Chalk Riverin Laurentian Hills, Ontario
It is part of Renfrew, a census division. Population 3,147: a town in Ontario.
Is Chalk River a good place to live?
Crime is low (A). Chalk River ranks #209 of 858 in Ontario, with a B+ overall. That leaves it better than 72% of Canadian towns. Add schools to its strengths (B+). Getting around depends on the car (C−). Its other grades sit near the middle: B for cost of living and B for jobs & income.
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. 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 Chalk River grades
Each subject compares Chalk River 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 Chalk River stand out
The 3 things Chalk River does most differently from other towns.
The data
Data highlights are ordered by what stands out in Chalk River.
Chalk River is graded an A for safety
Its violent severity index came to 59, below Ontario’s towns (76) and Canadian towns (86) alike. Property crime accounts for 13.9 incidents per 1,000 residents a year.
Year by year · Crime Severity Index for each year
| 2023–2025 | Chalk River | Ontario | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Property crime per 1,000 | 13.9 | 30.5 | 31.2 |
| Violent Crime Severity Index | 59 | 76 | 86 |
Statistics Canada, Uniform Crime Reporting Survey, 2023–2025 average
Chalk River is graded a B+ for schools
Counting a 3 km margin, Chalk River has 3 elementary schools and 1 secondary school, for 1,015 students. Schooling here is split between 2 boards, below both Ontario’s towns (4) and Canadian towns (3).
| School | Level | Students | System |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mackenzie Community School - Elementary School Middle fifth in OntarioLargest elementary schoolElementary · Grades JK–8 | Elementary · Grades JK–8 | 485 | English public |
| Mackenzie Community School - Secondary School Middle fifth in OntarioLargest secondary schoolSecondary · Grades 9–12 | Secondary · Grades 9–12 | 305 | English public |
Schools by system · Schools within 3 km
| Schools within 3 km | Chalk River | Ontario | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| School boards | 2 | 4 | 3 |
| Nearest secondary school | 8.4 km | 1.2 km | 1.2 km |
| Nearest elementary school | 2.8 km | 0.5 km | 0.5 km |
Provincial school lists and results, 2024-25
More of the land around Chalk River is protected than around 8 in 10 Canadian towns
There is no national park within 100 km of the town. CPCAD lists 29 protected areas within 10 km. Swimmers have 21 beaches within 5 km, Pine Point Beach the nearest.
Protected land · of the land within 10 km
| Outdoors | Chalk River | Ontario | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Public protected areas within 10 km | 26 | 4 | 4 |
| Protected land within 10 km | 8.2% | 2.3% | 2.3% |
Canadian Protected and Conserved Areas Database (CPCAD), OpenStreetMap routes and beaches
Winter nights bite in Chalk River: January lows of −17.9°C, colder than Ontario’s towns or Canadian towns
The most precipitation falls in June: 96 mm in a normal year. A normal winter brings 199 cm of snow, above both Ontario’s towns (146 cm) and Canadian towns (141 cm). Snow peaks in January: 49 cm in a normal year.
Average high by season · ECCC normals, 1991–2020
| Normals, 1991–2020 | Chalk River | Ontario | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| January night low | −17.9°C | −9.1°C | −13.5°C |
| Snowfall a year | 199 cm | 146 cm | 141 cm |
| July afternoon high | 26.3°C | 26.7°C | 25.5°C |
Environment and Climate Change Canada, Canadian Climate Normals 1991–2020 (Petawawa)
More smokers around Chalk River: 16% of adults, where the typical Canadian town has 12%
About as many adults call their health very good or excellent here as across Ontario, 50% against 51%. Arthritis, diabetes and high blood pressure affect 19% of the region’s adults on average, higher than both Ontario’s towns (17%) and Canadian towns (17%). Life expectancy in the region is 81.0 years (83.0 for women, 78.7 for men, 2022/2024). For Chalk River itself the measure is access, and it lags: 7.6 km to the nearest hospital, where 3.7 km is typical. For health survey and life expectancy, the only official count covers all of the Renfrew County and District Health Unit, Chalk River included.
Very good or excellent health · adults, age-standardised
| Health | Chalk River | Ontario | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Smokers | 16% | 10% | 12% |
| Chronic conditions (average share) | 19% | 17% | 17% |
| Life expectancy at birth | 81.0 | 82.8 | 81.5 |
| Very good or excellent health | 50% | 51% | 52% |
Statistics Canada, Canadian Community Health Survey 2023/2024 and life expectancy 2022/2024; Open Database of Healthcare Facilities
Chalk River’s hazards at a glance: a moderate wildfire record and 8% of area homes over the radon guideline
The burn rate around Chalk River is 0.06% a year (1.6% of the land within 25 km since 1986), a moderate band. No flood study for Chalk River is on the national inventory.
Radon tests above the guideline · share of tested homes, 200 Bq/m³
| Hazards | Chalk River | Ontario | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Earthquake loss per $1,000 of buildings a year | $0.11 | $0.043 | $0.030 |
| Radon tests above the guideline | 8% | 4% | 6.6% |
NRCan seismic risk model and burned areas, Health Canada radon survey, the Flood Hazard Map Inventory
Trips to work from Chalk River are shorter than from Ontario’s towns or Canadian towns: 22 min on average
98% of commuters drove, above Ontario’s towns (88%) and Canadian towns (89%) alike.
How working residents got to work · census 2021
| Census 2021 | Chalk River | Ontario | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average trip | 22 min | 29 min | 26 min |
| Car or van | 98% | 88% | 89% |
Statistics Canada, Census 2021 (labour and commuting) · Census day was in May 2021, mid-pandemic, so commuting and work figures carry the lockdowns’ mark.
Chalk River is a town of owners: 90% of households own their home, above Ontario’s towns and Canadian towns
Rent took 17% of household income, below both Ontario’s towns (22%) and Canadian towns (20%). Shelter took 30% or more of income for just over one in ten households, below both Ontario’s towns (22%) and Canadian towns (18%).
What homes were worth · The median owner’s estimate at the 2021 census
| Census 2021 | Chalk River | Ontario | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Households spending 30%+ on shelter | 11% | 22% | 18% |
| Households owning their home | 90% | 76% | 74% |
| Rent as a share of income | 17% | 22% | 20% |
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.
Chalk River in November: highs near 5°C, lows near −4°C
November usually brings some 25 cm of snow. Expect about 77 mm of rain and snow over November. A normal December brings highs of −2°C, lows of −12°C. The forecast on the Weather page is ECCC’s for Deep River.
Normal highs, the months ahead · ECCC normals, 1991–2020
| Season | High | Low | Rain and snow |
|---|---|---|---|
| Winter | −4°C | −15°C | 191 mm |
| Spring | 11°C | −3°C | 222 mm |
| Summer | 25°C | 11°C | 276 mm |
| Autumn | 13°C | 2°C | 244 mm |
ECCC normals, 1991–2020 (Petawawa); the forecast is on the Weather page
Each seat on Chalk River’s council speaks for just 630 residents, fewer than in 78% of Ontario municipalities
For local government, Chalk River falls under Laurentian Hills, a town.
Wikidata, MAMH, MMAH, Statistics Canada
Laurentian Hills Public Library draws 0.7 visits per person served, behind 98% of Ontario’s town libraries
Laurentian Hills Public Library serves 2,961 people from 2 branches.
Provincial library statistics, OpenStreetMap, the CRA and Statistics Canada
More of Chalk River’s residents have an Indigenous identity than in Ontario’s towns or Canadian towns: 12%
Under-15s account for 18% of the population. 2.6% of residents belong to a visible minority, below Ontario’s towns (26%) and Canadian towns (15%) 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 48.2% of Chalk River
Here the census found 1,495 men and 1,390 women; the figure for women across Canada is 50.9%.
| Chalk River | Ontario | Canada | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 15 | 18% | 15% | 16% |
| 15 to 64 | 63% | 65% | 64% |
| 65+ | 19% | 19% | 19% |
| No certificate, diploma or degree | 14% | 15% | 16% |
| Postsecondary qualification | 53% | 56% | 56% |
Statistics Canada, Census 2021; Ontario and Canada: medians of towns of 2,500+
Everything we know about Chalk River
Fort William and 2 more in and around Chalk River
From museums to parks and historic sites: Chalk River’s places to visit and those just beyond its edge, most famous first.
FortFort William3.7 km outside town, to the eastPhotos: each place’s Wikidata image, from Wikimedia Commons under the licence below (our copy, resized).
Photo credits (1)
- Fort William: P199, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
Famous people from around Chalk River
No notable person born in Chalk River is on our list; these were born in the towns around it.
Photo credits
Derek Harvie: Dkharvie, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Samantha Cornett: Scornett91, CC BY-SA 4.0
About Chalk River
Town in Ontario
Statistics Canada treats Chalk River 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
- 3,147 (people, 2025 estimate)
- Province or territory
- Ontario
- Census division
- Renfrew
- Census subdivision
- 3547090
Chalk River’s neighbours
The nearest places of 1,000 or more. Statistics Canada
| Town | People | km | Overall | Cost | Safety | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chalk River | 3,147 | — | B+ | B | A | C+ |
| Deep River | 4,353 | 7.7 | A | B+ | A | C+ |
People: Statistics Canada, Census 2021. Distances: centre to centre.
Questions about Chalk River
Who are the people of Chalk River?
At the 2021 census, 4% were immigrants and 3% belonged to a visible minority (Canadian towns’ median: 15%). 12% identify as First Nations, Métis or Inuit.
What kind of homes are in Chalk River?
Single-detached houses make up 93% of the homes here, where Canadian towns sit at 64%; 0% are in high-rise apartments. 28% of households are one person, and the average is 2.3.
Has Chalk River grown?
Between the 2016 and 2021 censuses it fell from 2,961 to 2,885 residents (2.6% down; Canadian towns’ median grew 4.1%); Statistics Canada now estimates 3,147.
Is Chalk River a young town or an old one?
The median resident is 42 years old, against 45.2 for the median of Canadian towns. 18% are under 15 and 19% are 65 or over.
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).