Ayrin North Dumfries, Ontario

This town in Ontario has a population of 13,051. It sits within the Kitchener - Cambridge - Waterloo census metropolitan area.

6 places within 19 kmMap →

Photo: Jfvoll · CC BY-SA 4.0

Population

13,051

people, 2025 estimate

Median age

42.4

years · Ontario’s towns: 46.8

Postsecondary

59%

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 Ayr a good place to live?

Ayr does the important things well, at a cost. Its best grade is for jobs & income (A). The drawback is cost of living (C). Overall, that makes a B+, good for #227 of 858 in Ontario. Nationally, it does better than 70% of Canadian towns. Its other grades sit near the middle: C+ for safety and B− for walkability.

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.

StrongestAJobs & income A⁻Health A⁻Hazard risk

How Ayr grades

Each subject compares Ayr 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

Jobs & incomeIncomes and work are among the strongest comparedAOpen →HealthNear the top of the towns comparedA⁻Open →Hazard riskBased on earthquake losses and radon in homes; a high wildfire risk can pull it downA⁻Open →Cost of livingHomes are harder to afford than in most townsCOpen →SchoolsBetter than most of the towns comparedB⁺Open →SafetyBased on crimes reported per residentC⁺Open →WalkabilityClose to the middle of the towns comparedB⁻Open →

How TownRatings grades Canadian towns →

What makes Ayr stand out

The 3 things Ayr does most differently from other towns.

Picked automatically from the data

Median household income, 2020

Income

$128,000 median household income

The median of Canadian towns: $81,000

Statistics Canada, Census 2021: household income in 2020.

Walk, cycle or transit to work

Getting around

4% walk, cycle or take transit

Next to 8%, the median among Canadian towns

Statistics Canada, Census 2021

Immigrants

Who lives here

12% are immigrants

Canadian towns centre on 6%

Statistics Canada, Census 2021

The data

Data highlights are ordered by what stands out in Ayr.

Work & commuteJobs & income A

Ayr has higher household incomes than 98% of Canadian towns

4%walk, cycle or take transit

The average trip to work took 27 min, about level with Canadian towns (26 min) and below Ontario’s towns (29 min).

How working residents got to work · census 2021

Car or van94%

Walk4%

Public transit0%

Bicycle0%

Census 2021	Ayr	Ontario	Canada
Average trip	27 min	29 min	26 min

$128,000

median household income, 2020

28%

worked from home, May 2021

22%

of commuters work inside the municipality

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

Unemployment7.4% unemployed · Of the labour force · Canadian towns: 9.9%Getting to work4% walk, cycle or take transit Where people commute to1,120 commuters · The biggest flow out: to Cambridge

Statistics Canada, Census 2021 (labour and commuting) · These are May 2021 figures, gathered while COVID-19 kept many people home or out of work.

HealthHealth A⁻

53% of adults around Ayr rate their health very good or excellent

53%very good or excellent healthA⁻Health Grade

A baby born in the region can expect 82.8 years, 84.9 for a girl and 80.7 for a boy (2022/2024). Smokers make up nearly a tenth of the region’s adults, lower than both Ontario’s towns (10%) and Canadian towns (12%). Closer to home, a hospital is 9.1 km from the average resident of Ayr, further than the usual 3.7 km.

Very good or excellent health · adults, age-standardised

Ayr53%

Ontario’s towns51%

Canadian towns52%

Health	Ayr	Ontario	Canada
Chronic conditions (average share)	16%	17%	17%
Smokers	9%	10%	12%
Very good or excellent health	53%	51%	52%
Life expectancy at birth	82.8	82.8	81.5

82.8

years of life expectancy, 2022/2024

9.1 km

from homes to a hospital, on average

of adults smoke, age-standardised

7.7 km

from homes to a pharmacy, on average

Full pageAyr’s health pageOpen the full Health page

Health survey53% very good or excellent health · adults, age-standardised Getting care9.1 km to a hospital · A pharmacy 7.7 km away on average The wider areaLife expectancy: women 84.9, men 80.7 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 · Health survey and life expectancy: the Waterloo Health Unit

Natural hazardsHazard risk A⁻

Ayr is on Canada’s flood inventory: 1 listed, led by Grand River Conservation Authority

Lowwildfire bandA⁻Hazard risk Grade

For earthquakes Ayr is middling, $0.022 a year per $1,000 against $0.030 for the typical town. Radon is lower than usual: 4% of tested homes in the survey area topped the guideline, against 6.6% for the typical town.

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

Ayr4%

Ontario’s towns4%

Canadian towns6.6%

Hazards	Ayr	Ontario	Canada
Radon tests above the guideline	4%	4%	6.6%
Earthquake loss per $1,000 of buildings a year	$0.022	$0.043	$0.030

Low

wildfire band

flood study on the national inventory

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

FloodOne flood study on record WildfireLow wildfire band · No land burned within 25 km since 1986 Earthquakes$0.022 a year per $1,000 · Canadian towns: $0.030 Radon4% 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

HousingCost of living C

Ayr is a town of owners: 88% of households own their home, above Ontario’s towns and Canadian towns

$850,000median home value, 2021CCost of living Grade

Shelter took 30% or more of income for 13% of households, below both Ontario’s towns (22%) and Canadian towns (18%). The median home value was $850,000, above both Ontario’s towns ($695,000) and Canadian towns ($406,000).

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

Ayr$850,000

Ontario$695,000

Canadian towns$406,000

Census 2021	Ayr	Ontario	Canada
Households spending 30%+ on shelter	13%	22%	18%
Median home value, 2021	$850,000	$695,000	$406,000
Households owning their home	88%	76%	74%
Rent as a share of income	17%	22%	20%

$1,816

monthly rent for a two-bedroom

$1,640

median monthly shelter cost for owners, 2021

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

Owners and renters88% own their home Cost of living6.7 times household income · The median owner’s estimate, $850,000, against the median household income Renting$1,816 a month · A two-bedroom apartment, CMHC’s survey

Statistics Canada, Census 2021; CMHC Rental Market Survey via Statistics Canada · These are 2021 census values, as owners judged them, set against household income in 2020. · Rent as a share of income and monthly rent for a two-bedroom: one figure for all of the Kitchener-Cambridge-Waterloo metro area

SchoolsSchools B⁺

The schools around Ayr answer to 4 boards

51schools within 3 kmB⁺Schools Grade

Within 3 km of Ayr are 45 elementary schools and 6 secondary schools, teaching 24,180 students. The largest is St Benedict Catholic Secondary School, with 1,955 students. Also worth knowing: of its 45 tested schools, 7 sit in the top two fifths in Ontario and 17 in the bottom two. One of the 51 teaches in French, against 10% of schools in Ontario.

School	Level	Students	System
Groh Public School Middle fifth in OntarioLargest elementary schoolElementary · Grades JK–8	Elementary · Grades JK–8	885	English public
St Benedict Catholic Secondary School CatholicLargest secondary schoolSecondary · Grades 9–12	Secondary · Grades 9–12	1,955	English Catholic
ÉÉC Saint-Noël-Chabanel-Cambridge FrenchTeaches in FrenchElementary · Grades JK–6	Elementary · Grades JK–6	265	French Catholic
New Dundee Public School Top fifth in OntarioResults in the top fifth in OntarioElementary · Grades JK–6	Elementary · Grades JK–6	165	English public

See all 51 schools →

Schools by system · Schools within 3 km

English public34

English Catholic16

French Catholic1

Schools within 3 km	Ayr	Ontario	Canada
Nearest secondary school	9.1 km	1.2 km	1.2 km
School boards	4	4	3
Nearest elementary school	2.4 km	0.5 km	0.5 km

24,180

students at the schools within 3 km, 2024-25

9.1 km

to the nearest secondary school

2.4 km

to the nearest elementary school

Full pageAyr’s schools pageOpen the full Schools page

The boards4 school boards · Waterloo Region DSB Every school51 schools within 3 km · 45 elementary schools and 6 secondary schools Results7 of 45 in the top two fifths · of the schools with results, placed against every school in Ontario Language1 of 51 teach in French · 10% of schools in Ontario Questions“What schools are there in Ayr?”

Provincial school lists and results, 2024-25

SafetySafety C⁺

Ayr earns a C+ for safety

72Crime Severity Index

The index for the force that serves it came to 72, above Ontario’s towns (56) and Canadian towns (67) alike. Violence across its police area runs at 14.2 per 1,000 residents a year. Ayr doesn’t get its own Crime Severity Index, Violent Crime Severity Index, violent crime and property crime per 1,000 figures; the ones here come from the Waterloo Region (Kitchener) service area.

Year by year · Crime Severity Index for each year

202376

202473

202567

2023–2025	Ayr	Ontario	Canada
Violent crime	14.2	10.5	12
Crime Severity Index	72	56	67

non-violent Crime Severity Index

32%

of incidents cleared, 2023–25

Full pageAyr’s safety reportOpen the full Safety report

Safety72 Crime Severity Index · The index weighs each crime Ayr’s police recorded by how serious it is.Questions“Is Ayr safe?”

Statistics Canada, Uniform Crime Reporting Survey, 2023–2025 average

Climate

January nights in Ayr drop to −10.3°C (Ontario towns −9.1°C, Canadian towns −13.5°C)

26.6°CJuly afternoons

Snowfall adds up to 115 cm a year, below both Ontario’s towns (146 cm) and Canadian towns (141 cm). The frost-free season runs from 8 May to 5 October, 149 days. A normal January brings 32 cm of snow, the most of any month. July is the wettest month, with 96 mm of rain and snow on average.

Average high by season · ECCC normals, 1991–2020

Winter−1.0°C

Spring11.6°C

Summer25.4°C

Autumn14.2°C

Normals, 1991–2020	Ayr	Ontario	Canada
Snowfall a year	115 cm	146 cm	141 cm
January night low	−10.3°C	−9.1°C	−13.5°C
July afternoon high	26.6°C	26.7°C	25.5°C
Days with frost a year	156	139	159

115 cm

of snow a year

156

days with frost a year

149

frost-free days, 8 May to 5 Oct

115

days with precipitation a year

Full pageAyr’s climate pageOpen the full Climate page

The yearJuly highs 26.6°C, January lows −10.3°C Rain and snow851 mm a year · Canadian towns: 883 mm Snow115 cm of snow a year Weather station18 km to the station · Kitchener/Waterloo

Environment and Climate Change Canada, Canadian Climate Normals 1991–2020 (Kitchener/Waterloo)

Weather

Expect November days around 7°C in Ayr, nights around −2°C

7°Ca normal November afternoon

At the extremes, July afternoons reach 27°C and January nights −10°C. A normal December brings highs of 1°C, lows of −6°C. Expect about 75 mm of rain and snow over November. Snowfall in a normal November: 9 cm.

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

November7°C

December1°C

January−2°C

February−1°C

Season	High	Low	Rain and snow
Winter	−1°C	−9°C	167 mm
Spring	12°C	0°C	218 mm
Summer	25°C	13°C	244 mm
Autumn	14°C	4°C	221 mm

−2°C

a normal November night

75 mm

of rain and snow in a normal November

Full pageAyr’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 (Kitchener/Waterloo); the forecast is on the Weather page

Town hall

Less is spent per resident in Ayr than in 93% of Ontario’s lower-tier municipalities

Locally, Ayr is governed as part of North Dumfries, a township.

Turnout	Ayr	Ontario	Canada
Municipal election, 2022	19%	31%	31%

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

Member of ParliamentConnie Cody council seats5

Wikidata, MAMH, MMAH, Statistics Canada

Library & civic lifeCivic life grade C⁻

Region Of Waterloo Library - Ayr Branch is Ayr’s public library

It stands 2.6 km from the centre of Ayr.

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

The libraries1 Libraries Places to belong0.9 charities per 1,000 residents

Provincial library statistics, OpenStreetMap, the CRA and Statistics Canada

Who lives here

Fewer of Ayr’s people belong to a visible minority than in Ontario’s towns or Canadian towns: 6.7%

42.4median age

People 65 and over make up 17% of the town, below Ontario’s towns (19%) and Canadian towns (19%) alike. Under 15: 18% of residents.

AyrOntarioCanada

OntarioCanada

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

18%

Schooling · Highest qualification, residents 15 and over

No certificate, diploma or degree14%

Postsecondary qualification59%

Women and men · all residents

Women make up 49.9% of Ayr

In 2021 there were 5,295 women to 5,320 men; Canada as a whole is 50.9% women.

Who lives in Ayr
	Ayr	Ontario	Canada
Under 15	18%	15%	16%
15 to 64	65%	65%	64%
65+	17%	19%	19%
No certificate, diploma or degree	14%	15%	16%
Postsecondary qualification	59%	56%	56%

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

Immigrants12% are immigrants · 7% belong to a visible minority Ages42.4 median age · 17% are 65 or over Households3,690 households · 2.9 people per household English and French5% speak both · 0% speak French but not English

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

Outdoors

Ayr has 8 walking routes on the map

2.4%of the land within 10 km protected

The closest provincial park is Bronte Creek Provincial Park, 33 km from the edge of town. Swimmers have 4 beaches within 5 km, Valens Beach the nearest. Rouge National Urban Park is the closest national park, 96 km from town. CPCAD lists 36 protected areas within 10 km.

Protected land · of the land within 10 km

Ayr2.4%

Ontario’s towns2.3%

Canadian towns2.3%

Outdoors	Ayr	Ontario	Canada
Public protected areas within 10 km	24	4	4
Protected land within 10 km	2.4%	2.3%	2.3%

96 km

to Rouge National Urban Park

33 km

to Bronte Creek Provincial Park

beaches within 5 km

public protected areas within 10 km

Full pageAyr’s outdoors pageOpen the full Outdoors page

Footpaths & routes8 named routes · Grand Valley Trail Protected landof the land within 10 km Protected areas36 protected areas within 10 km · Huron Natural Area National & provincial parks96 km to a national park · Rouge National Urban Park

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

Keep exploring

Everything we know about Ayr

15pages on Ayr

The big questions

SafetyC⁺Crime Severity Index 72 Housing & costCHomes 6.7 × income Property pricesSchoolsB⁺51 schools within 3 km HealthA⁻Life expectancy 82.8 in its region Work & commuteA65% of adults in work Natural hazardsA⁻Wildfire band: low

Out and about

Outdoors2.4% of the land within 10 km protected AttractionsClimateJuly afternoons around 27°C WeatherECCC’s forecast, beside the normals

The story

Who lives hereMedian age 42.4 HistoryTown hallFamous people

Nearby attractions

Doon Heritage Village and 13 more in and around Ayr

A first look at Ayr’s museums, historic sites and days out, and a few just outside town.

All attractions →

MuseumDoon Heritage Village4 km outside town, to the north · 80K visitors a year

ZooAfrican Lion Safari900 m outside town, to the northeast

National historic site · Parks CanadaWaterloo Pioneer Memorial Tower3.4 km outside town, to the north

MuseumWestfield Heritage Centre4.6 km outside town, to the east

MuseumHomer Watson House2.9 km outside town, to the north MuseumMuseumKen Seiling Waterloo Region Museum3.9 km outside town, to the north

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

Photo credits (5)

Doon Heritage Village: Pcorb, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
African Lion Safari: Hitesh reddy allu, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons
Waterloo Pioneer Memorial Tower: Original photograph: Sarah Pidcock; derivative work: Mindmatrix, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
Westfield Heritage Centre: JFVoll, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons
Homer Watson House: Matt Deres, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons

Famous people from Ayr

7 notable people were born in Ayr.

See all 7 →

Kyle CliffordCanadian ice hockey player · born 1991

Joseph KilgourCanadian actor · 1863–1933

Don Thomson, Jr.Canadian racing driver · born 1962

Edward Alexander ColquhounCanadian politician · 1844–1904

Henry MaracleCanadian ice hockey player · 1904–1958

William Arthur IrwinCanadian journalist and diplomat · 1898–1999

Photo credits

Kyle Clifford: Lisa Gansky, CC BY-SA 2.0 · Joseph Kilgour: Unknown author, Public domain

About Ayr

Town in Ontario

Statistics Canada treats Ayr as a single census subdivision in Ontario, and TownRatings keeps to that line.

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

Population: 13,051 (people, 2025 estimate)
Province or territory: Ontario
Census division: Waterloo
Metro area: Kitchener - Cambridge - Waterloo
Census subdivision: 3530004

Ayr’s neighbours

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

Doon SouthHuron SouthPioneer ParkRosenbergPioneer Tower WestCambridgeAyr

How the neighbours grade

Town	People	km	Overall	Cost	Safety	Health
Ayr	13,051	—	B⁺	C	C⁺	A⁻
Doon South	15,044	8.4	B⁺	C	C⁺	A
Huron South	5,555	9.9	B⁺	C⁻	C⁺	A
Pioneer Park	8,781	11	B	D⁻	C⁺	A
Rosenberg	9,831	11	B	C⁻	C⁺	A
Pioneer Tower West	4,122	11	A⁻	B⁻	C⁺	A
Cambridge	165,354	13	B	D	C⁺	A

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

Questions about Ayr

What kind of homes are in Ayr?

83% 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 2.9 people; 15% are one person living alone.

Has Ayr grown?

It added people: 10,215 in 2016, 10,619 in 2021, 4% more, where the middle of Canadian towns grew 4.1%. Statistics Canada’s 2025 estimate is 13,051.

Is Ayr a young town or an old one?

At 42.4, its median age compares with 45.2 across Canadian towns. Children make up 18% of the population and seniors 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).