GoderichOntario

TownGrade

#1,155 of 2,556

In Ontario, this town has 8,412 residents. It is part of Huron, a census division.

2 places within 19 kmMap →

Photo: Cindy Funk · CC BY 2.0

Population

8,412

people, 2025 estimate

Median age

52.8

years · Ontario’s towns: 46.8

Postsecondary

51%

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 Goderich a good place to live?

A solid town with one catch. Goderich’s overall B puts it #432 of 858 in Ontario. Nationally, it does better than 56% of Canadian towns. Walking, cycling and public transport work well here (A). Its schools beat most (A−). Homes are dear (D). Its remaining grades are unremarkable: B− for safety, B for health and B− for jobs & income.

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.

StrongestAWalkability A⁻SchoolsWeakestDCost of living

How Goderich grades

Each subject compares Goderich 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

WalkabilityNear the top of the towns comparedAOpen →Cost of livingGraded on home prices against local incomesDOpen →SchoolsSchools do better than mostA⁻Open →Hazard riskBetter than most of the towns comparedB⁺Open →HealthGraded on how healthy residents areBOpen →SafetyAbout average among the towns comparedB⁻Open →Jobs & incomeGraded on incomes, poverty and employmentB⁻Open →

How TownRatings grades Canadian towns →

What makes Goderich stand out

The 3 things Goderich does most differently from other towns.

Picked automatically from the data

Residents 65 and over

Who lives here

32% are 65 or over

Where the typical figure for Canadian towns is 19%

Statistics Canada, Census 2021

Walkability

Better than 95%

of Canadian towns on walkability

Its walkability grade: A.

Cost of living

Behind 91%

of Canadian towns on cost of living

Its cost of living grade: D.

The data

Data highlights are ordered by what stands out in Goderich.

HousingCost of living D

Rent takes more of local pay in Goderich than in Ontario’s towns or Canadian towns: 24% of household income

$424,000median home value, 2021DCost of living Grade

Nearly two thirds of households own their home. Owners put the median home at $424,000, lower than Ontario’s towns ($695,000) and near Canadian towns ($406,000).

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

Goderich$424,000

Ontario$695,000

Canadian towns$406,000

Census 2021	Goderich	Ontario	Canada
Households owning their home	65%	76%	74%
Rent as a share of income	24%	22%	20%
Median home value, 2021	$424,000	$695,000	$406,000
Households spending 30%+ on shelter	20%	22%	18%

$1,000

monthly rent for a two-bedroom

$900

median monthly shelter cost for owners, 2021

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

Renting$1,000 a month · The median rent at the 2021 census Cost of living6.1 times household income · The median owner’s estimate, $424,000, against the median household income Owners and renters65% 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.

SchoolsSchools A⁻

For schools, Goderich gets an A−

4schools within 3 kmA⁻Schools Grade

Within 3 km, 2 boards share the schools, lower than both Ontario’s towns (4) and Canadian towns (3). The 3 km around Goderich counts 3 elementary schools and 1 secondary school, 1,355 students between them.

School	Level	Students	System
Goderich Public School Second fifth in OntarioLargest elementary schoolElementary · Grades JK–6	Elementary · Grades JK–6	505	English public
Goderich District Collegiate Institute Middle fifth in OntarioLargest secondary schoolSecondary · Grades 9–12	Secondary · Grades 9–12	395	English public

See all 4 schools →

Schools by system · Schools within 3 km

English public3

English Catholic1

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

1,355

students at the schools within 3 km, 2024-25

0.5 km

to the nearest secondary school

Full pageGoderich’s schools pageOpen the full Schools page

Every school4 schools within 3 km · 3 elementary schools and 1 secondary school Results1 of 3 in the top two fifths · of the schools with results, placed against every school in Ontario Language0 of 4 teach in French · 10% of schools in Ontario The boards2 school boards · Avon Maitland DSB Questions“What schools are there in Goderich?”

Provincial school lists and results, 2024-25

Natural hazardsHazard risk B⁺

Goderich is on Canada’s flood inventory: 1 listed, led by Maitland Valley Conservation Authority

Lowwildfire bandB⁺Hazard risk Grade

Measured across the Huron County Health Unit: radon tests

More homes than usual carry radon here, 11% over the guideline where the typical town has 6.6%. Seismic risk runs low: $0.008 of expected damage per $1,000 of buildings a year, the typical town $0.030.

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

Goderich11%

Ontario’s towns4%

Canadian towns6.6%

Hazards	Goderich	Ontario	Canada
Radon tests above the guideline	11%	4%	6.6%
Earthquake loss per $1,000 of buildings a year	$0.008	$0.043	$0.030

$0.008

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

Low

wildfire band

flood study on the national inventory

Full pageGoderich’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$0.008 a year per $1,000 · Canadian towns: $0.030 Radon11% 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

HealthHealth B

Very good or excellent health for just 45% of adults around Goderich; the typical Canadian town: 52%

45%very good or excellent healthBHealth Grade

Area-wide: health survey and life expectancy, counted over the Huron Perth Health Unit

The region’s 2022/2024 life expectancy is 81.7, with women at 83.7 and men at 79.7. Chronic conditions run at 15% of adults, age-standardised, lower than both Ontario’s towns (17%) and Canadian towns (17%). The town’s own part is the trip to care, and Goderich is well placed: 1.5 km to a hospital on average, against 3.7 km typical.

Very good or excellent health · adults, age-standardised

Goderich45%

Ontario’s towns51%

Canadian towns52%

Health	Goderich	Ontario	Canada
Very good or excellent health	45%	51%	52%
Chronic conditions (average share)	15%	17%	17%
Smokers	12%	10%	12%
Life expectancy at birth	81.7	82.8	81.5

81.7

years of life expectancy, 2022/2024

1.5 km

from homes to a hospital, on average

12%

of adults smoke, age-standardised

0.8 km

from homes to a pharmacy, on average

Full pageGoderich’s health pageOpen the full Health page

Health survey45% very good or excellent health · adults, age-standardised Getting care1.5 km to a hospital · A pharmacy 0.8 km away on average The wider areaLife expectancy: women 83.7, men 79.7 Conditions and habits15% with chronic conditions · adults, age-standardised

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

Climate

Goderich has cooler summers than Ontario’s towns or Canadian towns: July highs of 24.4°C

24.4°CJuly afternoons

Rain and snow peak in June, at 100 mm. The coldest nights, in January, bottom out at −7.8°C, above Ontario’s towns (−9.1°C) and Canadian towns (−13.5°C) alike. Snow peaks in January: 43 cm in a normal year.

Average high by season · ECCC normals, 1991–2020

Winter−0.1°C

Spring10.6°C

Summer23.6°C

Autumn14.2°C

Normals, 1991–2020	Goderich	Ontario	Canada
July afternoon high	24.4°C	26.7°C	25.5°C
January night low	−7.8°C	−9.1°C	−13.5°C
Precipitation a year	1,035 mm	902 mm	883 mm
Days with frost a year	134	139	159

134

days with frost a year

140

days with precipitation a year

Full pageGoderich’s climate pageOpen the full Climate page

The yearJuly highs 24.4°C, January lows −7.8°C Rain and snow1,035 mm a year · Canadian towns: 883 mm Snow152 cm of snow a year Weather station3.6 km to the station · Goderich

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

Who lives here

Visible minorities make up less of Goderich than of Ontario’s towns or Canadian towns: 2.9%

52.8median age

First Nations, Métis and Inuit people make up 2% of residents, above Ontario’s towns (1.6%) but below Canadian towns (2.8%). Immigrants make up 7.5% of residents, about level with Ontario’s towns (7.6%) and above Canadian towns (6.4%).

GoderichOntarioCanada

OntarioCanada

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

32%

Schooling · Highest qualification, residents 15 and over

No certificate, diploma or degree17%

Postsecondary qualification51%

Women and men · all residents

Women make up 52.8% of Goderich

In 2021 there were 4,160 women to 3,720 men; Canada as a whole is 50.9% women.

Who lives in Goderich
	Goderich	Ontario	Canada
Under 15	13%	15%	16%
15 to 64	55%	65%	64%
65+	32%	19%	19%
No certificate, diploma or degree	17%	15%	16%
Postsecondary qualification	51%	56%	56%

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

Immigrants8% are immigrants · 3% belong to a visible minority Ages52.8 median age · 32% are 65 or over Households3,670 households · 2.1 people per household English and French4% speak both · 0% speak French but not English

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

Weather

What November brings in Goderich: 1°C at night, 7°C by day

7°Ca normal November afternoon

A typical November adds 13 cm of snow. Then December: 2°C by day, −4°C at night. Rain and snow over a typical November come to 92 mm. Normal highs peak at 24°C in July; nights bottom out at −8°C in February.

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

November7°C

December2°C

January−1°C

February−1°C

Season	High	Low	Rain and snow
Winter	0°C	−7°C	255 mm
Spring	11°C	1°C	240 mm
Summer	24°C	14°C	281 mm
Autumn	14°C	6°C	258 mm

1°C

a normal November night

92 mm

of rain and snow in a normal November

Full pageGoderich’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 February

ECCC normals, 1991–2020 (Goderich); the forecast is on the Weather page

Town hall

Goderich spends more per resident than 96% of Ontario’s lower-tier municipalities do

Goderich’s council of 7 was elected in October 2022, with Myles Murdock as mayor.

Turnout	Goderich	Ontario	Canada
Municipal election, 2022	52%	31%	31%

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

Member of ParliamentBen Lobb Provincial legislatureHuron—Bruce

Wikidata, MAMH, MMAH, Statistics Canada

Library & civic lifeCivic life grade B

Huron County Library - Goderich Branch is Goderich’s public library

It stands 0.5 km from the centre of Goderich.

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

The libraries1 Libraries Places to belong5.5 charities per 1,000 residents

Provincial library statistics, OpenStreetMap, the CRA and Statistics Canada

SafetySafety B⁻

For safety, Goderich gets a B−

68Crime Severity Index

Police recorded 17.6 violent incidents per 1,000 residents a year, higher than both Ontario’s towns (10.5) and Canadian towns (12). Each year brings 25.1 property incidents per 1,000 residents.

Year by year · Crime Severity Index for each year

202370

202475

202561

2023–2025	Goderich	Ontario	Canada
Violent crime	17.6	10.5	12
Violent Crime Severity Index	100	76	86
Property crime per 1,000	25.1	30.5	31.2

non-violent Crime Severity Index

52%

of incidents cleared, 2023–25

Full pageGoderich’s safety reportOpen the full Safety report

Safety68 Crime Severity Index · The index weighs each crime Goderich’s police recorded by how serious it is.Questions“Is Goderich safe?”

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

Outdoors

4 named trails run within 2 km of Goderich

1.5%of the land within 10 km protected

The protected share within 10 km is 1.5%, where a typical Canadian town has 2.3%. 2 beaches are mapped within 5 km, none with a name. Also worth knowing: the nearest provincial park, Morris Tract Provincial Park, is 3.0 km away. Within 100 km there is no national park.

Protected land · of the land within 10 km

Goderich1.5%

Ontario’s towns2.3%

Canadian towns2.3%

Outdoors	Goderich	Ontario	Canada
Protected land within 10 km	1.5%	2.3%	2.3%
Public protected areas within 10 km	2	4	4

3.0 km

to Morris Tract Provincial Park

beaches within 5 km

Full pageGoderich’s outdoors pageOpen the full Outdoors page

Footpaths & routes4 named routes · Maitland Trail Protected landof the land within 10 km Protected areas10 protected areas within 10 km · Point Farms Provincial Park National & provincial parks3.0 km to a provincial park · Morris Tract Provincial Park

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

Work & commuteJobs & income B⁻

Commuters in Goderich have a short way to work, 18 min on average, less than in Ontario’s towns and across Canadian towns

13%walk, cycle or take transit

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

How working residents got to work · census 2021

Car or van86%

Walk10%

Bicycle2%

Public transit1%

Census 2021	Goderich	Ontario	Canada
Average trip	18 min	29 min	26 min
Car or van	86%	88%	89%

$69,500

median household income, 2020

13%

worked from home, May 2021

75%

of commuters work inside the municipality

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

Unemployment9.3% unemployed · Of the labour force · Canadian towns: 9.9%Getting to work13% walk, cycle or take transit Where people commute to160 commuters · The biggest flow out: to Central Huron

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.

History

In Goderich, 45% of homes go back before 1961

3historic places

On the registers the town counts 3 historic places, one at the top. Huron County Gaol, begun in 1839, is the oldest by its record. Among the places are 2 provincial or municipal listings.

Historic places by designation · inside the town

Highest designations1

Other federal designations0

Provincial and local listings2

Among them

Huron County Gaol 1839
Goderich Train Station 1900
Goderich Branch, Huron County Library 1904

1839

oldest construction date on the record

45%

of homes built before 1961 · Canadian towns 18%

Heritage	Goderich	Ontario	Canada
Homes built before 1961	45%	22%	18%

Full pageGoderich’s history pageOpen the full History page

Older homes45% built before 1961 · Canadian towns: 18%On the registers3 historic places inside the town Highest designations1 top designation · Huron County Gaol Questions“How many historic places does Goderich 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 Goderich

15pages on Goderich

The big questions

SafetyB⁻Crime Severity Index 68 Housing & costDHomes 6.1 × income Property pricesSchoolsA⁻4 schools within 3 km HealthBLife expectancy 81.7 in its region Work & commuteB⁻48% of adults in work Natural hazardsB⁺Wildfire band: low

Out and about

Outdoors1.5% of the land within 10 km protected AttractionsClimateJuly afternoons around 24°C WeatherECCC’s forecast, beside the normals

The story

Who lives hereMedian age 52.8 History3 places on the heritage registers Town hallFamous people

Nearby attractions

Huron County Gaol and 2 more in and around Goderich

What there is to see in Goderich and within a short drive, starting with the places most people have heard of.

All attractions →

MuseumHuron County Gaolin town MuseumMuseumHuron County Museumin town Historic siteHistoric siteTiger Dunlop Tomb600 m outside town, to the north

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

Photo credits (1)

Huron County Gaol: Gogerr, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons

Famous people from Goderich

27 notable people were born in Goderich.

See all 27 →

Gary DoakCanadian ice hockey defenceman · 1946–2017

Julie-Anne StaehliCanadian athlete · born 1993

Jennifer RobinsonCanadian figure skater · born 1976

Walter Cameron NicholCanadian journalist · 1866–1928

Aaron FelthamCanadian water polo player · born 1982

Eadie FraserAssociation football player · 1860–1886

Photo credits

Gary Doak: Boston Bruins, Public domain · Julie-Anne Staehli: JStaehli, CC BY-SA 4.0 · Jennifer Robinson: Photo by Vesperholly, CC BY-SA 2.5 · Walter Cameron Nichol: Government of British Columbia, Public domain · Aaron Feltham: Robert Thivierge (Thivierr), CC BY-SA 3.0 · Eadie Fraser: Unknown author, Public domain

About Goderich

Town in Ontario

Statistics Canada treats Goderich 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: 8,412 (people, 2025 estimate)
Province or territory: Ontario
Census division: Huron
Census subdivision: 3540028

Goderich’s neighbours

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

Ashfield-Colborne-WawanoshClintonGoderich

How the neighbours grade

Town	People	km	Overall	Cost	Safety	Health
Goderich	8,412	—	B	D	B⁻	B
Ashfield-Colborne-Wawanosh	7,052	13	B⁺	C⁺	A	B⁻
Clinton	8,318	15	B	C	C⁺	B

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

Questions about Goderich

How old are the people of Goderich?

The typical resident is 52.8 (Canadian towns: 45.2), with seniors at 32% of the population and under-15s at 13%.

Is Goderich growing?

Between the 2016 and 2021 censuses it went from 7,628 to 7,881 residents (up 3.3%; Canadian towns’ median: 4.1%), and Statistics Canada now estimates 8,412.

What kind of homes are in Goderich?

Mostly 66% single-detached houses (the median of Canadian towns: 64%), with 0% of homes in buildings of five or more storeys. Households hold 2.1 people on average, and 36% 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).