Is Kenora a good place to live?
Kenora’s overall C puts it #648 of 858 in Ontario. On that grade it does better than just over a third of Canadian towns. Its lowest grade is for safety (D). It also trails on health (C). Where it does best is jobs & income (A). At $300,000, the median home value in 2021 came to 3.5 times local household income.
Figures: home values and income: Statistics Canada, Census 2021.
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 Kenora grades
Each subject compares Kenora 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 Kenora stand out
The 2 things Kenora does most differently from other towns.
The data
Data highlights are ordered by what stands out in Kenora.
Commuters in Kenora have a short way to work, 15 min on average, less than in Ontario’s towns and across Canadian towns
The car took 91% of commuters, about level with Canadian towns (89%) and above Ontario’s towns (88%).
How working residents got to work · census 2021
| Census 2021 | Kenora | Ontario | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average trip | 15 min | 29 min | 26 min |
| Car or van | 91% | 88% | 89% |
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.
Kenora’s Violent Crime Severity Index, 187, runs above Ontario’s towns and Canadian towns
Property crime runs at 47.5 per 1,000 people a year. Violent incidents came to 32.3 per 1,000 residents a year, above both Ontario’s towns (10.5) and Canadian towns (12).
Year by year · Crime Severity Index for each year
| 2023–2025 | Kenora | Ontario | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Violent crime | 32.3 | 10.5 | 12 |
| Violent Crime Severity Index | 187 | 76 | 86 |
| Property crime per 1,000 | 47.5 | 30.5 | 31.2 |
Statistics Canada, Uniform Crime Reporting Survey, 2023–2025 average
Kenora’s region trails the typical Canadian town by 7.8 years: life expectancy 73.7
The health survey and life expectancy numbers here cover the Northwestern Health Unit
Smokers make up 16% of the region’s adults, above Ontario’s towns (10%) and Canadian towns (12%) alike. Across the region, 44% of adults say their health is very good or excellent; Ontario as a whole reaches 51%. For Kenora itself the measure is access: 3.6 km to the nearest hospital, much like the typical 3.7 km.
Very good or excellent health · adults, age-standardised
| Health | Kenora | Ontario | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life expectancy at birth | 73.7 | 82.8 | 81.5 |
| Very good or excellent health | 44% | 51% | 52% |
| Smokers | 16% | 10% | 12% |
| Chronic conditions (average share) | 16% | 17% | 17% |
Statistics Canada, Canadian Community Health Survey 2023/2024 and life expectancy 2022/2024; Open Database of Healthcare Facilities
Hazards in Kenora: wildfire low, radon over the guideline in 14% of tested homes
Seismic risk runs low: $0.004 of expected damage per $1,000 of buildings a year, the typical town $0.030. Burn scars are few around Kenora, with 0.8% of the land within 25 km touched by fire since 1986 (0.02% a year). Flood mapping: none on the national inventory of the town.
Radon tests above the guideline · share of tested homes, 200 Bq/m³
| Hazards | Kenora | Ontario | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Radon tests above the guideline | 14% | 4% | 6.6% |
| Earthquake loss per $1,000 of buildings a year | $0.004 | $0.043 | $0.030 |
NRCan seismic risk model and burned areas, Health Canada radon survey, the Flood Hazard Map Inventory
Kenora has colder winters than Ontario’s towns or Canadian towns: January lows of −20.1°C
The frost-free season runs from 10 May to 2 October, 144 days. The thermometer drops below freezing on 181 days a year, higher than both Ontario’s towns (139) and Canadian towns (159). Expect July highs of around 24.4°C in Kenora. Snow peaks in December: 32 cm in a normal year.
Average high by season · ECCC normals, 1991–2020
| Normals, 1991–2020 | Kenora | Ontario | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| January night low | −20.1°C | −9.1°C | −13.5°C |
| July afternoon high | 24.4°C | 26.7°C | 25.5°C |
| Days with frost a year | 181 | 139 | 159 |
| Snowfall a year | 175 cm | 146 cm | 141 cm |
Environment and Climate Change Canada, Canadian Climate Normals 1991–2020 (Kenora)
Kenora’s schools mostly sit under the middle in Ontario, 6 of the 9 with results
The 3 km around Kenora counts 9 elementary schools and 2 secondary schools, 2,800 students between them. No French-language school is among them; in Ontario, 10% of schools are. Elementary schools here average 208 students; in Ontario, 365.
| School | Level | Students | System |
|---|---|---|---|
| Valleyview Public School Second fifth in OntarioLargest elementary schoolElementary · Grades JK–6 | Elementary · Grades JK–6 | 335 | English public |
| Beaver Brae Secondary School Bottom fifth in OntarioLargest secondary schoolSecondary · Grades 9–12 | Secondary · Grades 9–12 | 560 | English public |
Schools by system · Schools within 3 km
| Schools within 3 km | Kenora | Ontario | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| School boards | 2 | 4 | 3 |
Provincial school lists and results, 2024-25
What November brings in Kenora: −7°C at night, −1°C by day
Expect around 31 cm of snow in November. A normal December brings highs of −8°C, lows of −16°C. November normally sees 38 mm of precipitation. The forecast on the Weather page is ECCC’s for Kenora.
Normal highs, the months ahead · ECCC normals, 1991–2020
| Season | High | Low | Rain and snow |
|---|---|---|---|
| Winter | −9°C | −18°C | 76 mm |
| Spring | 8°C | −2°C | 158 mm |
| Summer | 23°C | 14°C | 321 mm |
| Autumn | 9°C | 1°C | 199 mm |
ECCC normals, 1991–2020 (Kenora); the forecast is on the Weather page
Turnout in Kenora reached 54% in 2022, higher than in 95% of Ontario’s municipalities
Kenora’s council of 7 was elected in October 2022, with Andrew Poirier as mayor.
| Turnout | Kenora | Ontario | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Municipal election, 2022 | 54% | 31% | 31% |
Wikidata, MAMH, MMAH, Statistics Canada
Kenora Public Library is Kenora’s public library
A single building, Kenora Public Library, serves 14,967 people.
Provincial library statistics, OpenStreetMap, the CRA and Statistics Canada
Rent takes less of local pay in Kenora than in Ontario’s towns or Canadian towns: 17% of household income
Measured across the Kenora metro area: rent as a share of income and monthly rent for a two-bedroom
Owners make up 74% of households, about level with both Ontario’s towns (76%) and Canadian towns (74%).
What homes were worth · The median owner’s estimate at the 2021 census
| Census 2021 | Kenora | Ontario | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home value, 2021 | $300,000 | $695,000 | $406,000 |
| Rent as a share of income | 17% | 22% | 20% |
| Households spending 30%+ on shelter | 17% | 22% | 18% |
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.
More of Kenora’s residents have an Indigenous identity than in Ontario’s towns or Canadian towns: 25%
3.2% of residents belong to a visible minority, below both Ontario’s towns (26%) and Canadian towns (15%). People 65 and over make up just over a fifth of the town.
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 50.3% of Kenora
Here the census found 7,435 men and 7,535 women; the figure for women across Canada is 50.9%.
| Kenora | Ontario | Canada | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 15 | 15% | 15% | 16% |
| 15 to 64 | 63% | 65% | 64% |
| 65+ | 21% | 19% | 19% |
| No certificate, diploma or degree | 17% | 15% | 16% |
| Postsecondary qualification | 52% | 56% | 56% |
Statistics Canada, Census 2021; Ontario and Canada: medians of towns of 2,500+
7 beaches lie within 5 km of Kenora
Within 10 km are 6 protected areas. The nearest provincial park, Rushing River Provincial Park, is 9.3 km away. OpenStreetMap shows 2 walking routes nearby, including the Bison Trail A and Bison Trail B. Lake of the Woods Conservation Reserve (45,929 ha) is the biggest, 1.7 km from town.
Protected land · of the land within 10 km
| Outdoors | Kenora | Ontario | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Protected land within 10 km | 1% | 2.3% | 2.3% |
| Public protected areas within 10 km | 3 | 4 | 4 |
Canadian Protected and Conserved Areas Database (CPCAD), OpenStreetMap routes and beaches
In Kenora, 38% of homes go back before 1961
Inside the town the registers count 1 historic place.
Historic places by designation · inside the town
Among them
| Heritage | Kenora | Ontario | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Homes built before 1961 | 38% | 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 Kenora
Famous people from Kenora
37 notable people were born in Kenora.
Photo credits
Mike Richards: Michael Miller, CC BY-SA 4.0 · Mike Smith: Template:Michael Smith, Public domain · Wab Kinew: Office of Governor Tim Walz & Lt. Governor Peggy Flanagan, Public domain · Tommy Phillips: Unknown author, Public domain · Bob Bailey: TCG Topps Gum Cards, Public domain · Tom Hooper: Unknown author, Public domain
About Kenora
Town in Ontario
TownRatings follows Statistics Canada’s map: Kenora is one municipality in Ontario, figures and all.
Statistics Canada: population estimates 2025 (17-10-0155), Census of Population 2021, 2021 census boundaries.
- Population
- 15,892 (people, 2025 estimate)
- Province or territory
- Ontario
- Census subdivision
- 3560010
Questions about Kenora
Who are the people of Kenora?
At the 2021 census, 4% were immigrants and 3% belonged to a visible minority (Canadian towns’ median: 15%). 25% identify as First Nations, Métis or Inuit.
What kind of homes are in Kenora?
77% of homes are single-detached houses, against 64% for the median of Canadian towns, and 3% are in apartment buildings of five storeys or more. A household averages 2.2 people; 33% are one person living alone.
Is Kenora growing?
No: the census counted 15,096 in 2016 and 14,967 in 2021, 0.9% fewer, against growth of 4.1% for the median of Canadian towns. The 2025 estimate is 15,892.
Is Kenora a young town or an old one?
The median resident is 44.4 years old, against 45.2 for the median of Canadian towns. 15% are under 15 and 21% 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).