Deer LakeOntario

It is a reserve of the Deer Lake. 1,030 people live in this First Nations reserve in Ontario.

Population

1,030

people, 2025 estimate

Median age

23.4

years · Ontario’s towns: 46.8

Postsecondary

of residents 15 and over hold a postsecondary certificate, diploma or degree · Canadian towns: 56%

Walk, cycle, transit

15%

walk, cycle or take transit to work · Canadian towns: 8%

Is Deer Lake a good place to live?

Deer Lake is easy to get around without a car (A−). Hazard risk is its weak spot (D−). Health lags (D). Incomes are on the low side (C−).

No overall grade, and no ranking: Deer Lake is a First Nations reserve, and Statistics Canada holds back or never gathers enough of a reserve’s figures to compare it fairly with other towns.

No Safety Grade: no police service publishes a crime rate for this place on its own. Health is graded on the health region's survey figures and life expectancy, with the distance to hospital giving the town its own spread. Wildfire lowers this town's Hazard risk Grade: a high share of the land around it has burned in the last 40 years. A First Nations reserve: subject grades only, with no overall grade and no place in ranked lists.

StrongestA⁻WalkabilityWeakestD⁻Hazard risk DHealth

How Deer Lake grades

Each subject compares Deer Lake 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 grading works

No overall grade, and no ranking: Deer Lake is a First Nations reserve, and Statistics Canada holds back or never gathers enough of a reserve’s figures to compare it fairly with other towns.

Hazard riskBased on earthquake losses and radon in homes; a high wildfire risk can pull it downD⁻Open →HealthHealth outcomes are among the weakest comparedDOpen →WalkabilityAmong the best of the towns comparedA⁻Open →Jobs & incomeGraded on incomes, poverty and employmentC⁻Open →

Cost of livingNot graded: not enough data–

SafetyNot graded: not enough data–

SchoolsNot graded: not enough data–

How TownRatings grades Canadian towns →

What makes Deer Lake stand out

The 3 things Deer Lake does most differently from other towns.

Picked automatically from the data

Postsecondary certificate, diploma or degree

Education

8% have a postsecondary qualification

Canadian towns centre on 56%

Statistics Canada, Census 2021

Residents 65 and over

Who lives here

Only 2% are 65 or over

Next to 19%, the median among Canadian towns

Statistics Canada, Census 2021

Population growth, 2016 to 2021

Growth

+25% more people than in 2016

The median of Canadian towns: 4%

Statistics Canada, Census 2016 and 2021

The data

Data highlights are ordered by what stands out in Deer Lake.

Natural hazardsHazard risk D⁻

Deer Lake faces more hazards than almost every Canadian town

Very highwildfire bandD⁻Hazard risk Grade

Shaking is less of a worry than in most places, at $0.004 a year per $1,000 of building value ($0.030 typical). Wildfire is Deer Lake’s dominant hazard: 70% of the land within 25 km has burned since 1986, 2.31% a year. Of the homes tested for radon, 14% were over 200 Bq/m³, above both Ontario’s towns (4%) and Canadian towns (6.6%).

Radon tests above the guideline · share of tested homes, 200 Bq/m³

Deer Lake14%

Ontario’s towns4%

Canadian towns6.6%

Hazards	Deer Lake	Ontario	Canada
Radon tests above the guideline	14%	4%	6.6%
Earthquake loss per $1,000 of buildings a year	$0.004	$0.043	$0.030

$0.004

expected earthquake loss a year per $1,000 of buildings

Very high

wildfire band

0.9 km

to the nearest land burned since 1986

Full pageDeer Lake’s flood & hazards pageOpen the full Flood & hazards page

WildfireVery high wildfire band · 70% of the land within 25 km burned since 1986 FloodNo flood study on record Earthquakes$0.004 a year per $1,000 · Canadian towns: $0.030 Radon14% of tests above the guideline Be readyAlerts, FireSmart and radon tests

NRCan seismic risk model and burned areas, Health Canada radon survey, the Flood Hazard Map Inventory

HealthHealth D

Health in Deer Lake trails 93% of Canadian towns

44%very good or excellent healthDHealth Grade

Shared with the rest of the Northwestern Health Unit: health survey and life expectancy

People in the region live to 73.7 on average: 75.2 for women and 72.3 for men in 2022/2024. Age-standardised, 44% of the region’s adults put their health at very good or excellent, lower than both Ontario’s towns (51%) and Canadian towns (52%). Smoking is commoner than in the province: 16% of adults, against 11% for Ontario. What sets Deer Lake apart within its region is distance: 104 km to a hospital on average, over 30 km for 100% of residents.

Very good or excellent health · adults, age-standardised

Deer Lake44%

Ontario’s towns51%

Canadian towns52%

Health	Deer Lake	Ontario	Canada
Life expectancy at birth	73.7	82.8	81.5
Very good or excellent health	44%	51%	52%
Smokers	16%	10%	12%
Chronic conditions (average share)	16%	17%	17%

73.7

years of life expectancy, 2022/2024

104 km

from homes to a hospital, on average

16%

of adults smoke, age-standardised

180 km

from homes to a pharmacy, on average

Full pageDeer Lake’s health pageOpen the full Health page

Health survey44% very good or excellent health · adults, age-standardised Getting care104 km to a hospital · A pharmacy 180 km away on average The wider areaLife expectancy: women 75.2, men 72.3 Conditions and habits16% with chronic conditions · adults, age-standardised

Statistics Canada, Canadian Community Health Survey 2023/2024 and life expectancy 2022/2024; Open Database of Healthcare Facilities

Who lives here

More of Deer Lake’s residents have an Indigenous identity than in Ontario’s towns or Canadian towns: 98%

23.4median age

Visible minorities make up 1.8% of the population, below Ontario’s towns (26%) and Canadian towns (15%) alike.

Deer LakeOntarioCanada

OntarioCanada

Ages · Share of residents in each age group, Census 2021

36%

Schooling · Highest qualification, residents 15 and over

No certificate, diploma or degree72%

Postsecondary qualification8%

Women and men · all residents

Women make up 46.8% of Deer Lake

Here the census found 510 women and 580 men; across Canada the share of women is 50.9%.

Who lives in Deer Lake
	Deer Lake	Ontario	Canada
Under 15	36%	15%	16%
15 to 64	62%	65%	64%
65+	2.3%	19%	19%
No certificate, diploma or degree	72%	15%	16%
Postsecondary qualification	7.9%	56%	56%

Full pageDeer Lake’s Who lives here pageOpen the full Who lives here page

Ages23.4 median age · 2% are 65 or over Households260 households · 4.1 people per household English and French1% speak both · 0% speak French but not English

Statistics Canada, Census 2021; Ontario and Canada: medians of towns of 2,500+

Climate

Deer Lake has colder winters than Ontario’s towns or Canadian towns: January lows of −26.3°C

23.1°CJuly afternoons

The thermometer drops below freezing on 206 days a year, above both Ontario’s towns (139) and Canadian towns (159). Between the last spring frost, 24 May, and the first in autumn, 29 September, lie 127 days. Expect July highs of around 23.1°C in Deer Lake.

Average high by season · ECCC normals, 1991–2020

Winter−14.0°C

Spring5.0°C

Summer21.6°C

Autumn5.4°C

Normals, 1991–2020	Deer Lake	Ontario	Canada
January night low	−26.3°C	−9.1°C	−13.5°C
July afternoon high	23.1°C	26.7°C	25.5°C
Days with frost a year	206	139	159
Precipitation a year	567 mm	902 mm	883 mm

206

days with frost a year

127

frost-free days, 24 May to 29 Sep

days with precipitation a year

Full pageDeer Lake’s climate pageOpen the full Climate page

The yearJuly highs 23.1°C, January lows −26.3°C Rain and snow567 mm a year · Canadian towns: 883 mm Weather station142 km to the station · Island Lake

Environment and Climate Change Canada, Canadian Climate Normals 1991–2020 (Island Lake)

Work & commuteJobs & income C⁻

Trips to work from Deer Lake are shorter than from Ontario’s towns or Canadian towns: 14 min on average

15%walk, cycle or take transit

83% of commuters drove to work at the census.

How working residents got to work · census 2021

Car or van83%

Walk15%

Census 2021	Deer Lake	Ontario	Canada
Average trip	14 min	29 min	26 min
Car or van	83%	88%	89%

$64,500

median household income, 2020

worked from home, May 2021

92%

of commuters work inside the municipality

Full pageDeer Lake’s work & commute pageOpen the full Work & commute page

Unemployment13% unemployed · Of the labour force · Canadian towns: 9.9%Getting to work15% walk, cycle or take transit Where people commute to10 commuters · The biggest flow out: to Poplar Hill

Statistics Canada, Census 2021 (labour and commuting) · Census day was in May 2021, mid-pandemic, so commuting and work figures carry the lockdowns’ mark.

Weather

In Deer Lake, November normally means −4°C afternoons and −11°C nights

−4°Ca normal November afternoon

A normal November brings 31 mm of rain and snow. Then December: −13°C by day, −22°C at night. For today and the week ahead, the Weather page carries ECCC’s Sandy Lake forecast.

Normal highs, the months ahead · ECCC normals, 1991–2020

November−4°C

December−13°C

January−16°C

February−12°C

Season	High	Low	Rain and snow
Winter	−14°C	−24°C	67 mm
Spring	5°C	−8°C	96 mm
Summer	22°C	12°C	254 mm
Autumn	5°C	−2°C	150 mm

−11°C

a normal November night

31 mm

of rain and snow in a normal November

Full pageDeer Lake’s weather pageOpen the full Weather page

Next 24 hoursTemperature and chance of rain, hour by hour The week aheadECCC’s days ahead, beside the normals The yearWarmest July, coldest January

ECCC normals, 1991–2020 (Island Lake); the forecast is on the Weather page

Town hall

Deer Lake sends Eric Melillo (Conservative Party of Canada) to the Commons from Kenora—Kiiwetinoong

The Liberal Party of Canada has 71 of the 122 MPs elected in Ontario.

Full pageDeer Lake’s town hall & politics pageOpen the full Town hall & politics page

Who runs itIndian Reserve

Wikidata, MAMH, MMAH, Statistics Canada

Library & civic lifeCivic life grade D

No public library is mapped in or near Deer Lake

Its libraries report as part of a wider system, so there are no figures for Deer Lake in particular.

Full pageDeer Lake’s library & civic life pageOpen the full Library & civic life page

Places to belong0 charities per 1,000 residents

Provincial library statistics, OpenStreetMap, the CRA and Statistics Canada

Outdoors

No protected area lies within 10 km of Deer Lake

0%of the land within 10 km protected

Within 100 km there is no national park. For a provincial park, Beekahncheekahmeeng Deebahncheekayweehn Eenahohnahnuhn lies 55 km off.

Protected land · of the land within 10 km

Deer Lake0%

Ontario’s towns2.3%

Canadian towns2.3%

Outdoors	Deer Lake	Ontario	Canada
Protected land within 10 km	0%	2.3%	2.3%
Public protected areas within 10 km	0	4	4

55 km

to Beekahncheekahmeeng Deebahncheekayweehn Eenahohnahnuhn

Full pageDeer Lake’s outdoors pageOpen the full Outdoors page

Protected landof the land within 10 km Protected areas0 protected areas within 10 km National & provincial parks55 km to a provincial park · Beekahncheekahmeeng Deebahncheekayweehn Eenahohnahnuhn

Canadian Protected and Conserved Areas Database (CPCAD), OpenStreetMap routes and beaches

History

100% of Deer Lake’s homes date from 1961 or later

0%built before 1961

of homes built before 1961 · Canadian towns 18%

Heritage	Deer Lake	Ontario	Canada
Homes built before 1961	0%	22%	18%

Full pageDeer Lake’s history pageOpen the full History page

Older homes0% built before 1961 · Canadian towns: 18%Questions“How many historic places does Deer Lake have?”

Canadian Register of Historic Places, Directory of Federal Heritage Designations, Québec’s Répertoire du patrimoine culturel, Wikidata; Census 2021 homes by period

Keep exploring

Everything we know about Deer Lake

15pages on Deer Lake

The big questions

SafetyHousing & costProperty pricesSchoolsHealthDLife expectancy 73.7 in its region Work & commuteC⁻42% of adults in work Natural hazardsD⁻Wildfire band: very high

Out and about

OutdoorsAttractionsClimateJuly afternoons around 23°C WeatherECCC’s forecast, beside the normals

The story

Who lives hereMedian age 23.4 HistoryTown hallFamous people

About Deer Lake

First Nations reserve in Ontario

Deer Lake is a First Nations reserve in Ontario, counted by Statistics Canada as its own census subdivision.

Statistics Canada: population estimates 2025 (17-10-0155), Census of Population 2021, 2021 census boundaries.

Population: 1,030 (people, 2025 estimate)
Province or territory: Ontario
Census division: Kenora
First Nation: Deer Lake
Census subdivision: 3560070

Questions about Deer Lake

Is Deer Lake growing?

Between the 2016 and 2021 censuses it went from 867 to 1,087 residents (up 25.4%; Canadian towns’ median: 4.1%), and Statistics Canada now estimates 1,030.

What kind of homes are in Deer Lake?

Mostly 96% single-detached houses (the median of Canadian towns: 64%), with 0% of homes in buildings of five or more storeys. Households hold 4.1 people on average, and 14% have just one.

Is Deer Lake a young town or an old one?

The typical resident is 23.4 (Canadian towns: 45.2), with seniors at 2% of the population and under-15s at 36%.

Sources: Statistics Canada, Census of Population 2021 · population estimates 2025 (17-10-0155) and 2021 census boundaries · 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).