Central ElginOntario

TownGrade

B⁻

#1,236 of 2,556

It is part of the London metro area. In Ontario, this town has 15,230 residents.

4 places within 19 kmMap →

Photo: Tudor Costache · CC BY-SA 3.0

Population

15,230

people, 2025 estimate

Median age

48.8

years · Ontario’s towns: 46.8

Postsecondary

58%

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 Central Elgin a good place to live?

Real strengths, and real weak spots. Its strongest subject is safety (A). Jobs & income is a strength too (A−). Homes are dear (C−). It also trails on walkability (C−). The overall grade lands at B−, better than 53% of Canadian towns. The ranking puts it #471 of 858 in Ontario.

Rents here are the metro area's average, shared by every town and neighbourhood in it. Safety is the police detachment's figure, shared with the towns and countryside around 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.

StrongestASafety A⁻Jobs & incomeWeakestC⁻Cost of living C⁻Walkability

How Central Elgin grades

Each subject compares Central Elgin 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

SafetyBased on crimes reported per residentAOpen →Cost of livingHomes are among the least affordable for local incomesC⁻Open →Jobs & incomeNear the top of the towns comparedA⁻Open →WalkabilityGraded on how easily people get around without a carC⁻Open →Hazard riskLess exposed to natural hazards than mostB⁺Open →SchoolsBelow the middle of the towns comparedCOpen →HealthClose to the middle of the towns comparedB⁻Open →

How TownRatings grades Canadian towns →

What makes Central Elgin stand out

The 3 things Central Elgin does most differently from other towns.

Picked automatically from the data

Walk, cycle or transit to work

Getting around

2% walk, cycle or take transit

Half of Canadian towns are above 8%, half below

Statistics Canada, Census 2021

Safety

Better than 94%

of Canadian towns on safety

Its safety grade: A.

Median household income, 2020

Income

$103,000 median household income

The median of Canadian towns: $81,000

Statistics Canada, Census 2021: household income in 2020.

The data

Data highlights are ordered by what stands out in Central Elgin.

SafetySafety A

The force covering Central Elgin records less serious violence than Ontario’s towns or Canadian towns, at 41

32Crime Severity Index

Violent crime in the area its police cover: 6.9 per 1,000 people a year. The index for the force that serves it came to 32, below Ontario’s towns (56) and Canadian towns (67) alike. Add to that, its police area records 11.6 property incidents per 1,000 residents a year. For Crime Severity Index, Violent Crime Severity Index, violent crime and property crime per 1,000, the only official count covers all of the Elgin County detachment area, Central Elgin included.

Year by year · Crime Severity Index for each year

202330

202435

202529

2023–2025	Central Elgin	Ontario	Canada
Property crime per 1,000	11.6	30.5	31.2
Crime Severity Index	32	56	67
Violent Crime Severity Index	41	76	86
Violent crime	6.9	10.5	12

non-violent Crime Severity Index

43%

of incidents cleared, 2023–25

Full pageCentral Elgin’s safety reportOpen the full Safety report

Safety32 Crime Severity Index · The index weighs each crime Central Elgin’s police recorded by how serious it is.Questions“Is Central Elgin safe?”

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

HousingCost of living C⁻

Most households in Central Elgin own their home: 90%, more than in Ontario’s towns and across Canadian towns

$600,000median home value, 2021C⁻Cost of living Grade

Rent as a share of income and monthly rent for a two-bedroom for the London metro area

Owners put the median home at $600,000, below Ontario’s towns ($695,000) but above Canadian towns ($406,000). 13% of households spent 30% or more of their income on shelter, below both Ontario’s towns (22%) and Canadian towns (18%).

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

Central Elgin$600,000

Ontario$695,000

Canadian towns$406,000

Census 2021	Central Elgin	Ontario	Canada
Households spending 30%+ on shelter	13%	22%	18%
Households owning their home	90%	76%	74%
Median home value, 2021	$600,000	$695,000	$406,000
Rent as a share of income	19%	22%	20%

$1,645

monthly rent for a two-bedroom

$1,220

median monthly shelter cost for owners, 2021

Full pageCentral Elgin’s cost of living pageOpen the full Cost of living page

Owners and renters90% own their home Cost of living5.8 times household income · The median owner’s estimate, $600,000, against the median household income Renting$1,645 a month · A two-bedroom apartment, CMHC’s survey

Statistics Canada, Census 2021; CMHC Rental Market Survey via Statistics Canada · Home values are owners’ own estimates at the May 2021 census, and incomes are for 2020.

Work & commuteJobs & income A⁻

Central Elgin’s household incomes are higher than in 88% of Canadian towns

2%walk, cycle or take transit

Commutes averaged 25 min, below Ontario’s towns (29 min) and close to Canadian towns (26 min).

How working residents got to work · census 2021

Car or van96%

Walk2%

Public transit0%

Census 2021	Central Elgin	Ontario	Canada
Average trip	25 min	29 min	26 min

$103,000

median household income, 2020

23%

worked from home, May 2021

14%

of commuters work inside the municipality

Full pageCentral Elgin’s work & commute pageOpen the full Work & commute page

Unemployment9.4% unemployed · Of the labour force · Canadian towns: 9.9%Getting to work2% walk, cycle or take transit Where people commute to1,500 commuters · The biggest flow out: to St. Thomas

Statistics Canada, Census 2021 (labour and commuting) · Census day was in May 2021, mid-pandemic, so commuting and work figures carry the lockdowns’ mark.

Natural hazardsHazard risk B⁺

Central Elgin is on Canada’s flood inventory: 2 listed, led by Kettle Creek Conservation Authority

Lowwildfire bandB⁺Hazard risk Grade

About as many homes carry radon around Central Elgin as elsewhere, 7.5% over the guideline where the typical town has 6.6%. Shaking is about as much of a worry in Central Elgin as in most places, at $0.020 a year per $1,000 of building value ($0.030 typical).

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

Central Elgin7.5%

Ontario’s towns4%

Canadian towns6.6%

Hazards	Central Elgin	Ontario	Canada
Radon tests above the guideline	7.5%	4%	6.6%
Earthquake loss per $1,000 of buildings a year	$0.020	$0.043	$0.030

$0.020

expected earthquake loss a year per $1,000 of buildings

Low

wildfire band

flood studies on the national inventory

Full pageCentral Elgin’s flood & hazards pageOpen the full Flood & hazards page

Flood2 flood studies on record WildfireLow wildfire band · No land burned within 25 km since 1986 Earthquakes$0.020 a year per $1,000 · Canadian towns: $0.030 Radon7.5% 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 · Area behind the radon tests figures: the Elgin-St. Thomas Health Unit

SchoolsSchools C

In the lower two fifths in Ontario: 10 of the 17 schools around Central Elgin with results

17schools within 3 kmCSchools Grade

Catholic schools are fewer here, 3 of 17, where in Ontario they are 34%. Results have climbed at 9 of 17 schools over three years. Boards running schools in the area: 2, lower than both Ontario’s towns (4) and Canadian towns (3). Within 3 km of Central Elgin are 13 elementary schools and 4 secondary schools, teaching 9,435 students.

School	Level	Students	System
St. Anne's Separate School CatholicLargest elementary schoolElementary · Grades JK–8	Elementary · Grades JK–8	800	English Catholic
Parkside Collegiate Institute Fourth fifth in OntarioLargest secondary schoolSecondary · Grades 9–12	Secondary · Grades 9–12	1,015	English public

See all 17 schools →

Schools by system · Schools within 3 km

English public14

English Catholic3

Schools within 3 km	Central Elgin	Ontario	Canada
School boards	2	4	3

9,435

students at the schools within 3 km, 2024-25

2 km

to the nearest secondary school

Full pageCentral Elgin’s schools pageOpen the full Schools page

Results1 of 17 in the top two fifths · of the schools with results, placed against every school in Ontario Every school17 schools within 3 km · 13 elementary schools and 4 secondary schools Language0 of 17 teach in French · 10% of schools in Ontario The boards2 school boards · Thames Valley DSB Questions“What schools are there in Central Elgin?”

Provincial school lists and results, 2024-25

Climate

Frost comes to Central Elgin less often than to 75% of Canadian towns

26.6°CJuly afternoons

The most precipitation falls in September: 93 mm in a normal year. A normal January night drops to −9.1°C, about level with Ontario’s towns (−9.1°C) and above Canadian towns (−13.5°C). The frost-free season runs from 3 May to 16 October, 165 days. January is the snowiest month, with 43 cm on average.

Average high by season · ECCC normals, 1991–2020

Winter−0.3°C

Spring12.0°C

Summer25.6°C

Autumn14.8°C

Normals, 1991–2020	Central Elgin	Ontario	Canada
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
Precipitation a year	962 mm	902 mm	883 mm

139

days with frost a year

165

frost-free days, 3 May to 16 Oct

128

days with precipitation a year

Full pageCentral Elgin’s climate pageOpen the full Climate page

The yearJuly highs 26.6°C, January lows −9.1°C Rain and snow962 mm a year · Canadian towns: 883 mm Snow152 cm of snow a year Weather station29 km to the station · London

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

Weather

What November brings in Central Elgin: freezing at night, 8°C by day

8°Ca normal November afternoon

The year peaks in July (27°C) and bottoms out in January (−9°C). A normal December brings highs of 1°C, lows of −5°C. Snowfall in a normal November: 13 cm. Precipitation in November averages 88 mm.

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

November8°C

December1°C

January−2°C

February−1°C

Season	High	Low	Rain and snow
Winter	0°C	−8°C	221 mm
Spring	12°C	2°C	245 mm
Summer	26°C	14°C	233 mm
Autumn	15°C	5°C	263 mm

0°C

a normal November night

88 mm

of rain and snow in a normal November

Full pageCentral Elgin’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 (London); the forecast is on the Weather page

Town hall

Andrew Lawton (Conservative Party of Canada) holds Elgin—St. Thomas—London South, the riding that includes Central Elgin

From Ontario come 122 MPs, 71 of them with the Liberal Party of Canada.

Turnout	Central Elgin	Ontario	Canada
Municipal election, 2022	35%	31%	31%

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

Who runs itMunicipality Provincial legislatureElgin—Middlesex—London

Wikidata, MAMH, MMAH, Statistics Canada

Library & civic lifeCivic life grade C⁻

Elgin County Library - Belmont and Elgin County Library - Port Stanley are Central Elgin’s two public libraries

Its libraries report as part of a wider system, so there are no figures for Central Elgin in particular.

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

The libraries2 Libraries Places to belong0.7 charities per 1,000 residents

Provincial library statistics, OpenStreetMap, the CRA and Statistics Canada

Who lives here

Visible minorities make up less of Central Elgin than of Ontario’s towns or Canadian towns: 3.1%

48.8median age

Immigrants make up one in ten residents, above both Ontario’s towns (7.6%) and Canadian towns (6.4%). Nearly a quarter of residents have reached 65. One measure of family life: 15% of residents are under 15.

Central ElginOntarioCanada

OntarioCanada

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

23%

Schooling · Highest qualification, residents 15 and over

No certificate, diploma or degree13%

Postsecondary qualification58%

Women and men · all residents

Women make up 50.0% of Central Elgin

Women numbered 6,870 and men 6,875 in 2021, next to a 50.9% share of women for Canada.

Who lives in Central Elgin
	Central Elgin	Ontario	Canada
Under 15	15%	15%	16%
15 to 64	63%	65%	64%
65+	23%	19%	19%
No certificate, diploma or degree	13%	15%	16%
Postsecondary qualification	58%	56%	56%

Full pageCentral Elgin’s Who lives here pageOpen the full Who lives here page

Immigrants10% are immigrants · 3% belong to a visible minority Ages48.8 median age · 23% are 65 or over Households5,460 households · 2.5 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+

Outdoors

Walk from Central Elgin: 7 mapped routes

0.2%of the land within 10 km protected

The nearest provincial park, Port Bruce Provincial Park, is 1.8 km away. Swimmers have 6 beaches within 5 km, Little Beach the nearest. Protected areas cover 0.2% of the land within 10 km; for the typical Canadian town it is 2.3%. Within 10 km are 8 protected areas.

Protected land · of the land within 10 km

Central Elgin0.2%

Ontario’s towns2.3%

Canadian towns2.3%

Outdoors	Central Elgin	Ontario	Canada
Protected land within 10 km	0.2%	2.3%	2.3%
Public protected areas within 10 km	2	4	4

1.8 km

to Port Bruce Provincial Park

beaches within 5 km

Full pageCentral Elgin’s outdoors pageOpen the full Outdoors page

Footpaths & routes7 named routes · Elgin Trail Protected landof the land within 10 km Protected areas8 protected areas within 10 km · Meadowlily Woods Esa National & provincial parks1.8 km to a provincial park · Port Bruce Provincial Park

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

HealthHealth B⁻

Around Central Elgin, 49% of adults call their health very good or excellent

49%very good or excellent healthB⁻Health Grade

Homes here are 6.8 km from a hospital on average, above both Ontario’s towns (3.3 km) and Canadian towns (3.7 km). Statistics Canada puts the region’s life expectancy at 80.6, women 83.0 and men 78.2 (2022/2024). For everyday care, the nearest pharmacy is 7.1 km away on average (0.8 within 3 km).

Very good or excellent health · adults, age-standardised

Central Elgin49%

Ontario’s towns51%

Canadian towns52%

Health	Central Elgin	Ontario	Canada
Life expectancy at birth	80.6	82.8	81.5
Very good or excellent health	49%	51%	52%
Smokers	12%	10%	12%
Chronic conditions (average share)	18%	17%	17%

80.6

years of life expectancy, 2022/2024

6.8 km

from homes to a hospital, on average

12%

of adults smoke, age-standardised

7.1 km

from homes to a pharmacy, on average

Full pageCentral Elgin’s health pageOpen the full Health page

Health survey49% very good or excellent health · adults, age-standardised Getting care6.8 km to a hospital · A pharmacy 7.1 km away on average The wider areaLife expectancy: women 83.0, men 78.2 Conditions and habits18% with chronic conditions · adults, age-standardised

Statistics Canada, Canadian Community Health Survey 2023/2024 and life expectancy 2022/2024; Open Database of Healthcare Facilities · Data for health survey and life expectancy covers the Oxford Elgin St. Thomas Health Unit

History

Central Elgin keeps a building from 1669: Port Stanley

1historic place

Add one just outside the town. Its 1 historic place is of the highest rank. At the 2021 census, 34% of homes dated from before 1961, higher than both Ontario’s towns (22%) and Canadian towns (18%).

Historic places by designation · inside the town

Highest designations1

Other federal designations0

Provincial and local listings0

Among them

Port Stanley 1669

1669

oldest construction date on the record

34%

of homes built before 1961 · Canadian towns 18%

historic place just outside the town

National Historic Site

Heritage	Central Elgin	Ontario	Canada
Homes built before 1961	34%	22%	18%

Full pageCentral Elgin’s history pageOpen the full History page

On the registersOne historic place inside the town Highest designations1 top designation · Port Stanley Older homes34% built before 1961 · Canadian towns: 18%Questions“How many historic places does Central Elgin 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 Central Elgin

15pages on Central Elgin

The big questions

SafetyACrime Severity Index 32 Housing & costC⁻Homes 5.8 × income Property pricesSchoolsC17 schools within 3 km HealthB⁻Life expectancy 80.6 in its region Work & commuteA⁻57% of adults in work Natural hazardsB⁺Wildfire band: low

Out and about

Outdoors0.2% of the land within 10 km protected AttractionsClimateJuly afternoons around 27°C WeatherECCC’s forecast, beside the normals

The story

Who lives hereMedian age 48.8 HistoryOne place on the heritage registers Town hallFamous people

Nearby attractions

Port Stanley Terminal Rail and 6 more in and around Central Elgin

What there is to see in Central Elgin and within a short drive, starting with the places most people have heard of.

All attractions →

Heritage railwayHeritage railwayPort Stanley Terminal Railin town

MuseumElgin County Railway Museum1.5 km outside town, to the west

MuseumNorth America Railway Hall of Fame1.2 km outside town, to the west MuseumMuseumElgin County Museumin town MuseumMuseumSparta Church Museum and Cultural Centrein town MuseumMuseumElgin Military Museum100 m outside town, to the west

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

Photo credits (2)

Elgin County Railway Museum: Balcer, Public domain, Wikimedia Commons
North America Railway Hall of Fame: Narhfwiki, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons

Famous people from Central Elgin

7 notable people were born in Central Elgin.

See all 7 →

William JacksonCanadian politician, born 1858

George BlewettCanadian university professor, philosopher, and author · 1873–1912

Herbert Earl WiltonCanadian politician · 1869–1937

Joe KnightCanadian baseball player · 1859–1938

Bruce AbbeyCanadian ice hockey defenceman · born 1951

Marietta RobertsCanadian politician · 1943–2020

Photo credits

William Jackson: Unknown author , Published by Montreal Perrault Print. Co, Public domain

About Central Elgin

Town in Ontario

Statistics Canada treats Central Elgin as a single census subdivision in Ontario, and TownRatings keeps to that line.

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

Population: 15,230 (people, 2025 estimate)
Province or territory: Ontario
Census division: Elgin
Metro area: London
Census subdivision: 3534020

Central Elgin’s neighbours

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

St. ThomasAylmerSouthwoldMalahideCentral Elgin

How the neighbours grade

Town	People	km	Overall	Cost	Safety	Health
Central Elgin	15,230	—	B⁻	C⁻	A	B⁻
St. Thomas	49,388	2	C⁻	D	B⁻	B⁻
Aylmer	8,371	14	C	D	B⁺	C⁺
Southwold	5,473	14	B⁻	C⁻	A	B⁻
Malahide	9,995	15	B⁻	C⁻	A	C⁺

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

Questions about Central Elgin

Has Central Elgin grown?

Yes: the census counted 12,607 in 2016 and 13,746 in 2021, a rise of 9%, against 4.1% for the median of Canadian towns. The 2025 estimate is 15,230.

Who are the people of Central Elgin?

3% of residents belong to a visible minority, against 15% for the median of Canadian towns; 2% have an Indigenous identity and 10% are immigrants.

What kind of homes are in Central Elgin?

93% 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 2.5 people; 20% are one person living alone.

Is Central Elgin a young town or an old one?

At 48.8, its median age compares with 45.2 across Canadian towns. Children make up 15% of the population and seniors 23%.

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).