Lindsayin Kawartha Lakes, Ontario

The population grew 5% between 2016 and 2021. The town, home to 85,351 people, lies in Ontario.

Photo: P199 · CC BY-SA 3.0

Population

85,351

people, 2025 estimate

Median age

51.6

years · Ontario’s towns: 46.8

Postsecondary

49%

of residents 15 and over hold a postsecondary certificate, diploma or degree · Canadian towns: 56%

Walk, cycle, transit

walk, cycle or take transit to work · Canadian towns: 8%

TownGrade

#1,781 of 2,556

Is Lindsay a good place to live?

Housing is expensive (D). Incomes are on the low side (C−). Police record less crime here than in most towns (A). The overall grade lands at C, better than 34% of Canadian towns. It ranks #655 of 858 in Ontario. The rest of its grades are middling: B for schools and C+ for walkability.

Safety is the police detachment's figure, shared with the towns and countryside around it. Health is graded on the health region's survey figures and life expectancy, with the distance to hospital giving the town its own spread.

StrongestASafety A⁻Hazard riskWeakestDCost of living C⁻Jobs & income

What makes Lindsay stand out

The 3 things Lindsay does most differently from other towns.

Picked automatically from the data

Safety

Better than 94%

of Canadian towns on safety

Its safety grade: A.

Cost of living

Behind 93%

of Canadian towns on cost of living

Its cost of living grade: D.

Walk, cycle or transit to work

Getting around

4% walk, cycle or take transit

Next to 8%, the median among Canadian towns

Statistics Canada, Census 2021

How Lindsay grades

Each subject compares Lindsay 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 grading works

SafetyAmong the best of the towns comparedAOpen →Cost of livingGraded on home prices against local incomesDOpen →Jobs & incomeIncomes and work are among the weakest comparedC⁻Open →Hazard riskAhead of most towns comparedA⁻Open →HealthBased on how healthy residents are for their agesCOpen →SchoolsGraded on exam and test resultsBOpen →WalkabilityClose to the middle of the towns comparedC⁺Open →

How TownRatings grades Canadian towns →

Nearby attractions

Trent-Severn Waterway and 13 more in and around Lindsay

Museums, historic sites, parks, gardens and days out in and near Lindsay, the best known first.

All attractions →

AttractionAttraction · Parks CanadaTrent-Severn Waterwayin town MuseumMuseumHorseless Carriage Museumin town Art galleryArt galleryKawartha Art Galleryin town MuseumMuseumMaryboro Lodge Museumin town MuseumMuseumOlde Gaol Museumin town MuseumMuseumBoyd Heritage Museamin town

Places: © OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL) · Wikidata · ODCAF · federal and Québec heritage registers · CPCAD

The data

Data highlights are ordered by what stands out in Lindsay.

SafetySafety A

The police who cover Lindsay record less serious crime than Ontario’s towns or Canadian towns: a Crime Severity Index of 32

Violent incidents in its police area came to 6.7 per 1,000 residents a year, below Ontario’s towns (10.5) and Canadian towns (12) alike. For every 1,000 residents of its police area, 12.2 property crimes are reported each year.

32Crime Severity Index

Year by year · Crime Severity Index for each year

202335

202429

202531

2023–2025	Lindsay	Ontario	Canada
Property crime per 1,000	12.2	30.5	31.2
Crime Severity Index	32	56	67
Violent Crime Severity Index	43	76	86
Violent crime	6.7	10.5	12

non-violent Crime Severity Index

45%

of incidents cleared, 2023–25

Full pageLindsay’s safety reportOpen the full Safety report

Safety32 Crime Severity Index · The index weighs each crime Lindsay’s police recorded by how serious it is.Questions“Is Lindsay safe?”

Statistics Canada, Uniform Crime Reporting Survey, 2023–2025 average · Area behind the Crime Severity Index, Violent Crime Severity Index, violent crime and property crime per 1,000 figures: the City of Kawartha Lakes detachment area

HousingCost of living D

Renting in Lindsay eats 23% of household income, more than in both Ontario’s towns and Canadian towns

Measured across the Kawartha Lakes metro area: rent as a share of income and monthly rent for a two-bedroom

Owners make up 83% of households, above Ontario’s towns (76%) and Canadian towns (74%) alike. The median home value was $572,000, lower than Ontario’s towns ($695,000) yet higher than Canadian towns ($406,000).

$572,000median home value, 2021DCost of living Grade

What homes were worth · The median owner’s estimate at the 2021 census

Lindsay$572,000

Ontario$695,000

Canadian towns$406,000

Census 2021	Lindsay	Ontario	Canada
Rent as a share of income	23%	22%	20%
Households owning their home	83%	76%	74%
Median home value, 2021	$572,000	$695,000	$406,000
Households spending 30%+ on shelter	19%	22%	18%

$1,591

monthly rent for a two-bedroom

$1,080

median monthly shelter cost for owners, 2021

Full pageLindsay’s cost of living pageOpen the full Cost of living page

Renting$1,591 a month · A two-bedroom apartment, CMHC’s survey Cost of livingThe median owner’s estimate, $572,000, against the median household income Owners and renters83% own their home

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.

Work & commuteJobs & income C⁻

Commuters in Lindsay travel further than in Ontario’s towns or Canadian towns, 34 min on average

4%walk, cycle or take transit

How working residents got to work · census 2021

Car or van94%

Walk3%

Public transit1%

Bicycle0%

Census 2021	Lindsay	Ontario	Canada
Average trip	34 min	29 min	26 min

$82,000

median household income, 2020

19%

worked from home, May 2021

54%

of commuters work inside the municipality

Full pageLindsay’s work & commute pageOpen the full Work & commute page

Unemployment11% unemployed · Of the labour force · Canadian towns: 9.9%Getting to work4% walk, cycle or take transit Where people commute to1,700 commuters · The biggest flow out: to Peterborough

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.

Natural hazardsHazard risk A⁻

Lindsay is on Canada’s flood inventory: 17 listed, led by Kawartha Conservation and City of Kawartha Lakes

Shared with the rest of the Haliburton, Kawartha, Pine Ridge District Heal health region: radon tests

Radon around Lindsay is ordinary for Canada: 6.1% of tested homes over the guideline (6.6% typical). Earthquake risk in the town is ordinary: NRCan’s model puts building losses at $0.026 a year per $1,000 of value, close to the typical town’s $0.030.

Lowwildfire bandA⁻Hazard risk Grade

Radon tests above the guideline · share of tested homes, 200 Bq/m³

Lindsay6.1%

Ontario’s towns4%

Canadian towns6.6%

Hazards	Lindsay	Ontario	Canada
Radon tests above the guideline	6.1%	4%	6.6%
Earthquake loss per $1,000 of buildings a year	$0.026	$0.043	$0.030

Low

wildfire band

2.9 km

to the nearest land burned since 1986

flood studies on the national inventory

Full pageLindsay’s flood & hazards pageOpen the full Flood & hazards page

Flood17 flood studies on record WildfireLow wildfire band · No land burned within 25 km since 1986 Earthquakes$0.026 a year per $1,000 · Canadian towns: $0.030 Radon6.1% of tests above the guideline Be readyAlerts, FireSmart and radon tests

NRCan seismic risk model and burned areas, Health Canada radon survey, the Flood Hazard Map Inventory

HealthHealth C

More smokers around Lindsay: 18% of adults, where the typical Canadian town has 12%

The average trip from home to a hospital is 13 km, above Ontario’s towns (3.3 km) and Canadian towns (3.7 km) alike. On self-rated health the region tracks the province: 49% very good or excellent, 51% for Ontario. A baby born in the region can expect 81.0 years, 83.0 for a girl and 79.0 for a boy (2022/2024). For health survey and life expectancy, the only official count covers all of the Haliburton, Kawartha, Pine Ridge District Health Unit, Lindsay included.

49%very good or excellent healthCHealth Grade

Very good or excellent health · adults, age-standardised

Lindsay49%

Ontario’s towns51%

Canadian towns52%

Health	Lindsay	Ontario	Canada
Smokers	18%	10%	12%
Life expectancy at birth	81.0	82.8	81.5
Very good or excellent health	49%	51%	52%

81.0

years of life expectancy, 2022/2024

13 km

from homes to a hospital, on average

18%

of adults smoke, age-standardised

4.8 km

from homes to a pharmacy, on average

Full pageLindsay’s health pageOpen the full Health page

Health survey49% very good or excellent health · adults, age-standardised Getting care13 km to a hospital · A pharmacy 4.8 km away on average The wider areaLife expectancy: women 83.0, men 79.0 Conditions and habits17% with chronic conditions · adults, age-standardised

Statistics Canada, Canadian Community Health Survey 2023/2024 and life expectancy 2022/2024; Open Database of Healthcare Facilities

Who lives here

Older residents shape Lindsay: 28% are 65 or over, above Ontario’s towns and Canadian towns

Visible minorities make up 3.4% of the population, below both Ontario’s towns (26%) and Canadian towns (15%). 13% of residents are children under 15.

51.6median age

LindsayOntarioCanada

OntarioCanada

Ages · Share of residents in each age group, Census 2021

28%

Schooling · Highest qualification, residents 15 and over

No certificate, diploma or degree18%

Postsecondary qualification49%

Women and men · all residents

50.3% of Lindsay’s residents are women

The 2021 census counted 39,865 women and 39,380 men here, where women make up 50.9% of Canada.

Who lives in Lindsay
	Lindsay	Ontario	Canada
Under 15	13%	15%	16%
15 to 64	59%	65%	64%
65+	28%	19%	19%
No certificate, diploma or degree	18%	15%	16%
Postsecondary qualification	49%	56%	56%

Full pageLindsay’s Who lives here pageOpen the full Who lives here page

Ages51.6 median age · 28% are 65 or over Households32,705 households · 2.4 people per household Immigrants8% are immigrants · 3% belong to a visible minority English and French4% speak both · 0% speak French but not English

Statistics Canada, Census 2021; Ontario and Canada: medians of towns of 2,500+

Climate

January nights in Lindsay drop to −12.8°C (Ontario towns −9.1°C, Canadian towns −13.5°C)

A normal January brings 45 cm of snow, the most of any month. There are 169 days of frost in a typical year, higher than both Ontario’s towns (139) and Canadian towns (159). Frost usually lifts by 16 May and returns around 24 September: 130 days without it. For the wettest month, look to June: 88 mm on average.

26.6°CJuly afternoons

Average high by season · ECCC normals, 1991–2020

Winter−1.3°C

Spring11.7°C

Summer25.4°C

Autumn14.0°C

Normals, 1991–2020	Lindsay	Ontario	Canada
Days with frost a year	169	139	159
January night low	−12.8°C	−9.1°C	−13.5°C
July afternoon high	26.6°C	26.7°C	25.5°C
Snowfall a year	158 cm	146 cm	141 cm

158 cm

of snow a year

169

days with frost a year

130

frost-free days, 16 May to 24 Sep

114

days with precipitation a year

Full pageLindsay’s climate pageOpen the full Climate page

The yearJuly highs 26.6°C, January lows −12.8°C Rain and snow840 mm a year · Canadian towns: 883 mm Snow158 cm of snow a year Weather station36 km to the station · Peterborough

Environment and Climate Change Canada, Canadian Climate Normals 1991–2020 (Peterborough)

SchoolsSchools B

Lindsay’s 26 schools with results spread wide in Ontario, 10 in the top two fifths and 10 in the bottom two

Taken together, Lindsay and its 3 km edge hold 23 elementary schools, 4 secondary schools and 1 alternative or adult school for 9,620 students. Schooling here is split between 2 boards, below Ontario’s towns (4) and Canadian towns (3) alike.

28schools within 3 kmBSchools Grade

School	Level	Students	System
Leslie Frost Public School Middle fifth in OntarioLargest elementary schoolElementary · Grades JK–8	Elementary · Grades JK–8	475	English public
I E Weldon Secondary School Fourth fifth in OntarioLargest secondary schoolSecondary · Grades 9–12	Secondary · Grades 9–12	1,050	English public
Parkview Public School Top fifth in OntarioResults in the top fifth in OntarioElementary · Grades JK–8	Elementary · Grades JK–8	385	English public

See all 28 schools →

Schools by system · Schools within 3 km

English public22

English Catholic6

Schools within 3 km	Lindsay	Ontario	Canada
School boards	2	4	3
Nearest elementary school	5.3 km	0.5 km	0.5 km
Nearest secondary school	6.2 km	1.2 km	1.2 km

9,620

students at the schools within 3 km, 2024-25

6.2 km

to the nearest secondary school

5.3 km

to the nearest elementary school

Full pageLindsay’s schools pageOpen the full Schools page

Results10 of 26 in the top two fifths · of the schools with results, placed against every school in Ontario Every school28 schools within 3 km · 23 elementary schools, 4 secondary schools and 1 alternative or adult school Language0 of 28 teach in French · 10% of schools in Ontario The boards2 school boards · Trillium Lakelands DSB Questions“What schools are there in Lindsay?”

Provincial school lists and results, 2024-25

Weather

Lindsay in November: highs near 7°C, lows near −3°C

Snow is normal by November, about 17 cm over the month. Looking ahead to December, expect highs near freezing and lows near −8°C. Rain and snow over a typical November come to 76 mm. Over the year, July is warmest at 27°C by day and January coldest at −13°C by night.

7°Ca normal November afternoon

Normal highs, the months ahead · ECCC normals, 1991–2020

November7°C

December0°C

January−3°C

February−2°C

Season	High	Low	Rain and snow
Winter	−1°C	−11°C	173 mm
Spring	12°C	−1°C	206 mm
Summer	25°C	12°C	235 mm
Autumn	14°C	2°C	227 mm

−3°C

a normal November night

76 mm

of rain and snow in a normal November

Full pageLindsay’s weather pageOpen the full Weather page

Next 24 hoursTemperature and chance of rain, hour by hour The week aheadECCC’s days ahead, beside the normals The yearWarmest July, coldest January

ECCC normals, 1991–2020 (Peterborough); the forecast is on the Weather page

Town hall

Jamie Schmale (Conservative Party of Canada) represents Lindsay in Ottawa as MP for Haliburton—Kawartha Lakes

Lindsay sends one MPP (Member of Provincial Parliament, at Queen’s Park in Toronto) to the Legislative Assembly of Ontario from Haliburton—Kawartha Lakes—Brock, though no open record we can reuse gives the name.

Turnout	Lindsay	Ontario	Canada
Municipal election, 2022	33%	31%	31%

Full pageLindsay’s town hall & politics pageOpen the full Town hall & politics page

Who runs itCity council seats9

Wikidata, MAMH, MMAH, Statistics Canada

Library & civic lifeCivic life grade C

14 public library branches serve Lindsay

Kawartha Lakes Public Library counts 79,247 people in its service area.

Full pageLindsay’s library & civic life pageOpen the full Library & civic life page

A year at the library2.6 visits per person served Places to belong1.7 charities per 1,000 residents

Provincial library statistics, OpenStreetMap, the CRA and Statistics Canada

Outdoors

Lindsay has more protected land around it than 8 in 10 Canadian towns

9 beaches are mapped within 5 km, the nearest Bobcaygeon Beach. The closest of Canada’s national parks is Rouge National Urban Park, at 27 km. CPCAD lists 60 protected areas within 10 km. Nearly a tenth of the town lies within a protected area.

7.6%of the land within 10 km protected

Protected land · of the land within 10 km

Lindsay7.6%

Ontario’s towns2.3%

Canadian towns2.3%

Outdoors	Lindsay	Ontario	Canada
Protected land within 10 km	7.6%	2.3%	2.3%
Public protected areas within 10 km	9	4	4

27 km

to Rouge National Urban Park

At the edge

to Emily Provincial Park

beaches within 5 km

public protected areas within 10 km

Full pageLindsay’s outdoors pageOpen the full Outdoors page

Protected landof the land within 10 km Protected areas60 protected areas within 10 km · Queen Elizabeth II Wildlands Provincial Park National & provincial parks27 km to a national park · Rouge National Urban Park Footpaths & routes5 named routes · Ganaraska Trail

Canadian Protected and Conserved Areas Database (CPCAD), OpenStreetMap routes and beaches

History

Lindsay’s 1 historic place is a top designation

27% of its homes were built before 1961, higher than both Ontario’s towns (22%) and Canadian towns (18%).

1historic place

Historic places by designation · inside the town

Highest designations1

Other federal designations0

Provincial and local listings0

Among them

Canal Lake Concrete Arch Bridge 1905

1905

oldest construction date on the record

27%

of homes built before 1961 · Canadian towns 18%

Heritage	Lindsay	Ontario	Canada
Homes built before 1961	27%	22%	18%

Full pageLindsay’s history pageOpen the full History page

On the registersOne historic place inside the town Highest designations1 top designation · Canal Lake Concrete Arch Bridge Older homes27% built before 1961 · Canadian towns: 18%Questions“How many historic places does Lindsay have?”

Canadian Register of Historic Places, Directory of Federal Heritage Designations, Québec’s Répertoire du patrimoine culturel, Wikidata; Census 2021 homes by period

Keep exploring

Everything we know about Lindsay

15pages on Lindsay

The big questions

SafetyACrime Severity Index 32 Housing & costDHomes 7 × income Property pricesSchoolsB28 schools within 3 km HealthCLife expectancy 81 in its region Work & commuteC⁻49% of adults in work Natural hazardsA⁻Wildfire band: low

Out and about

Outdoors7.6% of the land within 10 km protected AttractionsClimateJuly afternoons around 27°C WeatherECCC’s forecast, beside the normals

The story

Who lives hereMedian age 51.6 HistoryOne place on the heritage registers Town hallFamous people

Famous people from Lindsay

73 notable people were born in Lindsay.

See all 73 →

Megan ParkCanadian actress · born 1986

Rick MacLeishCanadian ice hockey player · 1950–2016

Fergus Patrick McEvayCanadian archbishop · 1852–1911

Joe PrimeauCanadian ice hockey player · 1906–1989

J. K. L. RossCanadian businessman · 1876–1951

J. Carson MarkCanadian-American mathematician · 1913–1997

Photo credits

Megan Park: Larry Richman, CC BY-SA 2.0 · Rick MacLeish: Philadelphia Flyers / NHL, Public domain · Fergus Patrick McEvay: Unknown author, Public domain · Joe Primeau: Imperial Oil-Turofsky Collection/Hockey Hall of Fame, Public domain · J. K. L. Ross: Canadian Horse Racing Hall of Fame, Public domain

Questions about Lindsay

Who are the people of Lindsay?

3% of residents belong to a visible minority, against 15% for the median of Canadian towns; 3% have an Indigenous identity and 8% are immigrants.

What kind of homes are in Lindsay?

Single-detached houses make up 84% of the homes here, where Canadian towns sit at 64%; 2% are in high-rise apartments. 26% of households are one person, and the average is 2.4.

Is Lindsay growing?

Between the 2016 and 2021 censuses it went from 75,423 to 79,247 residents (up 5.1%; Canadian towns’ median: 4.1%), and Statistics Canada now estimates 85,351.

About Lindsay

Town in Ontario

TownRatings counts Lindsay as Statistics Canada does, as one municipality in Ontario; the census, crime and housing figures all follow that boundary.

Statistics Canada: population estimates 2025 (17-10-0155), Census of Population 2021, 2021 census boundaries.

Population: 85,351 (people, 2025 estimate)
Province or territory: Ontario
Census division: Kawartha Lakes
Metro area: Kawartha Lakes
Census subdivision: 3516010

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).