°C | −11°C | 348 mm |
| Spring | 7°C | −4°C | 226 mm |
| Summer | 21°C | 9°C | 283 mm |
| Autumn | 11°C | 2°C | 289 mm |
ECCC normals, 1991–2020 (Deer Lake); the forecast is on the Weather page
Carol Anstey (Conservative Party of Canada) represents Deer Lake in Ottawa as MP for Long Range Mountains
Deer Lake is a town by Statistics Canada’s count of municipalities.
Wikidata, MAMH, MMAH, Statistics Canada
Deer Lake has one public library, Deer Lake Public Library
The library is 0.8 km from the centre of Deer Lake.
Provincial library statistics, OpenStreetMap, the CRA and Statistics Canada
Deer Lake is graded a B− for cost of living
73% of households own their home. Shelter took 30% or more of income for 18% of households, about level with Canadian towns (18%) and above Newfoundland and Labrador’s towns (15%).
What homes were worth · The median owner’s estimate at the 2021 census
| Census 2021 | Deer Lake | Newfoundland and Labrador | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home value, 2021 | $220,000 | $215,000 | $406,000 |
| Rent as a share of income | 18% | 17% | 20% |
| Households spending 30%+ on shelter | 18% | 15% | 18% |
| Households owning their home | 73% | 78% | 74% |
Statistics Canada, Census 2021; CMHC Rental Market Survey via Statistics Canada · Values come from owners at the 2021 census and incomes from 2020, so they predate the later rise in rates.
Within 19 km of Deer Lake: Gros Morne National Park
Within 10 km are 2 protected areas. 14 km from town is Sir Richard Squires Memorial Provincial Park, the nearest provincial park. OpenStreetMap shows 6 unnamed beaches within 5 km.
Protected land · of the land within 10 km
| Outdoors | Deer Lake | Newfoundland and Labrador | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Protected land within 10 km | 0.4% | 0.4% | 2.3% |
| Public protected areas within 10 km | 1 | 1 | 4 |
Canadian Protected and Conserved Areas Database (CPCAD), OpenStreetMap routes and beaches
The 3 schools of Deer Lake: 2 elementary schools and 1 secondary school
Teenagers have 44 km to go to the closest secondary school, above both Newfoundland and Labrador’s towns (25 km) and Canadian towns (1.2 km).
| School | Level | Students | System |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elwood ElementaryIn Deer LakeElementary | Elementary | – | English public |
| Elwood High SchoolIn Deer LakeSecondary | Secondary | – | English public |
| Schools within 3 km | Deer Lake | Newfoundland and Labrador | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nearest secondary school | 44 km | 25 km | 1.2 km |
Statistics Canada’s Open Database of Educational Facilities · Towns in Newfoundland and Labrador aren’t in the schools rankings: the province publishes no results school by school.
Everything we know about Deer Lake
About Deer Lake
Town in Newfoundland and Labrador
The boundary here is Statistics Canada’s: Deer Lake is one census subdivision in Newfoundland and Labrador, and TownRatings describes all of it.
Statistics Canada: population estimates 2025 (17-10-0155), Census of Population 2021, 2021 census boundaries.
- Population
- 5,319 (people, 2025 estimate)
- Province or territory
- Newfoundland and Labrador
- Census division
- Division No. 5
- Census subdivision
- 1005004
Questions about Deer Lake
What kind of homes are in Deer Lake?
77% of homes are single-detached houses, against 64% for the median of Canadian towns, and 0% are in apartment buildings of five storeys or more. A household averages 2.2 people; 28% are one person living alone.
Is Deer Lake growing?
It went from 5,249 people in 2016 to 4,864 in 2021, down 7.3%, while the median of Canadian towns grew 4.1%. StatCan’s 2025 estimate is 5,319.
Sources: Statistics Canada, Census of Population 2021 · population estimates 2025 (17-10-0155) and 2021 census boundaries · Uniform Crime Reporting Survey 2023–25 (35-10-0026, 35-10-0183 to 35-10-0190) · CMHC rents as published by Statistics Canada (34-10-0133) · grades by TownRatings. Under the Statistics Canada Open Licence.
Adapted from Statistics Canada (Census of Population 2021, population estimates 2025, 2021 census boundaries) under the Statistics Canada Open Licence; this does not constitute an endorsement by Statistics Canada. Neighbourhood names in some cities © OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL).