CambridgeOntario

Between 2016 and 2021, its population grew by 7%. 165,354 residents make their home in this town in Ontario.

6 places within 19 kmMap →

Photo: Kitchener-Waterloo Record · Public domain

Population

165,354

people, 2025 estimate

Median age

39.2

years · Ontario’s towns: 46.8

Postsecondary

50%

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

#1,158 of 2,556

Is Cambridge a good place to live?

Plenty in its favour, and one clear drawback. Cambridge ranks #434 of 858 in Ontario, with a B overall. On that grade it does better than 55% of Canadian towns. Health is a strength (A). The trade-off is cost of living (D). Its other grades sit near the middle: C+ for safety and B− for jobs & income.

Rents here are the metro area's average, shared by every town and neighbourhood in it. Safety is the regional police service's figure, shared with its other towns. Health is graded on the health region's survey figures and life expectancy, with the distance to hospital giving the town its own spread.

StrongestAHealth A⁻Hazard risk A⁻WalkabilityWeakestDCost of living

What makes Cambridge stand out

The 3 things Cambridge does most differently from other towns.

Picked automatically from the data

Immigrants

Who lives here

23% are immigrants

For the middle of Canadian towns, 6%

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 $650,000, Census 2021; income for 2020.

How Cambridge grades

Each subject compares Cambridge 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 livingHomes are among the least affordable for local incomesDOpen →HealthIn the top fifth of the towns comparedAOpen →Hazard riskGraded on two hazards, earthquakes and radon, with nearby wildfire counted only against itA⁻Open →WalkabilityEasier than most to get around on footA⁻Open →SchoolsBetter than most of the towns comparedB⁺Open →SafetyAbout average among the towns comparedC⁺Open →Jobs & incomeBased on what households earn, poverty and workB⁻Open →

How TownRatings grades Canadian towns →

The data

Data highlights are ordered by what stands out in Cambridge.

HousingCost of living D

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

Owners make up 69% of households, below both Ontario’s towns (76%) and Canadian towns (74%). Shelter took 30% or more of income for 21% of households, near Ontario’s towns (22%) and higher than Canadian towns (18%). For rent as a share of income and monthly rent for a two-bedroom, the only official count covers all of the Kitchener-Cambridge-Waterloo metro area, Cambridge included.

$650,000median home value, 2021DCost of living Grade

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

Cambridge$650,000

Ontario$695,000

Canadian towns$406,000

Census 2021	Cambridge	Ontario	Canada
Rent as a share of income	24%	22%	20%
Households owning their home	69%	76%	74%
Households spending 30%+ on shelter	21%	22%	18%

$1,816

monthly rent for a two-bedroom

$1,620

median monthly shelter cost for owners, 2021

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

Renting$1,816 a month · A two-bedroom apartment, CMHC’s survey Cost of living7 times household income · The median owner’s estimate, $650,000, against the median household income Owners and renters69% own their home

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.

HealthHealth A

Few places match Cambridge for health: it beats 90% of Canadian towns

Statistics Canada puts the region’s life expectancy at 82.8, women 84.9 and men 80.7 (2022/2024). Smoking is rarer than in the province: nearly one in ten adults, against 11% for Ontario, and on average 16% of adults live with arthritis, diabetes or high blood pressure, below Ontario’s towns (17%) and Canadian towns (17%) alike. Still, in the health survey, 53% of adults in the region rate their health very good or excellent, more than Ontario’s 51%. Behind health survey and life expectancy sits data gathered across the Waterloo Health Unit, with Cambridge one part of it.

53%very good or excellent healthAHealth Grade

Very good or excellent health · adults, age-standardised

Cambridge53%

Ontario’s towns51%

Canadian towns52%

Health	Cambridge	Ontario	Canada
Chronic conditions (average share)	16%	17%	17%
Smokers	9%	10%	12%
Very good or excellent health	53%	51%	52%
Life expectancy at birth	82.8	82.8	81.5

82.8

years of life expectancy, 2022/2024

of adults smoke, age-standardised

1.1 km

from homes to a pharmacy, on average

Full pageCambridge’s health pageOpen the full Health page

Health survey53% very good or excellent health · adults, age-standardised Getting care3.3 km to a hospital · A pharmacy 1.1 km away on average The wider areaLife expectancy: women 84.9, men 80.7 Conditions and habits16% 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 A⁻

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

In Health Canada’s survey, just 4% of homes tested in the area exceeded 200 Bq/m³ (6.6% typical). For earthquakes Cambridge is middling, $0.024 a year per $1,000 against $0.030 for the typical town.

Lowwildfire bandA⁻Hazard risk Grade

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

Cambridge4%

Ontario’s towns4%

Canadian towns6.6%

Hazards	Cambridge	Ontario	Canada
Radon tests above the guideline	4%	4%	6.6%
Earthquake loss per $1,000 of buildings a year	$0.024	$0.043	$0.030

Low

wildfire band

flood study on the national inventory

Full pageCambridge’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$0.024 a year per $1,000 · Canadian towns: $0.030 Radon4% 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

SchoolsSchools B⁺

In Cambridge, families choose among 4 boards: English and French, public and Catholic

5 of the 64 teach in French, against 10% of schools in Ontario. The largest is St Benedict Catholic Secondary School, with 1,955 students. Results are mixed: 11 of 54 schools above the middle in Ontario, 18 below it. 29,625 students attend the 54 elementary schools and 10 secondary schools in or within 3 km of Cambridge.

64schools within 3 kmB⁺Schools Grade

School	Level	Students	System
Groh Public School Middle fifth in OntarioLargest elementary schoolElementary · Grades JK–8	Elementary · Grades JK–8	885	English public
St Benedict Catholic Secondary School CatholicLargest secondary schoolSecondary · Grades 9–12	Secondary · Grades 9–12	1,955	English Catholic
ÉSC Père-René-de-Galinée FrenchTeaches in FrenchSecondary · Grades 9–12	Secondary · Grades 9–12	495	French Catholic

See all 64 schools →

Schools by system · Schools within 3 km

English public37

English Catholic22

French Catholic3

French public2

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

29,625

students at the schools within 3 km, 2024-25

1.5 km

to the nearest secondary school

Full pageCambridge’s schools pageOpen the full Schools page

The boards4 school boards · Waterloo Region DSB Every school64 schools within 3 km · 54 elementary schools and 10 secondary schools Results11 of 54 in the top two fifths · of the schools with results, placed against every school in Ontario Language5 of 64 teach in French · 10% of schools in Ontario Questions“What schools are there in Cambridge?”

Provincial school lists and results, 2024-25

Who lives here

A town of families: 18% of people in Cambridge are under 15, more than in Ontario’s towns and across Canadian towns

Retirement age and beyond: 16% of residents are 65 or older. Visible minorities make up nearly a quarter of the population, between Ontario’s towns (26%) and Canadian towns (15%).

39.2median age

CambridgeOntarioCanada

OntarioCanada

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

18%

Schooling · Highest qualification, residents 15 and over

No certificate, diploma or degree19%

Postsecondary qualification50%

Women and men · all residents

Women make up 50.4% of Cambridge

By the 2021 count the town had 69,860 women and 68,615 men, while Canada has 50.9% women.

Who lives in Cambridge
	Cambridge	Ontario	Canada
Under 15	18%	15%	16%
15 to 64	66%	65%	64%
65+	16%	19%	19%
No certificate, diploma or degree	19%	15%	16%
Postsecondary qualification	50%	56%	56%

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

Ages39.2 median age · 16% are 65 or over Households51,270 households · 2.7 people per household Immigrants23% are immigrants · 24% belong to a visible minority English and French5% speak both · 0.1% speak French but not English

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

SafetySafety C⁺

Cambridge is graded a C+ for safety

Source area for Crime Severity Index, Violent Crime Severity Index, violent crime and property crime per 1,000: the Waterloo Region (Kitchener) service area

Its police area recorded 14.2 violent incidents per 1,000 residents a year, above Ontario’s towns (10.5) and Canadian towns (12) alike. Across the area its police cover, the Crime Severity Index averaged 72 over 2023–25, above both Ontario’s towns (56) and Canadian towns (67).

72Crime Severity Index

Year by year · Crime Severity Index for each year

202376

202473

202567

2023–2025	Cambridge	Ontario	Canada
Violent crime	14.2	10.5	12
Crime Severity Index	72	56	67

non-violent Crime Severity Index

32%

of incidents cleared, 2023–25

Full pageCambridge’s safety reportOpen the full Safety report

Safety72 Crime Severity Index · The index weighs each crime Cambridge’s police recorded by how serious it is.Questions“Is Cambridge safe?”

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

Climate

January lows in Cambridge: −10.3°C, against −9.1°C in Ontario’s towns and −13.5°C in Canadian towns

Snow totals 115 cm over the year, lower than both Ontario’s towns (146 cm) and Canadian towns (141 cm). The frost-free season runs from 8 May to 5 October, 149 days. Most of the snow comes in January, about 32 cm. The most precipitation falls in July: 96 mm in a normal year.

26.6°CJuly afternoons

Average high by season · ECCC normals, 1991–2020

Winter−1.0°C

Spring11.6°C

Summer25.4°C

Autumn14.2°C

Normals, 1991–2020	Cambridge	Ontario	Canada
Snowfall a year	115 cm	146 cm	141 cm
January night low	−10.3°C	−9.1°C	−13.5°C
July afternoon high	26.6°C	26.7°C	25.5°C
Days with frost a year	156	139	159

115 cm

of snow a year

156

days with frost a year

149

frost-free days, 8 May to 5 Oct

115

days with precipitation a year

Full pageCambridge’s climate pageOpen the full Climate page

The yearJuly highs 26.6°C, January lows −10.3°C Rain and snow851 mm a year · Canadian towns: 883 mm Snow115 cm of snow a year Weather station10 km to the station · Kitchener/Waterloo

Environment and Climate Change Canada, Canadian Climate Normals 1991–2020 (Kitchener/Waterloo)

Weather

In Cambridge, November normally means 7°C afternoons and −2°C nights

A normal December brings highs of 1°C, lows of −6°C. Expect around 9 cm of snow in November. Rain and snow over a typical November come to 75 mm. At the extremes, July afternoons reach 27°C and January nights −10°C.

7°Ca normal November afternoon

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

November7°C

December1°C

January−2°C

February−1°C

Season	High	Low	Rain and snow
Winter	−1°C	−9°C	167 mm
Spring	12°C	0°C	218 mm
Summer	25°C	13°C	244 mm
Autumn	14°C	4°C	221 mm

−2°C

a normal November night

75 mm

of rain and snow in a normal November

Full pageCambridge’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 (Kitchener/Waterloo); the forecast is on the Weather page

Town hall

Council seats in Cambridge are spread thin, 18,370 residents each, more than in 96% of Ontario municipalities

Connie Cody (Conservative Party of Canada) is MP for Cambridge, a riding (a federal electoral district, which elects one MP) named after the town.

Turnout	Cambridge	Ontario	Canada
Municipal election, 2022	29%	31%	31%

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

Who runs itCity

Wikidata, MAMH, MMAH, Statistics Canada

Library & civic lifeCivic life grade B⁻

At 5.5 visits per person served, Cambridge Public Library is busier than four in five Ontario’s town libraries

The 153,290 people Cambridge Public Library serves have 6 branches to choose from.

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

Places to belong1.3 charities per 1,000 residents

Provincial library statistics, OpenStreetMap, the CRA and Statistics Canada

Work & commuteJobs & income B⁻

The car carries 92% of commuters in Cambridge, more than in Ontario’s towns and across Canadian towns

The average trip to work took 26 min, lower than Ontario’s towns (29 min) and near Canadian towns (26 min).

6%walk, cycle or take transit

How working residents got to work · census 2021

Car or van92%

Public transit3%

Walk2%

Bicycle0%

Census 2021	Cambridge	Ontario	Canada
Car or van	92%	88%	89%
Average trip	26 min	29 min	26 min

$93,000

median household income, 2020

21%

worked from home, May 2021

56%

of commuters work inside the municipality

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

Getting to work6% walk, cycle or take transit Unemployment12% unemployed · Of the labour force · Canadian towns: 9.9%Where people commute to4,365 commuters · The biggest flow out: to Kitchener

Statistics Canada, Census 2021 (labour and commuting) · These are May 2021 figures, gathered while COVID-19 kept many people home or out of work.

Outdoors

Cambridge has 10 walking routes on the map

A drive of 100 km reaches Rouge National Urban Park, the nearest national park. OpenStreetMap shows 2 unnamed beaches within 5 km. 5.2 km out lies the largest, Huron Natural Area, at 96 ha. Protected areas open to the public, within 10 km of the town: 27, higher than both Ontario’s towns (4) and Canadian towns (4).

1.7%of the land within 10 km protected

Protected land · of the land within 10 km

Cambridge1.7%

Ontario’s towns2.3%

Canadian towns2.3%

Outdoors	Cambridge	Ontario	Canada
Public protected areas within 10 km	27	4	4
Protected land within 10 km	1.7%	2.3%	2.3%

100 km

to Rouge National Urban Park

38 km

to Bronte Creek Provincial Park

beaches within 5 km

public protected areas within 10 km

Full pageCambridge’s outdoors pageOpen the full Outdoors page

Footpaths & routes10 named routes · Grand Valley Trail Protected landof the land within 10 km Protected areas33 protected areas within 10 km · Huron Natural Area National & provincial parks100 km to a national park · Rouge National Urban Park

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

History

Cambridge: 5 historic places, 2 with the highest designation

Its oldest building on the record is Galt Collegiate Institute and Vocational School, from 1852. On the list: a Recognized Federal Heritage Building, a heritage railway station and a provincial or municipal listing. 23% of its homes were built before 1961, above Ontario’s towns (22%) and Canadian towns (18%) alike.

5historic places

Historic places by designation · inside the town

Highest designations2

Other federal designations2

Provincial and local listings1

Among them

Forbes Textile Mill 1863
Former Galt Post Office 1884
Armoury 1914
Canadian Pacific Railway Station, Cambridge, Ontario 1898

1852

oldest construction date on the record

23%

of homes built before 1961 · Canadian towns 18%

Heritage	Cambridge	Ontario	Canada
Homes built before 1961	23%	22%	18%

Full pageCambridge’s history pageOpen the full History page

On the registers5 historic places inside the town Highest designations2 top designations · Forbes Textile Mill Older homes23% built before 1961 · Canadian towns: 18%Questions“How many historic places does Cambridge have?”

Canadian Register of Historic Places, Directory of Federal Heritage Designations, Québec’s Répertoire du patrimoine culturel, Wikidata; Census 2021 homes by period

Nearby attractions

Fashion History Museum and 8 more in and around Cambridge

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

All attractions →

MuseumFashion History Museumin town

MuseumDoon Heritage Village3.2 km outside town, to the west · 80K visitors a year

Ski hillChicopee Ski Club900 m outside town, to the northwest

National historic site · Parks CanadaWaterloo Pioneer Memorial Tower1.8 km outside town, to the west

MuseumHomer Watson House1.5 km outside town, to the west ZooZooCambridge Butterfly Conservatoryin town

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

Photo credits (5)

Fashion History Museum: Jean1183, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons
Doon Heritage Village: Pcorb, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
Chicopee Ski Club: Beowulf cam at English Wikipedia, Public domain, Wikimedia Commons
Waterloo Pioneer Memorial Tower: Original photograph: Sarah Pidcock; derivative work: Mindmatrix, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
Homer Watson House: Matt Deres, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons

Keep exploring

Everything we know about Cambridge

15pages on Cambridge

The big questions

SafetyC⁺Crime Severity Index 72 Housing & costDHomes 7 × income Property pricesSchoolsB⁺64 schools within 3 km HealthALife expectancy 82.8 in its region Work & commuteB⁻58% of adults in work Natural hazardsA⁻Wildfire band: low

Out and about

Outdoors1.7% of the land within 10 km protected AttractionsClimateJuly afternoons around 27°C WeatherECCC’s forecast, beside the normals

The story

Who lives hereMedian age 39.2 History5 places on the heritage registers Town hallFamous people

Famous people from Cambridge

103 notable people were born in Cambridge.

See all 103 →

Albert HendersonCanadian soccer player · 1881–1947

Robert LaneCanadian soccer player · 1882–1940

William TwaitsCanadian soccer player · 1879–1941

Scott WalkerCanadian ice hockey player · born 1973

Gordon GuggisbergBritish Army general · 1869–1930

Trevor GilliesCanadian ice hockey player · born 1979

Photo credits

Albert Henderson: Unknown author, Public domain · Robert Lane: Unknown author, Public domain · William Twaits: Unknown author, Public domain · Scott Walker: Jshecket at English Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Gordon Guggisberg: Daniel Guggisberg, Public domain · Trevor Gillies: Michael Miller, CC BY-SA 3.0

Cambridge’s neighbours

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

Pioneer Tower WestDoon SouthPioneer ParkCentreville ChicopeeGrand River SouthIdlewoodCambridge

How the neighbours grade

Town	People	km	Overall	Cost	Safety	Health
Cambridge	165,354	—	B	D	C⁺	A
Pioneer Tower West	4,122	7.7	A⁻	B⁻	C⁺	A
Doon South	15,044	9.6	B⁺	C	C⁺	A
Pioneer Park	8,781	10	B	D⁻	C⁺	A
Centreville Chicopee	10,291	11	B⁻	D⁻	C⁺	A
Grand River South	10,723	11	A⁻	C	C⁺	A
Idlewood	5,005	12	B⁺	C	C⁺	A

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

Questions about Cambridge

What kind of homes are in Cambridge?

Mostly 57% single-detached houses (the median of Canadian towns: 64%), with 6% of homes in buildings of five or more storeys.

Has Cambridge grown?

Between the 2016 and 2021 censuses it went from 129,920 to 138,479 residents (up 6.6%; Canadian towns’ median: 4.1%), and Statistics Canada now estimates 165,354.

How old are the people of Cambridge?

The median resident is 39.2 years old, against 45.2 for the median of Canadian towns. 18% are under 15 and 16% are 65 or over.

About Cambridge

Town in Ontario

Cambridge is a municipality in Ontario, read by TownRatings as Statistics Canada draws it: one census subdivision, so its figures cover the whole municipality.

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

Population: 165,354 (people, 2025 estimate)
Province or territory: Ontario
Census division: Waterloo
Metro area: Kitchener - Cambridge - Waterloo
Census subdivision: 3530010

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).