DeserontoOntario

Its census division is Hastings. 1,844 people live in this town in Ontario.

3 places within 19 kmMap →

Photo: P199 · CC BY 2.5

Population

1,844

people, 2025 estimate

Median age

years · Ontario’s towns: 46.8

Postsecondary

35%

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

Walk, cycle, transit

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

Is Deseronto a good place to live?

Schools are its strong suit (A+). Homes were valued at a median $300,000 at the 2021 census, 4.6 times the typical household’s income. Jobs & income is its weak spot (D). Crime runs high (D).

Figures: home values and income: Statistics Canada, Census 2021. Deseronto has subject grades but no overall grade: Canadian towns get one from 2,500 residents.

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. Safety is the police detachment's figure, shared with the towns and countryside around it. Health is graded on the health region's survey figures and life expectancy, with the distance to hospital giving the town its own spread.

StrongestA⁺SchoolsWeakestDJobs & income DSafety

How Deseronto grades

Each subject compares Deseronto 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

Deseronto has subject grades but no overall grade: Canadian towns get one from 2,500 residents.

SchoolsBased on how pupils do in exams and testsA⁺Open →Jobs & incomeIncomes and work are among the weakest comparedDOpen →SafetyIn the bottom fifth of the towns comparedDOpen →Cost of livingBased on what homes cost against what households earnC⁻Open →HealthHealth outcomes are among the weakest comparedC⁻Open →WalkabilityAbove the middle of the towns comparedB⁺Open →Hazard riskGraded on two hazards, earthquakes and radon, with nearby wildfire counted only against itCOpen →

How TownRatings grades Canadian towns →

What makes Deseronto stand out

The 3 things Deseronto does most differently from other towns.

Picked automatically from the data

Postsecondary certificate, diploma or degree

Education

35% have a postsecondary qualification

Against 56% in the median of Canadian towns

Statistics Canada, Census 2021

Schools

Better than 95%

of Canadian towns on schools

Its schools grade: A+.

Walk, cycle or transit to work

Getting around

4% walk, cycle or take transit

The median of Canadian towns: 8%

Statistics Canada, Census 2021

The data

Data highlights are ordered by what stands out in Deseronto.

SchoolsSchools A⁺

The nearest high school to Deseronto is 9.4 km away

1school within 3 kmA⁺Schools Grade

School	Level	Students	System
Deseronto Public School Second fifth in OntarioLargest elementary schoolElementary · Grades JK–8	Elementary · Grades JK–8	165	English public

Schools within 3 km	Deseronto	Ontario	Canada
Nearest secondary school	9.4 km	1.2 km	1.2 km

165

students at the schools within 3 km, 2024-25

9.4 km

to the nearest secondary school

Full pageDeseronto’s schools pageOpen the full Schools page

Every school1 elementary school Results1 of 1 in the top two fifths · of the schools with results, placed against every school in Ontario Language0 of 1 teach in French · 10% of schools in Ontario Questions“What schools are there in Deseronto?”

Provincial school lists and results, 2024-25

Work & commuteJobs & income D

Deseronto’s grade for jobs & income: a D

4%walk, cycle or take transit

Workers spend 25 min getting to work, on average.

How working residents got to work · census 2021

Car or van94%

Walk4%

Census 2021	Deseronto	Ontario	Canada
Average trip	25 min	29 min	26 min

$63,600

median household income, 2020

14%

worked from home, May 2021

17%

of commuters work inside the municipality

Full pageDeseronto’s work & commute pageOpen the full Work & commute page

Getting to work4% walk, cycle or take transit Unemployment16% unemployed · Of the labour force · Canadian towns: 9.9%Where people commute to140 commuters · The biggest flow out: to Greater Napanee

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.

SafetySafety D

Violent crime weighs more where Deseronto is policed than in Ontario’s towns or Canadian towns: a violent severity index of 280

132Crime Severity Index

Its police area recorded 27 violent incidents per 1,000 residents a year, above both Ontario’s towns (10.5) and Canadian towns (12). Across the area its police cover, the Crime Severity Index averaged 132 over 2023–25, higher than both Ontario’s towns (56) and Canadian towns (67). Behind Crime Severity Index, Violent Crime Severity Index, violent crime and property crime per 1,000 sits data gathered across the Lennox and Addington County (Deseronto) detachment area, with Deseronto one part of it.

Year by year · Crime Severity Index for each year

2023181

202495

2025119

2023–2025	Deseronto	Ontario	Canada
Violent Crime Severity Index	280	76	86
Crime Severity Index	132	56	67
Violent crime	27	10.5	12

non-violent Crime Severity Index

67%

of incidents cleared, 2023–25

Full pageDeseronto’s safety reportOpen the full Safety report

Safety132 Crime Severity Index · The index weighs each crime Deseronto’s police recorded by how serious it is.Questions“Is Deseronto safe?”

Statistics Canada, Uniform Crime Reporting Survey, 2023–2025 average

HousingCost of living C⁻

Measured against local pay, Deseronto costs more to live in than 84% of Canadian towns

$300,000median home value, 2021C⁻Cost of living Grade

The owner-occupied share of households is 70%. Shelter took 30% or more of income for 20% of households, lower than Ontario’s towns (22%) yet higher than Canadian towns (18%).

What homes were worth · The median owner’s estimate at the 2021 census

Deseronto$300,000

Ontario$695,000

Canadian towns$406,000

Census 2021	Deseronto	Ontario	Canada
Median home value, 2021	$300,000	$695,000	$406,000
Households owning their home	70%	76%	74%
Households spending 30%+ on shelter	20%	22%	18%

$840

monthly rent for a two-bedroom

$1,120

median monthly shelter cost for owners, 2021

Full pageDeseronto’s cost of living pageOpen the full Cost of living page

Cost of living4.6 times household income · The median owner’s estimate, $300,000, against the median household income Renting$840 a month · The median rent at the 2021 census Owners and renters70% own their home

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.

HealthHealth C⁻

18% of adults smoke in the health region around Deseronto, against 12% for the typical Canadian town

45%very good or excellent healthC⁻Health Grade

The health survey and life expectancy numbers here cover the Hastings and Prince Edward Counties Health Unit

Statistics Canada puts life expectancy at 79.8, below Ontario’s towns (82.8) and Canadian towns (81.5) alike. Adults here are less upbeat about their health than the province: 45% very good or excellent, against 51% in Ontario. What sets Deseronto apart within its region is a longer trip to hospital, 8.4 km for the average resident (3.7 km typical).

Very good or excellent health · adults, age-standardised

Deseronto45%

Ontario’s towns51%

Canadian towns52%

Health	Deseronto	Ontario	Canada
Smokers	18%	10%	12%
Chronic conditions (average share)	20%	17%	17%
Very good or excellent health	45%	51%	52%
Life expectancy at birth	79.8	82.8	81.5

79.8

years of life expectancy, 2022/2024

8.4 km

from homes to a hospital, on average

18%

of adults smoke, age-standardised

0.2 km

from homes to a pharmacy, on average

Full pageDeseronto’s health pageOpen the full Health page

Health survey45% very good or excellent health · adults, age-standardised Getting care8.4 km to a hospital · A pharmacy 0.2 km away on average The wider areaLife expectancy: women 81.8, men 77.8 Conditions and habits20% with chronic conditions · adults, age-standardised

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

Natural hazardsHazard risk C

A flood study covers Deseronto: 1 on the national inventory, the newest from Quinte Conservation

Lowwildfire bandCHazard risk Grade

More homes than usual carry radon here, 12% over the guideline where the typical town has 6.6%. Earthquake risk in Deseronto is ordinary: NRCan’s model puts building losses at $0.035 a year per $1,000 of value, close to the typical town’s $0.030.

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

Deseronto12%

Ontario’s towns4%

Canadian towns6.6%

Hazards	Deseronto	Ontario	Canada
Radon tests above the guideline	12%	4%	6.6%
Earthquake loss per $1,000 of buildings a year	$0.035	$0.043	$0.030

Low

wildfire band

flood study on the national inventory

Full pageDeseronto’s flood & hazards pageOpen the full Flood & hazards page

FloodOne flood study on record WildfireLow wildfire band · No land burned within 25 km since 1986 Earthquakes$0.035 a year per $1,000 · Canadian towns: $0.030 Radon12% 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

Climate

Deseronto has warmer summers than Ontario’s towns or Canadian towns: July afternoons reach 27.2°C

27.2°CJuly afternoons

Rain and snow peak in September, at 100 mm. In January the thermometer sinks to −12.4°C overnight, between Ontario’s towns (−9.1°C) and Canadian towns (−13.5°C). Snow peaks in January: 45 cm in a normal year.

Average high by season · ECCC normals, 1991–2020

Winter−1.3°C

Spring11.9°C

Summer25.9°C

Autumn14.3°C

Normals, 1991–2020	Deseronto	Ontario	Canada
July afternoon high	27.2°C	26.7°C	25.5°C
January night low	−12.4°C	−9.1°C	−13.5°C
Precipitation a year	984 mm	902 mm	883 mm
Snowfall a year	158 cm	146 cm	141 cm

158 cm

of snow a year

154

days with frost a year

128

days with precipitation a year

Full pageDeseronto’s climate pageOpen the full Climate page

The yearJuly highs 27.2°C, January lows −12.4°C Rain and snow984 mm a year · Canadian towns: 883 mm Snow158 cm of snow a year Weather station25 km to the station · Centreville

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

Weather

Expect November days around 7°C in Deseronto, nights around −2°C

7°Ca normal November afternoon

A typical November adds 12 cm of snow. Then December: freezing by day, −8°C at night. In November, the normal is 88 mm of rain and snow. Normal highs peak at 27°C in July; nights bottom out at −12°C in January.

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

November7°C

December0°C

January−3°C

February−1°C

Season	High	Low	Rain and snow
Winter	−1°C	−11°C	229 mm
Spring	12°C	1°C	238 mm
Summer	26°C	14°C	233 mm
Autumn	14°C	4°C	285 mm

−2°C

a normal November night

88 mm

of rain and snow in a normal November

Full pageDeseronto’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 (Centreville); the forecast is on the Weather page

Town hall

Deseronto spends more per resident than 97% of Ontario’s lower-tier municipalities do

The October 2022 vote made Dan Johnston mayor of Deseronto, heading 5 seats.

Turnout	Deseronto	Ontario	Canada
Municipal election, 2022	23%	31%	31%

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

Member of ParliamentShelby Kramp-Neuman Provincial legislatureHastings—Lennox and Addington

Wikidata, MAMH, MMAH, Statistics Canada

Library & civic lifeCivic life grade B⁺

Deseronto Public Library draws 295.9 visits per person served, ahead of all but a few of Ontario’s town libraries

A single building, Deseronto Public Library, serves 1,852 people.

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

The libraries1 Libraries Places to belong6 charities per 1,000 residents

Provincial library statistics, OpenStreetMap, the CRA and Statistics Canada

Outdoors

Thousand Islands National Park lies 45 km beyond Deseronto’s edge

0.2%of the land within 10 km protected

Protected areas cover 0.2% of the land within 10 km, below both Ontario’s towns (2.3%) and Canadian towns (2.3%). 17 km from town is Lake on the Mountain Provincial Picnic Grounds, the nearest provincial park. Count 2 protected areas within 10 km of town.

Protected land · of the land within 10 km

Deseronto0.2%

Ontario’s towns2.3%

Canadian towns2.3%

Outdoors	Deseronto	Ontario	Canada
Protected land within 10 km	0.2%	2.3%	2.3%
Public protected areas within 10 km	0	4	4

45 km

to Thousand Islands National Park

17 km

to Lake on the Mountain Provincial Picnic Grounds

Full pageDeseronto’s outdoors pageOpen the full Outdoors page

Protected landof the land within 10 km Protected areas2 protected areas within 10 km National & provincial parks45 km to a national park · Thousand Islands National Park

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

Who lives here

More of Deseronto’s residents have an Indigenous identity than in Ontario’s towns or Canadian towns: 18%

44median age

4.1% of residents came to Canada as immigrants, lower than both Ontario’s towns (7.6%) and Canadian towns (6.4%). One measure of family life: nearly a fifth of residents are under 15.

DeserontoOntarioCanada

OntarioCanada

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

19%

Schooling · Highest qualification, residents 15 and over

No certificate, diploma or degree29%

Postsecondary qualification35%

Women and men · all residents

50.4% of Deseronto’s residents are women

Here the census found 865 men and 880 women; the figure for women across Canada is 50.9%.

Who lives in Deseronto
	Deseronto	Ontario	Canada
Under 15	19%	15%	16%
15 to 64	63%	65%	64%
65+	19%	19%	19%
No certificate, diploma or degree	29%	15%	16%
Postsecondary qualification	35%	56%	56%

Full pageDeseronto’s Who lives here pageOpen the full Who lives here page

Immigrants4% are immigrants · 2% belong to a visible minority Ages44 median age · 19% are 65 or over Households725 households · 2.4 people per household English and French3% speak both · 0% speak French but not English

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

History

Before 1961: 56% of the homes in Deseronto

56%built before 1961

56%

of homes built before 1961 · Canadian towns 18%

Heritage	Deseronto	Ontario	Canada
Homes built before 1961	56%	22%	18%

Full pageDeseronto’s history pageOpen the full History page

Older homes56% built before 1961 · Canadian towns: 18%Questions“How many historic places does Deseronto 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 Deseronto

15pages on Deseronto

The big questions

SafetyDCrime Severity Index 132 Housing & costC⁻Homes 4.6 × income Property pricesSchoolsA⁺One school within 3 km HealthC⁻Life expectancy 79.8 in its region Work & commuteD46% of adults in work Natural hazardsCWildfire band: low

Out and about

Outdoors0.2% of the land within 10 km protected AttractionsClimateJuly afternoons around 27°C WeatherECCC’s forecast, beside the normals

The story

Who lives hereMedian age 44 HistoryTown hallFamous people

Famous people from Deseronto

7 notable people were born in Deseronto.

See all 7 →

George Fraser KerrRecipient of the Victoria Cross · 1895–1929

Bernie BrennanCanadian football player · born 1927

Frank Patrick O'ConnorCanadian politician · 1885–1939

Tom O'NeillCanadian ice hockey player · 1923–1973

Ted FreemanOntario Member of Provincial Parliament, 1963-1967 · 1900–1986

Edward Walter RathbunCanadian business owner and politician · 1865–1940

About Deseronto

Town in Ontario

Deseronto is a municipality in Ontario, read by TownRatings as Statistics Canada draws it: one census subdivision, so its figures cover the whole municipality.

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

Population: 1,844 (people, 2025 estimate)
Province or territory: Ontario
Census division: Hastings
Census subdivision: 3512002

Deseronto’s neighbours

The nearest places of 1,000 or more. Statistics Canada

Greater NapaneeTyendinaga Mohawk TerritoryTyendinagaDeseronto

How the neighbours grade

Town	People	km	Overall	Cost	Safety	Health
Deseronto	1,844	—	—	C⁻	D	C⁻
Greater Napanee	18,016	7.8	C	C⁻	C⁺	B⁺
Tyendinaga Mohawk Territory	3,028	8.8	—	—	—	D
Tyendinaga	5,005	14	C⁻	B⁻	D	D

People: Statistics Canada, Census 2021. Distances: centre to centre.

Questions about Deseronto

Who are the people of Deseronto?

At the 2021 census, 4% were immigrants and 2% belonged to a visible minority (Canadian towns’ median: 15%). 18% identify as First Nations, Métis or Inuit.

What kind of homes are in Deseronto?

Single-detached houses make up 74% of the homes here, where Canadian towns sit at 64%; 0% are in high-rise apartments. 30% of households are one person, and the average is 2.4.

Has Deseronto grown?

Between the 2016 and 2021 censuses it fell from 1,774 to 1,747 residents (1.5% down; Canadian towns’ median grew 4.1%); Statistics Canada now estimates 1,844.

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).