Central FrontenacOntario
Between 2016 and 2021, its population grew by 12%. A town in Ontario, home to 5,348 people.
Is Central Frontenac a good place to live?
At $348,000, the median home value in 2021 came to 5 times local household income. With a D− overall, Central Frontenac is behind almost every Canadian town. That places it #855 of 858 in Ontario. The weak point is jobs & income (D−). It also trails on schools (D).
Figures: home values and income: Statistics Canada, Census 2021.
This town's rent is the 2021 census rent scaled to 2025 by its province's ratio of surveyed to census rents: no rental survey covers it, so its Cost Grade is less sure. Safety is the police detachment's figure, shared with the towns and countryside around it. Crime here is counted against the people who live here, but many visitors or second-home owners add to it, so the rate per resident runs higher than residents' own risk. 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 Central Frontenac grades
Each subject compares Central Frontenac 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 Central Frontenac stand out
The 3 things Central Frontenac does most differently from other towns.
The data
Data highlights are ordered by what stands out in Central Frontenac.
Commuters in Central Frontenac travel further than in Ontario’s towns or Canadian towns, 40 min on average
The car took 94% of commuters, above Ontario’s towns (88%) and Canadian towns (89%) alike.
How working residents got to work · census 2021
| Census 2021 | Central Frontenac | Ontario | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average trip | 40 min | 29 min | 26 min |
| Car or van | 94% | 88% | 89% |
Statistics Canada, Census 2021 (labour and commuting) · These are May 2021 figures, gathered while COVID-19 kept many people home or out of work.
4 schools serve Central Frontenac, 3 elementary schools and 1 secondary school
From the town centre, high school starts 6.3 km away, above both Ontario’s towns (1.2 km) and Canadian towns (1.2 km). Its elementary schools are small, 143 students on average, against 365 in Ontario.
| School | Level | Students | System |
|---|---|---|---|
| Granite Ridge Education Centre Public School Bottom fifth in OntarioLargest elementary schoolElementary · Grades JK–8 | Elementary · Grades JK–8 | 215 | English public |
| Granite Ridge Education Centre Secondary School Bottom fifth in OntarioLargest secondary schoolSecondary · Grades 9–12 | Secondary · Grades 9–12 | 165 | English public |
Schools by system · Schools within 3 km
| Schools within 3 km | Central Frontenac | Ontario | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| School boards | 2 | 4 | 3 |
| Nearest secondary school | 6.3 km | 1.2 km | 1.2 km |
| Nearest elementary school | 4.8 km | 0.5 km | 0.5 km |
Provincial school lists and results, 2024-25
Central Frontenac is a town of owners: 88% of households own their home, above Ontario’s towns and Canadian towns
15% of households spent 30% or more of their income on shelter, below Ontario’s towns (22%) and Canadian towns (18%) alike.
What homes were worth · The median owner’s estimate at the 2021 census
| Census 2021 | Central Frontenac | Ontario | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Households owning their home | 88% | 76% | 74% |
| Households spending 30%+ on shelter | 15% | 22% | 18% |
| Median home value, 2021 | $348,000 | $695,000 | $406,000 |
| Rent as a share of income | 18% | 22% | 20% |
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.
Flood mapping exists for Central Frontenac: 2 on record, latest by Quinte Conservation
11% of radon tests in the survey area came in above the guideline, higher than both Ontario’s towns (4%) and Canadian towns (6.6%). Seismic risk in Central Frontenac sits near the middle: $0.050 of expected damage per $1,000 of buildings a year, the typical town $0.030.
Radon tests above the guideline · share of tested homes, 200 Bq/m³
| Hazards | Central Frontenac | Ontario | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Radon tests above the guideline | 11% | 4% | 6.6% |
| Earthquake loss per $1,000 of buildings a year | $0.050 | $0.043 | $0.030 |
NRCan seismic risk model and burned areas, Health Canada radon survey, the Flood Hazard Map Inventory
Violent crime weighs more where Central Frontenac is policed than in Ontario’s towns or Canadian towns: a violent severity index of 112
Across the area its police cover, the Crime Severity Index averaged 78 over 2023–25, above both Ontario’s towns (56) and Canadian towns (67). The force’s area logs 21.9 thefts, break-ins and acts of damage per 1,000 residents a year. Nobody publishes Crime Severity Index, Violent Crime Severity Index, violent crime and property crime per 1,000 for Central Frontenac alone, so this card uses the figure for the Frontenac (Sharbot Lake) detachment area.
Year by year · Crime Severity Index for each year
| 2023–2025 | Central Frontenac | Ontario | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Violent Crime Severity Index | 112 | 76 | 86 |
| Property crime per 1,000 | 21.9 | 30.5 | 31.2 |
| Crime Severity Index | 78 | 56 | 67 |
Statistics Canada, Uniform Crime Reporting Survey, 2023–2025 average
More of Central Frontenac’s residents have an Indigenous identity than in Ontario’s towns or Canadian towns: 9.1%
Visible minorities make up 2.5% of the population, below both Ontario’s towns (26%) and Canadian towns (15%). Immigrants make up 6.7% of residents, lower than Ontario’s towns (7.6%) and near Canadian towns (6.4%).
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 48.0% of Central Frontenac
In 2021 there were 2,350 women to 2,545 men; Canada as a whole is 50.9% women.
| Central Frontenac | Ontario | Canada | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 15 | 12% | 15% | 16% |
| 15 to 64 | 58% | 65% | 64% |
| 65+ | 30% | 19% | 19% |
| No certificate, diploma or degree | 21% | 15% | 16% |
| Postsecondary qualification | 49% | 56% | 56% |
Statistics Canada, Census 2021; Ontario and Canada: medians of towns of 2,500+
Summer runs warm in Central Frontenac: July highs of 27.2°C, above Ontario’s towns and Canadian towns
For the wettest month, look to September: 100 mm on average. Snow peaks in January: 45 cm in a normal year. In January, overnight lows in Central Frontenac settle at −12.4°C. Counting rain and snow alike, 984 mm falls in a year, above Ontario’s towns (902 mm) and Canadian towns (883 mm) alike.
Average high by season · ECCC normals, 1991–2020
| Normals, 1991–2020 | Central Frontenac | Ontario | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| July afternoon high | 27.2°C | 26.7°C | 25.5°C |
| January night low | −12.4°C | −9.1°C | −13.5°C |
| Precipitation a year | 984 mm | 902 mm | 883 mm |
| Snowfall a year | 158 cm | 146 cm | 141 cm |
Environment and Climate Change Canada, Canadian Climate Normals 1991–2020 (Centreville)
The The Great Trail (Eastern Ontario) runs by Central Frontenac
8.2% of the land and water within 10 km is protected (the typical Canadian town: 2.3%). Swimmers have 7 beaches within 5 km, FVLCC Private Beach the nearest. A drive of 34 km reaches Thousand Islands National Park, the nearest national park. The 10 km around town hold 39 protected areas.
Protected land · of the land within 10 km
| Outdoors | Central Frontenac | Ontario | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Protected land within 10 km | 8.2% | 2.3% | 2.3% |
| Public protected areas within 10 km | 10 | 4 | 4 |
Canadian Protected and Conserved Areas Database (CPCAD), OpenStreetMap routes and beaches
In Central Frontenac, November normally means 7°C afternoons and −2°C nights
At the extremes, July afternoons reach 27°C and January nights −12°C. Next comes December, with normal highs of freezing and lows of −8°C. November normally sees 88 mm of precipitation. The forecast on the Weather page is ECCC’s for Sharbot Lake.
Normal highs, the months ahead · ECCC normals, 1991–2020
| Season | High | Low | Rain and snow |
|---|---|---|---|
| Winter | −1°C | −11°C | 229 mm |
| Spring | 12°C | 1°C | 238 mm |
| Summer | 26°C | 14°C | 233 mm |
| Autumn | 14°C | 4°C | 285 mm |
ECCC normals, 1991–2020 (Centreville); the forecast is on the Weather page
Central Frontenac spends more per resident than 98% of Ontario’s lower-tier municipalities
Voters in Central Frontenac chose Frances Smith as mayor in October 2022, for a 9-seat council.
| Turnout | Central Frontenac | Ontario | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Municipal election, 2022 | 33% | 31% | 31% |
Wikidata, MAMH, MMAH, Statistics Canada
Central Frontenac’s public library works from 3 branches
They are Kingston Frontenac Public Library - Arden Branch, Kingston Frontenac Public Library - Parham and Kingston Frontenac Public Library - Sharbot Lake.
Provincial library statistics, OpenStreetMap, the CRA and Statistics Canada
Residents of Central Frontenac live 41 km from the nearest hospital on average
Smoking takes in just over one in ten adults, age-standardised, above both Ontario’s towns (10%) and Canadian towns (12%). About as many adults call their health very good or excellent here as across Ontario, 53% against 51%. Women in the region live to 83.9 and men to 79.5, 81.8 years taken together (2022/2024).
Very good or excellent health · adults, age-standardised
| Health | Central Frontenac | Ontario | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Smokers | 12% | 10% | 12% |
| Very good or excellent health | 53% | 51% | 52% |
| Life expectancy at birth | 81.8 | 82.8 | 81.5 |
Statistics Canada, Canadian Community Health Survey 2023/2024 and life expectancy 2022/2024; Open Database of Healthcare Facilities · Health survey and life expectancy: one figure for all of the Kingston, Frontenac and Lennox and Addington Health Unit
Everything we know about Central Frontenac
About Central Frontenac
Town in Ontario
The boundary here is Statistics Canada’s: Central Frontenac 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
- 5,348 (people, 2025 estimate)
- Province or territory
- Ontario
- Census division
- Frontenac
- Census subdivision
- 3510035
Questions about Central Frontenac
Who are the people of Central Frontenac?
At the 2021 census, 7% were immigrants and 3% belonged to a visible minority (Canadian towns’ median: 15%). 9% identify as First Nations, Métis or Inuit.
Has Central Frontenac grown?
It added people: 4,373 in 2016, 4,892 in 2021, 11.9% more, where the middle of Canadian towns grew 4.1%. Statistics Canada’s 2025 estimate is 5,348.
What kind of homes are in Central Frontenac?
Single-detached houses make up 96% of the homes here, where Canadian towns sit at 64%; 0% are in high-rise apartments. 29% of households are one person, and the average is 2.2.
How old are the people of Central Frontenac?
At 55.6, its median age compares with 45.2 across Canadian towns.
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).