AuroraOntario

TownGrade

A⁻

#474 of 2,556

Its population rose 12% from 2016 to 2021. Population 67,385: a town in Ontario.

6 places within 19 kmMap →

Photo: Onasill ~ Bill - Onasill ~ 109 Millions Views · CC BY-SA 2.0

Population

67,385

people, 2025 estimate

Median age

years · Ontario’s towns: 46.8

Postsecondary

65%

of residents 15 and over hold a postsecondary certificate, diploma or degree · Canadian towns: 56%

Walk, cycle, transit

walk, cycle or take transit to work · Canadian towns: 8%

Is Aurora a good place to live?

A good place to live, if you can afford it. Taken together, its subjects give Aurora an A− overall, better than 78% of Canadian towns. In the ranking it comes #135 of 858 in Ontario. Schools do well (A+). People here tend to be in good health (A−). Prices are high against local incomes (D).

Rents here are the metro area's average, shared by every town and neighbourhood in it. Safety is the regional police service's figure, shared with its other towns. Health is graded on the health region's survey figures and life expectancy, with the distance to hospital giving the town its own spread.

StrongestA⁺Hazard risk A⁺Schools A⁻HealthWeakestDCost of living

How Aurora grades

Each subject compares Aurora 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 grading works

Hazard riskBased on earthquake losses and radon in homes; a high wildfire risk can pull it downA⁺Open →SchoolsSchools rank among the strongest comparedA⁺Open →Cost of livingAmong the weakest of the towns comparedDOpen →HealthBased on how healthy residents are for their agesA⁻Open →WalkabilityAmong the easiest places to get around without a carA⁻Open →SafetyAhead of most towns comparedB⁺Open →Jobs & incomeGraded on incomes, poverty and employmentC⁺Open →

How TownRatings grades Canadian towns →

What makes Aurora stand out

The 3 things Aurora does most differently from other towns.

Picked automatically from the data

Immigrants

Who lives here

37% are immigrants

Next to 6%, the median among Canadian towns

Statistics Canada, Census 2021

Home value ÷ household income

Housing

8.4 times household income

The middle of Canadian towns: 4.7 times

Median owner’s estimate $1,000,000, Census 2021; income for 2020.

Hazard risk

Better than 96%

of Canadian towns on hazard risk

Its hazard risk grade: A+.

The data

Data highlights are ordered by what stands out in Aurora.

Natural hazardsHazard risk A⁺

Aurora earns an A+ for hazard risk

Lowwildfire bandA⁺Hazard risk Grade

Seismic risk in Aurora sits near the middle: $0.020 of expected damage per $1,000 of buildings a year, the typical town $0.030. No wildfire is mapped within 25 km of the town’s homes since 1986 (0% of the land, 0.001% a year). The national inventory holds one flood map for it, from Toronto Regional Conservation Authority.

Radon tests above the guideline · share of tested homes, 200 Bq/m³

Aurora0%

Ontario’s towns4%

Canadian towns6.6%

Hazards	Aurora	Ontario	Canada
Radon tests above the guideline	0%	4%	6.6%
Earthquake loss per $1,000 of buildings a year	$0.020	$0.043	$0.030

$0.020

expected earthquake loss a year per $1,000 of buildings

Low

wildfire band

18 km

to the nearest land burned since 1986

flood study on the national inventory

Full pageAurora’s flood & hazards pageOpen the full Flood & hazards page

WildfireLow wildfire band · No land burned within 25 km since 1986 FloodOne flood study on record Earthquakes$0.020 a year per $1,000 · Canadian towns: $0.030 Radon0% of tests above the guideline Be readyAlerts, FireSmart and radon tests

NRCan seismic risk model and burned areas, Health Canada radon survey, the Flood Hazard Map Inventory

SchoolsSchools A⁺

In Aurora, families choose among 4 boards: English and French, public and Catholic

46schools within 3 kmA⁺Schools Grade

On results, 30 of its 45 tested schools sit in the top two fifths in Ontario. 3 of the 46 teach in French, against 10% of schools in Ontario. The largest is Dr G W Williams Secondary School, with 1,515 students. Taken together, Aurora and its 3 km edge hold 38 elementary schools and 8 secondary schools for 22,830 students.

School	Level	Students	System
Bogart Public School Top fifth in OntarioLargest elementary schoolElementary · Grades JK–8	Elementary · Grades JK–8	695	English public
Dr G W Williams Secondary School Top fifth in OntarioLargest secondary schoolSecondary · Grades 9–12	Secondary · Grades 9–12	1,515	English public
ÉSC Renaissance FrenchTeaches in FrenchSecondary · Grades 9–12	Secondary · Grades 9–12	435	French Catholic
Aurora High School Top fifth in OntarioResults in the top fifth in OntarioSecondary · Grades 9–12	Secondary · Grades 9–12	1,020	English public

See all 46 schools →

Schools by system · Schools within 3 km

English public29

English Catholic14

French Catholic2

French public1

Schools within 3 km	Aurora	Ontario	Canada
School boards	4	4	3

22,830

students at the schools within 3 km, 2024-25

1 km

to the nearest secondary school

Full pageAurora’s schools pageOpen the full Schools page

The boards4 school boards · York Region DSB Every school46 schools within 3 km · 38 elementary schools and 8 secondary schools Results30 of 45 in the top two fifths · of the schools with results, placed against every school in Ontario Language3 of 46 teach in French · 10% of schools in Ontario Questions“What schools are there in Aurora?”

Provincial school lists and results, 2024-25

HousingCost of living D

Measured against local pay, Aurora costs more to live in than nine in ten Canadian towns

$1,000,000median home value, 2021DCost of living Grade

Source area for rent as a share of income and monthly rent for a two-bedroom: the Toronto metro area

29% of households spent 30% or more of their income on shelter, above both Ontario’s towns (22%) and Canadian towns (18%). The owner-occupied share of households is 81%.

What homes were worth · The median owner’s estimate at the 2021 census

Aurora$1,000,000

Ontario$695,000

Canadian towns$406,000

Census 2021	Aurora	Ontario	Canada
Households spending 30%+ on shelter	29%	22%	18%
Households owning their home	81%	76%	74%

$2,045

monthly rent for a two-bedroom

$2,100

median monthly shelter cost for owners, 2021

Full pageAurora’s cost of living pageOpen the full Cost of living page

Cost of living8.4 times household income · The median owner’s estimate, $1,000,000, against the median household income Renting$2,045 a month · A two-bedroom apartment, CMHC’s survey Owners and renters81% own their home

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.

HealthHealth A⁻

Lives run long around Aurora: 86.3 years, 4.8 more than the typical Canadian town’s region

51%very good or excellent healthA⁻Health Grade

Chronic conditions run at 16% of adults, age-standardised, below both Ontario’s towns (17%) and Canadian towns (17%). On self-rated health the region tracks the province: 51% very good or excellent, 51% for Ontario. What sets Aurora apart within its region is a longer trip to hospital, 6.7 km for the average resident (3.7 km typical).

Very good or excellent health · adults, age-standardised

Aurora51%

Ontario’s towns51%

Canadian towns52%

Health	Aurora	Ontario	Canada
Life expectancy at birth	86.3	82.8	81.5
Chronic conditions (average share)	16%	17%	17%
Smokers	10%	10%	12%

86.3

years of life expectancy, 2022/2024

6.7 km

from homes to a hospital, on average

10%

of adults smoke, age-standardised

1.1 km

from homes to a pharmacy, on average

Full pageAurora’s health pageOpen the full Health page

Health survey51% very good or excellent health · adults, age-standardised Getting care6.7 km to a hospital · A pharmacy 1.1 km away on average The wider areaLife expectancy: women 87.9, men 84.6 Conditions and habits16% with chronic conditions · adults, age-standardised

Statistics Canada, Canadian Community Health Survey 2023/2024 and life expectancy 2022/2024; Open Database of Healthcare Facilities · Area behind the health survey and life expectancy figures: the York Regional Health Unit

SafetySafety B⁺

Aurora earns a B+ for safety

53Crime Severity Index

For violence alone, its police area’s index was 67, below both Ontario’s towns (76) and Canadian towns (86). Property crime in the area its police cover: 21.4 per 1,000 people a year. Violence across its police area runs at 9.7 per 1,000 residents a year.

Year by year · Crime Severity Index for each year

202355

202454

202550

2023–2025	Aurora	Ontario	Canada
Property crime per 1,000	21.4	30.5	31.2
Violent Crime Severity Index	67	76	86
Crime Severity Index	53	56	67

non-violent Crime Severity Index

35%

of incidents cleared, 2023–25

Full pageAurora’s safety reportOpen the full Safety report

Safety53 Crime Severity Index · The index weighs each crime Aurora’s police recorded by how serious it is.Questions“Is Aurora safe?”

Statistics Canada, Uniform Crime Reporting Survey, 2023–2025 average · Data for Crime Severity Index, Violent Crime Severity Index, violent crime and property crime per 1,000 covers the York Region service area

Work & commuteJobs & income C⁺

Commuters in Aurora travel further than in Ontario’s towns or Canadian towns, 33 min on average

8%walk, cycle or take transit

89% of commuters drove, about level with both Ontario’s towns (88%) and Canadian towns (89%).

How working residents got to work · census 2021

Car or van89%

Public transit5%

Walk3%

Bicycle1%

Census 2021	Aurora	Ontario	Canada
Average trip	33 min	29 min	26 min
Car or van	89%	88%	89%

$119,000

median household income, 2020

39%

worked from home, May 2021

31%

of commuters work inside the municipality

Full pageAurora’s work & commute pageOpen the full Work & commute page

Unemployment12% unemployed · Of the labour force · Canadian towns: 9.9%Getting to work8% walk, cycle or take transit Where people commute to2,760 commuters · The biggest flow out: to Toronto

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.

Climate

Aurora has warmer summers than Ontario’s towns or Canadian towns: July afternoons reach 27.3°C

27.3°CJuly afternoons

The coldest nights, in January, bottom out at −10.1°C, lower than Ontario’s towns (−9.1°C) yet higher than Canadian towns (−13.5°C). Frost usually lifts by 3 May and returns around 13 October: 161 days without it. The most precipitation falls in June: 87 mm in a normal year. A normal January brings 40 cm of snow, the most of any month.

Average high by season · ECCC normals, 1991–2020

Winter−0.4°C

Spring11.9°C

Summer26.1°C

Autumn14.5°C

Normals, 1991–2020	Aurora	Ontario	Canada
July afternoon high	27.3°C	26.7°C	25.5°C
January night low	−10.1°C	−9.1°C	−13.5°C
Days with frost a year	145	139	159

145

days with frost a year

161

frost-free days, 3 May to 13 Oct

113

days with precipitation a year

Full pageAurora’s climate pageOpen the full Climate page

The yearJuly highs 27.3°C, January lows −10.1°C Rain and snow862 mm a year · Canadian towns: 883 mm Snow146 cm of snow a year Weather station18 km to the station · Toronto Buttonville (Airport)

Environment and Climate Change Canada, Canadian Climate Normals 1991–2020 (Toronto Buttonville (Airport))

Weather

What November brings in Aurora: −1°C at night, 7°C by day

7°Ca normal November afternoon

Normal highs peak at 27°C in July; nights bottom out at −10°C in January. In November, the normal is 77 mm of rain and snow. Into December, the normals move to 2°C and −6°C. Snow is normal by November, about 12 cm over the month.

Normal highs, the months ahead · ECCC normals, 1991–2020

November7°C

December2°C

January−2°C

February−1°C

Season	High	Low	Rain and snow
Winter	0°C	−9°C	177 mm
Spring	12°C	1°C	211 mm
Summer	26°C	14°C	244 mm
Autumn	15°C	5°C	230 mm

−1°C

a normal November night

77 mm

of rain and snow in a normal November

Full pageAurora’s weather pageOpen the full Weather page

Next 24 hoursTemperature and chance of rain, hour by hour The week aheadECCC’s days ahead, beside the normals The yearWarmest July, coldest January

ECCC normals, 1991–2020 (Toronto Buttonville (Airport)); the forecast is on the Weather page

Town hall

Aurora has one council seat for every 9,630 residents, more than nine in ten municipalities in Ontario

Federally, Aurora sits in Aurora—Oak Ridges—Richmond Hill, its riding (a federal electoral district, which elects one MP), held by Costas Menegakis of the Conservative Party of Canada.

Turnout	Aurora	Ontario	Canada
Municipal election, 2022	27%	31%	31%

Full pageAurora’s town hall & politics pageOpen the full Town hall & politics page

council seats7 Provincial legislatureNewmarket—Aurora

Wikidata, MAMH, MMAH, Statistics Canada

Library & civic lifeCivic life grade C⁺

More visits per person served than 87% of Ontario’s town libraries: Aurora Public Library counts 5.7

Aurora Public Library serves 65,970 people from a single building.

Full pageAurora’s library & civic life pageOpen the full Library & civic life page

The libraries1 Libraries Places to belong1.1 charities per 1,000 residents

Provincial library statistics, OpenStreetMap, the CRA and Statistics Canada

Who lives here

More of Aurora belongs to a visible minority than Ontario’s towns or Canadian towns: 39%

42median age

17% are under 15, above Ontario’s towns (15%) and Canadian towns (16%) alike. Those 65 and older account for 15% of residents.

AuroraOntarioCanada

OntarioCanada

Ages · Share of residents in each age group, Census 2021

17%

Schooling · Highest qualification, residents 15 and over

No certificate, diploma or degree11%

Postsecondary qualification65%

Women and men · all residents

51.5% of Aurora’s residents are women

30,115 men and 31,940 women lived here in 2021, against a share of women of 50.9% for Canada.

Who lives in Aurora
	Aurora	Ontario	Canada
Under 15	17%	15%	16%
15 to 64	68%	65%	64%
65+	15%	19%	19%
No certificate, diploma or degree	11%	15%	16%
Postsecondary qualification	65%	56%	56%

Full pageAurora’s Who lives here pageOpen the full Who lives here page

Immigrants37% are immigrants · 39% belong to a visible minority Ages42 median age · 15% are 65 or over Households21,505 households · 2.9 people per household English and French9% speak both · 0% speak French but not English

Statistics Canada, Census 2021; Ontario and Canada: medians of towns of 2,500+

Outdoors

Within 11 km of Aurora: Rouge National Urban Park

2.2%of the land within 10 km protected

4.6 km out lies the largest, Elgin West Channel Lands, at 89 ha. CPCAD lists 42 protected areas within 10 km. For walks, the Oak Ridges Trail runs within 2 km.

Protected land · of the land within 10 km

Aurora2.2%

Ontario’s towns2.3%

Canadian towns2.3%

Outdoors	Aurora	Ontario	Canada
Public protected areas within 10 km	18	4	4
Protected land within 10 km	2.2%	2.3%	2.3%

11 km

to Rouge National Urban Park

11 km

to Holland Landing Prairie Provincial Park

public protected areas within 10 km

Full pageAurora’s outdoors pageOpen the full Outdoors page

Protected landof the land within 10 km Protected areas42 protected areas within 10 km · Elgin West Channel Lands National & provincial parks11 km to a national park · Rouge National Urban Park Footpaths & routes1 named route · Oak Ridges Trail

Canadian Protected and Conserved Areas Database (CPCAD), OpenStreetMap routes and beaches

History

The registers list 3 historic places in Aurora, one at the top

3historic places

The oldest dated place, Hillary House, goes back to 1861. Among the places are a provincial or municipal listing and a heritage railway station. At the 2021 census, nearly one in ten homes dated from before 1961, lower than both Ontario’s towns (22%) and Canadian towns (18%).

Historic places by designation · inside the town

Highest designations1

Other federal designations1

Provincial and local listings1

Among them

1861

oldest construction date on the record

8.3%

of homes built before 1961 · Canadian towns 18%

Heritage	Aurora	Ontario	Canada
Homes built before 1961	8.3%	22%	18%

Full pageAurora’s history pageOpen the full History page

On the registers3 historic places inside the town Highest designations1 top designation · Hillary House Older homes8.3% built before 1961 · Canadian towns: 18%Questions“How many historic places does Aurora have?”

Canadian Register of Historic Places, Directory of Federal Heritage Designations, Québec’s Répertoire du patrimoine culturel, Wikidata; Census 2021 homes by period

Keep exploring

Everything we know about Aurora

15pages on Aurora

The big questions

SafetyB⁺Crime Severity Index 53 Housing & costDHomes 8.4 × income Property pricesSchoolsA⁺46 schools within 3 km HealthA⁻Life expectancy 86.3 in its region Work & commuteC⁺59% of adults in work Natural hazardsA⁺Wildfire band: low

Out and about

Outdoors2.2% of the land within 10 km protected AttractionsClimateJuly afternoons around 27°C WeatherECCC’s forecast, beside the normals

The story

Who lives hereMedian age 42 History3 places on the heritage registers Town hallFamous people

Nearby attractions

Aurora Museum & Archives and 2 more in and around Aurora

Sights in Aurora and close by, ordered by how widely each is known.

All attractions →

MuseumMuseumAurora Museum & Archivesin town

MuseumElman W. Campbell Museum3.2 km outside town, to the north

MuseumWhitchurch-Stouffville Museum and Community Centre600 m outside town, to the east

Photos: each place’s Wikidata image, from Wikimedia Commons under the licence below (our copy, resized).

Photo credits (2)

Elman W. Campbell Museum: Mhsheikholeslami, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons
Whitchurch-Stouffville Museum and Community Centre: Mhsheikholeslami, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons

Famous people from Aurora

27 notable people were born in Aurora.

See all 27 →

Andrew NembhardCanadian basketball player · born 2000

Robert ThomasCanadian ice hockey player · born 1999

Nicole ForresterCanadian high jumper and academic · born 1976

Christine HorneCanadian actress · born 1981

Vanessa CroneFigure skater · born 1990

Hap HolmesCanadian ice hockey player · ?–1941

Photo credits

Andrew Nembhard: Steve Cheng, Bruin Report Online, CC BY 2.0 · Robert Thomas: Jfvoll, CC BY-SA 4.0 · Nicole Forrester: University of Michigan. News and Information Services, CC BY 4.0 · Christine Horne: Canadian Film Centre from Toronto, Canada, CC BY 2.0 · Vanessa Crone: David W. Carmichael, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Hap Holmes: Unknown author, Public domain

About Aurora

Town in Ontario

Every figure TownRatings gives for Aurora covers the municipality as Statistics Canada maps it, one census subdivision in Ontario.

Statistics Canada: population estimates 2025 (17-10-0155), Census of Population 2021, 2021 census boundaries.

Population: 67,385 (people, 2025 estimate)
Province or territory: Ontario
Census division: York
Metro area: Toronto
Census subdivision: 3519046

Aurora’s neighbours

The nearest places of 1,000 or more. Statistics Canada

NewmarketKingEast GwillimburyRichmond HillCathedraltownHopeAurora

How the neighbours grade

Town	People	km	Overall	Cost	Safety	Health
Aurora	67,385	—	A⁻	D	B⁺	A⁻
Newmarket	95,763	5.4	A⁻	D	B⁺	A
King	29,077	11	B⁺	C⁻	B⁺	A⁻
East Gwillimbury	42,989	12	B	D	B⁺	A⁻
Richmond Hill	222,031	13	B⁺	D⁻	B⁺	A
Cathedraltown	11,029	14	A⁻	D	B⁺	A⁻
Hope	6,997	14	A⁻	C⁻	B⁺	A

People: Statistics Canada, Census 2021. Distances: centre to centre.

Questions about Aurora

Is Aurora growing?

It grew from 55,445 people in 2016 to 62,057 in 2021, up 11.9%; the median of Canadian towns grew 4.1%. StatCan’s 2025 estimate is 67,385.

What kind of homes are in Aurora?

Mostly 60% single-detached houses (the median of Canadian towns: 64%), with 6% of homes in buildings of five or more storeys. Households hold 2.9 people on average, and 17% have just one.

How old are the people of Aurora?

The typical resident is 42 (Canadian towns: 45.2), with seniors at 15% of the population and under-15s at 17%.

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).