GrimsbyOntario
It belongs to the Hamilton metropolitan area. 31,478 residents make their home in this town in Ontario.
Is Grimsby a good place to live?
One weak subject stands out against an otherwise good record. Its strongest is schools (A+). Grimsby’s overall B puts it #307 of 858 in Ontario. That leaves it better than 65% of Canadian towns. Homes are dear (C−). Its remaining grades are unremarkable: B for safety, C+ for health, B for jobs & income and B for walkability.
Rents here are the metro area's average, shared by every town and neighbourhood in it. Safety is the regional police service's figure, shared with its other towns. 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 Grimsby stand out
The 3 things Grimsby does most differently from other towns.
How Grimsby grades
Each subject compares Grimsby 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 →
Grimsby Public Library and 19 more in and around Grimsby
A first look at Grimsby’s museums, historic sites and days out, and a few just outside town.
Art galleryGrimsby Public Libraryin town · 3K visitors a year (2016)
MuseumNelles Manor Museumin townMuseumMuseumGrimsby Historical Society Archivesin townMuseumMuseumGrimsby Museumin townArt galleryArt galleryGrimsby Public Art Galleryin townAttractionAttractionThe Painted Ladiesin townPhotos: each place’s Wikidata image, from Wikimedia Commons under the licence below (our copy, resized).
Photo credits (2)
- Grimsby Public Library: JFVoll, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Nelles Manor Museum: Nelles Manor, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons
The data
Data highlights are ordered by what stands out in Grimsby.
The top fifth in Ontario holds 6 of the 15 schools around Grimsby with results
Results have climbed at 10 of 15 schools over three years. 4 boards run its schools. West Niagara Secondary School is the biggest, at 1,655 students. In or within 3 km of Grimsby: 13 elementary schools and 2 secondary schools, with 8,330 students.
| School | Level | Students | System |
|---|---|---|---|
| Winona Elementary Elementary School Fourth fifth in OntarioLargest elementary schoolElementary · Grades JK–8 | Elementary · Grades JK–8 | 900 | English public |
| West Niagara Secondary School Second fifth in OntarioLargest secondary schoolSecondary · Grades 9–12 | Secondary · Grades 9–12 | 1,655 | English public |
| Central Public School Top fifth in OntarioResults in the top fifth in OntarioElementary · Grades 1–8 | Elementary · Grades 1–8 | 600 | English public |
Schools by system · Schools within 3 km
| Schools within 3 km | Grimsby | Ontario | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| School boards | 4 | 4 | 3 |
Provincial school lists and results, 2024-25
Measured against local pay, Grimsby costs more to live in than 85% of Canadian towns
Rent as a share of income and monthly rent for a two-bedroom for the Hamilton metro area
A year’s rent came to 19% of the median household income, below both Ontario’s towns (22%) and Canadian towns (20%). 83% of households are owner-occupiers.
What homes were worth · The median owner’s estimate at the 2021 census
| Census 2021 | Grimsby | Ontario | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Households owning their home | 83% | 76% | 74% |
| Rent as a share of income | 19% | 22% | 20% |
| Households spending 30%+ on shelter | 19% | 22% | 18% |
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.
Grimsby is on Canada’s flood inventory: 5 listed, led by Niagara Peninsula Conservation Authority
Fewer homes than usual carry radon here, 2% over the guideline where the typical town has 6.6%. NRCan expects $0.046 of shaking damage a year per $1,000 of buildings in Grimsby, near the typical $0.030.
Radon tests above the guideline · share of tested homes, 200 Bq/m³
| Hazards | Grimsby | Ontario | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Radon tests above the guideline | 2% | 4% | 6.6% |
| Earthquake loss per $1,000 of buildings a year | $0.046 | $0.043 | $0.030 |
NRCan seismic risk model and burned areas, Health Canada radon survey, the Flood Hazard Map Inventory
Winters are mild in Grimsby: January nights hold at −6.8°C, above Ontario’s towns and Canadian towns
The thermometer drops below freezing on 117 days a year, below Ontario’s towns (139) and Canadian towns (159) alike. A July afternoon in Grimsby typically reaches 27.1°C. A normal January brings 44 cm of snow, the most of any month. The most precipitation falls in April: 83 mm in a normal year.
Average high by season · ECCC normals, 1991–2020
| Normals, 1991–2020 | Grimsby | Ontario | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| January night low | −6.8°C | −9.1°C | −13.5°C |
| Days with frost a year | 117 | 139 | 159 |
| July afternoon high | 27.1°C | 26.7°C | 25.5°C |
| Precipitation a year | 838 mm | 902 mm | 883 mm |
Environment and Climate Change Canada, Canadian Climate Normals 1991–2020 (Vineland)
Households in Grimsby have higher incomes than those in 89% of Canadian towns
At the census, 95% of commuters went by car. The average trip to work took 28 min, near Ontario’s towns (29 min) and higher than Canadian towns (26 min).
How working residents got to work · census 2021
| Census 2021 | Grimsby | Ontario | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Car or van | 95% | 88% | 89% |
| Average trip | 28 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.
Grimsby earns a B for safety
Source area for Crime Severity Index, Violent Crime Severity Index, violent crime and property crime per 1,000: the Niagara Region (St. Catharines) service area
Violent incidents in its police area came to 9.4 per 1,000 residents a year, lower than both Ontario’s towns (10.5) and Canadian towns (12). Property crime in the area its police cover: 25.1 per 1,000 people a year.
Year by year · Crime Severity Index for each year
| 2023–2025 | Grimsby | Ontario | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Property crime per 1,000 | 25.1 | 30.5 | 31.2 |
| Violent crime | 9.4 | 10.5 | 12 |
Statistics Canada, Uniform Crime Reporting Survey, 2023–2025 average
49% of adults around Grimsby rate their health very good or excellent
Statistics Canada puts the region’s life expectancy at 81.2, women 83.6 and men 78.8 (2022/2024). Smoking is commoner than in the province: 15% of adults, against 11% for Ontario. Chronic conditions run at nearly a fifth of adults, age-standardised, higher than both Ontario’s towns (17%) and Canadian towns (17%). Closer to home, a hospital sits 2.7 km from the average resident of Grimsby, about the norm of 3.7 km.
Very good or excellent health · adults, age-standardised
| Health | Grimsby | Ontario | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Smokers | 15% | 10% | 12% |
| Chronic conditions (average share) | 19% | 17% | 17% |
| Very good or excellent health | 49% | 51% | 52% |
| Life expectancy at birth | 81.2 | 82.8 | 81.5 |
Statistics Canada, Canadian Community Health Survey 2023/2024 and life expectancy 2022/2024; Open Database of Healthcare Facilities · Health survey and life expectancy: one figure for all of the Niagara Regional Area Health Unit
In Grimsby, November normally means 9°C afternoons and 2°C nights
A normal December brings highs of 3°C, lows of −3°C. Expect about 72 mm of rain and snow over November. The forecast on the Weather page is ECCC’s for Lincoln.
Normal highs, the months ahead · ECCC normals, 1991–2020
| Season | High | Low | Rain and snow |
|---|---|---|---|
| Winter | 1°C | −5°C | 185 mm |
| Spring | 12°C | 3°C | 215 mm |
| Summer | 26°C | 16°C | 221 mm |
| Autumn | 16°C | 7°C | 217 mm |
ECCC normals, 1991–2020 (Vineland); the forecast is on the Weather page
Grimsby Public Library draws 4.9 visits per person served, ahead of 80% of Ontario’s town libraries
Grimsby Public Library has one location for the 28,883 people it serves.
Provincial library statistics, OpenStreetMap, the CRA and Statistics Canada
7 named trails run within 2 km of Grimsby
The nearest provincial park, Short Hills Provincial Park, is 18 km away. Swimmers have 8 beaches within 5 km, Nelles Beach the nearest. Out to 10 km from the town’s edge, 0.7% of the land is protected; 2.3% is typical for a Canadian town. A drive of 75 km reaches Rouge National Urban Park, the nearest national park.
Protected land · of the land within 10 km
| Outdoors | Grimsby | Ontario | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Protected land within 10 km | 0.7% | 2.3% | 2.3% |
| Public protected areas within 10 km | 8 | 4 | 4 |
Canadian Protected and Conserved Areas Database (CPCAD), OpenStreetMap routes and beaches
Older residents shape Grimsby: 21% are 65 or over, above Ontario’s towns and Canadian towns
Visible minorities make up a tenth of the population, lower than both Ontario’s towns (26%) and Canadian towns (15%). Children under 15 make up 16% of residents.
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 51.4% of Grimsby
Of the 2021 count, 14,855 were women and 14,025 men (women across Canada: 50.9%).
| Grimsby | Ontario | Canada | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 15 | 16% | 15% | 16% |
| 15 to 64 | 63% | 65% | 64% |
| 65+ | 21% | 19% | 19% |
| No certificate, diploma or degree | 13% | 15% | 16% |
| Postsecondary qualification | 59% | 56% | 56% |
Statistics Canada, Census 2021; Ontario and Canada: medians of towns of 2,500+
Everything we know about Grimsby
Famous people from Grimsby
19 notable people were born in Grimsby.
Photo credits
Tonya Verbeek: Madchester at English Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Kevin Bieksa: CANUCKS HOCKEY BLOG, CC BY-SA 2.0 · Del Lord: Introuvable, Public domain · Kevin Hearn: TheHYPO, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Marvin Wentworth: Detroit Free Press, Public domain · George Pettit: Skate3214, CC BY 3.0
Grimsby’s neighbours
The nearest places of 1,000 or more. Statistics Canada
| Town | People | km | Overall | Cost | Safety | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Grimsby | 31,478 | — | B | C− | B | C+ |
| Fifty Point | 3,690 | 6.3 | B+ | B− | B− | B− |
| Industrial | 6,690 | 7.9 | B | C | B− | B− |
| Trillium | 2,967 | 10 | C+ | C | B− | B |
| Smithville | 16,586 | 11 | B | C | B | C |
| Beamsville | 28,356 | 12 | B+ | C− | B | C+ |
| Westmeria | 2,646 | 12 | B+ | C | B− | B |
People: Statistics Canada, Census 2021. Distances: centre to centre.
Questions about Grimsby
Is Grimsby growing?
Yes: the census counted 27,314 in 2016 and 28,883 in 2021, a rise of 5.7%, against 4.1% for the median of Canadian towns. The 2025 estimate is 31,478.
Is Grimsby a young town or an old one?
The median resident is 45.2 years old, against 45.2 for the median of Canadian towns. 16% are under 15 and 21% are 65 or over.
What kind of homes are in Grimsby?
Mostly 64% single-detached houses (the median of Canadian towns: 64%), with 3% of homes in buildings of five or more storeys. Households hold 2.5 people on average, and 24% have just one.
About Grimsby
Town in Ontario
The boundary here is Statistics Canada’s: Grimsby 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
- 31,478 (people, 2025 estimate)
- Province or territory
- Ontario
- Census division
- Niagara
- Metro area
- Hamilton
- Census subdivision
- 3526065
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).