BracebridgeOntario

TownGrade

B⁺

#565 of 2,556

The population grew 8% between 2016 and 2021. 18,676 people call this town in Ontario home.

1 place within 19 kmMap →

Photo: XeresNelro · CC BY-SA 4.0

Population

18,676

people, 2025 estimate

Median age

51.2

years · Ontario’s towns: 46.8

Postsecondary

55%

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 Bracebridge a good place to live?

Bracebridge does the important things well, at a cost. On schools it is strong (A−). Recorded crime is low (A−). Homes are dear (D). All told, that adds up to a B+ overall, better than three quarters of Canadian towns. In the ranking it comes #177 of 858 in Ontario.

Health is graded on the health region's survey figures and life expectancy, with the distance to hospital giving the town its own spread.

StrongestAHazard risk A⁻Schools A⁻SafetyWeakestDCost of living

How Bracebridge grades

Each subject compares Bracebridge 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 riskNatural hazards pose little risk hereAOpen →Cost of livingIn the bottom fifth of the towns comparedDOpen →SchoolsGraded on exam and test resultsA⁻Open →SafetyLess crime than in most townsA⁻Open →HealthBetter than most of the towns comparedB⁺Open →Jobs & incomeGraded on incomes, poverty and employmentB⁺Open →WalkabilityAbout average among the towns comparedB⁻Open →

How TownRatings grades Canadian towns →

What makes Bracebridge stand out

The 3 things Bracebridge does most differently from other towns.

Picked automatically from the data

Residents 65 and over

Who lives here

28% are 65 or over

For the middle of Canadian towns, 19%

Statistics Canada, Census 2021

Home value ÷ household income

Housing

7.1 times household income

The middle of Canadian towns: 4.7 times

Median owner’s estimate $600,000, Census 2021; income for 2020.

Hazard risk

Better than 90%

of Canadian towns on hazard risk

Its hazard risk grade: A.

The data

Data highlights are ordered by what stands out in Bracebridge.

Natural hazardsHazard risk A

Bracebridge’s grade for hazard risk: an A

Lowwildfire bandAHazard risk Grade

Shaking is about as much of a worry in Bracebridge as in most places, at $0.023 a year per $1,000 of building value ($0.030 typical). In Health Canada’s survey, just 0.9% of homes tested in the area exceeded 200 Bq/m³ (6.6% typical). Also worth knowing: the national inventory holds one flood map for it, from District Municipality of Muskoka.

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

Bracebridge0.9%

Ontario’s towns4%

Canadian towns6.6%

Hazards	Bracebridge	Ontario	Canada
Radon tests above the guideline	0.9%	4%	6.6%
Earthquake loss per $1,000 of buildings a year	$0.023	$0.043	$0.030

Low

wildfire band

21 km

to the nearest land burned since 1986

flood study on the national inventory

Full pageBracebridge’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$0.023 a year per $1,000 · Canadian towns: $0.030 Radon0.9% 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 D

Measured against local pay, Bracebridge costs more to live in than 89% of Canadian towns

$600,000median home value, 2021DCost of living Grade

The owner-occupied share of households is 80%. Shelter took 30% or more of income for just over a fifth of households, between Ontario’s towns (22%) and Canadian towns (18%).

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

Bracebridge$600,000

Ontario$695,000

Canadian towns$406,000

Census 2021	Bracebridge	Ontario	Canada
Households owning their home	80%	76%	74%
Households spending 30%+ on shelter	21%	22%	18%

$1,513

monthly rent for a two-bedroom

$1,200

median monthly shelter cost for owners, 2021

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

Cost of living7.1 times household income · The median owner’s estimate, $600,000, against the median household income Renting$1,513 a month · A two-bedroom apartment, CMHC’s survey Owners and renters80% 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.

SchoolsSchools A⁻

Bracebridge’s schools mostly beat the middle in Ontario, 5 of the 8 with results

8schools within 3 kmA⁻Schools Grade

None of them teaches in French, though one in ten schools in Ontario do. The schools around it answer to 2 boards, below Ontario’s towns (4) and Canadian towns (3) alike. Counting a 3 km margin, Bracebridge has 5 elementary schools, 2 secondary schools and 1 alternative or adult school, for 3,890 students.

School	Level	Students	System
Monck Public School Second fifth in OntarioLargest elementary schoolElementary · Grades JK–8	Elementary · Grades JK–8	575	English public
Bracebridge and Muskoka Lakes Secondary School Middle fifth in OntarioLargest secondary schoolSecondary · Grades 9–12	Secondary · Grades 9–12	840	English public
Muskoka Falls Public School Top fifth in OntarioResults in the top fifth in OntarioElementary · Grades JK–8	Elementary · Grades JK–8	195	English public

See all 8 schools →

Schools by system · Schools within 3 km

English public6

English Catholic2

Schools within 3 km	Bracebridge	Ontario	Canada
School boards	2	4	3

3,890

students at the schools within 3 km, 2024-25

0.5 km

to the nearest secondary school

Full pageBracebridge’s schools pageOpen the full Schools page

Results5 of 8 in the top two fifths · of the schools with results, placed against every school in Ontario Every school8 schools within 3 km · 5 elementary schools, 2 secondary schools and 1 alternative or adult school Language0 of 8 teach in French · 10% of schools in Ontario The boards2 school boards · Trillium Lakelands DSB Questions“What schools are there in Bracebridge?”

Provincial school lists and results, 2024-25

SafetySafety A⁻

Bracebridge’s grade for safety: an A−

47Crime Severity Index

Property crime ran at 16.4 incidents per 1,000 residents a year, below Ontario’s towns (30.5) and Canadian towns (31.2) alike. Violent crime runs at 8.8 per 1,000 residents a year.

Year by year · Crime Severity Index for each year

202338

202449

202553

2023–2025	Bracebridge	Ontario	Canada
Property crime per 1,000	16.4	30.5	31.2
Violent crime	8.8	10.5	12
Violent Crime Severity Index	69	76	86

non-violent Crime Severity Index

52%

of incidents cleared, 2023–25

Full pageBracebridge’s safety reportOpen the full Safety report

Safety47 Crime Severity Index · The index weighs each crime Bracebridge’s police recorded by how serious it is.Questions“Is Bracebridge safe?”

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

HealthHealth B⁺

54% of adults around Bracebridge rate their health very good or excellent

54%very good or excellent healthB⁺Health Grade

Measured across the Simcoe Muskoka District Health Unit: health survey and life expectancy

Expected years of life at birth: 81.5, below Ontario’s towns (82.8) and close to Canadian towns (81.5). Closer to home, a hospital sits 4.3 km from the average resident of Bracebridge, about the norm of 3.7 km. A pharmacy is nearer: 4.2 km on average, with 2.0 within 3 km of the typical home.

Very good or excellent health · adults, age-standardised

Bracebridge54%

Ontario’s towns51%

Canadian towns52%

Health	Bracebridge	Ontario	Canada
Very good or excellent health	54%	51%	52%
Life expectancy at birth	81.5	82.8	81.5
Smokers	12%	10%	12%

81.5

years of life expectancy, 2022/2024

12%

of adults smoke, age-standardised

4.2 km

from homes to a pharmacy, on average

Full pageBracebridge’s health pageOpen the full Health page

Health survey54% very good or excellent health · adults, age-standardised Getting care4.3 km to a hospital · A pharmacy 4.2 km away on average The wider areaLife expectancy: women 83.5, men 79.5 Conditions and habits17% with chronic conditions · adults, age-standardised

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

Work & commuteJobs & income B⁺

Household incomes in Bracebridge are higher than in 65% of Canadian towns

5%walk, cycle or take transit

Commutes averaged 24 min, below both Ontario’s towns (29 min) and Canadian towns (26 min). 93% of commuters took the car to work at the census.

How working residents got to work · census 2021

Car or van93%

Walk4%

Bicycle1%

Public transit1%

Census 2021	Bracebridge	Ontario	Canada
Average trip	24 min	29 min	26 min
Car or van	93%	88%	89%

$85,000

median household income, 2020

21%

worked from home, May 2021

65%

of commuters work inside the municipality

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

UnemploymentOf the labour force · Canadian towns: 9.9%Getting to work5% walk, cycle or take transit Where people commute to575 commuters · The biggest flow out: to Gravenhurst

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

Winter nights bite in Bracebridge: January lows of −15.3°C, colder than Ontario’s towns or Canadian towns

25.3°CJuly afternoons

Snow totals 278 cm over the year, above both Ontario’s towns (146 cm) and Canadian towns (141 cm). A normal January brings 67 cm of snow, the most of any month. A July afternoon in Bracebridge typically reaches 25.3°C.

Average high by season · ECCC normals, 1991–2020

Winter−2.9°C

Spring10.4°C

Summer24.3°C

Autumn12.6°C

Normals, 1991–2020	Bracebridge	Ontario	Canada
Snowfall a year	278 cm	146 cm	141 cm
January night low	−15.3°C	−9.1°C	−13.5°C
Days with frost a year	175	139	159
Precipitation a year	1,062 mm	902 mm	883 mm

278 cm

of snow a year

175

days with frost a year

141

days with precipitation a year

Full pageBracebridge’s climate pageOpen the full Climate page

The yearJuly highs 25.3°C, January lows −15.3°C Rain and snow1,062 mm a year · Canadian towns: 883 mm Snow278 cm of snow a year Weather station8.4 km to the station · Muskoka

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

Who lives here

Bracebridge is older than 88% of Canadian towns: a median age of 51.2

51.2median age

Visible minorities make up 3% of the population, lower than both Ontario’s towns (26%) and Canadian towns (15%). 3.2% of residents have an Indigenous identity, above Ontario’s towns (1.6%) and Canadian towns (2.8%) alike.

BracebridgeOntarioCanada

OntarioCanada

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

28%

Schooling · Highest qualification, residents 15 and over

No certificate, diploma or degree13%

Postsecondary qualification55%

Women and men · all residents

Women make up 51.7% of Bracebridge

8,955 women and 8,350 men at the 2021 census; across Canada, women are 50.9%.

Who lives in Bracebridge
	Bracebridge	Ontario	Canada
Under 15	13%	15%	16%
15 to 64	59%	65%	64%
65+	28%	19%	19%
No certificate, diploma or degree	13%	15%	16%
Postsecondary qualification	55%	56%	56%

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

Ages51.2 median age · 28% are 65 or over Households7,230 households · 2.3 people per household Immigrants7% are immigrants · 3% belong to a visible minority English and French7% speak both · 0% speak French but not English

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

Outdoors

Bracebridge borders Bigwind Lake Provincial Park

5.4%of the land within 10 km protected

OpenStreetMap shows one walking route nearby, the TCT:ON Gravenhurst. 33 km separate the town from Georgian Bay Islands National Park, its nearest national park. The protected share within 10 km is 5.4%, where a typical Canadian town has 2.3%; what’s more, the 10 km around town hold 13 protected areas.

Protected land · of the land within 10 km

Bracebridge5.4%

Ontario’s towns2.3%

Canadian towns2.3%

Outdoors	Bracebridge	Ontario	Canada
Protected land within 10 km	5.4%	2.3%	2.3%
Public protected areas within 10 km	12	4	4

33 km

to Georgian Bay Islands National Park

At the edge

to Bigwind Lake Provincial Park

beaches within 5 km

public protected areas within 10 km

Full pageBracebridge’s outdoors pageOpen the full Outdoors page

Protected landof the land within 10 km Protected areas13 protected areas within 10 km · Queen Elizabeth II Wildlands Provincial Park National & provincial parks33 km to a national park · Georgian Bay Islands National Park Footpaths & routes1 named route · TCT:ON Gravenhurst

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

Weather

A normal November in Bracebridge runs from −3°C to 5°C

5°Ca normal November afternoon

Expect about 103 mm of rain and snow over November. Then December: −1°C by day, −10°C at night. Snow is normal by November, about 33 cm over the month. Over the year, July is warmest at 25°C by day and January coldest at −15°C by night.

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

November5°C

December−1°C

January−5°C

February−3°C

Season	High	Low	Rain and snow
Winter	−3°C	−13°C	235 mm
Spring	10°C	−2°C	244 mm
Summer	24°C	12°C	267 mm
Autumn	13°C	2°C	316 mm

−3°C

a normal November night

103 mm

of rain and snow in a normal November

Full pageBracebridge’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 (Muskoka); the forecast is on the Weather page

Town hall

Parry Sound—Muskoka, which takes in Bracebridge, is held by Scott Aitchison (Conservative Party of Canada)

No provincial riding is named for Bracebridge: northern Ontario’s ridings for the Legislative Assembly of Ontario have no open boundaries.

Turnout	Bracebridge	Ontario	Canada
Municipal election, 2022	36%	31%	31%

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

Who runs itTown council seats9

Wikidata, MAMH, MMAH, Statistics Canada

Library & civic lifeCivic life grade A⁻

Bracebridge Library logs 11.3 visits per person served, more than all but a few of Ontario’s town libraries

A single building, Bracebridge Library, serves 17,305 people.

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

Places to belong2.7 charities per 1,000 residents

Provincial library statistics, OpenStreetMap, the CRA and Statistics Canada

History

Canada’s registers list 1 historic place in Bracebridge

1historic place

Homes from before 1961 make up 18% of the stock, below Ontario’s towns (22%) and close to Canadian towns (18%).

Historic places by designation · inside the town

Highest designations0

Other federal designations0

Provincial and local listings1

Among them

Woodchester Villa 1882

1882

oldest construction date on the record

Heritage	Bracebridge	Ontario	Canada
Homes built before 1961	18%	22%	18%

Full pageBracebridge’s history pageOpen the full History page

On the registersOne historic place inside the town Older homesCanadian towns: 18%Questions“How many historic places does Bracebridge 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 Bracebridge

15pages on Bracebridge

The big questions

SafetyA⁻Crime Severity Index 47 Housing & costDHomes 7.1 × income Property pricesSchoolsA⁻8 schools within 3 km HealthB⁺Life expectancy 81.5 in its region Work & commuteB⁺54% of adults in work Natural hazardsAWildfire band: low

Out and about

Outdoors5.4% of the land within 10 km protected AttractionsClimateJuly afternoons around 25°C WeatherECCC’s forecast, beside the normals

The story

Who lives hereMedian age 51.2 HistoryOne place on the heritage registers Town hallFamous people

Nearby attractions

Santa's Village and 2 more in and around Bracebridge

From museums to parks and historic sites: Bracebridge’s places to visit and those just beyond its edge, most famous first.

All attractions →

Theme parkTheme parkSanta's Villagein town

MuseumWoodchester Villain town MuseumMuseumThe Tree Museum200 m outside town, to the south

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

Photo credits (1)

Woodchester Villa: Colin Old, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons

Famous people from Bracebridge

23 notable people were born in Bracebridge.

See all 23 →

Mary HarronCanadian film director · born 1953

Ace BaileyCanadian ice hockey player · 1903–1992

Ana PadurariuCanadian artistic gymnast · born 2002

Gary DennissChandan Surtaniya · born 1944

Roger CrozierCanadian ice hockey player · 1942–1996

Liisa SavijarviCanadian alpine skier · born 1963

Photo credits

Mary Harron: Montclair Film, CC BY 2.0 · Ace Bailey: Unknown author, Public domain · Ana Padurariu: CNS Media, CC BY-SA 4.0 · Gary Denniss: Katsheron, CC BY-SA 4.0

About Bracebridge

Town in Ontario

The boundary here is Statistics Canada’s: Bracebridge is one census subdivision in Ontario, and TownRatings describes all of it.

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

Population: 18,676 (people, 2025 estimate)
Province or territory: Ontario
Census division: Muskoka
Census subdivision: 3544018

Bracebridge’s neighbours

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

GravenhurstBracebridge

How the neighbours grade

Town	People	km	Overall	Cost	Safety	Health
Bracebridge	18,676	—	B⁺	D	A⁻	B⁺
Gravenhurst	14,576	16	C⁺	D⁻	B⁻	B

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

Questions about Bracebridge

Is Bracebridge growing?

Yes: the census counted 16,010 in 2016 and 17,305 in 2021, a rise of 8.1%, against 4.1% for the median of Canadian towns. The 2025 estimate is 18,676.

Who are the people of Bracebridge?

At the 2021 census, 7% were immigrants and 3% belonged to a visible minority (Canadian towns’ median: 15%). 3% identify as First Nations, Métis or Inuit.

What kind of homes are in Bracebridge?

Single-detached houses make up 76% of the homes here, where Canadian towns sit at 64%; 2% are in high-rise apartments. 28% of households are one person, and the average is 2.3.

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).