Is Cochrane a good place to live?
More weak spots than strong ones. Schools are its weak spot (D). Cochrane grades C− overall and ranks #779 of 858 in Ontario. On that grade it does better than 18% of Canadian towns. Crime runs high (D). Walking, cycling and public transport work well here (A−). It is strong on cost of living as well (B+).
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 Cochrane grades
Each subject compares Cochrane 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 Cochrane stand out
The 3 things Cochrane does most differently from other towns.
The data
Data highlights are ordered by what stands out in Cochrane.
Results around Cochrane lean low: 5 of 5 schools in the lower two fifths in Ontario
They come under 3 school boards. Catholic schools make up 3 of 5, above the 34% in Ontario. In or within 3 km of Cochrane: 3 elementary schools and 2 secondary schools, with 1,025 students.
| School | Level | Students | System |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cochrane Public School Bottom fifth in OntarioLargest elementary schoolElementary · Grades JK–8 | Elementary · Grades JK–8 | 355 | English public |
| Cochrane High School Bottom fifth in OntarioLargest secondary schoolSecondary · Grades 9–12 | Secondary · Grades 9–12 | 225 | English public |
| École catholique Nouveau Regard (Pavillon St-Joseph) FrenchTeaches in FrenchElementary · Grades JK–8 | Elementary · Grades JK–8 | 260 | French Catholic |
Schools by system · Schools within 3 km
| Schools within 3 km | Cochrane | Ontario | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| School boards | 3 | 4 | 3 |
Provincial school lists and results, 2024-25
Cochrane’s Violent Crime Severity Index, 191, runs above Ontario’s towns and Canadian towns
Violent crime runs at 33.1 per 1,000 residents a year. Property crime ran at 46.1 incidents per 1,000 residents a year, higher than both Ontario’s towns (30.5) and Canadian towns (31.2).
Year by year · Crime Severity Index for each year
| 2023–2025 | Cochrane | Ontario | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Violent crime | 33.1 | 10.5 | 12 |
| Violent Crime Severity Index | 191 | 76 | 86 |
| Property crime per 1,000 | 46.1 | 30.5 | 31.2 |
Statistics Canada, Uniform Crime Reporting Survey, 2023–2025 average
Winter nights bite in Cochrane: January lows of −22.3°C, colder than Ontario’s towns or Canadian towns
October is the wettest month, with 86 mm of rain and snow on average. Frost comes on 207 days a year, above both Ontario’s towns (139) and Canadian towns (159). Gardeners get 91 frost-free days, from 7 June to 7 September. Midsummer afternoons in Cochrane peak at about 24.4°C.
Average high by season · ECCC normals, 1991–2020
| Normals, 1991–2020 | Cochrane | Ontario | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Snowfall a year | 308 cm | 146 cm | 141 cm |
| January night low | −22.3°C | −9.1°C | −13.5°C |
| Days with frost a year | 207 | 139 | 159 |
| July afternoon high | 24.4°C | 26.7°C | 25.5°C |
Environment and Climate Change Canada, Canadian Climate Normals 1991–2020 (Timmins/Victor Power)
Hazards in Cochrane are mild: low wildfire and earthquake risk, and 1% of area homes above the radon guideline
NRCan expects $0.040 of shaking damage a year per $1,000 of buildings in Cochrane, near the typical $0.030. No one has filed a flood map for Cochrane on the national inventory.
Radon tests above the guideline · share of tested homes, 200 Bq/m³
| Hazards | Cochrane | Ontario | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Radon tests above the guideline | 1% | 4% | 6.6% |
| Earthquake loss per $1,000 of buildings a year | $0.040 | $0.043 | $0.030 |
NRCan seismic risk model and burned areas, Health Canada radon survey, the Flood Hazard Map Inventory
Life expectancy around Cochrane is 77.3 years, 4.2 less than for the typical Canadian town
The region has more smokers than Ontario, 16% of adults to 11%. On average 18% of adults live with arthritis, diabetes or high blood pressure, higher than both Ontario’s towns (17%) and Canadian towns (17%). Adults here are less upbeat about their health than the province: 48% very good or excellent, against 51% in Ontario. Measured from where Cochrane’s residents live, the nearest hospital is 2.2 km away, under the typical 3.7 km. For health survey and life expectancy, the only official count covers all of the Porcupine Health Unit, Cochrane included.
Very good or excellent health · adults, age-standardised
| Health | Cochrane | Ontario | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life expectancy at birth | 77.3 | 82.8 | 81.5 |
| Smokers | 16% | 10% | 12% |
| Very good or excellent health | 48% | 51% | 52% |
| Chronic conditions (average share) | 18% | 17% | 17% |
Statistics Canada, Canadian Community Health Survey 2023/2024 and life expectancy 2022/2024; Open Database of Healthcare Facilities
Renting in Cochrane costs 18% of household income, less than in Ontario’s towns or Canadian towns
14% of households spent 30% or more of their income on shelter, lower than both Ontario’s towns (22%) and Canadian towns (18%). The owner-occupied share of households is 71%.
What homes were worth · The median owner’s estimate at the 2021 census
| Census 2021 | Cochrane | Ontario | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Households spending 30%+ on shelter | 14% | 22% | 18% |
| Rent as a share of income | 18% | 22% | 20% |
| Households owning their home | 71% | 76% | 74% |
Statistics Canada, Census 2021; CMHC Rental Market Survey via Statistics Canada · Values come from owners at the 2021 census and incomes from 2020, so they predate the later rise in rates.
Expect November days around 1°C in Cochrane, nights around −7°C
At the extremes, July afternoons reach 24°C and January nights −22°C. Expect around 51 cm of snow in November. Precipitation in November averages 69 mm. ECCC’s forecast for Timmins is on the Weather page, hour by hour.
Normal highs, the months ahead · ECCC normals, 1991–2020
| Season | High | Low | Rain and snow |
|---|---|---|---|
| Winter | −8°C | −20°C | 146 mm |
| Spring | 8°C | −6°C | 180 mm |
| Summer | 23°C | 10°C | 235 mm |
| Autumn | 9°C | −1°C | 236 mm |
ECCC normals, 1991–2020 (Timmins/Victor Power); the forecast is on the Weather page
57% of Cochrane voters cast a ballot in 2022, more than in 98% of Ontario municipalities
Gaétan Malette (Conservative Party of Canada) is the MP for Kapuskasing—Timmins—Mushkegowuk, the riding (a federal electoral district, which elects one MP) that takes in Cochrane.
| Turnout | Cochrane | Ontario | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Municipal election, 2022 | 57% | 31% | 31% |
Wikidata, MAMH, MMAH, Statistics Canada
Cochrane’s public library is Cochrane Public Library
Cochrane Public Library serves 3,953 people, only part of Cochrane, so its figures leave the rest out.
Provincial library statistics, OpenStreetMap, the CRA and Statistics Canada
More of Cochrane’s residents have an Indigenous identity than in Ontario’s towns or Canadian towns: 24%
The share of residents under 15 is 18%. Visible minorities make up 2% of the population, below both Ontario’s towns (26%) and Canadian towns (15%). Retirement age and beyond: just over a fifth of residents are 65 or older.
Ages · Share of residents in each age group, Census 2021
Schooling · Highest qualification, residents 15 and over
Women and men · all residents
50.0% of Cochrane’s residents are women
2,700 women and 2,695 men at the 2021 census; across Canada, women are 50.9%.
| Cochrane | Ontario | Canada | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 15 | 18% | 15% | 16% |
| 15 to 64 | 62% | 65% | 64% |
| 65+ | 21% | 19% | 19% |
| No certificate, diploma or degree | 26% | 15% | 16% |
| Postsecondary qualification | 43% | 56% | 56% |
Statistics Canada, Census 2021; Ontario and Canada: medians of towns of 2,500+
1.5 km from Cochrane to Greenwater Provincial Park
Of the land within 10 km, 5.3% has protected status, higher than both Ontario’s towns (2.3%) and Canadian towns (2.3%). Within 100 km there is no national park. There is a beach within 5 km, unnamed on the map.
Protected land · of the land within 10 km
| Outdoors | Cochrane | Ontario | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Protected land within 10 km | 5.3% | 2.3% | 2.3% |
| Public protected areas within 10 km | 3 | 4 | 4 |
Canadian Protected and Conserved Areas Database (CPCAD), OpenStreetMap routes and beaches
Trips to work from Cochrane are shorter than from Ontario’s towns or Canadian towns: 18 min on average
83% of commuters took the car to work at the census.
How working residents got to work · census 2021
| Census 2021 | Cochrane | Ontario | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average trip | 18 min | 29 min | 26 min |
| Car or van | 83% | 88% | 89% |
Statistics Canada, Census 2021 (labour and commuting) · Counted in May 2021, under pandemic rules: fewer commutes and more people between jobs than in a normal year.
Everything we know about Cochrane
Cochrane Polar Bear Habitat and 2 more in and around Cochrane
The best-known places to visit in and around Cochrane come first; the full list is on the Attractions page.
Famous people from Cochrane
6 notable people were born in Cochrane.
Photo credits
Tim Horton: Arnie Lee ( Arnielee ), CC BY 3.0 · Deborah Ellis: colemama, CC BY-SA 2.0
About Cochrane
Town in Ontario
Statistics Canada treats Cochrane 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
- 5,948 (people, 2025 estimate)
- Province or territory
- Ontario
- Census subdivision
- 3556042
Questions about Cochrane
Do people in Cochrane speak French?
Many do: 49% are bilingual in English and French (Canadian towns’ median: 8%), and 2.2% speak French only.
Has Cochrane grown?
It added people: 5,321 in 2016, 5,390 in 2021, 1.3% more, where the middle of Canadian towns grew 4.1%. Statistics Canada’s 2025 estimate is 5,948.
What kind of homes are in Cochrane?
Single-detached houses make up 67% of the homes here, where Canadian towns sit at 64%; 0% are in high-rise apartments. 31% of households are one person, and the average is 2.3.
Is Cochrane a young town or an old one?
Its median age is 43.6, where Canadian towns sit at 45.2.
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).