KincardineOntario
With 13,169 residents, it is a town in Ontario. Between 2016 and 2021, its population grew by 8%.
Is Kincardine a good place to live?
A good place to live, if you can afford it. It is a safe place by the numbers (A). Jobs and pay hold up well (A). What counts against it is cost of living (C−). All told, that adds up to a B+ overall and a rank of #175 of 858 in Ontario. On that grade it does better than 75% of Canadian towns. The rest of its grades are middling: C+ for health and B for walkability.
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 Kincardine grades
Each subject compares Kincardine 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 Kincardine stand out
The 3 things Kincardine does most differently from other towns.
The data
Data highlights are ordered by what stands out in Kincardine.
Violent crime weighs less on Kincardine than on Ontario’s towns or Canadian towns: a violent severity index of 43
Property crime ran at 15.8 incidents per 1,000 residents a year, below both Ontario’s towns (30.5) and Canadian towns (31.2). Violence reaches 7.4 per 1,000 residents a year.
Year by year · Crime Severity Index for each year
| 2023–2025 | Kincardine | Ontario | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Property crime per 1,000 | 15.8 | 30.5 | 31.2 |
| Violent Crime Severity Index | 43 | 76 | 86 |
| Violent crime | 7.4 | 10.5 | 12 |
Statistics Canada, Uniform Crime Reporting Survey, 2023–2025 average
Commuters in Kincardine have a short way to work, 20 min on average, less than in Ontario’s towns and Canadian towns
Driving is how 93% of commuters got to work at the census.
How working residents got to work · census 2021
| Census 2021 | Kincardine | Ontario | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average trip | 20 min | 29 min | 26 min |
| Car or van | 93% | 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.
Measured against local pay, Kincardine costs more to live in than 85% of Canadian towns
Owners put the median home at $500,000, below Ontario’s towns ($695,000) but above Canadian towns ($406,000). Home ownership covers four in five households.
What homes were worth · The median owner’s estimate at the 2021 census
| Census 2021 | Kincardine | Ontario | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Households spending 30%+ on shelter | 14% | 22% | 18% |
| Median home value, 2021 | $500,000 | $695,000 | $406,000 |
| Households owning their home | 80% | 76% | 74% |
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.
Most of Kincardine’s schools are public: 1 of 7 are Catholic, where in Ontario it is 34%
Secondary school means a trip of 5.7 km at the nearest, higher than both Ontario’s towns (1.2 km) and Canadian towns (1.2 km). The 3 km around Kincardine counts 6 elementary schools and 1 secondary school, 2,415 students between them.
| School | Level | Students | System |
|---|---|---|---|
| St Anthony's Separate School CatholicLargest elementary schoolElementary · Grades JK–8 | Elementary · Grades JK–8 | 530 | English Catholic |
| Kincardine District Secondary School Middle fifth in OntarioLargest secondary schoolSecondary · Grades 9–12 | Secondary · Grades 9–12 | 675 | English public |
Schools by system · Schools within 3 km
| Schools within 3 km | Kincardine | Ontario | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| School boards | 2 | 4 | 3 |
| Nearest secondary school | 5.7 km | 1.2 km | 1.2 km |
| Nearest elementary school | 4.2 km | 0.5 km | 0.5 km |
Provincial school lists and results, 2024-25
Kincardine has cooler summers than Ontario’s towns or Canadian towns: July highs of 24.4°C
Frost comes on 134 days a year, near Ontario’s towns (139) and lower than Canadian towns (159). Expect January lows of around −7.8°C in Kincardine. January is the snowiest month, with 111 cm on average.
Average high by season · ECCC normals, 1991–2020
| Normals, 1991–2020 | Kincardine | Ontario | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Snowfall a year | 385 cm | 146 cm | 141 cm |
| 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 | 1,074 mm | 902 mm | 883 mm |
Environment and Climate Change Canada, Canadian Climate Normals 1991–2020 (Goderich)
Flood mapping exists for Kincardine: 1 on record, latest by Saugeen Valley Conservation Authority
In Health Canada’s survey, just over one in ten homes tested in the area exceeded 200 Bq/m³ (6.6% typical). Seismic risk runs low: $0.012 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 | Kincardine | Ontario | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Radon tests above the guideline | 11% | 4% | 6.6% |
| Earthquake loss per $1,000 of buildings a year | $0.012 | $0.043 | $0.030 |
NRCan seismic risk model and burned areas, Health Canada radon survey, the Flood Hazard Map Inventory
Kincardine’s health region counts 17% of adults who smoke, above the typical Canadian town’s 12%
In the health survey, 48% of adults in the region rate their health very good or excellent, fewer than Ontario’s 51%. A child born in the region can expect 81.3 years, lower than Ontario’s towns (82.8) and near Canadian towns (81.5). Closer to home, a hospital sits 3.4 km from the average resident of Kincardine, about the norm of 3.7 km.
Very good or excellent health · adults, age-standardised
| Health | Kincardine | Ontario | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Smokers | 17% | 10% | 12% |
| Very good or excellent health | 48% | 51% | 52% |
| Life expectancy at birth | 81.3 | 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 Grey Bruce Health Unit
Kincardine in November: highs near 7°C, lows near 1°C
Next comes December, with normal highs of 2°C and lows of −4°C. Expect around 48 cm of snow in November. Rain and snow over a typical November come to 110 mm. The year peaks in July (24°C) and bottoms out in February (−8°C).
Normal highs, the months ahead · ECCC normals, 1991–2020
| Season | High | Low | Rain and snow |
|---|---|---|---|
| Winter | 0°C | −7°C | 292 mm |
| Spring | 11°C | 1°C | 232 mm |
| Summer | 24°C | 14°C | 232 mm |
| Autumn | 14°C | 6°C | 319 mm |
ECCC normals, 1991–2020 (Goderich); the forecast is on the Weather page
More of Huron—Bruce voted in 2021 than in most ridings: 70%, ahead of 93%
Federally, Kincardine sits in Huron—Bruce, its riding (a federal electoral district, which elects one MP), held by Ben Lobb of the Conservative Party of Canada.
| Turnout | Kincardine | Ontario | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Municipal election, 2022 | 45% | 31% | 31% |
Wikidata, MAMH, MMAH, Statistics Canada
Bruce County Public Library - Kincardine Branch and Bruce County Public Library - Tiverton Branch are Kincardine’s two public libraries
No library board reports for Kincardine alone: its libraries belong to a county or regional system, whose figures cover many towns.
Provincial library statistics, OpenStreetMap, the CRA and Statistics Canada
Step out of Kincardine into MacGregor Point Provincial Park
76 km separate the town from Bruce Peninsula National Park, its nearest national park. The 10 km around town hold 7 protected areas. Out to 10 km from the town’s edge, 1% of the land is protected; 2.3% is typical for a Canadian town. Swimmers have 19 beaches within 5 km, Lorne Beach the nearest.
Protected land · of the land within 10 km
| Outdoors | Kincardine | Ontario | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Protected land within 10 km | 1% | 2.3% | 2.3% |
| Public protected areas within 10 km | 2 | 4 | 4 |
Canadian Protected and Conserved Areas Database (CPCAD), OpenStreetMap routes and beaches
Visible minorities make up less of Kincardine than of Ontario’s towns or Canadian towns: 6.5%
Immigrants make up 11% of residents, higher than both Ontario’s towns (7.6%) and Canadian towns (6.4%). First Nations, Métis and Inuit people make up 2.8% of residents, about level with Canadian towns (2.8%) and above Ontario’s towns (1.6%).
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 50.5% of Kincardine
6,070 men and 6,200 women lived here in 2021, against a share of women of 50.9% for Canada.
| Kincardine | Ontario | Canada | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 15 | 18% | 15% | 16% |
| 15 to 64 | 59% | 65% | 64% |
| 65+ | 24% | 19% | 19% |
| No certificate, diploma or degree | 14% | 15% | 16% |
| Postsecondary qualification | 62% | 56% | 56% |
Statistics Canada, Census 2021; Ontario and Canada: medians of towns of 2,500+
Everything we know about Kincardine
Paddy Walker House and 6 more in and around Kincardine
From museums to parks and historic sites: Kincardine’s places to visit and those just beyond its edge, most famous first.
MuseumPaddy Walker Housein town
MuseumMadison Housein townZooZooBervie Zoological Parkin townMuseumMuseumBruce Power Visitor Centrein townMuseumMuseumKincardine Lighthousein townArt galleryArt gallerySound + Colour Studio and Gallery2.1 km outside town, to the northeastPhotos: each place’s Wikidata image, from Wikimedia Commons under the licence below (our copy, resized).
Photo credits (2)
- Paddy Walker House: Ajadams94, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Madison House: Ajadams94, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons
Famous people from Kincardine
20 notable people were born in Kincardine.
Photo credits
James Brown Scott: http://www.asil.org/, CC BY 3.0 · Johnny Wilson: Detroit Red Wings / NHL, Public domain · James Malcolm: Uknown, Public domain · Malcolm McKenzie: Unknown author, Public domain · George Sellery: Unknown author, Public domain
About Kincardine
Town in Ontario
The boundary here is Statistics Canada’s: Kincardine 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
- 13,169 (people, 2025 estimate)
- Province or territory
- Ontario
- Census division
- Bruce
- Census subdivision
- 3541024
Kincardine’s neighbours
The nearest places of 1,000 or more. Statistics Canada
| Town | People | km | Overall | Cost | Safety | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kincardine | 13,169 | — | B+ | C− | A | C+ |
| Huron-Kinloss | 8,445 | 19 | A− | C+ | A | C |
People: Statistics Canada, Census 2021. Distances: centre to centre.
Questions about Kincardine
How old are the people of Kincardine?
Its median age is 44.4, where Canadian towns sit at 45.2. Under-15s are 18% of residents; over-65s, 24%.
What kind of homes are in Kincardine?
29% of households are one person, and the average is 2.3.
Who are the people of Kincardine?
Visible minorities are 7% of the population, where the middle of Canadian towns is 15%. Immigrants make up 11%, and Indigenous people 3%.
Is Kincardine growing?
It grew from 11,389 people in 2016 to 12,268 in 2021, up 7.7%; the median of Canadian towns grew 4.1%. StatCan’s 2025 estimate is 13,169.
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).