EspanolaOntario

TownGrade

C⁻

#2,145 of 2,556

A town of 5,504 in Ontario. Its census division is Sudbury.

1 place within 19 kmMap →

Photo: P199 · CC BY-SA 2.5

Population

5,504

people, 2025 estimate

Median age

48.8

years · Ontario’s towns: 46.8

Postsecondary

47%

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

Walk, cycle, transit

13%

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

Is Espanola a good place to live?

Espanola’s weakest is schools (C−). With a C− overall, Espanola is better than just over a fifth of Canadian towns. The ranking puts it #756 of 858 in Ontario. Walking, cycling and public transport work well here (A).

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.

StrongestAHazard risk AWalkabilityWeakestC⁻Schools

How Espanola grades

Each subject compares Espanola 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

Hazard riskAmong the best of the towns comparedAOpen →WalkabilityBased on walking, cycling and transit to everyday placesAOpen →SchoolsSchools are among the weakest comparedC⁻Open →SafetyBehind most towns comparedCOpen →Jobs & incomeBased on what households earn, poverty and workC⁺Open →HealthResidents’ health trails most townsC⁺Open →Cost of livingBased on what homes cost against what households earnB⁻Open →

How TownRatings grades Canadian towns →

What makes Espanola stand out

The 3 things Espanola does most differently from other towns.

Picked automatically from the data

Home value ÷ household income

Housing

3 times household income

Against 4.7 for the median of Canadian towns

Median owner’s estimate $230,000, Census 2021; income for 2020.

Hazard risk

Better than 91%

of Canadian towns on hazard risk

Its hazard risk grade: A.

Residents 65 and over

Who lives here

25% are 65 or over

The midpoint across Canadian towns is 19%

Statistics Canada, Census 2021

The data

Data highlights are ordered by what stands out in Espanola.

Natural hazardsHazard risk A

Espanola earns an A for hazard risk

Lowwildfire bandAHazard risk Grade

Espanola’s survey area, 5.2% over the radon guideline, is close to the typical town’s 6.6%. Earthquakes matter little: NRCan’s model puts building losses at $0.010 a year per $1,000 of value, against $0.030 for the typical town. No one has filed a flood map for Espanola on the national inventory.

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

Espanola5.2%

Ontario’s towns4%

Canadian towns6.6%

Hazards	Espanola	Ontario	Canada
Earthquake loss per $1,000 of buildings a year	$0.010	$0.043	$0.030
Radon tests above the guideline	5.2%	4%	6.6%

$0.010

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

Low

wildfire band

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

WildfireLow wildfire band · No land burned within 25 km since 1986 FloodNo flood study on record Earthquakes$0.010 a year per $1,000 · Canadian towns: $0.030 Radon5.2% 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

Summers stay cool in Espanola: July afternoons reach 22.4°C, below Ontario’s towns and Canadian towns

22.4°CJuly afternoons

January is the snowiest month, with 64 cm on average. Snow totals 263 cm over the year, above both Ontario’s towns (146 cm) and Canadian towns (141 cm). A normal September brings 103 mm of precipitation, more than any other month.

Average high by season · ECCC normals, 1991–2020

Winter−3.2°C

Spring7.2°C

Summer21.1°C

Autumn11.6°C

Normals, 1991–2020	Espanola	Ontario	Canada
July afternoon high	22.4°C	26.7°C	25.5°C
Snowfall a year	263 cm	146 cm	141 cm
January night low	−12.9°C	−9.1°C	−13.5°C
Days with frost a year	144	139	159

263 cm

of snow a year

144

days with frost a year

122

days with precipitation a year

Full pageEspanola’s climate pageOpen the full Climate page

The yearJuly highs 22.4°C, January lows −12.9°C Rain and snow912 mm a year · Canadian towns: 883 mm Snow263 cm of snow a year Weather station39 km to the station · Killarney

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

SchoolsSchools C⁻

Teaching in French: 2 of Espanola’s 5 schools

5schools within 3 kmC⁻Schools Grade

Within 3 km of Espanola are 3 elementary schools and 2 secondary schools, teaching 1,205 students. 3 of the 5 are Catholic, more than the 34% in Ontario.

School	Level	Students	System
A B Ellis Public School Middle fifth in OntarioLargest elementary schoolElementary · Grades JK–8	Elementary · Grades JK–8	260	English public
Espanola High School Bottom fifth in OntarioLargest secondary schoolSecondary · Grades 9–12	Secondary · Grades 9–12	505	English public
École élémentaire catholique La Renaissance FrenchTeaches in FrenchElementary · Grades JK–8	Elementary · Grades JK–8	185	French Catholic

See all 5 schools →

Schools by system · Schools within 3 km

English public2

French Catholic2

English Catholic1

Schools within 3 km	Espanola	Ontario	Canada
School boards	3	4	3

1,205

students at the schools within 3 km, 2024-25

0.7 km

to the nearest secondary school

Full pageEspanola’s schools pageOpen the full Schools page

Language2 of 5 teach in French · 10% of schools in Ontario Every school5 schools within 3 km · 3 elementary schools and 2 secondary schools Results0 of 5 in the top two fifths · of the schools with results, placed against every school in Ontario The boards3 school boards · Rainbow DSB Questions“What schools are there in Espanola?”

Provincial school lists and results, 2024-25

SafetySafety C

Violent crime weighs more on Espanola than on Ontario’s towns or Canadian towns: a violent severity index of 124

91Crime Severity Index

The violent crime rate is 20 per 1,000 residents a year. Property crime ran at 25.4 incidents per 1,000 residents a year, below Ontario’s towns (30.5) and Canadian towns (31.2) alike.

Year by year · Crime Severity Index for each year

2023110

202475

202587

2023–2025	Espanola	Ontario	Canada
Violent crime	20	10.5	12
Violent Crime Severity Index	124	76	86
Property crime per 1,000	25.4	30.5	31.2

non-violent Crime Severity Index

67%

of incidents cleared, 2023–25

Full pageEspanola’s safety reportOpen the full Safety report

Safety91 Crime Severity Index · The index weighs each crime Espanola’s police recorded by how serious it is.Questions“Is Espanola safe?”

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

Work & commuteJobs & income C⁺

Commuters in Espanola have a short way to work, 22 min on average, less than in Ontario’s towns and across Canadian towns

13%walk, cycle or take transit

85% of commuters drove, near Ontario’s towns (88%) and lower than Canadian towns (89%).

How working residents got to work · census 2021

Car or van85%

Walk10%

Bicycle2%

Public transit1%

Census 2021	Espanola	Ontario	Canada
Average trip	22 min	29 min	26 min
Car or van	85%	88%	89%

$78,000

median household income, 2020

worked from home, May 2021

71%

of commuters work inside the municipality

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

Unemployment9.4% unemployed · Of the labour force · Canadian towns: 9.9%Getting to work13% walk, cycle or take transit Where people commute to210 commuters · The biggest flow out: to Greater Sudbury

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.

HealthHealth C⁺

People in Espanola’s health region live to 79.1 on average, 2.4 years short of the typical Canadian town

51%very good or excellent healthC⁺Health Grade

Health survey and life expectancy for the Sudbury and District Health Unit

At 16%, the share of adults who smoke tops the 11% for Ontario. The three chronic conditions the survey tracks average a fifth of adults, above Ontario’s towns (17%) and Canadian towns (17%) alike. Across the region, 51% of adults say their health is very good or excellent, much as in Ontario (51%). Closer to home, a hospital is just 1.4 km from the average resident of Espanola, nearer than the usual 3.7 km.

Very good or excellent health · adults, age-standardised

Espanola51%

Ontario’s towns51%

Canadian towns52%

Health	Espanola	Ontario	Canada
Smokers	16%	10%	12%
Life expectancy at birth	79.1	82.8	81.5
Chronic conditions (average share)	20%	17%	17%

79.1

years of life expectancy, 2022/2024

1.4 km

from homes to a hospital, on average

16%

of adults smoke, age-standardised

24 km

from homes to a pharmacy, on average

Full pageEspanola’s health pageOpen the full Health page

Health survey51% very good or excellent health · adults, age-standardised Getting care1.4 km to a hospital · A pharmacy 24 km away on average The wider areaLife expectancy: women 82.0, men 76.3 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

HousingCost of living B⁻

Espanola earns a B− for cost of living

$230,000median home value, 2021B⁻Cost of living Grade

Shelter took 30% or more of income for 14% of households, below Ontario’s towns (22%) and Canadian towns (18%) alike. Rent took a fifth of household income, below Ontario’s towns (22%) and close to Canadian towns (20%).

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

Espanola$230,000

Ontario$695,000

Canadian towns$406,000

Census 2021	Espanola	Ontario	Canada
Households spending 30%+ on shelter	14%	22%	18%
Rent as a share of income	20%	22%	20%

$930

monthly rent for a two-bedroom

$860

median monthly shelter cost for owners, 2021

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

Cost of livingThe median owner’s estimate, $230,000, against the median household income Renting$930 a month · The median rent at the 2021 census Owners and renters76% own their home

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.

Weather

Espanola in November: highs near 5°C, lows near −1°C

5°Ca normal November afternoon

Across the year, normals run from −13°C nights in January to 22°C afternoons in July. Into December, the normals move to −1°C and −8°C. About 30 cm of snow falls in a normal November. In November, the normal is 75 mm of rain and snow.

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

November5°C

December−1°C

January−5°C

February−4°C

Season	High	Low	Rain and snow
Winter	−3°C	−11°C	184 mm
Spring	7°C	0°C	205 mm
Summer	21°C	15°C	251 mm
Autumn	12°C	6°C	272 mm

−1°C

a normal November night

75 mm

of rain and snow in a normal November

Full pageEspanola’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 (Killarney); the forecast is on the Weather page

Town hall

Espanola turned out at 42% for its 2022 council election, above 76% of Ontario municipalities

The Legislative Assembly of Ontario’s northern ridings aren’t the federal ones and aren’t published as open data, so Espanola isn’t placed.

Turnout	Espanola	Ontario	Canada
Municipal election, 2022	42%	31%	31%

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

Who runs itTown Member of ParliamentJim Belanger

Wikidata, MAMH, MMAH, Statistics Canada

Library & civic lifeCivic life grade B⁺

Espanola Public Library draws 13.9 visits per person served, ahead of all but a few of Ontario’s town libraries

A single building, Espanola Public Library, serves 5,185 people.

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

Places to belong2.9 charities per 1,000 residents

Provincial library statistics, OpenStreetMap, the CRA and Statistics Canada

Who lives here

More of Espanola’s residents have an Indigenous identity than in Ontario’s towns or Canadian towns: 12%

48.8median age

Visible minorities make up 3.3% of the population, lower than both Ontario’s towns (26%) and Canadian towns (15%). 21% speak both English and French, higher than both Ontario’s towns (6.7%) and Canadian towns (7.5%).

EspanolaOntarioCanada

OntarioCanada

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

25%

Schooling · Highest qualification, residents 15 and over

No certificate, diploma or degree21%

Postsecondary qualification47%

Women and men · all residents

Women make up 50.5% of Espanola

Of the 2021 count, 2,620 were women and 2,565 men (women across Canada: 50.9%).

Who lives in Espanola
	Espanola	Ontario	Canada
Under 15	15%	15%	16%
15 to 64	60%	65%	64%
65+	25%	19%	19%
No certificate, diploma or degree	21%	15%	16%
Postsecondary qualification	47%	56%	56%

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

Immigrants4% are immigrants · 3% belong to a visible minority Ages48.8 median age · 25% are 65 or over Households2,305 households · 2.2 people per household English and French21% speak both · 0.2% speak French but not English

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

Outdoors

The nearest provincial park, Killarney Lakelands and Headwaters Provincial Park, is 4.1 km from Espanola

4.5%of the land within 10 km protected

Within 100 km there is no national park. The protected share of the 10 km around the town is 4.5%, above Ontario’s towns (2.3%) and Canadian towns (2.3%) alike. Also worth knowing: there is a beach within 5 km, unnamed on the map.

Protected land · of the land within 10 km

Espanola4.5%

Ontario’s towns2.3%

Canadian towns2.3%

Outdoors	Espanola	Ontario	Canada
Protected land within 10 km	4.5%	2.3%	2.3%
Public protected areas within 10 km	4	4	4

4.1 km

to Killarney Lakelands and Headwaters Provincial Park

beach within 5 km

Full pageEspanola’s outdoors pageOpen the full Outdoors page

Protected landof the land within 10 km Protected areas4 protected areas within 10 km · Killarney Provincial Park National & provincial parks4.1 km to a provincial park · Killarney Lakelands and Headwaters Provincial Park

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

History

Heritage in Espanola

38%built before 1961

Older housing, built before 1961, accounts for 38% of homes, above both Ontario’s towns (22%) and Canadian towns (18%).

38%

of homes built before 1961 · Canadian towns 18%

Heritage	Espanola	Ontario	Canada
Homes built before 1961	38%	22%	18%

Full pageEspanola’s history pageOpen the full History page

Older homes38% built before 1961 · Canadian towns: 18%Questions“How many historic places does Espanola 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 Espanola

15pages on Espanola

The big questions

SafetyCCrime Severity Index 91 Housing & costB⁻Homes 3 × income Property pricesSchoolsC⁻5 schools within 3 km HealthC⁺Life expectancy 79.1 in its region Work & commuteC⁺48% of adults in work Natural hazardsAWildfire band: low

Out and about

Outdoors4.5% of the land within 10 km protected AttractionsClimateJuly afternoons around 22°C WeatherECCC’s forecast, beside the normals

The story

Who lives hereMedian age 48.8 HistoryTown hallFamous people

Famous people from Espanola

6 notable people were born in Espanola.

See all 6 →

Leo LamoureuxCanadian ice hockey defenceman · 1916–1961

Kyle HerranenCanadian Interdisciplinary Artist · born 1977

Greg DuhaimeCanadian distance runner · 1953–1992

Jim JonesCanadian ice hockey defenceman · born 1949

Bob JonesIce hockey player · 1945–2026

Tim JacobsIce hockey player · born 1952

Photo credits

Leo Lamoureux: Conrad Poirier, Public domain · Kyle Herranen: Heikki02003, CC BY-SA 3.0

About Espanola

Town in Ontario

Statistics Canada treats Espanola 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: 5,504 (people, 2025 estimate)
Province or territory: Ontario
Census division: Sudbury
Census subdivision: 3552026

Espanola’s neighbours

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

Sables-Spanish RiversEspanola

How the neighbours grade

Town	People	km	Overall	Cost	Safety	Health
Espanola	5,504	—	C⁻	B⁻	C	C⁺
Sables-Spanish Rivers	3,412	18	D⁻	B⁻	C	C⁻

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

Questions about Espanola

Who are the people of Espanola?

3% of residents belong to a visible minority, against 15% for the median of Canadian towns; 12% have an Indigenous identity and 4% are immigrants.

Do people in Espanola speak French?

Many do: 21% are bilingual in English and French (Canadian towns’ median: 8%), and 0.2% speak French only.

Is Espanola a young town or an old one?

48.8 is the median age, 45.2 the median among Canadian towns; 25% of residents are 65 or over and 15% under 15.

What kind of homes are in Espanola?

Mostly 81% single-detached houses (the median of Canadian towns: 64%), with 0% of homes in buildings of five or more storeys. Households hold 2.2 people on average, and 31% have just one.

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).