Drummond/North ElmsleyOntario
Its population rose 5% from 2016 to 2021. Home to 8,817 people, this town lies in Ontario.
Is Drummond/North Elmsley a good place to live?
Strong in places, weak in others. School results trail most towns (D). At C+ overall, Drummond/North Elmsley ranks #612 of 858 in Ontario. Set against the rest, it does better than nearly two fifths of Canadian towns. Most journeys need a car (D). It also trails on hazard risk (D). Its strongest is safety (A+). A median home here was worth $460,000 at the census, or 4.7 times what the middle household earns in a year.
Figures: home values and income: Statistics Canada, Census 2021.
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.
What makes Drummond/North Elmsley stand out
The 3 things Drummond/North Elmsley does most differently from other towns.
How Drummond/North Elmsley grades
Each subject compares Drummond/North Elmsley 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 →
Archives Lanark and 9 more in and around Drummond/North Elmsley
A first look at Drummond/North Elmsley’s museums, historic sites and days out, and a few just outside town.
MuseumMatheson House1.1 km outside town, to the south
MuseumSmiths Falls Railway Station (Canadian Northern)200 m outside town, to the east
MuseumMcMartin House900 m outside town, to the southMuseumMuseumLanark & District Museum1 km outside town, to the westHistoric siteHistoric siteDefensible Lockmaster's House800 m outside town, to the eastPhotos: each place’s Wikidata image, from Wikimedia Commons under the licence below (our copy, resized).
Photo credits (3)
- Matheson House: JustSomePics, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Smiths Falls Railway Station (Canadian Northern): Bruce Fingerhood from Springfield, Oregon, US, CC BY 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
- McMartin House: Kenn Chaplin from Toronto, Canada, CC BY-SA 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
The data
Data highlights are ordered by what stands out in Drummond/North Elmsley.
Drummond/North Elmsley’s Violent Crime Severity Index, 35, runs below Ontario’s towns and Canadian towns
Violence accounts for 6.2 recorded crimes per 1,000 residents a year. Thefts, break-ins and damage came to 10.5 per 1,000 residents a year, below both Ontario’s towns (30.5) and Canadian towns (31.2).
Year by year · Crime Severity Index for each year
| 2023–2025 | Drummond/North Elmsley | Ontario | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Property crime per 1,000 | 10.5 | 30.5 | 31.2 |
| Violent Crime Severity Index | 35 | 76 | 86 |
| Violent crime | 6.2 | 10.5 | 12 |
Statistics Canada, Uniform Crime Reporting Survey, 2023–2025 average
Drummond/North Elmsley gets a D for hazard risk
Seismic risk runs high: $0.088 of expected damage per $1,000 of buildings a year, the typical town $0.030. Radon is higher than usual: 19% of tested homes in the survey area topped the guideline, against 6.6% for the typical town. Mississippi Valley Conservation Authority has mapped the flood hazard here, one of 7 studies on the national inventory.
Radon tests above the guideline · share of tested homes, 200 Bq/m³
| Hazards | Drummond/North Elmsley | Ontario | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Radon tests above the guideline | 19% | 4% | 6.6% |
| Earthquake loss per $1,000 of buildings a year | $0.088 | $0.043 | $0.030 |
NRCan seismic risk model and burned areas, Health Canada radon survey, the Flood Hazard Map Inventory
Drummond/North Elmsley’s schools mostly sit under the middle in Ontario, 10 of the 14 with results
Counting a 3 km margin, Drummond/North Elmsley has 13 elementary schools and 5 secondary schools, for 4,750 students. Results have climbed at 8 of 14 schools over three years. Schooling here is split between 2 boards, below both Ontario’s towns (4) and Canadian towns (3).
| School | Level | Students | System |
|---|---|---|---|
| St Francis de Sales Separate School CatholicLargest elementary schoolElementary · Grades JK–6 | Elementary · Grades JK–6 | 430 | English Catholic |
| Smiths Falls District Collegiate Institute Bottom fifth in OntarioLargest secondary schoolSecondary · Grades 9–12 | Secondary · Grades 9–12 | 700 | English public |
Schools by system · Schools within 3 km
| Schools within 3 km | Drummond/North Elmsley | Ontario | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| School boards | 2 | 4 | 3 |
| Nearest secondary school | 6.6 km | 1.2 km | 1.2 km |
| Nearest elementary school | 4.9 km | 0.5 km | 0.5 km |
Provincial school lists and results, 2024-25
More households own their home in Drummond/North Elmsley than in Ontario’s towns or across Canadian towns: 93%
Shelter took 30% or more of income for 11% of households, lower than both Ontario’s towns (22%) and Canadian towns (18%).
What homes were worth · The median owner’s estimate at the 2021 census
| Census 2021 | Drummond/North Elmsley | Ontario | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Households spending 30%+ on shelter | 11% | 22% | 18% |
| Households owning their home | 93% | 76% | 74% |
| Rent as a share of income | 18% | 22% | 20% |
| Median home value, 2021 | $460,000 | $695,000 | $406,000 |
Statistics Canada, Census 2021; CMHC Rental Market Survey via Statistics Canada · The 2021 census asked owners what their home was worth; those values, and 2020 incomes, are what this compares.
Drummond/North Elmsley has 0.1 jobs for every resident in work, so most leave town for work
Getting to work takes 27 min on average.
How working residents got to work · census 2021
| Census 2021 | Drummond/North Elmsley | Ontario | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average trip | 27 min | 29 min | 26 min |
Statistics Canada, Census 2021 (labour and commuting) · The 2021 census was taken in May 2021, during COVID-19 restrictions: more people than usual worked from home or were off work.
January nights in Drummond/North Elmsley drop to −14.2°C (Ontario towns −9.1°C, Canadian towns −13.5°C)
Snow peaks in January: 46 cm in a normal year. There are 163 days of frost in a typical year, above Ontario’s towns (139) and close to Canadian towns (159). July afternoons in Drummond/North Elmsley average 27.1°C.
Average high by season · ECCC normals, 1991–2020
| Normals, 1991–2020 | Drummond/North Elmsley | Ontario | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Snowfall a year | 187 cm | 146 cm | 141 cm |
| July afternoon high | 27.1°C | 26.7°C | 25.5°C |
| January night low | −14.2°C | −9.1°C | −13.5°C |
| Days with frost a year | 163 | 139 | 159 |
Environment and Climate Change Canada, Canadian Climate Normals 1991–2020 (Drummond Centre)
Drummond/North Elmsley skews older, with 25% of residents 65 or over, more than in both Ontario’s towns and Canadian towns
Children under 15 make up 14%, below Ontario’s towns (15%) and Canadian towns (16%) alike. Visible minorities make up 1.9% of the population, lower than 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
Women make up 50.3% of Drummond/North Elmsley
In 2021 there were 4,115 women to 4,065 men; Canada as a whole is 50.9% women.
| Drummond/North Elmsley | Ontario | Canada | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 15 | 14% | 15% | 16% |
| 15 to 64 | 61% | 65% | 64% |
| 65+ | 25% | 19% | 19% |
| No certificate, diploma or degree | 13% | 15% | 16% |
| Postsecondary qualification | 57% | 56% | 56% |
Statistics Canada, Census 2021; Ontario and Canada: medians of towns of 2,500+
Drummond/North Elmsley in November: highs near 6°C, lows near −2°C
ECCC’s forecast for Smiths Falls is on the Weather page, hour by hour. December follows at −1°C by day and −9°C by night. Expect around 17 cm of snow in November. A normal November brings 75 mm of rain and snow.
Normal highs, the months ahead · ECCC normals, 1991–2020
| Season | High | Low | Rain and snow |
|---|---|---|---|
| Winter | −3°C | −12°C | 204 mm |
| Spring | 12°C | 0°C | 214 mm |
| Summer | 26°C | 13°C | 267 mm |
| Autumn | 13°C | 3°C | 253 mm |
ECCC normals, 1991–2020 (Drummond Centre); the forecast is on the Weather page
Per resident, Drummond/North Elmsley spends less than 99% of Ontario’s lower-tier municipalities
Scott Reid (Conservative Party of Canada) is the MP for Lanark—Frontenac, the riding (a federal electoral district, which elects one MP) that takes in Drummond/North Elmsley.
| Turnout | Drummond/North Elmsley | Ontario | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Municipal election, 2022 | 14% | 31% | 31% |
Wikidata, MAMH, MMAH, Statistics Canada
No public library stands in Drummond/North Elmsley: the closest, Perth & District Union Public Library, is 6.8 km away
The next is Lanark Highlands Public Library (Lanark Highlands), 15 km away.
Provincial library statistics, OpenStreetMap, the CRA and Statistics Canada
Around Drummond/North Elmsley, 51% of adults call their health very good or excellent
Across the region, life runs to 81.2 years on average: women 83.3, men 79.2, in 2022/2024. Smoking is commoner than in the province: 14% of adults, against 11% for Ontario. The three chronic conditions the survey tracks average 18% of adults, in line with Ontario’s towns (17%) and Canadian towns (17%). The town’s own part is the trip to care, and Drummond/North Elmsley’s is long: 7.3 km to a hospital on average, against 3.7 km typical. Nobody publishes health survey and life expectancy for Drummond/North Elmsley alone, so this card uses the figure for the Leeds, Grenville and Lanark District Health Unit.
Very good or excellent health · adults, age-standardised
| Health | Drummond/North Elmsley | Ontario | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Smokers | 14% | 10% | 12% |
| Life expectancy at birth | 81.2 | 82.8 | 81.5 |
| 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
Drummond/North Elmsley is on the The Great Trail (Eastern Ontario)
The closest provincial park is Murphys Point Provincial Park, 2.6 km from the edge of town. Within 5 km are 5 beaches; Murphy Park Beach is the nearest. Also worth knowing: 25 km separate the town from Thousand Islands National Park, its nearest national park. Of the country within 10 km, 4.9% lies in protected areas; the median Canadian town has 2.3%.
Protected land · of the land within 10 km
| Outdoors | Drummond/North Elmsley | Ontario | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Protected land within 10 km | 4.9% | 2.3% | 2.3% |
| Public protected areas within 10 km | 4 | 4 | 4 |
Canadian Protected and Conserved Areas Database (CPCAD), OpenStreetMap routes and beaches
Everything we know about Drummond/North Elmsley
Famous people from around Drummond/North Elmsley
No notable person born in Drummond/North Elmsley is on our list; these were born in the towns around it.
Photo credits
Billy Smith: Horge, CC BY 3.0 · Don McKenney: TCG Topps Gum Cards, Public domain
Drummond/North Elmsley’s neighbours
The nearest places of 1,000 or more. Statistics Canada
| Town | People | km | Overall | Cost | Safety | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Drummond/North Elmsley | 8,817 | — | C+ | C | A+ | B− |
| Perth | 6,972 | 7 | C− | D | C+ | B |
| Smiths Falls | 11,093 | 16 | D− | D | C− | B |
| Tay Valley | 6,171 | 17 | C+ | C | A | B− |
| Montague | 4,414 | 19 | C | C− | A+ | B− |
| Beckwith | 10,073 | 19 | B+ | C | A+ | B− |
People: Statistics Canada, Census 2021. Distances: centre to centre.
Questions about Drummond/North Elmsley
Who are the people of Drummond/North Elmsley?
At the 2021 census, 5% were immigrants and 2% belonged to a visible minority (Canadian towns’ median: 15%). 4% identify as First Nations, Métis or Inuit.
What kind of homes are in Drummond/North Elmsley?
94% of homes are single-detached houses, against 64% for the median of Canadian towns, and 0% are in apartment buildings of five storeys or more. A household averages 2.5 people; 20% are one person living alone.
Is Drummond/North Elmsley growing?
Yes: the census counted 7,773 in 2016 and 8,183 in 2021, a rise of 5.3%, against 4.1% for the median of Canadian towns. The 2025 estimate is 8,817.
How old are the people of Drummond/North Elmsley?
Its median age is 50.8, where Canadian towns sit at 45.2.
About Drummond/North Elmsley
Town in Ontario
Statistics Canada treats Drummond/North Elmsley 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
- 8,817 (people, 2025 estimate)
- Province or territory
- Ontario
- Census division
- Lanark
- Census subdivision
- 3509010
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).