Barry's Bayin Madawaska Valley, Ontario

TownGrade

C⁻

#2,309 of 2,556

Population 4,151: a town in Ontario. It is part of Renfrew, a census division.

1 place within 19 kmMap →

Photo: P199 · CC BY-SA 2.5

Population

4,151

people, 2025 estimate

Median age

58.4

years · Ontario’s towns: 46.8

Postsecondary

42%

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 Barry's Bay a good place to live?

More weak spots than strong ones. Schools are its weak spot (D). Barry's Bay’s overall grade is C−, better than 15% of Canadian towns. In the ranking it comes #803 of 858 in Ontario. Jobs & income is weaker too (D). Homes were valued at a median $332,000 at the 2021 census, 5.3 times the typical household’s income. Its best grade is for safety (A−). Its remaining grades are unremarkable: B− for walkability and B for hazard risk.

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 less sure: no police service names this town, so its crime figure is the nearest police detachment's, shared with a wider area. Crime here is counted against the people who live here, but many visitors or second-home owners add to it, so the rate per resident runs higher than residents' own risk. 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⁻SafetyWeakestDSchools DJobs & income

How Barry's Bay grades

Each subject compares Barry's Bay 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

SchoolsNear the bottom of the towns comparedDOpen →Jobs & incomeGraded on incomes, poverty and employmentDOpen →SafetyVery little crime by comparisonA⁻Open →Cost of livingIn the bottom fifth of the towns comparedC⁻Open →HealthBased on how healthy residents are for their agesC⁺Open →Hazard riskLess exposed to natural hazards than mostBOpen →WalkabilityNear typical for the towns comparedB⁻Open →

How TownRatings grades Canadian towns →

What makes Barry's Bay stand out

The 3 things Barry's Bay does most differently from other towns.

Picked automatically from the data

Residents 65 and over

Who lives here

35% are 65 or over

For the middle of Canadian towns, 19%

Statistics Canada, Census 2021

Postsecondary certificate, diploma or degree

Education

42% have a postsecondary qualification

Next to 56%, the median among Canadian towns

Statistics Canada, Census 2021

Schools

Behind 89%

of Canadian towns on schools

Its schools grade: D.

The data

Data highlights are ordered by what stands out in Barry's Bay.

SchoolsSchools D

Results around Barry's Bay lean low: 2 of 3 schools in the lower two fifths in Ontario

4schools within 3 kmDSchools Grade

Elementary schools here average 127 students; in Ontario, 365. Taken together, Barry's Bay and its 3 km edge hold 3 elementary schools and 1 secondary school for 625 students. The closest elementary school is 2.7 km away, above both Ontario’s towns (0.5 km) and Canadian towns (0.5 km).

School	Level	Students	System
St John Bosco Separate School CatholicLargest elementary schoolElementary · Grades JK–8	Elementary · Grades JK–8	205	English Catholic
Madawaska Valley District School - Secondary District High School Bottom fifth in OntarioLargest secondary schoolSecondary · Grades 9–12	Secondary · Grades 9–12	245	English public

See all 4 schools →

Schools by system · Schools within 3 km

English public2

English Catholic2

Schools within 3 km	Barry's Bay	Ontario	Canada
School boards	2	4	3
Nearest elementary school	2.7 km	0.5 km	0.5 km

625

students at the schools within 3 km, 2024-25

2.7 km

to the nearest elementary school

Full pageBarry's Bay’s schools pageOpen the full Bay’s schools page

Results0 of 3 in the top two fifths · of the schools with results, placed against every school in Ontario Every school4 schools within 3 km · 3 elementary schools and 1 secondary school Language0 of 4 teach in French · 10% of schools in Ontario The boards2 school boards · Renfrew County DSB Questions“What schools are there in Barry's Bay?”

Provincial school lists and results, 2024-25

Work & commuteJobs & income D

Fewer of Barry's Bay’s 15-to-64s are in work than in 85% of Canadian towns

5%walk, cycle or take transit

The average trip to work took 25 min, below both Ontario’s towns (29 min) and Canadian towns (26 min). The car carried 92% of commuters at the census.

How working residents got to work · census 2021

Car or van92%

Walk5%

Census 2021	Barry's Bay	Ontario	Canada
Average trip	25 min	29 min	26 min
Car or van	92%	88%	89%

$62,800

median household income, 2020

14%

worked from home, May 2021

75%

of commuters work inside the municipality

Full pageBarry's Bay’s work & commute pageOpen the full Bay’s work & commute page

Unemployment9.4% unemployed · Of the labour force · Canadian towns: 9.9%Getting to work5% walk, cycle or take transit Where people commute to45 commuters · The biggest flow out: to South Algonquin

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.

SafetySafety A⁻

The police who cover Barry's Bay record less serious crime than Ontario’s towns or Canadian towns: a Crime Severity Index of 42

42Crime Severity Index

These figures come from the closest detachment: none reports for Barry's Bay itself · Area-wide: Crime Severity Index, Violent Crime Severity Index, violent crime and property crime per 1,000, counted over the Upper Ottawa Valley (Killaloe) detachment area

Property crime in its police area ran at 11.9 per 1,000 residents a year, below Ontario’s towns (30.5) and Canadian towns (31.2) alike. Violence across its police area runs at 8.4 per 1,000 residents a year.

Year by year · Crime Severity Index for each year

202360

202423

2023–2025	Barry's Bay	Ontario	Canada
Property crime per 1,000	11.9	30.5	31.2
Crime Severity Index	42	56	67
Violent crime	8.4	10.5	12

non-violent Crime Severity Index

63%

of incidents cleared, 2023–25

Full pageBarry's Bay’s safety reportOpen the full Bay’s safety report

Safety42 Crime Severity Index · The index weighs each crime Barry's Bay’s police recorded by how serious it is.Questions“Is Barry's Bay safe?”

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

HousingCost of living C⁻

Measured against local pay, Barry's Bay costs more to live in than 81% of Canadian towns

$332,000median home value, 2021C⁻Cost of living Grade

16% of households spent 30% or more of their income on shelter, below Ontario’s towns (22%) and Canadian towns (18%) alike. Households that own their home make up 83%.

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

Barry's Bay$332,000

Ontario$695,000

Canadian towns$406,000

Census 2021	Barry's Bay	Ontario	Canada
Median home value, 2021	$332,000	$695,000	$406,000
Households spending 30%+ on shelter	16%	22%	18%
Households owning their home	83%	76%	74%
Rent as a share of income	20%	22%	20%

$755

monthly rent for a two-bedroom

$645

median monthly shelter cost for owners, 2021

Full pageBarry's Bay’s cost of living pageOpen the full Bay’s cost of living page

Cost of living5.3 times household income · The median owner’s estimate, $332,000, against the median household income Renting$755 a month · The median rent at the 2021 census Owners and renters83% 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.

Climate

Winter nights bite in Barry's Bay: January lows of −17.1°C, colder than Ontario’s towns or Canadian towns

25.7°CJuly afternoons

Most of the snow comes in January, about 49 cm. Frost comes on 193 days a year, above both Ontario’s towns (139) and Canadian towns (159). A normal June brings 96 mm of precipitation, more than any other month.

Average high by season · ECCC normals, 1991–2020

Winter−2.7°C

Spring10.9°C

Summer24.4°C

Autumn12.6°C

Normals, 1991–2020	Barry's Bay	Ontario	Canada
Days with frost a year	193	139	159
January night low	−17.1°C	−9.1°C	−13.5°C
Snowfall a year	199 cm	146 cm	141 cm
July afternoon high	25.7°C	26.7°C	25.5°C

199 cm

of snow a year

193

days with frost a year

132

days with precipitation a year

Full pageBarry's Bay’s climate pageOpen the full Bay’s climate page

The yearJuly highs 25.7°C, January lows −17.1°C Rain and snow932 mm a year · Canadian towns: 883 mm Snow199 cm of snow a year Weather station48 km to the station · Bancroft

Environment and Climate Change Canada, Canadian Climate Normals 1991–2020 (Bancroft)

Who lives here

Fewer of Barry's Bay’s people belong to a visible minority than in Ontario’s towns or Canadian towns: 3.4%

58.4median age

First Nations, Métis and Inuit people make up 6.7% of residents, above Ontario’s towns (1.6%) and Canadian towns (2.8%) alike. Immigrants make up nearly one in ten residents, higher than both Ontario’s towns (7.6%) and Canadian towns (6.4%).

Barry's BayOntarioCanada

OntarioCanada

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

35%

Schooling · Highest qualification, residents 15 and over

No certificate, diploma or degree23%

Postsecondary qualification42%

Women and men · all residents

51.3% of Barry's Bay’s residents are women

Here the census found 1,915 men and 2,015 women; the figure for women across Canada is 50.9%.

Who lives in Barry's Bay
	Barry's Bay	Ontario	Canada
Under 15	11%	15%	16%
15 to 64	54%	65%	64%
65+	35%	19%	19%
No certificate, diploma or degree	23%	15%	16%
Postsecondary qualification	42%	56%	56%

Full pageBarry's Bay’s Who lives here pageOpen the full Bay’s Who lives here page

Immigrants9% are immigrants · 3% belong to a visible minority Ages58.4 median age · 35% are 65 or over Households1,715 households · 2.1 people per household English and French6% speak both · 0% speak French but not English

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

HealthHealth C⁺

Smoking runs high around Barry's Bay: 16% of adults, the typical Canadian town 12%

50%very good or excellent healthC⁺Health Grade

Life expectancy at birth in the region is 81.0 years, below Ontario’s towns (82.8) and close to Canadian towns (81.5). The survey puts the region’s share in very good or excellent health at 50%; Ontario as a whole is at 51%. Closer to home, a hospital is 7.0 km from the average resident of Barry's Bay, further than the usual 3.7 km. Barry's Bay shares its health survey and life expectancy numbers with the rest of the Renfrew County and District Health Unit.

Very good or excellent health · adults, age-standardised

Barry's Bay50%

Ontario’s towns51%

Canadian towns52%

Health	Barry's Bay	Ontario	Canada
Smokers	16%	10%	12%
Chronic conditions (average share)	19%	17%	17%
Life expectancy at birth	81.0	82.8	81.5
Very good or excellent health	50%	51%	52%

81.0

years of life expectancy, 2022/2024

7.0 km

from homes to a hospital, on average

16%

of adults smoke, age-standardised

6.7 km

from homes to a pharmacy, on average

Full pageBarry's Bay’s health pageOpen the full Bay’s health page

Health survey50% very good or excellent health · adults, age-standardised Getting care7.0 km to a hospital · A pharmacy 6.7 km away on average The wider areaLife expectancy: women 83.0, men 78.7 Conditions and habits19% with chronic conditions · adults, age-standardised

Statistics Canada, Canadian Community Health Survey 2023/2024 and life expectancy 2022/2024; Open Database of Healthcare Facilities

Natural hazardsHazard risk B

Hazards in Barry's Bay: wildfire low, radon over the guideline in 8% of tested homes

Lowwildfire bandBHazard risk Grade

NRCan expects $0.038 of shaking damage a year per $1,000 of buildings in Barry's Bay, near the typical $0.030. Wildfire is rare near Barry's Bay: 0.1% of the land within 25 km has burned since 1986, a burn rate of 0.001% a year. No flood study for Barry's Bay is on the national inventory.

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

Barry's Bay8%

Ontario’s towns4%

Canadian towns6.6%

Hazards	Barry's Bay	Ontario	Canada
Radon tests above the guideline	8%	4%	6.6%
Earthquake loss per $1,000 of buildings a year	$0.038	$0.043	$0.030

Low

wildfire band

4.3 km

to the nearest land burned since 1986

Full pageBarry's Bay’s flood & hazards pageOpen the full Bay’s flood & hazards page

Radon8% of tests above the guideline WildfireLow wildfire band · 0.1% of the land within 25 km burned since 1986 FloodNo flood study on record Earthquakes$0.038 a year per $1,000 · Canadian towns: $0.030 Be readyAlerts, FireSmart and radon tests

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

Weather

Barry's Bay in November: highs near 5°C, lows near −5°C

5°Ca normal November afternoon

The month after, December, normally sees −2°C afternoons and −12°C nights. Snowfall in a normal November: 25 cm. In November, the normal is 77 mm of rain and snow. ECCC’s forecast for Barry's Bay is on the Weather page, hour by hour.

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

November5°C

December−2°C

January−5°C

February−2°C

Season	High	Low	Rain and snow
Winter	−3°C	−15°C	191 mm
Spring	11°C	−3°C	222 mm
Summer	24°C	10°C	276 mm
Autumn	13°C	1°C	244 mm

−5°C

a normal November night

77 mm

of rain and snow in a normal November

Full pageBarry's Bay’s weather pageOpen the full Bay’s 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 (Bancroft); the forecast is on the Weather page

Town hall

At 52%, Barry's Bay’s 2022 turnout beat 94% of Ontario municipalities

In the Legislative Assembly of Ontario, Barry's Bay belongs to Renfrew—Nipissing—Pembroke; who holds it as MPP (Member of Provincial Parliament, at Queen’s Park in Toronto) isn’t on an open record, so no one is named.

Turnout	Barry's Bay	Ontario	Canada
Municipal election, 2022	52%	31%	31%

Full pageBarry's Bay’s town hall & politics pageOpen the full Bay’s town hall & politics page

Who runs itTownship Member of ParliamentCheryl Gallant

Wikidata, MAMH, MMAH, Statistics Canada

Library & civic lifeCivic life grade B⁻

Barry's Bay’s public library is Madawaska Valley Public Library

Madawaska Valley Public Library has one location for the 3,927 people it serves.

Full pageBarry's Bay’s library & civic life pageOpen the full Bay’s library & civic life page

A year at the library2.8 visits per person served The libraries1 Libraries Places to belong5.3 charities per 1,000 residents

Provincial library statistics, OpenStreetMap, the CRA and Statistics Canada

Outdoors

Step out of Barry's Bay into Algonquin Provincial Park

3.9%of the land within 10 km protected

There is no national park within 100 km of the town. CPCAD lists 13 protected areas within 10 km. Within 10 km of the town, 3.9% of the land is protected, against 2.3% around a typical Canadian town. 4 beaches are mapped within 5 km, none with a name.

Protected land · of the land within 10 km

Barry's Bay3.9%

Ontario’s towns2.3%

Canadian towns2.3%

Outdoors	Barry's Bay	Ontario	Canada
Public protected areas within 10 km	12	4	4
Protected land within 10 km	3.9%	2.3%	2.3%

At the edge

to Algonquin Provincial Park

beaches within 5 km

public protected areas within 10 km

Full pageBarry's Bay’s outdoors pageOpen the full Bay’s outdoors page

Protected landof the land within 10 km Protected areas13 protected areas within 10 km · Algonquin Provincial Park National & provincial parksAt the edge to a provincial park · Algonquin Provincial Park

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

History

Barry's Bay keeps its older homes: 34% from before 1961

34%built before 1961

34%

of homes built before 1961 · Canadian towns 18%

Heritage	Barry's Bay	Ontario	Canada
Homes built before 1961	34%	22%	18%

Full pageBarry's Bay’s history pageOpen the full Bay’s history page

Older homes34% built before 1961 · Canadian towns: 18%Questions“How many historic places does Barry's Bay 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 Barry's Bay

15pages on Barry's Bay

The big questions

SafetyA⁻Crime Severity Index 42 Housing & costC⁻Homes 5.3 × income Property pricesSchoolsD4 schools within 3 km HealthC⁺Life expectancy 81 in its region Work & commuteD44% of adults in work Natural hazardsBWildfire band: low

Out and about

Outdoors3.9% of the land within 10 km protected AttractionsClimateJuly afternoons around 26°C WeatherECCC’s forecast, beside the normals

The story

Who lives hereMedian age 58.4 HistoryTown hallFamous people

Nearby attractions

Madawaska Mountain and 7 more in and around Barry's Bay

Museums, historic sites, parks, gardens and days out in and near Barry's Bay, the best known first.

All attractions →

Ski hillSki hillMadawaska Mountainin town MuseumMuseumPolish Kashub Heritage Park Museumin town MuseumMuseumBarry`S Bay Railway Stationin town Art galleryArt galleryCombermere Craft Cabinin town MuseumMuseumMadonna House Pioneer Museumin town MuseumMuseumMission House Museum & Galleryin town

Famous people from Barry's Bay

6 notable people were born in Barry's Bay.

See all 6 →

John Wesley DafoeCanadian journalist · 1866–1944

John YakabuskiCanadian politician · born 1957

Larry TraderCanadian ice hockey player · 1963–2024

Aloysius RekowskiCanadian Roman Catholic priest and historian · 1921–2006

Thomas Patrick MurrayCanadian politician · 1880–1981

Paul YakabuskiCanadian politician · 1922–1987

Photo credits

John Wesley Dafoe: Unknown author, Public domain · John Yakabuski: Ontario Legislature, CC BY 3.0

About Barry's Bay

Town in Ontario

TownRatings counts Barry's Bay as Statistics Canada does, as one municipality in Ontario; the census, crime and housing figures all follow that boundary.

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

Population: 4,151 (people, 2025 estimate)
Province or territory: Ontario
Census division: Renfrew
Census subdivision: 3547030

Barry's Bay’s neighbours

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

Killaloe, Hagarty and RichardsBarry's Bay

How the neighbours grade

Town	People	km	Overall	Cost	Safety	Health
Barry's Bay	4,151	—	C⁻	C⁻	A⁻	C⁺
Killaloe, Hagarty and Richards	2,505	19	C⁻	C⁺	A⁻	C⁻

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

Questions about Barry's Bay

Who are the people of Barry's Bay?

Visible minorities are 3% of the population, where the middle of Canadian towns is 15%. Immigrants make up 9%, and Indigenous people 7%.

What kind of homes are in Barry's Bay?

92% 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 2.1 people; 35% are one person living alone.

Is Barry's Bay a young town or an old one?

Its median age is 58.4, where Canadian towns sit at 45.2. Under-15s are 11% of residents; over-65s, 35%.

Is Barry's Bay growing?

Between the 2016 and 2021 censuses it fell from 4,123 to 3,927 residents (4.8% down; Canadian towns’ median grew 4.1%); Statistics Canada now estimates 4,151.

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).