BrightonOntario
In Ontario, this town has 12,900 residents. Its census division is Northumberland.
Is Brighton a good place to live?
The weak point is cost of living (D). Jobs and pay trail most towns (C−). Recorded crime is low (B+). Schools are a strength too (B+). All told, that adds up to a C overall, better than 28% of Canadian towns. Its place in the ranking is #700 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.
How Brighton grades
Each subject compares Brighton 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 Brighton stand out
The 3 things Brighton does most differently from other towns.
The data
Data highlights are ordered by what stands out in Brighton.
More households own their home in Brighton than in Ontario’s towns or across Canadian towns: 86%
15% of households spent 30% or more of their income on shelter, lower than both Ontario’s towns (22%) and Canadian towns (18%). Owners put the median home at $500,000, between 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 | Brighton | Ontario | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Households spending 30%+ on shelter | 15% | 22% | 18% |
| Households owning their home | 86% | 76% | 74% |
| Median home value, 2021 | $500,000 | $695,000 | $406,000 |
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.
The share of 15-to-64s with a job in Brighton trails that of 88% of Canadian towns
Commutes averaged 29 min, about level with Ontario’s towns (29 min) and above Canadian towns (26 min).
How working residents got to work · census 2021
| Census 2021 | Brighton | Ontario | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average trip | 29 min | 29 min | 26 min |
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.
Flood mapping exists for Brighton: 3 on record, latest by Lower Trent Conservation
In Health Canada’s survey, 6.1% of homes tested in Brighton’s area exceeded 200 Bq/m³, close to the typical 6.6%. NRCan expects $0.028 of shaking damage a year per $1,000 of buildings in the town, near the typical $0.030.
Radon tests above the guideline · share of tested homes, 200 Bq/m³
| Hazards | Brighton | Ontario | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Radon tests above the guideline | 6.1% | 4% | 6.6% |
| Earthquake loss per $1,000 of buildings a year | $0.028 | $0.043 | $0.030 |
NRCan seismic risk model and burned areas, Health Canada radon survey, the Flood Hazard Map Inventory · Radon tests published for the Haliburton, Kawartha, Pine Ridge District Heal health region, not by town
Brighton gets a B+ for safety
Its violent severity index came to 66, lower than both Ontario’s towns (76) and Canadian towns (86). Violent crime runs at 9.5 per 1,000 residents a year. Thefts, break-ins and damage add up to 19.6 per 1,000 residents a year.
Year by year · Crime Severity Index for each year
| 2023–2025 | Brighton | Ontario | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Property crime per 1,000 | 19.6 | 30.5 | 31.2 |
| Violent Crime Severity Index | 66 | 76 | 86 |
Statistics Canada, Uniform Crime Reporting Survey, 2023–2025 average
18% of adults smoke in the health region around Brighton, against 12% for the typical Canadian town
Measured across the Haliburton, Kawartha, Pine Ridge District Health Unit: health survey and life expectancy
Life expectancy at birth in the region is 81.0 years, lower than Ontario’s towns (82.8) and near Canadian towns (81.5). Across the region, nearly half of adults say their health is very good or excellent, much as in Ontario (51%). Measured from where Brighton’s residents live, the nearest hospital is 14 km away, beyond the typical 3.7 km.
Very good or excellent health · adults, age-standardised
| Health | Brighton | Ontario | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Smokers | 18% | 10% | 12% |
| Life expectancy at birth | 81.0 | 82.8 | 81.5 |
| Very good or excellent health | 49% | 51% | 52% |
Statistics Canada, Canadian Community Health Survey 2023/2024 and life expectancy 2022/2024; Open Database of Healthcare Facilities
Brighton gets a B+ for schools
Results have climbed at 3 of 4 schools over three years. Within 3 km, 2 boards share the schools, below Ontario’s towns (4) and Canadian towns (3) alike. Of its 4 tested schools, 1 sit in the top two fifths in Ontario and 2 in the bottom two.
| School | Level | Students | System |
|---|---|---|---|
| Brighton Public School Middle fifth in OntarioLargest elementary schoolElementary · Grades JK–8 | Elementary · Grades JK–8 | 515 | English public |
| East Northumberland Secondary School Fourth fifth in OntarioLargest secondary schoolSecondary · Grades 9–12 | Secondary · Grades 9–12 | 960 | English public |
| Schools within 3 km | Brighton | Ontario | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| School boards | 2 | 4 | 3 |
Provincial school lists and results, 2024-25
Visible minorities make up less of Brighton than of Ontario’s towns or Canadian towns: 4.7%
First Nations, Métis and Inuit people make up 4% of residents, above Ontario’s towns (1.6%) and Canadian towns (2.8%) 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 49.0% of Brighton
Census 2021 put women at 5,935 and men at 6,175; women are 50.9% of Canada.
| Brighton | Ontario | Canada | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 15 | 11% | 15% | 16% |
| 15 to 64 | 56% | 65% | 64% |
| 65+ | 33% | 19% | 19% |
| No certificate, diploma or degree | 16% | 15% | 16% |
| Postsecondary qualification | 50% | 56% | 56% |
Statistics Canada, Census 2021; Ontario and Canada: medians of towns of 2,500+
January nights in Brighton drop to −11.2°C (Ontario towns −9.1°C, Canadian towns −13.5°C)
July afternoons reach 26.5°C on average, about level with Ontario’s towns (26.7°C) and above Canadian towns (25.5°C). Between the last spring frost, 1 May, and the first in autumn, 10 October, lie 161 days. For the wettest month, look to September: 92 mm on average. A normal January brings 44 cm of snow, the most of any month.
Average high by season · ECCC normals, 1991–2020
| Normals, 1991–2020 | Brighton | Ontario | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| January night low | −11.2°C | −9.1°C | −13.5°C |
| July afternoon high | 26.5°C | 26.7°C | 25.5°C |
| Days with frost a year | 146 | 139 | 159 |
| Snowfall a year | 155 cm | 146 cm | 141 cm |
Environment and Climate Change Canada, Canadian Climate Normals 1991–2020 (Trenton)
What November brings in Brighton: −2°C at night, 7°C by day
For today and the week ahead, the Weather page carries ECCC’s Trenton forecast. Expect about 84 mm of rain and snow over November. Over the year, July is warmest at 27°C by day and January coldest at −11°C by night.
Normal highs, the months ahead · ECCC normals, 1991–2020
| Season | High | Low | Rain and snow |
|---|---|---|---|
| Winter | 0°C | −10°C | 215 mm |
| Spring | 12°C | 1°C | 230 mm |
| Summer | 25°C | 14°C | 228 mm |
| Autumn | 14°C | 4°C | 267 mm |
ECCC normals, 1991–2020 (Trenton); the forecast is on the Weather page
Brighton’s MP is Philip Lawrence (Conservative Party of Canada), for Northumberland—Clarke
Across Ontario, 71 of the 122 MPs sit with the Liberal Party of Canada.
| Turnout | Brighton | Ontario | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Municipal election, 2022 | 47% | 31% | 31% |
Wikidata, MAMH, MMAH, Statistics Canada
Brighton Public Library draws 7 visits per person served, ahead of 94% of Ontario’s town libraries
Brighton Public Library has 2 branches for the 12,108 people it serves.
Provincial library statistics, OpenStreetMap, the CRA and Statistics Canada
Presqu'Ile Provincial Park begins where Brighton ends
Protected areas cover 1.3% of the land within 10 km; for the typical Canadian town it is 2.3%. Thousand Islands National Park is the closest national park, 84 km from town. 14 protected areas lie within 10 km. 2 beaches are mapped within 5 km, none with a name.
Protected land · of the land within 10 km
| Outdoors | Brighton | Ontario | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Protected land within 10 km | 1.3% | 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 Brighton
Memory Junction Railway Museum and 2 more in and around Brighton
A first look at Brighton’s museums, historic sites and days out, and a few just outside town.
MuseumMemory Junction Railway Museumin townMuseumMuseumProctor House Museumin townMuseumMuseumPresqu'Île Provincial Park Museumin townPhotos: each place’s Wikidata image, from Wikimedia Commons under the licence below (our copy, resized).
Photo credits (1)
- Memory Junction Railway Museum: Unknown author, Public domain, Wikimedia Commons
Famous people from Brighton
6 notable people were born in Brighton.
Photo credits
Benjamin Fish Austin: Unknown author, Public domain · George Newcombe Gordon: Unknown author, Public domain
About Brighton
Town in Ontario
TownRatings follows Statistics Canada’s map: Brighton is one municipality in Ontario, figures and all.
Statistics Canada: population estimates 2025 (17-10-0155), Census of Population 2021, 2021 census boundaries.
- Population
- 12,900 (people, 2025 estimate)
- Province or territory
- Ontario
- Census division
- Northumberland
- Census subdivision
- 3514004
Brighton’s neighbours
The nearest places of 1,000 or more. Statistics Canada
| Town | People | km | Overall | Cost | Safety | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Brighton | 12,900 | — | C | D | B+ | C |
| Colborne | 7,216 | 12 | C+ | C− | A+ | C |
| Quinte West | 50,385 | 17 | C− | C− | B+ | C− |
People: Statistics Canada, Census 2021. Distances: centre to centre.
Questions about Brighton
What kind of homes are in Brighton?
Single-detached houses make up 88% of the homes here, where Canadian towns sit at 64%; 1% are in high-rise apartments. 24% of households are one person, and the average is 2.3.
Is Brighton a young town or an old one?
Half its people are older than 56 (the middle of Canadian towns: 45.2); children under 15 make up 11%, people 65 and over 33%.
Has Brighton grown?
Between the 2016 and 2021 censuses it went from 11,844 to 12,108 residents (up 2.2%; Canadian towns’ median: 4.1%), and Statistics Canada now estimates 12,900.
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).