KapuskasingOntario
A town in Ontario, home to 8,825 people. Its census division is Cochrane.
Is Kapuskasing a good place to live?
Cheap to live in, with trade-offs. Overall, Kapuskasing earns a B−: better than 52% of Canadian towns, and #487 of 858 in Ontario. On walkability it is strong (A). Housing is within reach (B+). Crime is the sore point (C−). The rest of its grades are middling: B− for schools and C+ 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.
How Kapuskasing grades
Each subject compares Kapuskasing 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 Kapuskasing stand out
The 3 things Kapuskasing does most differently from other towns.
The data
Data highlights are ordered by what stands out in Kapuskasing.
Hazard risk in Kapuskasing is lower than in 97% of Canadian towns
Wildfire is rare near Kapuskasing: 0.1% of the land within 25 km has burned since 1986, a burn rate of 0.004% a year. Radon is lower than usual: 1% of tested homes in the survey area topped the guideline, against 6.6% for the typical town. Flood mapping: none on the national inventory of the town.
Radon tests above the guideline · share of tested homes, 200 Bq/m³
| Hazards | Kapuskasing | Ontario | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Radon tests above the guideline | 1% | 4% | 6.6% |
| Earthquake loss per $1,000 of buildings a year | $0.015 | $0.043 | $0.030 |
NRCan seismic risk model and burned areas, Health Canada radon survey, the Flood Hazard Map Inventory
Winter nights bite in Kapuskasing: January lows of −23.3°C, colder than Ontario’s towns or Canadian towns
A normal July day peaks at 24.1°C, below both Ontario’s towns (26.7°C) and Canadian towns (25.5°C). Gardeners get 104 frost-free days, from 4 June to 17 September. Most of the snow comes in December, about 57 cm. Rain and snow peak in September, at 99 mm.
Average high by season · ECCC normals, 1991–2020
| Normals, 1991–2020 | Kapuskasing | Ontario | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| January night low | −23.3°C | −9.1°C | −13.5°C |
| Snowfall a year | 303 cm | 146 cm | 141 cm |
| Days with frost a year | 207 | 139 | 159 |
| July afternoon high | 24.1°C | 26.7°C | 25.5°C |
Environment and Climate Change Canada, Canadian Climate Normals 1991–2020 (Kapuskasing)
Violent crime weighs more on Kapuskasing than on Ontario’s towns or Canadian towns: a violent severity index of 173
Police recorded 28.1 violent incidents per 1,000 residents a year, above Ontario’s towns (10.5) and Canadian towns (12) alike. Property crime ran at 30 incidents per 1,000 residents a year, in line with Ontario’s towns (30.5) and Canadian towns (31.2).
Year by year · Crime Severity Index for each year
| 2023–2025 | Kapuskasing | Ontario | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Violent crime | 28.1 | 10.5 | 12 |
| Violent Crime Severity Index | 173 | 76 | 86 |
Statistics Canada, Uniform Crime Reporting Survey, 2023–2025 average
Renting in Kapuskasing costs 18% of household income, less than in Ontario’s towns or Canadian towns
13% of households spent 30% or more of their income on shelter, lower than both Ontario’s towns (22%) and Canadian towns (18%). Owners make up 67% of households.
What homes were worth · The median owner’s estimate at the 2021 census
| Census 2021 | Kapuskasing | Ontario | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Households spending 30%+ on shelter | 13% | 22% | 18% |
| Rent as a share of income | 18% | 22% | 20% |
| Households owning their home | 67% | 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.
Lives run shorter around Kapuskasing: 77.3 years, 4.2 below the typical Canadian town’s region
Age-standardised, 48% of the region’s adults put their health at very good or excellent, below both Ontario’s towns (51%) and Canadian towns (52%). The region has more smokers than Ontario, 16% of adults to 11%. The town’s own part is the trip to care, and Kapuskasing is well placed: 1.2 km to a hospital on average, against 3.7 km typical. Behind health survey and life expectancy sits data gathered across the Porcupine Health Unit, with Kapuskasing one part of it.
Very good or excellent health · adults, age-standardised
| Health | Kapuskasing | Ontario | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life expectancy at birth | 77.3 | 82.8 | 81.5 |
| Smokers | 16% | 10% | 12% |
| Very good or excellent health | 48% | 51% | 52% |
| Chronic conditions (average share) | 18% | 17% | 17% |
Statistics Canada, Canadian Community Health Survey 2023/2024 and life expectancy 2022/2024; Open Database of Healthcare Facilities
Commuters in Kapuskasing have a short way to work, 15 min on average, less than in Ontario’s towns and Canadian towns
88% of commuters drove, in line with Ontario’s towns (88%) and Canadian towns (89%).
How working residents got to work · census 2021
| Census 2021 | Kapuskasing | Ontario | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average trip | 15 min | 29 min | 26 min |
| Car or van | 88% | 88% | 89% |
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.
Expect November days around freezing in Kapuskasing, nights around −8°C
The month after, December, normally sees −7°C afternoons and −17°C nights. Snowfall in a normal November: 52 cm. In November, the normal is 67 mm of rain and snow. ECCC’s forecast for Kapuskasing is on the Weather page, hour by hour.
Normal highs, the months ahead · ECCC normals, 1991–2020
| Season | High | Low | Rain and snow |
|---|---|---|---|
| Winter | −9°C | −21°C | 134 mm |
| Spring | 7°C | −6°C | 170 mm |
| Summer | 23°C | 10°C | 252 mm |
| Autumn | 9°C | −1°C | 251 mm |
ECCC normals, 1991–2020 (Kapuskasing); the forecast is on the Weather page
Fewer than 77% of Ontario’s single-tier municipalities spend as much per resident as Kapuskasing
In October 2022, Kapuskasing elected David Plourde as mayor, with a council of 7.
| Turnout | Kapuskasing | Ontario | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Municipal election, 2022 | 29% | 31% | 31% |
Wikidata, MAMH, MMAH, Statistics Canada
Kapuskasing earns a C+ for civic life grade
Kapuskasing Library has one location for the 7,092 people it serves.
Provincial library statistics, OpenStreetMap, the CRA and Statistics Canada
More of Kapuskasing’s residents have an Indigenous identity than in Ontario’s towns or Canadian towns: 11%
People 65 and over make up 25% of the town. 3.3% of residents belong to a visible minority, below both Ontario’s towns (26%) and Canadian towns (15%).
Ages · Share of residents in each age group, Census 2021
Schooling · Highest qualification, residents 15 and over
Women and men · all residents
51.1% of Kapuskasing’s residents are women
Of the 2021 count, 4,120 were women and 3,940 men (women across Canada: 50.9%).
| Kapuskasing | Ontario | Canada | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 15 | 16% | 15% | 16% |
| 15 to 64 | 60% | 65% | 64% |
| 65+ | 25% | 19% | 19% |
| No certificate, diploma or degree | 24% | 15% | 16% |
| Postsecondary qualification | 48% | 56% | 56% |
Statistics Canada, Census 2021; Ontario and Canada: medians of towns of 2,500+
Protected land is absent from the 10 km around Kapuskasing
National parks are all over 100 km off.
Protected land · of the land within 10 km
| Outdoors | Kapuskasing | Ontario | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Protected land within 10 km | 0% | 2.3% | 2.3% |
| Public protected areas within 10 km | 0 | 4 | 4 |
Canadian Protected and Conserved Areas Database (CPCAD), OpenStreetMap routes and beaches
Teaching in French: 7 of Kapuskasing’s 10 schools
The Catholic boards run 5 of its 10 schools, against 34% in Ontario. Results have climbed at 6 of 8 schools over three years. Families can pick among four systems here: English or French, public or Catholic. Its elementary schools are small, 168 students on average, against 365 in Ontario.
| School | Level | Students | System |
|---|---|---|---|
| École publique Le Coeur du Nord FrenchLargest elementary schoolElementary · Grades JK–8 | Elementary · Grades JK–8 | 280 | French public |
| Kapuskasing District High School Fourth fifth in OntarioLargest secondary schoolSecondary · Grades 9–12 | Secondary · Grades 9–12 | 230 | English public |
| École secondaire catholique Cité des Jeunes FrenchTeaches in FrenchSecondary · Grades 9–12 | Secondary · Grades 9–12 | 210 | French Catholic |
Schools by system · Schools within 3 km
| Schools within 3 km | Kapuskasing | Ontario | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| School boards | 4 | 4 | 3 |
Provincial school lists and results, 2024-25
Kapuskasing keeps its older homes: 43% from before 1961
| Heritage | Kapuskasing | Ontario | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Homes built before 1961 | 43% | 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 Kapuskasing
Famous people from Kapuskasing
18 notable people were born in Kapuskasing.
Photo credits
Kelly VanderBeek: Christian Jansky, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Pete McLeod: Japanbird, CC BY-SA 4.0 · Shera Bechard: Toglenn, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Kirk McCaskill: California Angels, Public domain · Paul Lefebvre: Kline, CC BY-SA 4.0
About Kapuskasing
Town in Ontario
TownRatings follows Statistics Canada’s map: Kapuskasing is one municipality in Ontario, figures and all.
Statistics Canada: population estimates 2025 (17-10-0155), Census of Population 2021, 2021 census boundaries.
- Population
- 8,825 (people, 2025 estimate)
- Province or territory
- Ontario
- Census division
- Cochrane
- Census subdivision
- 3556066
Kapuskasing’s neighbours
The nearest places of 1,000 or more. Statistics Canada
| Town | People | km | Overall | Cost | Safety | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kapuskasing | 8,825 | — | B− | B+ | C− | C |
| Moonbeam | 1,262 | 18 | — | A− | — | D |
People: Statistics Canada, Census 2021. Distances: centre to centre.
Questions about Kapuskasing
Do people in Kapuskasing speak French?
Many do: 71% are bilingual in English and French (Canadian towns’ median: 8%), and 6.5% speak French only.
Is Kapuskasing growing?
No: the census counted 8,292 in 2016 and 8,057 in 2021, 2.8% fewer, against growth of 4.1% for the median of Canadian towns. The 2025 estimate is 8,825.
What kind of homes are in Kapuskasing?
Mostly 62% single-detached houses (the median of Canadian towns: 64%), with 3% of homes in buildings of five or more storeys. Households hold 2.1 people on average, and 37% have just one.
How old are the people of Kapuskasing?
The median resident is 48.4 years old, against 45.2 for the median of Canadian towns. 16% are under 15 and 25% are 65 or over.
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).