BrantfordOntario

123,521 people call this town in Ontario home. The population grew 6% between 2016 and 2021.

3 places within 19 kmMap →

Photo: JFVoll · CC BY-SA 4.0

Population

123,521

people, 2025 estimate

Median age

40.8

years · Ontario’s towns: 46.8

Postsecondary

48%

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%

TownGrade

#2,476 of 2,556

Is Brantford a good place to live?

The data are hard on it. Housing is expensive (D). Getting around on foot or by bus is easy (A−). Overall, that makes a D, good for #842 of 858 in Ontario. Set against the rest, it does better than 7% of Canadian towns. Elsewhere it is close to typical: C+ for health and C+ for hazard risk.

Rents here are the metro area's average, shared by every town and neighbourhood in it. 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⁻WalkabilityWeakestDCost of living C⁻Schools

What makes Brantford stand out

The 3 things Brantford does most differently from other towns.

Picked automatically from the data

Immigrants

Who lives here

16% are immigrants

Half of Canadian towns are above 6%, half below

Statistics Canada, Census 2021

Cost of living

Behind 94%

of Canadian towns on cost of living

Its cost of living grade: D.

Home value ÷ household income

Housing

7 times household income

Against 4.7 for the median of Canadian towns

Median owner’s estimate $552,000, Census 2021; income for 2020.

How Brantford grades

Each subject compares Brantford 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

Cost of livingBased on what homes cost against what households earnDOpen →SchoolsSchools are among the weakest comparedC⁻Open →WalkabilityAhead of most towns comparedA⁻Open →Jobs & incomeBased on what households earn, poverty and workCOpen →SafetyMore crime than in most townsCOpen →Hazard riskNear typical for the towns comparedC⁺Open →HealthBased on how healthy residents are for their agesC⁺Open →

How TownRatings grades Canadian towns →

Nearby attractions

Bell Homestead and 9 more in and around Brantford

Museums, historic sites, parks, gardens and days out in and near Brantford, the best known first.

All attractions →

National historic siteBell Homesteadin town

National historic siteAdelaide Hunter Hoodless Homestead3.9 km outside town, to the northwest MuseumMuseumBrant Museum And Archives/Martleville House Museumin town MuseumMuseumCanadian Military Heritage Museumin town MuseumMuseumCanadian Military Heritage Museum of Brant Countyin town MuseumMuseumMyrtleville House Museumin town

Places: © OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL) · Wikidata · ODCAF · federal and Québec heritage registers · CPCAD

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

Photo credits (2)

Bell Homestead: Harry Zilber, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
Adelaide Hunter Hoodless Homestead: Yoho2001, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons

The data

Data highlights are ordered by what stands out in Brantford.

HousingCost of living D

Renting in Brantford eats 24% of household income, more than in both Ontario’s towns and Canadian towns

Measured across the Brantford metro area: rent as a share of income and monthly rent for a two-bedroom

Just over a fifth of households spent 30% or more of their income on shelter, about level with Ontario’s towns (22%) and above Canadian towns (18%). Owners make up nearly two thirds of households.

$552,000median home value, 2021DCost of living Grade

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

Brantford$552,000

Ontario$695,000

Canadian towns$406,000

Census 2021	Brantford	Ontario	Canada
Rent as a share of income	24%	22%	20%
Households owning their home	66%	76%	74%
Households spending 30%+ on shelter	22%	22%	18%

$1,604

monthly rent for a two-bedroom

$1,330

median monthly shelter cost for owners, 2021

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

Renting$1,604 a month · A two-bedroom apartment, CMHC’s survey Cost of living7 times household income · The median owner’s estimate, $552,000, against the median household income Owners and renters66% own their home

Statistics Canada, Census 2021; CMHC Rental Market Survey via Statistics Canada · The 2021 census asked owners what their home was worth; those values, and 2020 incomes, are what this compares.

SchoolsSchools C⁻

Results around Brantford lean low: 26 of 47 schools in the lower two fifths in Ontario

Schooling in French is on offer at one of the 50; in Ontario, one in ten schools teach in it. Results have climbed at 30 of 47 schools over three years. Its schools answer to 3 boards. Also worth knowing: the largest is Assumption College School High School, with 1,865 students.

50schools within 3 kmC⁻Schools Grade

School	Level	Students	System
Edith Monture Elementary School Middle fifth in OntarioLargest elementary schoolElementary · Grades JK–8	Elementary · Grades JK–8	825	English public
Assumption College School High School CatholicLargest secondary schoolSecondary · Grades 9–12	Secondary · Grades 9–12	1,865	English Catholic
ÉÉC Sainte-Marguerite-Bourgeoys-Brantfrd FrenchTeaches in FrenchElementary · Grades JK–8	Elementary · Grades JK–8	205	French Catholic

See all 50 schools →

Schools by system · Schools within 3 km

English public32

English Catholic17

French Catholic1

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

20,085

students at the schools within 3 km, 2024-25

1.2 km

to the nearest secondary school

Full pageBrantford’s schools pageOpen the full Schools page

Results6 of 47 in the top two fifths · of the schools with results, placed against every school in Ontario Every school50 schools within 3 km · 41 elementary schools, 6 secondary schools and 3 alternative or adult schools Language1 of 50 teach in French · 10% of schools in Ontario The boards3 school boards · Grand Erie DSB Questions“What schools are there in Brantford?”

Provincial school lists and results, 2024-25

Work & commuteJobs & income C

Brantford’s grade for jobs & income: a C

On average, the journey to work lasts 25 min. By car: that was how just over nine in ten commuters travelled at the census.

7%walk, cycle or take transit

How working residents got to work · census 2021

Car or van91%

Walk4%

Public transit3%

Bicycle0%

Census 2021	Brantford	Ontario	Canada
Average trip	25 min	29 min	26 min
Car or van	91%	88%	89%

$79,500

median household income, 2020

16%

worked from home, May 2021

63%

of commuters work inside the municipality

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

Getting to work7% walk, cycle or take transit Unemployment12% unemployed · Of the labour force · Canadian towns: 9.9%Where people commute to3,200 commuters · The biggest flow out: to Hamilton

Statistics Canada, Census 2021 (labour and commuting) · The 2021 census was taken in May 2021, during COVID-19 restrictions: more people than usual worked from home or were off work.

SafetySafety C

Brantford’s grade for safety: a C

Its violent severity index came to 102, above Ontario’s towns (76) and Canadian towns (86) alike. Each year, 14.5 violent crimes are recorded per 1,000 residents.

79Crime Severity Index

Year by year · Crime Severity Index for each year

202378

202474

202584

2023–2025	Brantford	Ontario	Canada
Violent Crime Severity Index	102	76	86
Violent crime	14.5	10.5	12
Property crime per 1,000	34.4	30.5	31.2

non-violent Crime Severity Index

44%

of incidents cleared, 2023–25

Full pageBrantford’s safety reportOpen the full Safety report

Safety79 Crime Severity Index · The index weighs each crime Brantford’s police recorded by how serious it is.Questions“Is Brantford safe?”

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

Natural hazardsHazard risk C⁺

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

Radon is higher than usual: a tenth of tested homes in the survey area topped the guideline, against 6.6% for the typical town. Seismic risk in Brantford sits near the middle: $0.029 of expected damage per $1,000 of buildings a year, the typical town $0.030.

Lowwildfire bandC⁺Hazard risk Grade

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

Brantford10%

Ontario’s towns4%

Canadian towns6.6%

Hazards	Brantford	Ontario	Canada
Radon tests above the guideline	10%	4%	6.6%
Earthquake loss per $1,000 of buildings a year	$0.029	$0.043	$0.030

Low

wildfire band

flood study on the national inventory

Full pageBrantford’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$0.029 a year per $1,000 · Canadian towns: $0.030 Radon10% 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

HealthHealth C⁺

Only 43% of adults around Brantford call their health very good or excellent, below the typical Canadian town’s 52%

Health survey and life expectancy for the Brant County Health Unit

Expected years of life at birth: 80.4, below both Ontario’s towns (82.8) and Canadian towns (81.5). For Brantford itself the measure is access: 3.1 km to the nearest hospital, much like the typical 3.7 km. Pharmacies are closer at hand, 1.2 km away on average and 3.4 of them within 3 km of a typical home.

43%very good or excellent healthC⁺Health Grade

Very good or excellent health · adults, age-standardised

Brantford43%

Ontario’s towns51%

Canadian towns52%

Health	Brantford	Ontario	Canada
Very good or excellent health	43%	51%	52%
Chronic conditions (average share)	20%	17%	17%
Life expectancy at birth	80.4	82.8	81.5
Smokers	11%	10%	12%

80.4

years of life expectancy, 2022/2024

11%

of adults smoke, age-standardised

1.2 km

from homes to a pharmacy, on average

Full pageBrantford’s health pageOpen the full Health page

Health survey43% very good or excellent health · adults, age-standardised Getting care3.1 km to a hospital · A pharmacy 1.2 km away on average The wider areaLife expectancy: women 82.6, men 78.2 Conditions and habits20% with chronic conditions · adults, age-standardised

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

Who lives here

More of Brantford’s residents have an Indigenous identity than in Ontario’s towns or Canadian towns: 5.2%

17% are under 15, above Ontario’s towns (15%) and Canadian towns (16%) alike. People 65 and over make up nearly a fifth of the town, about level with both Ontario’s towns (19%) and Canadian towns (19%).

40.8median age

BrantfordOntarioCanada

OntarioCanada

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

17%

Schooling · Highest qualification, residents 15 and over

No certificate, diploma or degree20%

Postsecondary qualification48%

Women and men · all residents

51.1% of Brantford’s residents are women

Of the 2021 count, 53,480 were women and 51,205 men (women across Canada: 50.9%).

Who lives in Brantford
	Brantford	Ontario	Canada
Under 15	17%	15%	16%
15 to 64	64%	65%	64%
65+	19%	19%	19%
No certificate, diploma or degree	20%	15%	16%
Postsecondary qualification	48%	56%	56%

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

Immigrants16% are immigrants · 15% belong to a visible minority Ages40.8 median age · 19% are 65 or over Households41,675 households · 2.5 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+

Climate

Brantford gets less snow than 81% of Canadian towns: about 115 cm a year

Between the last spring frost, 1 May, and the first in autumn, 12 October, lie 164 days. Most of the snow comes in January, about 32 cm. The warmest stretch brings July afternoons of 26.6°C, about level with Ontario’s towns (26.7°C) and above Canadian towns (25.5°C). On a January night, the temperature in Brantford falls to about −9.1°C.

26.6°CJuly afternoons

Average high by season · ECCC normals, 1991–2020

Winter−0.3°C

Spring11.8°C

Summer25.5°C

Autumn14.6°C

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

115 cm

of snow a year

139

days with frost a year

164

frost-free days, 1 May to 12 Oct

114

days with precipitation a year

Full pageBrantford’s climate pageOpen the full Climate page

Snow115 cm of snow a year The yearJuly highs 26.6°C, January lows −9.1°C Rain and snow902 mm a year · Canadian towns: 883 mm Weather station26 km to the station · Hamilton

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

Outdoors

3 named trails run within 2 km of Brantford

37 km from town is Trillium Woods Provincial Park, the nearest provincial park. 0.3% of the land and water within 10 km is protected (the typical Canadian town: 2.3%). Within 10 km, the count of public protected areas is 14, above both Ontario’s towns (4) and Canadian towns (4). Barker's Bush/Lion's Park (80 ha) is the biggest, 3.2 km from town.

0.3%of the land within 10 km protected

Protected land · of the land within 10 km

Brantford0.3%

Ontario’s towns2.3%

Canadian towns2.3%

Outdoors	Brantford	Ontario	Canada
Public protected areas within 10 km	14	4	4
Protected land within 10 km	0.3%	2.3%	2.3%

37 km

to Trillium Woods Provincial Park

public protected areas within 10 km

Full pageBrantford’s outdoors pageOpen the full Outdoors page

Footpaths & routes3 named routes · Grand Valley Trail Protected landof the land within 10 km Protected areas15 protected areas within 10 km · Barker's Bush/Lion's Park National & provincial parks37 km to a provincial park · Trillium Woods Provincial Park

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

Weather

Brantford in November: highs near 8°C, lows near freezing

For today and the week ahead, the Weather page carries ECCC’s Brantford forecast. Then December: 2°C by day, −5°C at night. Expect about 78 mm of rain and snow over November. A typical November adds 9 cm of snow.

8°Ca normal November afternoon

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

November8°C

December2°C

January−1°C

February−1°C

Season	High	Low	Rain and snow
Winter	0°C	−8°C	194 mm
Spring	12°C	1°C	231 mm
Summer	25°C	14°C	242 mm
Autumn	15°C	5°C	236 mm

0°C

a normal November night

78 mm

of rain and snow in a normal November

Full pageBrantford’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 February

ECCC normals, 1991–2020 (Hamilton); the forecast is on the Weather page

Town hall

11,230 residents per council seat in Brantford, a higher ratio than 92% of Ontario municipalities

Larry Brock (Conservative Party of Canada) is the MP for Brantford—Brant South—Six Nations, the riding (a federal electoral district, which elects one MP) that takes in Brantford.

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

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

Who runs itCity council seats11

Wikidata, MAMH, MMAH, Statistics Canada

Library & civic lifeCivic life grade B⁻

Brantford has 3 public library branches

Brantford Public Library counts 104,688 people in its service area.

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

A year at the library4.6 visits per person served Places to belong1.8 charities per 1,000 residents

Provincial library statistics, OpenStreetMap, the CRA and Statistics Canada

History

Brantford has 6 historic places on the registers, 2 in the top tier

Go back to 1858 and you reach Bell Homestead, the oldest of them. 33% of its homes were built before 1961, above Ontario’s towns (22%) and Canadian towns (18%) alike.

6historic places

Historic places by designation · inside the town

Highest designations2

Other federal designations2

Provincial and local listings2

Among them

Bell Homestead 1858
St. Jude's Anglican Church 1871
Armoury 1893
Canadian National Railways Station, Brantford, Ontario 1905

1858

oldest construction date on the record

33%

of homes built before 1961 · Canadian towns 18%

Heritage	Brantford	Ontario	Canada
Homes built before 1961	33%	22%	18%

Full pageBrantford’s history pageOpen the full History page

On the registers6 historic places inside the town Highest designations2 top designations · Bell Homestead Older homes33% built before 1961 · Canadian towns: 18%Questions“How many historic places does Brantford 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 Brantford

15pages on Brantford

The big questions

SafetyCCrime Severity Index 79 Housing & costDHomes 7 × income Property pricesSchoolsC⁻50 schools within 3 km HealthC⁺Life expectancy 80.4 in its region Work & commuteC54% of adults in work Natural hazardsC⁺Wildfire band: low

Out and about

Outdoors0.3% of the land within 10 km protected AttractionsClimateJuly afternoons around 27°C WeatherECCC’s forecast, beside the normals

The story

Who lives hereMedian age 40.8 History6 places on the heritage registers Town hallFamous people

Famous people from Brantford

132 notable people were born in Brantford.

See all 132 →

Wayne GretzkyCanadian ice hockey player and coach · born 1961

Phil HartmanCanadian-American actor, comedian, screenwriter · 1948–1998

Adam HenriqueCanadian ice hockey player · born 1990

Bill CookCanadian ice hockey player and coach · 1896–1986

Doug JarvisCanadian ice hockey player · born 1955

James HillierCanadian American scientist · 1915–2007

Photo credits

Wayne Gretzky: The original uploader was Hakandahlstrom at English Wikipedia . Later versions were uploaded by IrisKawling at en.wikipedia ., CC BY-SA 3.0 · Phil Hartman: Paul Hartmann, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Adam Henrique: Lisa Gansky, CC BY-SA 2.0 · Bill Cook: Unknown, image from the Hockey Hall of Fame, Public domain · Doug Jarvis: Horge, CC BY 3.0 · James Hillier: Will hill 375, CC BY-SA 4.0

Brantford’s neighbours

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

ParisSix Nations (Part) 40LyndenBrantford

How the neighbours grade

Town	People	km	Overall	Cost	Safety	Health
Brantford	123,521	—	D	D	C	C⁺
Paris	45,565	9.6	C⁺	C⁻	A	C⁺
Six Nations (Part) 40	7,298	15	—	—	D	C⁺
Lynden	10,442	17	B	C⁻	B⁻	B⁻

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

Questions about Brantford

Has Brantford grown?

Between the 2016 and 2021 censuses it went from 98,563 to 104,688 residents (up 6.2%; Canadian towns’ median: 4.1%), and Statistics Canada now estimates 123,521.

What kind of homes are in Brantford?

Mostly 61% single-detached houses (the median of Canadian towns: 64%), with 11% of homes in buildings of five or more storeys. Households hold 2.5 people on average, and 28% have just one.

Is Brantford a young town or an old one?

40.8 is the median age, 45.2 the median among Canadian towns; 19% of residents are 65 or over and 17% under 15.

About Brantford

Town in Ontario

For Brantford, TownRatings uses Statistics Canada’s census-subdivision boundary in Ontario, and every figure on its pages covers that whole area.

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

Population: 123,521 (people, 2025 estimate)
Province or territory: Ontario
Census division: Brant
Census subdivision: 3529006

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).