Kirkland LakeOntario
The town has 8,158 residents and lies in Ontario. It is part of Timiskaming, a census division.
Is Kirkland Lake a good place to live?
Crime runs high (D). It lags on schools as well (C−). Walkability is its strong suit (B+). The overall grade lands at D, #807 of 858 in Ontario. Nationally, it does better than 15% of Canadian towns. Its other grades sit near the middle: B for cost of living and B for hazard risk.
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 Kirkland Lake grades
Each subject compares Kirkland Lake 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 Kirkland Lake stand out
The 3 things Kirkland Lake does most differently from other towns.
The data
Data highlights are ordered by what stands out in Kirkland Lake.
Kirkland Lake’s Violent Crime Severity Index, 272, runs above Ontario’s towns and Canadian towns
Thefts, break-ins and damage came to 46.8 per 1,000 residents a year, above both Ontario’s towns (30.5) and Canadian towns (31.2). Violent crime is recorded at 34.9 per 1,000 residents a year.
Year by year · Crime Severity Index for each year
| 2023–2025 | Kirkland Lake | Ontario | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Violent Crime Severity Index | 272 | 76 | 86 |
| Violent crime | 34.9 | 10.5 | 12 |
| Property crime per 1,000 | 46.8 | 30.5 | 31.2 |
Statistics Canada, Uniform Crime Reporting Survey, 2023–2025 average
Results around Kirkland Lake lean low: 7 of 7 schools in the lower two fifths in Ontario
Within 3 km of Kirkland Lake are 7 elementary schools and 2 secondary schools, teaching 1,610 students. Its elementary schools are small, 186 students on average, against 365 in Ontario. French-language schooling is strong here, 3 of 9, where in Ontario it is 10%. The Catholic boards run 5 of its 9 schools, against 34% in Ontario.
| School | Level | Students | System |
|---|---|---|---|
| Central School Bottom fifth in OntarioLargest elementary schoolElementary · Grades JK–6 | Elementary · Grades JK–6 | 285 | English public |
| Kirkland Lake District Composite Secondary School VocationalLargest secondary schoolSecondary · Grades 9–12 | Secondary · Grades 9–12 | 440 | English public |
| École catholique Assomption (Kirkland Lake) FrenchTeaches in FrenchElementary · Grades JK–6 | Elementary · Grades JK–6 | 160 | French Catholic |
Schools by system · Schools within 3 km
| Schools within 3 km | Kirkland Lake | Ontario | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| School boards | 3 | 4 | 3 |
Provincial school lists and results, 2024-25
Kirkland Lake has colder winters than Ontario’s towns or Canadian towns: January lows of −21.9°C
The most precipitation falls in August: 90 mm in a normal year. There are 192 days of frost in a typical year, above both Ontario’s towns (139) and Canadian towns (159). Gardeners get 123 frost-free days, from 25 May to 25 September. Summer highs in Kirkland Lake reach 24.0°C in July.
Average high by season · ECCC normals, 1991–2020
| Normals, 1991–2020 | Kirkland Lake | Ontario | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| January night low | −21.9°C | −9.1°C | −13.5°C |
| July afternoon high | 24.0°C | 26.7°C | 25.5°C |
| Days with frost a year | 192 | 139 | 159 |
| Precipitation a year | 787 mm | 902 mm | 883 mm |
Environment and Climate Change Canada, Canadian Climate Normals 1991–2020 (Kirkland Lake)
Commuters in Kirkland Lake have a short way to work, 17 min on average, less than in both Ontario’s towns and Canadian towns
The car took 87% of commuters, close to both Ontario’s towns (88%) and Canadian towns (89%).
How working residents got to work · census 2021
| Census 2021 | Kirkland Lake | Ontario | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average trip | 17 min | 29 min | 26 min |
| Car or van | 87% | 88% | 89% |
Statistics Canada, Census 2021 (labour and commuting) · Census day was in May 2021, mid-pandemic, so commuting and work figures carry the lockdowns’ mark.
Expect 77.0 years of life in the region around Kirkland Lake, 4.5 under the typical Canadian town
Smokers make up 15% of the region’s adults, higher than both Ontario’s towns (10%) and Canadian towns (12%). Adults here are more upbeat about their health than the province: 54% very good or excellent, against 51% in Ontario. The town’s own part is the trip to care, and Kirkland Lake is well placed: 1.8 km to a hospital on average, against 3.7 km typical. Nobody publishes health survey and life expectancy for Kirkland Lake alone, so this card uses the figure for the Timiskaming Health Unit.
Very good or excellent health · adults, age-standardised
| Health | Kirkland Lake | Ontario | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life expectancy at birth | 77.0 | 82.8 | 81.5 |
| Smokers | 15% | 10% | 12% |
| Chronic conditions (average share) | 19% | 17% | 17% |
| Very good or excellent health | 54% | 51% | 52% |
Statistics Canada, Canadian Community Health Survey 2023/2024 and life expectancy 2022/2024; Open Database of Healthcare Facilities
Kirkland Lake’s hazards at a glance: a low wildfire record and 7.8% of area homes over the radon guideline
Seismic risk in Kirkland Lake sits near the middle: $0.036 of expected damage per $1,000 of buildings a year, the typical town $0.030. Wildfire is rare near Kirkland Lake: 0.6% of the land within 25 km has burned since 1986, a burn rate of 0.02% a year. The national flood inventory has no study of the town.
Radon tests above the guideline · share of tested homes, 200 Bq/m³
| Hazards | Kirkland Lake | Ontario | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Radon tests above the guideline | 7.8% | 4% | 6.6% |
| Earthquake loss per $1,000 of buildings a year | $0.036 | $0.043 | $0.030 |
NRCan seismic risk model and burned areas, Health Canada radon survey, the Flood Hazard Map Inventory
Fewer households own their home in Kirkland Lake than in Ontario’s towns or across Canadian towns: 62%
Rent took 19% of household income, about level with Canadian towns (20%) and below Ontario’s towns (22%).
What homes were worth · The median owner’s estimate at the 2021 census
| Census 2021 | Kirkland Lake | Ontario | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Households owning their home | 62% | 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 · Home values are owners’ own estimates at the May 2021 census, and incomes are for 2020.
What November brings in Kirkland Lake: −6°C at night, 1°C by day
A normal November brings 63 mm of rain and snow. ECCC’s forecast for Kirkland Lake is on the Weather page, hour by hour.
Normal highs, the months ahead · ECCC normals, 1991–2020
| Season | High | Low | Rain and snow |
|---|---|---|---|
| Winter | −8°C | −20°C | 138 mm |
| Spring | 8°C | −5°C | 170 mm |
| Summer | 23°C | 12°C | 251 mm |
| Autumn | 9°C | 1°C | 229 mm |
ECCC normals, 1991–2020 (Kirkland Lake); the forecast is on the Weather page
Kirkland Lake spends more per resident than 91% of Ontario’s single-tier municipalities do
The October 2022 vote made Stacy Wight mayor of Kirkland Lake, heading 7 seats.
| Turnout | Kirkland Lake | Ontario | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Municipal election, 2022 | 28% | 31% | 31% |
Wikidata, MAMH, MMAH, Statistics Canada
Kirkland Lake’s public library is Teck Centennial Library
Teck Centennial Library serves 7,981 people from a single building.
Provincial library statistics, OpenStreetMap, the CRA and Statistics Canada
Kirkland Lake borders Esker Lakes Provincial Park
Protected areas cover 5% of the land within 10 km; for the typical Canadian town it is 2.3%. National parks are all over 100 km off. CPCAD lists 2 protected areas within 10 km. Inside the town itself, 9.5% of the land is protected.
Protected land · of the land within 10 km
| Outdoors | Kirkland Lake | Ontario | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Protected land within 10 km | 5% | 2.3% | 2.3% |
| Public protected areas within 10 km | 2 | 4 | 4 |
Canadian Protected and Conserved Areas Database (CPCAD), OpenStreetMap routes and beaches
More of Kirkland Lake’s residents have an Indigenous identity than in Ontario’s towns or Canadian towns: 12%
People 65 and over make up 23% of the town, above Ontario’s towns (19%) and Canadian towns (19%) alike. Children under 15 make up 15% 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 50.9% of Kirkland Lake
3,945 women and 3,805 men at the 2021 census; across Canada, women are 50.9%.
| Kirkland Lake | Ontario | Canada | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 15 | 15% | 15% | 16% |
| 15 to 64 | 62% | 65% | 64% |
| 65+ | 23% | 19% | 19% |
| No certificate, diploma or degree | 25% | 15% | 16% |
| Postsecondary qualification | 47% | 56% | 56% |
Statistics Canada, Census 2021; Ontario and Canada: medians of towns of 2,500+
67% of Kirkland Lake’s homes were built before 1961
All told, the heritage lists hold 1 historic place within the town.
Historic places by designation · inside the town
Among them
| Heritage | Kirkland Lake | Ontario | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Homes built before 1961 | 67% | 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 Kirkland Lake
Famous people from Kirkland Lake
56 notable people were born in Kirkland Lake.
Photo credits
Alan Thicke: Canadian Film Centre from Toronto, Canada, CC BY 2.0 · Michael Hogan: Nightscream, CC BY 3.0 · Mario Bernardi: Rob McAlear, Public domain · Willie Marshall: Unknown author, Public domain · Larry Hillman: TCG Topps Gum Cards, Public domain · Ralph Backstrom: Unknown author, Public domain
About Kirkland Lake
Town in Ontario
The boundary here is Statistics Canada’s: Kirkland Lake 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
- 8,158 (people, 2025 estimate)
- Province or territory
- Ontario
- Census division
- Timiskaming
- Census subdivision
- 3554068
Questions about Kirkland Lake
Who are the people of Kirkland Lake?
4% of residents belong to a visible minority, against 15% for the median of Canadian towns; 12% have an Indigenous identity and 5% are immigrants.
Do people in Kirkland Lake speak French?
27% of residents can hold a conversation in both English and French, against 8% for the median of Canadian towns; 0.5% speak French but not English.
Has Kirkland Lake grown?
It lost people: 7,981 in 2016, 7,750 in 2021, 2.9% fewer, while the middle of Canadian towns grew 4.1%. Statistics Canada’s 2025 estimate is 8,158.
Is Kirkland Lake a young town or an old one?
At 45.2, its median age compares with 45.2 across Canadian towns. Children make up 15% of the population and seniors 23%.
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).