BancroftOntario
This town in Ontario has a population of 4,331. Statistics Canada places it in the Hastings census division.
Is Bancroft a good place to live?
At D− overall, Bancroft ranks #858 of 858 in Ontario. On that grade it does behind almost every Canadian town. The weak point is cost of living (D). It lags on schools as well (D). Getting around on foot or by bus is easy (B). Safety is weaker too (D).
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. 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 Bancroft grades
Each subject compares Bancroft 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 Bancroft stand out
The 3 things Bancroft does most differently from other towns.
The data
Data highlights are ordered by what stands out in Bancroft.
Renting in Bancroft eats 25% of household income, more than in both Ontario’s towns and Canadian towns
Nearly two thirds of households are owner-occupiers. Owners put the median home at $348,000, lower than both Ontario’s towns ($695,000) and Canadian towns ($406,000).
What homes were worth · The median owner’s estimate at the 2021 census
| Census 2021 | Bancroft | Ontario | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rent as a share of income | 25% | 22% | 20% |
| Median home value, 2021 | $348,000 | $695,000 | $406,000 |
| Households owning their home | 66% | 76% | 74% |
| Households spending 30%+ on shelter | 21% | 22% | 18% |
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.
Most schools around Bancroft score below the middle in Ontario: 3 of 4
Its elementary schools are small, 189 students on average, against 365 in Ontario. Elementary school is 3.1 km away at the nearest, above both Ontario’s towns (0.5 km) and Canadian towns (0.5 km).
| School | Level | Students | System |
|---|---|---|---|
| Our Lady of Mercy Catholic School CatholicLargest elementary schoolElementary · Grades JK–8 | Elementary · Grades JK–8 | 255 | English Catholic |
| North Hastings High School Bottom fifth in OntarioLargest secondary schoolSecondary · Grades 9–12 | Secondary · Grades 9–12 | 450 | English public |
Schools by system · Schools within 3 km
| Schools within 3 km | Bancroft | Ontario | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| School boards | 2 | 4 | 3 |
| Nearest elementary school | 3.1 km | 0.5 km | 0.5 km |
| Nearest secondary school | 3.8 km | 1.2 km | 1.2 km |
Provincial school lists and results, 2024-25
Bancroft’s Violent Crime Severity Index, 153, runs above Ontario’s towns and Canadian towns
Police recorded 31 violent incidents per 1,000 residents a year, above both Ontario’s towns (10.5) and Canadian towns (12). Property crime accounts for 37.9 incidents per 1,000 residents a year.
Year by year · Crime Severity Index for each year
| 2023–2025 | Bancroft | Ontario | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Violent crime | 31 | 10.5 | 12 |
| Violent Crime Severity Index | 153 | 76 | 86 |
| Property crime per 1,000 | 37.9 | 30.5 | 31.2 |
Statistics Canada, Uniform Crime Reporting Survey, 2023–2025 average
Trips to work from Bancroft are shorter than from Ontario’s towns or Canadian towns: 20 min on average
90% of commuters drove, near both Ontario’s towns (88%) and Canadian towns (89%).
How working residents got to work · census 2021
| Census 2021 | Bancroft | Ontario | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average trip | 20 min | 29 min | 26 min |
| Car or van | 90% | 88% | 89% |
Statistics Canada, Census 2021 (labour and commuting) · These are May 2021 figures, gathered while COVID-19 kept many people home or out of work.
More smokers around Bancroft: 18% of adults, where the typical Canadian town has 12%
Statistics Canada puts life expectancy at 79.8, lower than both Ontario’s towns (82.8) and Canadian towns (81.5). In the health survey, 45% of adults in the region rate their health very good or excellent, fewer than Ontario’s 51%. The town’s own part is the trip to care: residents of Bancroft live 4.0 km from a hospital on average, close to the typical town’s 3.7 km.
Very good or excellent health · adults, age-standardised
| Health | Bancroft | Ontario | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Smokers | 18% | 10% | 12% |
| Chronic conditions (average share) | 20% | 17% | 17% |
| Very good or excellent health | 45% | 51% | 52% |
| Life expectancy at birth | 79.8 | 82.8 | 81.5 |
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 Hastings and Prince Edward Counties Health Unit
Winter nights bite in Bancroft: January lows of −17.1°C, colder than Ontario’s towns or Canadian towns
Snow peaks in January: 67 cm in a normal year. Frosty days number 193 in a normal year, above both Ontario’s towns (139) and Canadian towns (159). A normal November brings 103 mm of precipitation, more than any other month.
Average high by season · ECCC normals, 1991–2020
| Normals, 1991–2020 | Bancroft | Ontario | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Snowfall a year | 278 cm | 146 cm | 141 cm |
| Days with frost a year | 193 | 139 | 159 |
| January night low | −17.1°C | −9.1°C | −13.5°C |
| Precipitation a year | 1,106 mm | 902 mm | 883 mm |
Environment and Climate Change Canada, Canadian Climate Normals 1991–2020 (Bancroft)
Wildfire low, radon 12%: how Bancroft stands on hazards
Earthquake risk in Bancroft is ordinary: NRCan’s model puts building losses at $0.030 a year per $1,000 of value, close to the typical town’s $0.030. The national flood inventory has no study of the town.
Radon tests above the guideline · share of tested homes, 200 Bq/m³
| Hazards | Bancroft | Ontario | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Radon tests above the guideline | 12% | 4% | 6.6% |
| Earthquake loss per $1,000 of buildings a year | $0.030 | $0.043 | $0.030 |
NRCan seismic risk model and burned areas, Health Canada radon survey, the Flood Hazard Map Inventory
More of Bancroft’s residents have an Indigenous identity than in Ontario’s towns or Canadian towns: 13%
Visible minorities make up 2.5% of the population, below both Ontario’s towns (26%) and Canadian towns (15%). Immigrants make up 5.3% of residents, below Ontario’s towns (7.6%) and Canadian towns (6.4%) alike.
Ages · Share of residents in each age group, Census 2021
Schooling · Highest qualification, residents 15 and over
Women and men · all residents
Women make up 53.4% of Bancroft
Census 2021 put women at 2,175 and men at 1,895; women are 50.9% of Canada.
| Bancroft | Ontario | Canada | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 15 | 12% | 15% | 16% |
| 15 to 64 | 54% | 65% | 64% |
| 65+ | 34% | 19% | 19% |
| No certificate, diploma or degree | 25% | 15% | 16% |
| Postsecondary qualification | 43% | 56% | 56% |
Statistics Canada, Census 2021; Ontario and Canada: medians of towns of 2,500+
Bancroft in November: highs near 5°C, lows near −5°C
Hour-by-hour figures come from ECCC’s Bancroft forecast, on the Weather page. Into December, the normals move to −2°C and −12°C. Expect about 103 mm of rain and snow over November. About 33 cm of snow falls in a normal November.
Normal highs, the months ahead · ECCC normals, 1991–2020
| Season | High | Low | Rain and snow |
|---|---|---|---|
| Winter | −3°C | −15°C | 264 mm |
| Spring | 11°C | −3°C | 254 mm |
| Summer | 24°C | 10°C | 284 mm |
| Autumn | 13°C | 1°C | 304 mm |
ECCC normals, 1991–2020 (Bancroft); the forecast is on the Weather page
At 0.9 visits per person served, Bancroft Public Library is quieter than 97% of Ontario’s town libraries
Bancroft Public Library serves 4,065 people from a single building.
Provincial library statistics, OpenStreetMap, the CRA and Statistics Canada
Few places match Bancroft for protected land nearby: more than nearly 9 in 10 Canadian towns
CPCAD lists 4 protected areas within 10 km. 8.6 km out lies the largest, Little Mississippi River Conservation Reserve, at 916 ha. For walks, 4 named routes run within 2 km, such as the Christy Trail and Gerry Whyte Plant Identification Trail. No national park lies within 100 km.
Protected land · of the land within 10 km
| Outdoors | Bancroft | Ontario | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Protected land within 10 km | 9.5% | 2.3% | 2.3% |
| Public protected areas within 10 km | 3 | 4 | 4 |
Canadian Protected and Conserved Areas Database (CPCAD), OpenStreetMap routes and beaches
Everything we know about Bancroft
Bancroft Gem & Mineral Club Mineral Museum and 4 more in and around Bancroft
From museums to parks and historic sites: Bancroft’s places to visit and those just beyond its edge, most famous first.
Famous people from Bancroft
5 notable people were born in Bancroft.
About Bancroft
Town in Ontario
Statistics Canada treats Bancroft 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
- 4,331 (people, 2025 estimate)
- Province or territory
- Ontario
- Census division
- Hastings
- Census subdivision
- 3512061
Bancroft’s neighbours
The nearest places of 1,000 or more. Statistics Canada
| Town | People | km | Overall | Cost | Safety | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bancroft | 4,331 | — | D− | D | D | C− |
| Faraday | 1,820 | 11 | — | D | B | C− |
| Hastings Highlands | 4,957 | 13 | D− | C− | B | D |
| Carlow/Mayo | 1,048 | 18 | — | C− | B | D |
People: Statistics Canada, Census 2021. Distances: centre to centre.
Questions about Bancroft
Who are the people of Bancroft?
3% of residents belong to a visible minority, against 15% for the median of Canadian towns; 13% have an Indigenous identity and 5% are immigrants.
How old are the people of Bancroft?
56 is the median age, 45.2 the median among Canadian towns; 34% of residents are 65 or over and 12% under 15.
What kind of homes are in Bancroft?
Single-detached houses make up 72% of the homes here, where Canadian towns sit at 64%; 0% are in high-rise apartments. 35% of households are one person, and the average is 2.1.
Has Bancroft grown?
It added people: 3,881 in 2016, 4,065 in 2021, 4.7% more, where the middle of Canadian towns grew 4.1%. Statistics Canada’s 2025 estimate is 4,331.
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).