Chathamin Chatham-Kent, Ontario

Renting in Chatham eats 23% of household income, more than in both Ontario’s towns and Canadian towns

16% of households spent 30% or more of their income on shelter, lower than both Ontario’s towns (22%) and Canadian towns (18%). Home ownership covers 72% of households. Chatham shares its rent as a share of income and monthly rent for a two-bedroom numbers with the rest of the Chatham-Kent metro area.

25 of Chatham’s 41 tested schools score in the lower two fifths in Ontario

They come under 3 school boards. The largest is Ursuline College Chatham Catholic Secondary School, with 1,335 students. The 3 km around Chatham counts 36 elementary schools and 9 secondary schools, 14,950 students between them. Of the 45, 6 teach in French (10% of schools in Ontario).

Radon is Chatham’s main hazard: 17% of tested homes in its area top Health Canada’s guideline

Essex Region Conservation Authority / County of Essex has mapped the flood hazard here, one of 2 studies on the national inventory. Earthquake risk in Chatham is ordinary: NRCan’s model puts building losses at $0.021 a year per $1,000 of value, close to the typical town’s $0.030.

Trips to work from Chatham are shorter than from Ontario’s towns or Canadian towns: 22 min on average

93% of commuters drove, above Ontario’s towns (88%) and Canadian towns (89%) alike.

Chatham’s region trails the typical Canadian town by 2.9 years: life expectancy 78.6

The average trip from home to a hospital is 8.5 km, above Ontario’s towns (3.3 km) and Canadian towns (3.7 km) alike. The survey puts the region’s share in very good or excellent health at 57%, ahead of the 51% for Ontario. Add to that, at 17%, the share of adults who smoke tops the 11% for Ontario. Chatham doesn’t get its own health survey and life expectancy figures; the ones here come from the Chatham-Kent Health Unit.

Afternoon heat in Chatham beats that of 89% of Canadian towns

The coldest nights, in January, bottom out at −8.2°C, higher than both Ontario’s towns (−9.1°C) and Canadian towns (−13.5°C). Gardeners get 149 frost-free days, from 10 May to 6 October. Snow peaks in January: 28 cm in a normal year. A normal April brings 87 mm of precipitation, more than any other month.

Chatham earns a C+ for safety

Its violent severity index came to 75, close to Ontario’s towns (76) and below Canadian towns (86). Police recorded 11 violent incidents per 1,000 residents a year, close to Ontario’s towns (10.5) and below Canadian towns (12).

Expect November days around 8°C in Chatham, nights around 1°C

In November, the normal is 74 mm of rain and snow. Snowfall in a normal November: 4 cm. The month after, December, normally sees 2°C afternoons and −4°C nights. ECCC’s forecast for Chatham-Kent is on the Weather page, hour by hour.

Each person Chatham-Kent public library serves borrows 6.2 items, more than at 82% of Ontario’s town libraries

Fewer of Chatham’s people belong to a visible minority than in Ontario’s towns or Canadian towns: 6.6%

First Nations, Métis and Inuit people make up 4.2% of residents, higher than both Ontario’s towns (1.6%) and Canadian towns (2.8%). 9.1% of residents came to Canada as immigrants, higher than both Ontario’s towns (7.6%) and Canadian towns (6.4%).

Point Pelee National Park is 9.2 km from Chatham

1% of the land and water within 10 km is protected (the typical Canadian town: 2.3%). Within 5 km are 8 beaches; Willow Beach is the nearest.

Chatham keeps a building from 1792: Fairfield on the Thames

Counted by designation, there are a heritage railway station and a Recognized Federal Heritage Building. The registers put 4 historic places inside its boundary, 2 of them of the highest rank. Before 1961 is when two fifths of the homes went up, higher than both Ontario’s towns (22%) and Canadian towns (18%).