Downtown of Gananoque, King Street - panoramio

GananoqueOntario

TownGrade

B⁻

#1,211 of 2,556

It lies in Leeds and Grenville. This town in Ontario has a population of 5,568.

1 place within 19 kmMap →

Photo: K Danko · CC BY-SA 3.0

Population

5,568

people, 2025 estimate

Median age

53.2

years · Ontario’s towns: 46.8

Postsecondary

52%

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

Walk, cycle, transit

12%

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

Is Gananoque a good place to live?

Strong in places, weak in others. Its standout strength is schools (A). Gananoque grades B− overall, better than 54% of Canadian towns, and ranks #459 of 858 in Ontario. Buying in is costly (D). Jobs and pay trail most towns (C).

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.

StrongestA⁺Walkability ASchoolsWeakestDCost of living C⁻Hazard risk

How Gananoque grades

Each subject compares Gananoque 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

WalkabilityGraded on how easily people get around without a carA⁺Open →SchoolsSchools rank among the strongest comparedAOpen →Cost of livingIn the bottom fifth of the towns comparedDOpen →Hazard riskBased on earthquake losses and radon in homes; a high wildfire risk can pull it downC⁻Open →SafetyLess crime than in most townsB⁺Open →Jobs & incomeBehind most towns comparedCOpen →HealthGraded on how healthy residents areCOpen →

How TownRatings grades Canadian towns →

What makes Gananoque stand out

The 3 things Gananoque does most differently from other towns.

Picked automatically from the data

Walkability

Better than 96%

of Canadian towns on walkability

Its walkability grade: A+.

Schools

Better than 94%

of Canadian towns on schools

Its schools grade: A.

Residents 65 and over

Who lives here

30% are 65 or over

Compare 19% for the median of Canadian towns

Statistics Canada, Census 2021

The data

Data highlights are ordered by what stands out in Gananoque.

SchoolsSchools A

Gananoque’s schools mostly beat the middle in Ontario, 2 of the 3 with results

4schools within 3 kmASchools Grade

Elementary schools here average 193 students; in Ontario, 365. Taken together, Gananoque and its 3 km edge hold 3 elementary schools and 1 secondary school for 915 students.

School	Level	Students	System
St Joseph's Separate School CatholicLargest elementary schoolElementary · Grades JK–8	Elementary · Grades JK–8	290	English Catholic
Gananoque Secondary School Second fifth in OntarioLargest secondary schoolSecondary · Grades 9–12	Secondary · Grades 9–12	335	English public

See all 4 schools →

Schools by system · Schools within 3 km

English public3

English Catholic1

Schools within 3 km	Gananoque	Ontario	Canada
School boards	2	4	3

915

students at the schools within 3 km, 2024-25

0.6 km

to the nearest secondary school

Full pageGananoque’s schools pageOpen the full Schools page

Results2 of 3 in the top two fifths · of the schools with results, placed against every school in Ontario Every school4 schools within 3 km · 3 elementary schools and 1 secondary school Language0 of 4 teach in French · 10% of schools in Ontario The boards2 school boards · Upper Canada DSB Questions“What schools are there in Gananoque?”

Provincial school lists and results, 2024-25

HousingCost of living D

Fewer households own their home in Gananoque than in Ontario’s towns or across Canadian towns: 64%

$360,000median home value, 2021DCost of living Grade

A year’s rent came to nearly a quarter of the median household income, above both Ontario’s towns (22%) and Canadian towns (20%). The median home value was $360,000, below Ontario’s towns ($695,000) and Canadian towns ($406,000) alike.

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

Gananoque$360,000

Ontario$695,000

Canadian towns$406,000

Census 2021	Gananoque	Ontario	Canada
Households owning their home	64%	76%	74%
Rent as a share of income	24%	22%	20%
Median home value, 2021	$360,000	$695,000	$406,000
Households spending 30%+ on shelter	23%	22%	18%

$1,000

monthly rent for a two-bedroom

$1,100

median monthly shelter cost for owners, 2021

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

Owners and renters64% own their home Cost of living5.4 times household income · The median owner’s estimate, $360,000, against the median household income Renting$1,000 a month · The median rent at the 2021 census

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.

Natural hazardsHazard risk C⁻

High radon around Gananoque: 19% of homes tested in the area exceed 200 Bq/m³

Lowwildfire bandC⁻Hazard risk Grade

The national inventory holds one flood map for it, from Cataraqui Region Conservation Authority. NRCan expects $0.040 of shaking damage a year per $1,000 of buildings in Gananoque, near the typical $0.030.

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

Gananoque19%

Ontario’s towns4%

Canadian towns6.6%

Hazards	Gananoque	Ontario	Canada
Radon tests above the guideline	19%	4%	6.6%
Earthquake loss per $1,000 of buildings a year	$0.040	$0.043	$0.030

Low

wildfire band

flood study on the national inventory

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

Radon19% of tests above the guideline WildfireLow wildfire band · No land burned within 25 km since 1986 FloodOne flood study on record Earthquakes$0.040 a year per $1,000 · Canadian towns: $0.030 Be readyAlerts, FireSmart and radon tests

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

SafetySafety B⁺

For safety, Gananoque gets a B+

48Crime Severity Index

Property crime ran at 16.6 incidents per 1,000 residents a year, lower than both Ontario’s towns (30.5) and Canadian towns (31.2). Its violent severity index came to 61, below Ontario’s towns (76) and Canadian towns (86) alike.

Year by year · Crime Severity Index for each year

202347

202449

202547

2023–2025	Gananoque	Ontario	Canada
Property crime per 1,000	16.6	30.5	31.2
Violent Crime Severity Index	61	76	86

non-violent Crime Severity Index

66%

of incidents cleared, 2023–25

Full pageGananoque’s safety reportOpen the full Safety report

Safety48 Crime Severity Index · The index weighs each crime Gananoque’s police recorded by how serious it is.Questions“Is Gananoque safe?”

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

Work & commuteJobs & income C

Commuters in Gananoque have a short way to work, 23 min on average, less than in Ontario’s towns and Canadian towns

12%walk, cycle or take transit

The car took 86% of commuters, about level with both Ontario’s towns (88%) and Canadian towns (89%).

How working residents got to work · census 2021

Car or van86%

Walk11%

Bicycle1%

Census 2021	Gananoque	Ontario	Canada
Average trip	23 min	29 min	26 min
Car or van	86%	88%	89%

$67,000

median household income, 2020

20%

worked from home, May 2021

50%

of commuters work inside the municipality

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

Unemployment12% unemployed · Of the labour force · Canadian towns: 9.9%Getting to work12% walk, cycle or take transit Where people commute to525 commuters · The biggest flow out: to Kingston

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.

HealthHealth C

The nearest hospital is 28 km from the average home in Gananoque

51%very good or excellent healthCHealth Grade

Measured across the Leeds, Grenville and Lanark District Health Unit: health survey and life expectancy

Life expectancy in the region is 81.2 years (83.3 for women, 79.2 for men, 2022/2024). Smoking is commoner than in the province: 14% of adults, against 11% for Ontario. The survey puts the region’s share in very good or excellent health at 51%; Ontario as a whole is at 51%. Chronic conditions run at 18% of adults, age-standardised, about level with both Ontario’s towns (17%) and Canadian towns (17%).

Very good or excellent health · adults, age-standardised

Gananoque51%

Ontario’s towns51%

Canadian towns52%

Health	Gananoque	Ontario	Canada
Smokers	14%	10%	12%
Life expectancy at birth	81.2	82.8	81.5
Chronic conditions (average share)	18%	17%	17%

81.2

years of life expectancy, 2022/2024

28 km

from homes to a hospital, on average

14%

of adults smoke, age-standardised

0.7 km

from homes to a pharmacy, on average

Full pageGananoque’s health pageOpen the full Health page

Getting care28 km to a hospital · A pharmacy 0.7 km away on average Health survey51% very good or excellent health · adults, age-standardised The wider areaLife expectancy: women 83.3, men 79.2 Conditions and habits18% 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

Visible minorities make up less of Gananoque than of Ontario’s towns or Canadian towns: 2.8%

53.2median age

4% of residents have an Indigenous identity, above both Ontario’s towns (1.6%) and Canadian towns (2.8%). Immigrants make up 7.6% of residents, about level with Ontario’s towns (7.6%) and above Canadian towns (6.4%).

GananoqueOntarioCanada

OntarioCanada

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

30%

Schooling · Highest qualification, residents 15 and over

No certificate, diploma or degree18%

Postsecondary qualification52%

Women and men · all residents

Women make up 51.7% of Gananoque

2,600 men and 2,780 women lived here in 2021, against a share of women of 50.9% for Canada.

Who lives in Gananoque
	Gananoque	Ontario	Canada
Under 15	12%	15%	16%
15 to 64	58%	65%	64%
65+	30%	19%	19%
No certificate, diploma or degree	18%	15%	16%
Postsecondary qualification	52%	56%	56%

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

Immigrants8% are immigrants · 3% belong to a visible minority Ages53.2 median age · 30% are 65 or over Households2,560 households · 2 people per household English and French9% speak both · 0.1% speak French but not English

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

Climate

July highs in Gananoque: 25.4°C, against 26.7°C in Ontario’s towns and 25.5°C in Canadian towns

25.4°CJuly afternoons

Gananoque sees January nights of −11.5°C on average. A normal winter brings 180 cm of snow, higher than both Ontario’s towns (146 cm) and Canadian towns (141 cm). Most of the snow comes in January, about 50 cm. Rain and snow peak in July, at 99 mm.

Average high by season · ECCC normals, 1991–2020

Winter−0.9°C

Spring10.3°C

Summer24.0°C

Autumn13.9°C

Normals, 1991–2020	Gananoque	Ontario	Canada
Snowfall a year	180 cm	146 cm	141 cm
July afternoon high	25.4°C	26.7°C	25.5°C
Precipitation a year	1,017 mm	902 mm	883 mm
January night low	−11.5°C	−9.1°C	−13.5°C

180 cm

of snow a year

129

days with precipitation a year

Full pageGananoque’s climate pageOpen the full Climate page

The yearJuly highs 25.4°C, January lows −11.5°C Rain and snow1,017 mm a year · Canadian towns: 883 mm Snow180 cm of snow a year Weather station37 km to the station · Kingston

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

Weather

A normal November in Gananoque runs from −1°C to 8°C

8°Ca normal November afternoon

Rain and snow over a typical November come to 81 mm. A normal December brings highs of 2°C, lows of −6°C. Expect around 11 cm of snow in November. The year peaks in July (25°C) and bottoms out in January (−12°C).

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

November8°C

December2°C

January−3°C

February−2°C

Season	High	Low	Rain and snow
Winter	−1°C	−9°C	233 mm
Spring	10°C	1°C	237 mm
Summer	24°C	15°C	277 mm
Autumn	14°C	5°C	271 mm

−1°C

a normal November night

81 mm

of rain and snow in a normal November

Full pageGananoque’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 (Kingston); the forecast is on the Weather page

Town hall

More of Gananoque voted in 2022 than in most of Ontario: 47%, ahead of 88% of municipalities

In October 2022, Gananoque elected John Beddows as mayor, with a council of 7.

Turnout	Gananoque	Ontario	Canada
Municipal election, 2022	47%	31%	31%

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

Member of ParliamentMichael Barrett Provincial legislatureLeeds—Grenville—Thousand Islands and Rideau Lakes

Wikidata, MAMH, MMAH, Statistics Canada

Library & civic lifeCivic life grade C⁺

Ganonoque Public Library logs 1.8 visits per person served, fewer than 86% of Ontario’s town libraries

Ganonoque Public Library has one location for the 5,383 people it serves.

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

The libraries1 Libraries Places to belong5 charities per 1,000 residents

Provincial library statistics, OpenStreetMap, the CRA and Statistics Canada

Outdoors

Thousand Islands National Park lies 0.4 km beyond Gananoque’s edge

3.3%of the land within 10 km protected

The nearest provincial park, Charleston Lake Provincial Park, is 18 km away. Within 10 km are 11 protected areas. Swimmers have 7 beaches within 5 km, Joel Stone Beach the nearest.

Protected land · of the land within 10 km

Gananoque3.3%

Ontario’s towns2.3%

Canadian towns2.3%

Outdoors	Gananoque	Ontario	Canada
Protected land within 10 km	3.3%	2.3%	2.3%
Public protected areas within 10 km	2	4	4

0.4 km

to Thousand Islands National Park

18 km

to Charleston Lake Provincial Park

beaches within 5 km

Full pageGananoque’s outdoors pageOpen the full Outdoors page

Protected landof the land within 10 km Protected areas11 protected areas within 10 km · Thousand Islands National Park National & provincial parks0.4 km to a national park · Thousand Islands National Park

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

History

An older town: 50% of Gananoque’s homes predate 1961

50%built before 1961

50%

of homes built before 1961 · Canadian towns 18%

Heritage	Gananoque	Ontario	Canada
Homes built before 1961	50%	22%	18%

Full pageGananoque’s history pageOpen the full History page

Older homes50% built before 1961 · Canadian towns: 18%Questions“How many historic places does Gananoque 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 Gananoque

15pages on Gananoque

The big questions

SafetyB⁺Crime Severity Index 48 Housing & costDHomes 5.4 × income Property pricesSchoolsA4 schools within 3 km HealthCLife expectancy 81.2 in its region Work & commuteC49% of adults in work Natural hazardsC⁻Wildfire band: low

Out and about

Outdoors3.3% of the land within 10 km protected AttractionsClimateJuly afternoons around 25°C WeatherECCC’s forecast, beside the normals

The story

Who lives hereMedian age 53.2 HistoryTown hallFamous people

Nearby attractions

Arthur Child Heritage Museum of the 1000 Islands and 13 more within 40 km

2 places to visit are mapped within 5 km of Gananoque; with them, the best known within 40 km.

All attractions →

MuseumArthur Child Heritage Museum of the 1000 Islandsin town · 30K visitors a year

National park · Parks CanadaThousand Islands National Park10 km south

FortFort Frontenac28 km southwest

CathedralCathedral of St. Mary of the Immaculate Conception29 km southwest

FortFort Henry27 km southwest

MuseumInternational Hockey Hall of Fame29 km southwest · 2K visitors a year

Photos: each place’s Wikidata image, from Wikimedia Commons under the licence below (our copy, resized).

Photo credits (6)

Arthur Child Heritage Museum of the 1000 Islands: Pierre André, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons
Thousand Islands National Park: Shroha, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
Fort Frontenac: P199, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
Cathedral of St. Mary of the Immaculate Conception: SoftwareSimian (changes by Rabanus Flavus ), CC BY 4.0, Wikimedia Commons
Fort Henry: McCarthy Aero Service Ltd., Public domain, Wikimedia Commons
International Hockey Hall of Fame: Flibirigit, Public domain, Wikimedia Commons

Famous people from Gananoque

7 notable people were born in Gananoque.

See all 7 →

Herbert Stone MacDonaldCanadian politician · 1842–1921

Harry W. BrownCanadian recipient of the Victoria Cross · 1898–1917

Byron Moffatt BrittonCanadian politician · 1833–1920

Bob DicksonCanadian ice hockey player · born 1947

George WebbPolitician · 1886–1958

Brock MathesonIce hockey player · born 1987

Photo credits

Herbert Stone MacDonald: Notman & Fraser, Public domain · Harry W. Brown: Canada. Dept. of National Defence/Library and Archives Canada/, Public domain · Byron Moffatt Britton: Unknown author, Public domain

About Gananoque

Town in Ontario

TownRatings counts Gananoque as Statistics Canada does, as one municipality in Ontario; the census, crime and housing figures all follow that boundary.

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

Population: 5,568 (people, 2025 estimate)
Province or territory: Ontario
Census division: Leeds and Grenville
Census subdivision: 3507024

Gananoque’s neighbours

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

Leeds and the Thousand IslandsGananoque

How the neighbours grade

Town	People	km	Overall	Cost	Safety	Health
Gananoque	5,568	—	B⁻	D	B⁺	C
Leeds and the Thousand Islands	10,185	12	B	B⁻	B⁺	C⁺

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

Questions about Gananoque

Who are the people of Gananoque?

At the 2021 census, 8% were immigrants and 3% belonged to a visible minority (Canadian towns’ median: 15%). 4% identify as First Nations, Métis or Inuit.

Is Gananoque a young town or an old one?

The median resident is 53.2 years old, against 45.2 for the median of Canadian towns. 12% are under 15 and 30% are 65 or over.

What kind of homes are in Gananoque?

Mostly 53% single-detached houses (the median of Canadian towns: 64%), with 5% of homes in buildings of five or more storeys. Households hold 2 people on average, and 38% have just one.

Is Gananoque growing?

It grew from 5,159 people in 2016 to 5,383 in 2021, up 4.3%; the median of Canadian towns grew 4.1%. StatCan’s 2025 estimate is 5,568.

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).