CornwallOntario
This town in Ontario has a population of 54,346. It is part of Stormont, Dundas and Glengarry, a census division.
Is Cornwall a good place to live?
The weak point is cost of living (D). Cornwall ranks #850 of 858 in Ontario, with a D− overall. That leaves it better than 3% of Canadian towns. Walking, cycling and public transport work well here (A). It also trails on schools (D).
Health is graded on the health region's survey figures and life expectancy, with the distance to hospital giving the town its own spread.
What makes Cornwall stand out
The 3 things Cornwall does most differently from other towns.
How Cornwall grades
Each subject compares Cornwall 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 →
Inverarden House and 9 more in and around Cornwall
Museums, historic sites, parks, gardens and days out in and near Cornwall, the best known first.
National historic siteInverarden Housein town
MuseumAult Park300 m outside town, to the westMuseumMuseumCornwall Community Museumin townAttractionAttractionEscape Manorin townHistoric siteHistoric siteCentennial Fountainin townHistoric siteHistoric siteCornwall Clocktowerin townPhotos: each place’s Wikidata image, from Wikimedia Commons under the licence below (our copy, resized).
Photo credits (2)
- Inverarden House: Yoho2001, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Ault Park: P199, CC BY 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
The data
Data highlights are ordered by what stands out in Cornwall.
Measured against local pay, Cornwall costs more to live in than 89% of Canadian towns
Owners put the median home at $280,000, below Ontario’s towns ($695,000) and Canadian towns ($406,000) alike. Rent took a quarter of household income, above both Ontario’s towns (22%) and Canadian towns (20%). For rent as a share of income and monthly rent for a two-bedroom, the only official count covers all of the Cornwall metro area, Cornwall included.
What homes were worth · The median owner’s estimate at the 2021 census
| Census 2021 | Cornwall | Ontario | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home value, 2021 | $280,000 | $695,000 | $406,000 |
| Rent as a share of income | 25% | 22% | 20% |
| Households spending 30%+ on shelter | 22% | 22% | 18% |
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.
Teaching in French: 7 of Cornwall’s 25 schools
Results lean low: 12 of 18 in the lower two fifths in Ontario. All four of Ontario’s systems run schools here, English and French, public and Catholic. Catholic schools make up 14 of 25, above the 34% in Ontario. Within 3 km of Cornwall are 18 elementary schools, 6 secondary schools and 1 alternative or adult school, teaching 8,985 students.
| School | Level | Students | System |
|---|---|---|---|
| École élémentaire publique Rose des Vents FrenchLargest elementary schoolElementary · Grades JK–6 | Elementary · Grades JK–6 | 590 | French public |
| St Joseph's Secondary School CatholicLargest secondary schoolSecondary · Grades 9–12 | Secondary · Grades 9–12 | 745 | English Catholic |
| École secondaire catholique La Citadelle FrenchTeaches in FrenchSecondary · Grades 9–12 | Secondary · Grades 9–12 | 465 | French Catholic |
Schools by system · Schools within 3 km
| Schools within 3 km | Cornwall | Ontario | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| School boards | 4 | 4 | 3 |
Provincial school lists and results, 2024-25
Cornwall’s Violent Crime Severity Index, 126, runs above Ontario’s towns and Canadian towns
Each year, 24.7 violent crimes are recorded per 1,000 residents. Thefts, break-ins and damage came to 41.4 per 1,000 residents a year, above both Ontario’s towns (30.5) and Canadian towns (31.2).
Year by year · Crime Severity Index for each year
| 2023–2025 | Cornwall | Ontario | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Violent crime | 24.7 | 10.5 | 12 |
| Violent Crime Severity Index | 126 | 76 | 86 |
| Property crime per 1,000 | 41.4 | 30.5 | 31.2 |
Statistics Canada, Uniform Crime Reporting Survey, 2023–2025 average
Trips to work from Cornwall are shorter than from Ontario’s towns or Canadian towns: 18 min on average
88% of commuters drove, about level with both Ontario’s towns (88%) and Canadian towns (89%).
How working residents got to work · census 2021
| Census 2021 | Cornwall | Ontario | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average trip | 18 min | 29 min | 26 min |
| Car or van | 88% | 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.
Flood mapping exists for Cornwall: 8 on record, latest by Raisin Region Conservation Authority
Averaged over the years, quake damage costs $0.20 per $1,000 of buildings, higher than both Ontario’s towns ($0.043) and Canadian towns ($0.030). About as many homes carry radon around Cornwall as elsewhere, 6.1% over the guideline where the typical town has 6.6%.
Radon tests above the guideline · share of tested homes, 200 Bq/m³
| Hazards | Cornwall | Ontario | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Earthquake loss per $1,000 of buildings a year | $0.20 | $0.043 | $0.030 |
| Radon tests above the guideline | 6.1% | 4% | 6.6% |
NRCan seismic risk model and burned areas, Health Canada radon survey, the Flood Hazard Map Inventory
Summer runs warm in Cornwall: July highs of 27.3°C, above Ontario’s towns and Canadian towns
A normal winter brings 198 cm of snow, above both Ontario’s towns (146 cm) and Canadian towns (141 cm). Snow peaks in January: 51 cm in a normal year. Winter lows in Cornwall average −11.8°C in January.
Average high by season · ECCC normals, 1991–2020
| Normals, 1991–2020 | Cornwall | Ontario | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Snowfall a year | 198 cm | 146 cm | 141 cm |
| July afternoon high | 27.3°C | 26.7°C | 25.5°C |
| Precipitation a year | 1,006 mm | 902 mm | 883 mm |
| January night low | −11.8°C | −9.1°C | −13.5°C |
Environment and Climate Change Canada, Canadian Climate Normals 1991–2020 (Cornwall)
Cornwall in November: highs near 7°C, lows near freezing
The forecast on the Weather page is ECCC’s for Cornwall. Snowfall in a normal November: 16 cm. Expect about 82 mm of rain and snow over November. July brings the warmest days, 27°C; January the coldest nights, −12°C.
Normal highs, the months ahead · ECCC normals, 1991–2020
| Season | High | Low | Rain and snow |
|---|---|---|---|
| Winter | −2°C | −10°C | 219 mm |
| Spring | 12°C | 2°C | 233 mm |
| Summer | 26°C | 16°C | 275 mm |
| Autumn | 14°C | 6°C | 280 mm |
ECCC normals, 1991–2020 (Cornwall); the forecast is on the Weather page
Cornwall’s council outspends 89% of Ontario’s single-tier municipalities, per resident
Cornwall’s council of 11 was elected in October 2022, with Justin Towndale as mayor.
| Turnout | Cornwall | Ontario | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Municipal election, 2022 | 29% | 31% | 31% |
Wikidata, MAMH, MMAH, Statistics Canada
Cornwall’s public library is Cornwall Public Library
Cornwall Public Library serves 47,845 people from a single building.
Provincial library statistics, OpenStreetMap, the CRA and Statistics Canada
Cornwall skews older, with 25% of residents 65 or over, more than in both Ontario’s towns and Canadian towns
5.6% of residents have an Indigenous identity, higher than both Ontario’s towns (1.6%) and Canadian towns (2.8%). Visible minorities make up a tenth of the population, below both Ontario’s towns (26%) and Canadian towns (15%).
Ages · Share of residents in each age group, Census 2021
Schooling · Highest qualification, residents 15 and over
Women and men · all residents
51.8% of Cornwall’s residents are women
Here the census found 24,765 women and 23,075 men; across Canada the share of women is 50.9%.
| Cornwall | Ontario | Canada | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 15 | 16% | 15% | 16% |
| 15 to 64 | 59% | 65% | 64% |
| 65+ | 25% | 19% | 19% |
| No certificate, diploma or degree | 22% | 15% | 16% |
| Postsecondary qualification | 43% | 56% | 56% |
Statistics Canada, Census 2021; Ontario and Canada: medians of towns of 2,500+
Around Cornwall, 49% of adults call their health very good or excellent
The three chronic conditions the survey tracks average nearly a fifth of adults, above both Ontario’s towns (17%) and Canadian towns (17%). The region has more smokers than Ontario, 14% of adults to 11%. Statistics Canada puts the region’s life expectancy at 81.0, women 83.0 and men 78.9 (2022/2024). For Cornwall itself the measure is access, and it scores well: 1.5 km to the nearest hospital, where 3.7 km is typical.
Very good or excellent health · adults, age-standardised
| Health | Cornwall | Ontario | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Smokers | 14% | 10% | 12% |
| Chronic conditions (average share) | 19% | 17% | 17% |
| Life expectancy at birth | 81.0 | 82.8 | 81.5 |
| Very good or excellent health | 49% | 51% | 52% |
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 The Eastern Ontario Health Unit
From Cornwall, Dupont Provincial Park is the nearest provincial park (26 km)
Within 10 km, 0.1% of the land is protected, lower than both Ontario’s towns (2.3%) and Canadian towns (2.3%). Biggest among them: Lake Saint-François National Wildlife Area, 1,316 ha, 9.4 km off. 4 areas within 10 km are protected for nature. The closest of Canada’s national parks is Thousand Islands National Park, at 86 km.
Protected land · of the land within 10 km
| Outdoors | Cornwall | Ontario | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Protected land within 10 km | 0.1% | 2.3% | 2.3% |
| Public protected areas within 10 km | 3 | 4 | 4 |
Canadian Protected and Conserved Areas Database (CPCAD), OpenStreetMap routes and beaches
An older town: 37% of Cornwall’s homes predate 1961
On the registers the town counts 2 historic places, one at the top. Of the dated places, Inverarden House is the oldest, from 1816. Counted by designation, there are a Recognized Federal Heritage Building.
Historic places by designation · inside the town
Among them
- Inverarden House 1816
- Cornwall Armoury 1938
| Heritage | Cornwall | Ontario | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Homes built before 1961 | 37% | 22% | 18% |
Canadian Register of Historic Places, Directory of Federal Heritage Designations, Québec’s Répertoire du patrimoine culturel, Wikidata; Census 2021 homes by period
Everything we know about Cornwall
Famous people from Cornwall
69 notable people were born in Cornwall.
Photo credits
Duncan McNaughton: BiblioArchives / LibraryArchives from Canada, Public domain · Chad Kilger: Mark Mauno, CC BY-SA 2.0 · Jacob Harold Gallinger: C. V. Buck, Public domain · Corbett Denneny: staff photographer, Public domain · Carson Cooper: Hockey publicity photo circa 1934 (Life time: pre-1949, copyright expired), Public domain · Don Smith: Imperial Tobacco Co., Public domain
Cornwall’s neighbours
The nearest places of 1,000 or more. Statistics Canada
| Town | People | km | Overall | Cost | Safety | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cornwall | 54,346 | — | D− | D | C− | B− |
| Akwesasne (Part) 59 | 1,947 | 2.6 | — | — | B+ | C |
| Akwesasne Quebec | 2,562 | 14 | — | — | D | A− |
| South Glengarry | 14,355 | 15 | B | B | A | C+ |
| Long Sault | 14,602 | 16 | B+ | B− | A | C |
People: Statistics Canada, Census 2021. Distances: centre to centre.
Questions about Cornwall
Do people in Cornwall speak French?
English and French are both spoken by 38% of residents, where the median of Canadian towns is 8%. French alone: 0.8%.
What kind of homes are in Cornwall?
Mostly 49% single-detached houses (the median of Canadian towns: 64%), with 5% of homes in buildings of five or more storeys. Households hold 2.2 people on average, and 36% have just one.
Who are the people of Cornwall?
At the 2021 census, 8% were immigrants and 10% belonged to a visible minority (Canadian towns’ median: 15%). 6% identify as First Nations, Métis or Inuit.
Has Cornwall grown?
Yes: the census counted 46,589 in 2016 and 47,845 in 2021, a rise of 2.7%, against 4.1% for the median of Canadian towns. The 2025 estimate is 54,346.
About Cornwall
Town in Ontario
For Cornwall, TownRatings uses Statistics Canada’s census-subdivision boundary in Ontario, and every figure on its pages covers that whole area.
Statistics Canada: population estimates 2025 (17-10-0155), Census of Population 2021, 2021 census boundaries.
- Population
- 54,346 (people, 2025 estimate)
- Province or territory
- Ontario
- Census division
- Stormont, Dundas and Glengarry
- Census subdivision
- 3501012
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).