Photo: P199 · CC BY-SA 3.0Older than 89% of Canadian towns: half of Lindsay is over 51.6
Most recent wave: 7% of immigrants arrived in 2011–2021 (Canada’s towns: 27%). There are 5% more residents than in 2016. 84% of households live in a single-detached house. Compared with other places, children under 15 are scarce here: 13%, fewer than in 78% of Canadian towns. Statistics Canada counts Lindsay as part of Kawartha Lakes: the figures on this page are the municipality’s.
What stands out about the people of Lindsay
Older than most towns
The middle resident of Lindsay is 51.6; the typical median across Canadian towns is 42. 28% are 65 or over, against 19% across Canada’s towns. Ages ↓
Written from the data on this page: Statistics Canada, 2021 Census.
Lindsay grew +5% from 2016 to 2021, faster than 57% of Canadian towns
Unless a figure says otherwise, it is from the 2021 Census. The census counts of 2016 and 2021, the estimate after them, and the change set beside other towns.
Change, 2016 to 2021
Statistics Canada’s estimate for July 2025 is 8% higher again. For comparison, the median is +4% across Canada’s towns and +6% across Ontario’s towns.
A higher share of residents aged 65 and over than 89% of Canadian towns, at 28%
Share of residents in each five-year band; the tick is the typical town.
8.9% of residents are aged 15 to 24; across Canada’s towns the figure is 11%. Elsewhere, 19% of residents are 65 or over across Canada’s towns.
Median age of Canadian towns of 2,500+
■ Lindsay, 51.6. The typical town is 42.
Broad ages · share of residents
Women and men · all residents
50% women, 50% men
About an even split.
Smaller households than 53% of Canadian towns: 2.4 people on average
Households by family type and by the number of people in them.
Against Ontario’s towns and Canada’s towns
People per household
Canada’s towns.
One-parent families account for 7.3%. Set against 27% across Canada’s towns, just over a quarter of households are one person living alone in Lindsay.
In Lindsay, 50% of residents 15 and over are married, more than in 61% of Canadian towns
Marital status of residents 15 and over, with common-law couples counted apart.
Marital status · residents 15 and over
By its share of common-law partners (12%), Lindsay is above 61% of Canadian towns. The usual figure: 46% of residents 15 and over are married across Canada’s towns.
17% of households rent their home, below 69% of Canadian towns
Houses and apartments, owners and renters, older and newer homes. Prices, rents and shelter costs are on Cost of living.
Type of home
Owners and renters · share of households
When homes were built · share of homes
By its share of households in buildings of five or more storeys (2.2%), Lindsay is above nearly two thirds of Canadian towns. Across Canada’s towns, a quarter of households rent their home.
$82,000 a year is the median household income here
The census asked about income in 2020: a pandemic year, with CERB and other emergency benefits counted in. Income per household, before tax, with the groups it falls into.
Households by income · share of households
The median across Canada’s towns is $86,000, and Lindsay’s, at $82,000, is close to it. The median across Ontario’s towns is $91,600. Emergency and recovery benefits reached 24% of those with an income, beside a typical 28%.
Below 77% of Canadian towns: 8.6% of residents lived at another address a year earlier
Immigrants by continent of birth and when they arrived, citizenship, and who moved in recently.
Immigrants, by continent of birth · share of all residents; the bar runs to 35%
When immigrants arrived · share of immigrants
Citizenship and moving · share of residents
1.5% of residents are not Canadian citizens; across Canada’s towns the figure is 5.8%. The comparison figure for residents who moved in within the year is 11% across Canada’s towns. The share of immigrants stands at 7.9%.
Lindsay: 45% of residents said they have no religion, above 78% of Canadian towns
Identity and faith, in the census’s categories.
Visible minority and Indigenous identity · all residents
Religion · all residents
With visible minority residents at 3.4%, Lindsay is behind nearly three quarters of Canadian towns on that count. The share of residents with no religion across Canada’s towns is 35%. Indigenous residents account for 2.9%.
English is the mother tongue of 94%, and 4.4% speak French as well
English, French and the other languages people grew up with or speak at home.
Can hold a conversation in · share of all residents
Mother tongue · share of all residents
Where 7.5% of residents speak English and French across Canada’s towns, Lindsay has 4.4%. 0.9% of residents have French as their mother tongue.
A smaller share of degree holders aged 25 to 64 than 80% of Canadian towns: 16%
Education of residents 25 to 64, by highest credential.
Highest qualification · residents 25 to 64
At the other end, 11% hold no certificate, diploma or degree, against a typical 9.5%. The wider picture: 27% of residents 25 to 64 hold a bachelor’s degree or higher across Canada’s towns.
49% of adults were employed in May 2021
The census counted work in May 2021, mid-pandemic, so read these rates as a pandemic snapshot. The census’s work rates at a glance. Jobs, industries and the commute are on Work & commute.
Across Canada’s towns the typical rate is 58%, above this 49%; 28% of residents are 65 or over.
Ranked by age, 1st oldest of 41 towns this size
Similar-sized towns by median age; each dot is a town.
Median ages here range from 34 in Grande Prairie to 51.6 in Lindsay. The towns whose median age is nearest to Lindsay’s: Simcoe (48.8) and Cape Breton (50.4).
2 of the 3 nearest towns are older than Lindsay
Neighbouring places and their median ages; each name opens its page. Distances here run 27–29 km: that is how far the nearest places with figures are from Lindsay.
| Town | People | Away | Median age | 65+ | Immigrants |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lindsay | 85,351 | — | 51.6 | 28% | 7.9% |
| Trent Lakes | 7,357 | 27.3 km | 58 | 32% | 11% |
| Bridgenorth | 20,628 | 28.7 km | 52 | 29% | 7.5% |
| Curve Lake First Nation 35 | 1,428 | 29.4 km | 48.4 | 22% | 0% |
Health, work, housing and schools
What this data can and can’t tell you
- Against Ontario’s towns and Canada’s towns. Each comparison is its own median: over Ontario’s towns and neighbourhoods of 2,500 or more, and over all Canadian towns of that size (whole cities and First Nations reserves left out). Percentiles are within Canada only.
- What these tables don’t give. The Census Profile has no unpaid care, cars or internet access, and no change by age since 2016; ethnic origins beyond visible minority and Indigenous identity aren’t charted here.
- The census’s own words. Indigenous identity, immigrant status and religion are as residents answered them. “Visible minority” follows the Employment Equity Act, meaning people other than Indigenous peoples who are non-white in colour or race. We compare these figures across towns; none is a label for a town.
Questions about Lindsay’s residents
Is Lindsay bilingual?
Both official languages are spoken by 4.4% of residents, against a typical 7.5% across Canada’s towns. 95% speak only English and 0% only French; 0.9% grew up with French.
How diverse is Lindsay?
Across Canada’s towns a typical 17% are immigrants; here, 7.9%. A visible minority makes up 3.4% and Indigenous residents 2.9%.
What religion are people in Lindsay?
Most often Christian (54%) or no religion (45%); other religions make up 1.7%.
Is Lindsay good for families?
Children under 15 are 13% of residents, against 16% across Canada’s towns. Couple families make up 57% of households and one-parent families 7.3%. Schools near Lindsay are on its Schools page.
What is the median income in Lindsay?
Median total household income in Lindsay was $82,000 in 2020, against a median of $86,000 across Canada’s towns.
What is the population of Lindsay?
The latest figure is an estimate: 85,351 residents in July 2025. At the 2021 Census, Lindsay counted 79,247, 5% more than 2016.
What is the average age in Lindsay?
Half the residents are older than 51.6 and half younger, older than 89% of Canadian towns; 13% are children under 15 and 28% are 65 or over.
Sources: Statistics Canada, Census Profile, 2021 Census of Population · Statistics Canada, population estimates for 1 July 2025 (table 17-10-0155). 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).