Fergusin Centre Wellington, Ontario
It grew by 10% between the 2016 and 2021 censuses. It is a town of 34,565 residents in Ontario.
Is Fergus a good place to live?
Safety is its strong suit (A+). It also does well on schools (A). What holds it back is cost of living (C−). The overall grade lands at A, #53 of 858 in Ontario. Set against the rest, it does better than 89% of Canadian towns.
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.
What makes Fergus stand out
The 3 things Fergus does most differently from other towns.
How Fergus grades
Each subject compares Fergus 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 →
The data
Data highlights are ordered by what stands out in Fergus.
The force covering Fergus records less serious violence than Ontario’s towns or Canadian towns, at 28
Area-wide: Crime Severity Index, Violent Crime Severity Index, violent crime and property crime per 1,000, counted over the Wellington County detachment area
Violence across its police area runs at 4.9 per 1,000 residents a year. Across the area its police cover, the Crime Severity Index averaged 29 over 2023–25, below Ontario’s towns (56) and Canadian towns (67) alike. Property crime in the area its police cover: 13.6 per 1,000 people a year.
Year by year · Crime Severity Index for each year
| 2023–2025 | Fergus | Ontario | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Property crime per 1,000 | 13.6 | 30.5 | 31.2 |
| Violent Crime Severity Index | 28 | 76 | 86 |
| Crime Severity Index | 29 | 56 | 67 |
| Violent crime | 4.9 | 10.5 | 12 |
Statistics Canada, Uniform Crime Reporting Survey, 2023–2025 average
In the top two fifths in Ontario: 11 of the 12 schools around Fergus with results
In or within 3 km of Fergus: 12 elementary schools and 1 secondary school, with 4,760 students. Results have climbed at 8 of 12 schools over three years. Only 2 of the 13 are Catholic, against 34% in Ontario. No French-language school is among them; in Ontario, 10% of schools are.
| School | Level | Students | System |
|---|---|---|---|
| J Douglas Hogarth Public School Second fifth in OntarioLargest elementary schoolElementary · Grades JK–8 | Elementary · Grades JK–8 | 610 | English public |
| Centre Wellington District High School Second fifth in OntarioLargest secondary schoolSecondary · Grades 9–12 | Secondary · Grades 9–12 | 1,190 | English public |
| Ponsonby Public School Top fifth in OntarioResults in the top fifth in OntarioElementary · Grades JK–6 | Elementary · Grades JK–6 | 150 | English public |
Schools by system · Schools within 3 km
| Schools within 3 km | Fergus | Ontario | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| School boards | 2 | 4 | 3 |
| Nearest secondary school | 3.1 km | 1.2 km | 1.2 km |
Provincial school lists and results, 2024-25
Households in Fergus have higher incomes than those in 86% of Canadian towns
The car took 94% of commuters, above both Ontario’s towns (88%) and Canadian towns (89%). The commute to work averages 27 min.
How working residents got to work · census 2021
| Census 2021 | Fergus | Ontario | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Car or van | 94% | 88% | 89% |
| 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.
Measured against local pay, Fergus costs more to live in than 83% of Canadian towns
Source area for rent as a share of income and monthly rent for a two-bedroom: the Centre Wellington metro area
17% of households spent 30% or more of their income on shelter, below both Ontario’s towns (22%) and Canadian towns (18%). The owner-occupied share of households is 81%.
What homes were worth · The median owner’s estimate at the 2021 census
| Census 2021 | Fergus | Ontario | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Households spending 30%+ on shelter | 17% | 22% | 18% |
| Rent as a share of income | 19% | 22% | 20% |
| Households owning their home | 81% | 76% | 74% |
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.
Around Fergus, 51% of adults call their health very good or excellent
What sets Fergus apart within its region is distance, and at 3.5 km to a hospital it is ordinary (3.7 km typical). Smoking is commoner than in the province: 13% of adults, against 11% for Ontario. Lives in the region last 82.4 years on average (2022/2024): 84.5 for women, 80.2 for men. Fergus doesn’t get its own health survey and life expectancy figures; the ones here come from the Wellington-Dufferin-Guelph Health Unit.
Very good or excellent health · adults, age-standardised
| Health | Fergus | Ontario | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Smokers | 13% | 10% | 12% |
| Life expectancy at birth | 82.4 | 82.8 | 81.5 |
Statistics Canada, Canadian Community Health Survey 2023/2024 and life expectancy 2022/2024; Open Database of Healthcare Facilities
January nights in Fergus drop to −10.7°C (Ontario towns −9.1°C, Canadian towns −13.5°C)
A normal January brings 32 cm of snow, the most of any month. Summer highs average 25.4°C in July, about level with Canadian towns (25.5°C) and below Ontario’s towns (26.7°C). For the wettest month, look to July: 96 mm on average.
Average high by season · ECCC normals, 1991–2020
| Normals, 1991–2020 | Fergus | Ontario | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Snowfall a year | 115 cm | 146 cm | 141 cm |
| July afternoon high | 25.4°C | 26.7°C | 25.5°C |
| January night low | −10.7°C | −9.1°C | −13.5°C |
| Days with frost a year | 156 | 139 | 159 |
Environment and Climate Change Canada, Canadian Climate Normals 1991–2020 (Elora)
A normal November in Fergus runs from −2°C to 6°C
The forecast on the Weather page is ECCC’s for Cambridge. A normal November brings 75 mm of rain and snow. November usually brings some 9 cm of snow. The year peaks in July (25°C) and bottoms out in February (−11°C).
Normal highs, the months ahead · ECCC normals, 1991–2020
| Season | High | Low | Rain and snow |
|---|---|---|---|
| Winter | −2°C | −9°C | 167 mm |
| Spring | 11°C | 0°C | 218 mm |
| Summer | 24°C | 13°C | 244 mm |
| Autumn | 14°C | 4°C | 221 mm |
ECCC normals, 1991–2020 (Elora); the forecast is on the Weather page
Fergus has one council seat for every 4,940 residents, more than 82% of municipalities in Ontario
Provincially, Fergus votes in Wellington—Halton Hills; the open record doesn’t name its MPP (Member of Provincial Parliament, at Queen’s Park in Toronto) in the Legislative Assembly of Ontario, so the legislature’s own list is linked below.
| Turnout | Fergus | Ontario | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Municipal election, 2022 | 39% | 31% | 31% |
Wikidata, MAMH, MMAH, Statistics Canada
Fergus has 4 public library branches
They are Aboyne Branch Library, Wellington County Library - Aboyne Branch, Wellington County Library - Elora Branch and 1 more.
Provincial library statistics, OpenStreetMap, the CRA and Statistics Canada
Fergus is on Canada’s flood inventory: 1 listed, led by Grand River Conservation Authority
Just over a tenth of radon tests in the survey area came in above the guideline, above Ontario’s towns (4%) and Canadian towns (6.6%) alike. For earthquakes Fergus is middling, $0.019 a year per $1,000 against $0.030 for the typical town.
Radon tests above the guideline · share of tested homes, 200 Bq/m³
| Hazards | Fergus | Ontario | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Radon tests above the guideline | 11% | 4% | 6.6% |
| Earthquake loss per $1,000 of buildings a year | $0.019 | $0.043 | $0.030 |
NRCan seismic risk model and burned areas, Health Canada radon survey, the Flood Hazard Map Inventory
7 named trails run within 2 km of Fergus
The nearest provincial park, Forks of the Credit Provincial Park, is 19 km away. Within 5 km lie 2 beaches, unnamed on the map. Also worth knowing: a drive of 83 km reaches Rouge National Urban Park, the nearest national park. 4 protected areas lie within 10 km.
Protected land · of the land within 10 km
| Outdoors | Fergus | Ontario | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Protected land within 10 km | 0% | 2.3% | 2.3% |
| Public protected areas within 10 km | 2 | 4 | 4 |
Canadian Protected and Conserved Areas Database (CPCAD), OpenStreetMap routes and beaches
Fewer of Fergus’s people belong to a visible minority than in Ontario’s towns or Canadian towns: 5.2%
17% are under 15, above both Ontario’s towns (15%) and Canadian towns (16%). Retirement age and beyond: just over a fifth of residents are 65 or older.
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 51.1% of Fergus
The 2021 census counted 15,905 women and 15,190 men here, where women make up 50.9% of Canada.
| Fergus | Ontario | Canada | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 15 | 17% | 15% | 16% |
| 15 to 64 | 61% | 65% | 64% |
| 65+ | 22% | 19% | 19% |
| No certificate, diploma or degree | 15% | 15% | 16% |
| Postsecondary qualification | 56% | 56% | 56% |
Statistics Canada, Census 2021; Ontario and Canada: medians of towns of 2,500+
All of Fergus’s 2 historic places are top designations
The earliest construction date, 1865, belongs to Former Elora Drill Shed. Homes from before 1961 make up 20% of the stock, lower than Ontario’s towns (22%) yet higher than Canadian towns (18%).
Historic places by designation · inside the town
Among them
| Heritage | Fergus | Ontario | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Homes built before 1961 | 20% | 22% | 18% |
Canadian Register of Historic Places, Directory of Federal Heritage Designations, Québec’s Répertoire du patrimoine culturel, Wikidata; Census 2021 homes by period
Wellington County House of Industry and Refuge and 10 more within 40 km
2 places to visit are mapped within 5 km of Fergus; with them, the best known within 40 km.
MuseumWellington County House of Industry and Refugein town
MuseumDoon Heritage Village35 km south · 80K visitors a year
MuseumFashion History Museum32 km southeast
MuseumTHEMUSEUM30 km south
Ski hillChicopee Ski Club31 km south
National historic site · Parks CanadaWaterloo Pioneer Memorial Tower35 km southPhotos: each place’s Wikidata image, from Wikimedia Commons under the licence below (our copy, resized).
Photo credits (6)
- Wellington County House of Industry and Refuge: Tudor Costache, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Doon Heritage Village: Pcorb, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Fashion History Museum: Jean1183, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons
- THEMUSEUM: Illustratedjc, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Chicopee Ski Club: Beowulf cam at English Wikipedia, Public domain, Wikimedia Commons
- Waterloo Pioneer Memorial Tower: Original photograph: Sarah Pidcock; derivative work: Mindmatrix, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
Everything we know about Fergus
Famous people from Fergus
40 notable people were born in Fergus.
Photo credits
Brock McGinn: TheAHL, CC BY 2.0 · Bert Lindsay: Unknown author, Public domain · Jamie McGinn: 5of7, CC BY-SA 2.0 · Sitara Hewitt: Sitarahewitt, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Charles Kirk Clarke: Unknown author, Public domain · Wilfred McDonald: Unknown author, Public domain
Questions about Fergus
Is Fergus growing?
It added people: 28,191 in 2016, 31,093 in 2021, 10.3% more, where the middle of Canadian towns grew 4.1%. Statistics Canada’s 2025 estimate is 34,565.
Who are the people of Fergus?
5% of residents belong to a visible minority, against 15% for the median of Canadian towns; 2% have an Indigenous identity and 11% are immigrants.
What kind of homes are in Fergus?
Single-detached houses make up 73% of the homes here, where Canadian towns sit at 64%; 1% are in high-rise apartments. 23% of households are one person, and the average is 2.6.
Is Fergus a young town or an old one?
The median resident is 44.4 years old, against 45.2 for the median of Canadian towns. 17% are under 15 and 22% are 65 or over.
About Fergus
Town in Ontario
Every figure TownRatings gives for Fergus covers the municipality as Statistics Canada maps it, one census subdivision in Ontario.
Statistics Canada: population estimates 2025 (17-10-0155), Census of Population 2021, 2021 census boundaries.
- Population
- 34,565 (people, 2025 estimate)
- Province or territory
- Ontario
- Census division
- Wellington
- Metro area
- Centre Wellington
- Census subdivision
- 3523025
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).