GravenhurstOntario
This town in Ontario has a population of 14,576. It is part of Muskoka, a census division.
Is Gravenhurst a good place to live?
Gravenhurst’s grades pull in different directions. The town’s overall C+ puts it #607 of 858 in Ontario. It comes out better than two fifths of Canadian towns. Prices are high against local incomes (D−). The local economy is weaker than most (C−). School results are strong (A−). The rest of its grades are middling: B− for safety and B for health.
Crime here is counted against the people who live here, but many visitors or second-home owners add to it, so the rate per resident runs higher than residents' own risk. Health is graded on the health region's survey figures and life expectancy, with the distance to hospital giving the town its own spread.
How Gravenhurst grades
Each subject compares Gravenhurst 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 →
What makes Gravenhurst stand out
The 3 things Gravenhurst does most differently from other towns.
The data
Data highlights are ordered by what stands out in Gravenhurst.
Renting in Gravenhurst eats 25% of household income, more than in Ontario’s towns and across Canadian towns
20% of households spent 30% or more of their income on shelter, between Ontario’s towns (22%) and Canadian towns (18%). Home ownership covers 79% of households.
What homes were worth · The median owner’s estimate at the 2021 census
| Census 2021 | Gravenhurst | Ontario | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rent as a share of income | 25% | 22% | 20% |
| Households spending 30%+ on shelter | 20% | 22% | 18% |
| Households owning their home | 79% | 76% | 74% |
Statistics Canada, Census 2021; CMHC Rental Market Survey via Statistics Canada · These are 2021 census values, as owners judged them, set against household income in 2020.
Hazard risk in Gravenhurst is lower than in 89% of Canadian towns
Radon is lower than usual: 0.9% of tested homes in the survey area topped the guideline, against 6.6% for the typical town. District Municipality of Muskoka has mapped the flood hazard here: one study on the national inventory. Seismic risk in Gravenhurst sits near the middle: $0.024 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
| Hazards | Gravenhurst | Ontario | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Radon tests above the guideline | 0.9% | 4% | 6.6% |
| Earthquake loss per $1,000 of buildings a year | $0.024 | $0.043 | $0.030 |
NRCan seismic risk model and burned areas, Health Canada radon survey, the Flood Hazard Map Inventory
A smaller share of people aged 15 to 64 are in work in Gravenhurst than in 81% of Canadian towns
Commutes averaged 27 min, below Ontario’s towns (29 min) and close to Canadian towns (26 min). 90% of commuters drove to work at the census.
How working residents got to work · census 2021
| Census 2021 | Gravenhurst | Ontario | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average trip | 27 min | 29 min | 26 min |
| Car or van | 90% | 88% | 89% |
Statistics Canada, Census 2021 (labour and commuting) · These are May 2021 figures, gathered while COVID-19 kept many people home or out of work.
Gravenhurst earns an A− for schools
Over three years, results rose at 4 of its 5 tested schools. Within 3 km of Gravenhurst are 4 elementary schools and 1 secondary school, teaching 1,350 students.
| School | Level | Students | System |
|---|---|---|---|
| Muskoka Beechgrove Public School Middle fifth in OntarioLargest elementary schoolElementary · Grades JK–8 | Elementary · Grades JK–8 | 360 | English public |
| Gravenhurst High School Middle fifth in OntarioLargest secondary schoolSecondary · Grades 9–12 | Secondary · Grades 9–12 | 330 | English public |
| Muskoka Falls Public School Top fifth in OntarioResults in the top fifth in OntarioElementary · Grades JK–8 | Elementary · Grades JK–8 | 195 | English public |
Provincial school lists and results, 2024-25
Winter nights bite in Gravenhurst: January lows of −15.3°C, colder than Ontario’s towns or Canadian towns
A normal July day peaks at 25.3°C, below Ontario’s towns (26.7°C) and close to Canadian towns (25.5°C). Rain and snow peak in October, at 111 mm. Snow peaks in January: 67 cm in a normal year.
Average high by season · ECCC normals, 1991–2020
| Normals, 1991–2020 | Gravenhurst | Ontario | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Snowfall a year | 278 cm | 146 cm | 141 cm |
| January night low | −15.3°C | −9.1°C | −13.5°C |
| Days with frost a year | 175 | 139 | 159 |
| Precipitation a year | 1,062 mm | 902 mm | 883 mm |
Environment and Climate Change Canada, Canadian Climate Normals 1991–2020 (Muskoka)
Gravenhurst is older than 92% of Canadian towns: a median age of 53.6
Visible minorities make up 3.1% of the population, lower than both Ontario’s towns (26%) and Canadian towns (15%). First Nations, Métis and Inuit people make up 4.1% of residents, above Ontario’s towns (1.6%) and Canadian towns (2.8%) alike.
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 48.9% of Gravenhurst
The 2021 census counted 6,435 women and 6,720 men here, where women make up 50.9% of Canada.
| Gravenhurst | Ontario | Canada | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 15 | 11% | 15% | 16% |
| 15 to 64 | 59% | 65% | 64% |
| 65+ | 30% | 19% | 19% |
| No certificate, diploma or degree | 18% | 15% | 16% |
| Postsecondary qualification | 48% | 56% | 56% |
Statistics Canada, Census 2021; Ontario and Canada: medians of towns of 2,500+
Very good or excellent health for 54% of adults in Gravenhurst’s health region
People in the region live to 81.5 on average: 83.5 for women and 79.5 for men in 2022/2024. The town’s own part is the trip to care, and Gravenhurst’s is long: 16 km to a hospital on average, against 3.7 km typical. Smoking takes in just over one in ten adults, age-standardised, higher than Ontario’s towns (10%) and near Canadian towns (12%). Gravenhurst doesn’t get its own health survey and life expectancy figures; the ones here come from the Simcoe Muskoka District Health Unit.
Very good or excellent health · adults, age-standardised
| Health | Gravenhurst | Ontario | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Very good or excellent health | 54% | 51% | 52% |
| Life expectancy at birth | 81.5 | 82.8 | 81.5 |
| Smokers | 12% | 10% | 12% |
Statistics Canada, Canadian Community Health Survey 2023/2024 and life expectancy 2022/2024; Open Database of Healthcare Facilities
More of the land around Gravenhurst is protected than around 9 in 10 Canadian towns
Some protected land is inside the town: 24% of its area. Georgian Bay Islands National Park is the closest national park, 21 km from town. CPCAD lists 27 protected areas within 10 km. 7 beaches are mapped within 5 km, the nearest Muskoka Falls Beach.
Protected land · of the land within 10 km
| Outdoors | Gravenhurst | Ontario | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Protected land within 10 km | 18% | 2.3% | 2.3% |
| Public protected areas within 10 km | 11 | 4 | 4 |
Canadian Protected and Conserved Areas Database (CPCAD), OpenStreetMap routes and beaches
Expect November days around 5°C in Gravenhurst, nights around −3°C
About 33 cm of snow falls in a normal November. Into December, the normals move to −1°C and −10°C. Expect about 103 mm of rain and snow over November. Normal highs peak at 25°C in July; nights bottom out at −15°C in January.
Normal highs, the months ahead · ECCC normals, 1991–2020
| Season | High | Low | Rain and snow |
|---|---|---|---|
| Winter | −3°C | −13°C | 235 mm |
| Spring | 10°C | −2°C | 244 mm |
| Summer | 24°C | 12°C | 267 mm |
| Autumn | 13°C | 2°C | 316 mm |
ECCC normals, 1991–2020 (Muskoka); the forecast is on the Weather page
A 14,586-vote win for Scott Aitchison made Parry Sound—Muskoka safer in 2021 than 71% of ridings
Gravenhurst’s council of 9 was elected in October 2022, with Heidi Lorenz as mayor.
| Turnout | Gravenhurst | Ontario | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Municipal election, 2022 | 33% | 31% | 31% |
Wikidata, MAMH, MMAH, Statistics Canada
More visits per person served than 83% of Ontario’s town libraries: Gravenhurst Public Library counts 5.5
Gravenhurst Public Library has one location for the 13,157 people it serves.
Provincial library statistics, OpenStreetMap, the CRA and Statistics Canada
Gravenhurst earns a B− for safety
Thefts, break-ins and damage add up to 22.9 per 1,000 residents a year. For violence alone the index was 90, higher than Ontario’s towns (76) and near Canadian towns (86).
Year by year · Crime Severity Index for each year
| 2023–2025 | Gravenhurst | Ontario | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Property crime per 1,000 | 22.9 | 30.5 | 31.2 |
| Violent Crime Severity Index | 90 | 76 | 86 |
Statistics Canada, Uniform Crime Reporting Survey, 2023–2025 average
Heritage in Gravenhurst: 1 historic place of the highest rank
Before 1961 is when 24% of the homes went up, higher than both Ontario’s towns (22%) and Canadian towns (18%).
Historic places by designation · inside the town
Among them
| Heritage | Gravenhurst | Ontario | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Homes built before 1961 | 24% | 22% | 18% |
Canadian Register of Historic Places, Directory of Federal Heritage Designations, Québec’s Répertoire du patrimoine culturel, Wikidata; Census 2021 homes by period
Everything we know about Gravenhurst
Bethune Memorial House and 4 more in and around Gravenhurst
A first look at Gravenhurst’s museums, historic sites and days out, and a few just outside town.
MuseumBethune Memorial Housein townMuseumMuseumGrace and Speedin townMuseumMuseumThe Tree Museumin townMuseumMuseumMuskoka Boat & Heritage Centrein townTheme parkTheme parkSanta's Village3.9 km outside town, to the northPhotos: each place’s Wikidata image, from Wikimedia Commons under the licence below (our copy, resized).
Photo credits (1)
- Bethune Memorial House: Claudette Bue, CC BY-SA 1.0, Wikimedia Commons
Famous people from Gravenhurst
3 notable people were born in Gravenhurst.
Photo credits
Norman Bethune: Credit: Library and Archives Canada/PA-160708 Copyright: Expired, Public domain · Mickey McGuire: WayneRay, Public domain
About Gravenhurst
Town in Ontario
The boundary here is Statistics Canada’s: Gravenhurst is one census subdivision in Ontario, and TownRatings describes all of it.
Statistics Canada: population estimates 2025 (17-10-0155), Census of Population 2021, 2021 census boundaries.
- Population
- 14,576 (people, 2025 estimate)
- Province or territory
- Ontario
- Census division
- Muskoka
- Census subdivision
- 3544002
Gravenhurst’s neighbours
The nearest places of 1,000 or more. Statistics Canada
| Town | People | km | Overall | Cost | Safety | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gravenhurst | 14,576 | — | C+ | D− | B− | B |
| Bracebridge | 18,676 | 16 | B+ | D | A− | B+ |
People: Statistics Canada, Census 2021. Distances: centre to centre.
Questions about Gravenhurst
Who are the people of Gravenhurst?
Visible minorities are 3% of the population, where the middle of Canadian towns is 15%. Immigrants make up 8%, and Indigenous people 4%.
How old are the people of Gravenhurst?
53.6 is the median age, 45.2 the median among Canadian towns; 30% of residents are 65 or over and 11% under 15.
What kind of homes are in Gravenhurst?
Single-detached houses make up 78% of the homes here, where Canadian towns sit at 64%; 1% are in high-rise apartments. 30% of households are one person, and the average is 2.2.
Is Gravenhurst growing?
It added people: 12,311 in 2016, 13,157 in 2021, 6.9% more, where the middle of Canadian towns grew 4.1%. Statistics Canada’s 2025 estimate is 14,576.
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).