HighlandLondon
The neighbourhood, home to 19,963 people, lies in London. It is one of 29 neighbourhoods of London.
Is Highland a good place to live?
Highland’s grades pull in different directions. Housing is expensive (D). On walkability it is strong (A). It also does well on health (A−). The overall grade comes out at C+, better than 42% of Canadian towns. That places it #589 of 858 in Ontario. The rest of its grades are middling: C+ for safety, C+ for schools and B− for jobs & income.
Rents here are the metro area's average, shared by every town and neighbourhood in it. Safety less sure: this is the whole city's figure, because the city doesn't publish open neighbourhood crime rates. Health is graded on the health region's survey figures and life expectancy, with the distance to hospital giving the town its own spread.
What makes Highland stand out
The 3 things Highland does most differently from other towns.
How Highland grades
Each subject compares Highland 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 →
London Regional Children's Museum and 17 more in and around Highland
Sights in Highland and close by, ordered by how widely each is known.
MuseumLondon Regional Children's Museum1.8 km outside town, to the north · 100K visitors a year
CathedralSt. Peter's Cathedral Basilica, London2.6 km outside town, to the north
CathedralSt. Paul's Cathedral2.5 km outside town, to the north
Historic houseEldon House2.4 km outside town, to the north
Theme parkStorybook Gardens3.3 km outside town, to the west
MuseumBanting House2.8 km outside town, to the northPhotos: each place’s Wikidata image, from Wikimedia Commons under the licence below (our copy, resized).
Photo credits (6)
- London Regional Children's Museum: Ken Lund from Reno, Nevada, USA, CC BY-SA 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
- St. Peter's Cathedral Basilica, London: Chris Woodrich, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons
- St. Paul's Cathedral: Carptrash at English Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Eldon House: Ken Lund from Reno, Nevada, USA, CC BY-SA 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Storybook Gardens: Boréal (contact via Boréal ), CC BY-SA 2.5, Wikimedia Commons
- Banting House: Compmouse from Canada., CC BY-SA 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
The data
Data highlights are ordered by what stands out in Highland.
Rent takes more of local pay in Highland than in Ontario’s towns or Canadian towns: 25% of household income
The median home value was $520,000, between Ontario’s towns ($695,000) and Canadian towns ($406,000). 20% of households spent 30% or more of their income on shelter, lower than Ontario’s towns (22%) yet higher than Canadian towns (18%). Figures for rent as a share of income and monthly rent for a two-bedroom are published for the London metro area as a whole, not for Highland alone.
What homes were worth · The median owner’s estimate at the 2021 census
| Census 2021 | Highland | Ontario | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rent as a share of income | 25% | 22% | 20% |
| Median home value, 2021 | $520,000 | $695,000 | $406,000 |
| Households spending 30%+ on shelter | 20% | 22% | 18% |
Statistics Canada, Census 2021; CMHC Rental Market Survey via Statistics Canada · These are 2021 census values, as owners judged them, set against household income in 2020.
Highland gets an A for hazard risk
Fewer homes than usual carry radon here, 1.8% over the guideline where the typical town has 6.6%. Shaking is about as much of a worry in Highland as in most places, at $0.020 a year per $1,000 of building value ($0.030 typical). No flood study for Highland is on the national inventory. Highland doesn’t get its own earthquake risk figures; the ones here come from the city of London.
Radon tests above the guideline · share of tested homes, 200 Bq/m³
| Hazards | Highland | Ontario | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Radon tests above the guideline | 1.8% | 4% | 6.6% |
| Earthquake loss per $1,000 of buildings a year | $0.020 | $0.043 | $0.030 |
NRCan seismic risk model and burned areas, Health Canada radon survey, the Flood Hazard Map Inventory
Very good or excellent health for 52% of adults in Highland’s health region
Expected years of life at birth: 81.9, about level with Canadian towns (81.5) and below Ontario’s towns (82.8). Measured from where Highland’s residents live, the nearest hospital is 1.5 km away, under the typical 3.7 km. For everyday care, the nearest pharmacy is 0.7 km away on average (14 within 3 km). Nobody publishes health survey and life expectancy for Highland alone, so this card uses the figure for the Middlesex-London Health Unit.
Very good or excellent health · adults, age-standardised
| Health | Highland | Ontario | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chronic conditions (average share) | 18% | 17% | 17% |
| Very good or excellent health | 52% | 51% | 52% |
| Life expectancy at birth | 81.9 | 82.8 | 81.5 |
| Smokers | 11% | 10% | 12% |
Statistics Canada, Canadian Community Health Survey 2023/2024 and life expectancy 2022/2024; Open Database of Healthcare Facilities
Highland’s schools belong to 4 boards that cover the same streets
2 of the 46 teach in French, against 10% of schools in Ontario. Of the 43 with results, 26 sit in the lower two fifths in Ontario. Saunders Secondary School is the biggest, at 2,010 students. 25,370 students attend the 37 elementary schools and 9 secondary schools in or within 3 km of Highland.
| School | Level | Students | System |
|---|---|---|---|
| White Oaks Public School Bottom fifth in OntarioLargest elementary schoolElementary · Grades JK–8 | Elementary · Grades JK–8 | 940 | English public |
| Saunders Secondary School Bottom fifth in OntarioLargest secondary schoolSecondary · Grades 9–12 | Secondary · Grades 9–12 | 2,010 | English public |
| École élémentaire catholique Frère André FrenchTeaches in FrenchElementary · Grades JK–6 | Elementary · Grades JK–6 | 460 | French Catholic |
| Lester B Pearson School for the Arts Top fifth in OntarioResults in the top fifth in OntarioElementary · Grades 4–8 | Elementary · Grades 4–8 | 280 | English public |
Schools by system · Schools within 3 km
| Schools within 3 km | Highland | Ontario | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| School boards | 4 | 4 | 3 |
Provincial school lists and results, 2024-25
Highland gets a C+ for safety
The index for the force that serves it came to 70, higher than Ontario’s towns (56) and near Canadian towns (67). Its police area records 36.4 property incidents per 1,000 residents a year. For Crime Severity Index, Violent Crime Severity Index, violent crime and property crime per 1,000, the only official count covers all of the London service area, Highland included.
Year by year · Crime Severity Index for each year
| 2023–2025 | Highland | Ontario | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Property crime per 1,000 | 36.4 | 30.5 | 31.2 |
| Crime Severity Index | 70 | 56 | 67 |
Statistics Canada, Uniform Crime Reporting Survey, 2023–2025 average
Highland gets fewer frosts than 75% of Canadian towns
Winter lows in Highland average −9.1°C in January. Between the last spring frost, 3 May, and the first in autumn, 16 October, lie 165 days. July afternoons reach 26.6°C on average, about level with Ontario’s towns (26.7°C) and above Canadian towns (25.5°C). Snow peaks in January: 43 cm in a normal year.
Average high by season · ECCC normals, 1991–2020
| Normals, 1991–2020 | Highland | Ontario | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| January night low | −9.1°C | −9.1°C | −13.5°C |
| July afternoon high | 26.6°C | 26.7°C | 25.5°C |
| Days with frost a year | 139 | 139 | 159 |
| Precipitation a year | 962 mm | 902 mm | 883 mm |
Environment and Climate Change Canada, Canadian Climate Normals 1991–2020 (London)
A town of families: 18% of people in Highland are under 15, more than in Ontario’s towns or Canadian towns
Nearly a quarter of residents belong to a visible minority, below Ontario’s towns (26%) but above Canadian towns (15%). First Nations, Métis and Inuit people make up 2.4% of residents, above Ontario’s towns (1.6%) but below Canadian towns (2.8%).
Ages · Share of residents in each age group, Census 2021
Schooling · Highest qualification, residents 15 and over
Women and men · all residents
52.5% of Highland’s residents are women
By the 2021 count the town had 10,480 women and 9,475 men, while Canada has 50.9% women.
| Highland | Ontario | Canada | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 15 | 18% | 15% | 16% |
| 15 to 64 | 64% | 65% | 64% |
| 65+ | 19% | 19% | 19% |
| No certificate, diploma or degree | 15% | 15% | 16% |
| Postsecondary qualification | 58% | 56% | 56% |
Statistics Canada, Census 2021; Ontario and Canada: medians of towns of 2,500+
What November brings in Highland: freezing at night, 8°C by day
Expect about 88 mm of rain and snow over November. Then December: 1°C by day, −5°C at night. About 13 cm of snow falls in a normal November. Across the year, normals run from −9°C nights in January to 27°C afternoons in July.
Normal highs, the months ahead · ECCC normals, 1991–2020
| Season | High | Low | Rain and snow |
|---|---|---|---|
| Winter | 0°C | −8°C | 221 mm |
| Spring | 12°C | 2°C | 245 mm |
| Summer | 26°C | 14°C | 233 mm |
| Autumn | 15°C | 5°C | 263 mm |
ECCC normals, 1991–2020 (London); the forecast is on the Weather page
Each seat on London’s council stands for 32,990 residents, more than in 98% of Ontario municipalities
The 2 ridings of London West and London—Fanshawe each take in part of Highland for the Legislative Assembly of Ontario.
| Turnout | Highland | Ontario | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Municipal election, 2022 | 26% | 31% | 31% |
Wikidata, MAMH, MMAH, Statistics Canada
At 5.5 loans per person served, London public library lends more than 77% of Ontario’s town libraries
The library figures on this page are London’s: London public library serves all 439,385 people of the city, Highland among them.
Provincial library statistics, OpenStreetMap, the CRA and Statistics Canada
Commuters in Highland have a short way to work, 20 min on average, less than in Ontario’s towns and Canadian towns
89% of commuters drove, near both Ontario’s towns (88%) and Canadian towns (89%).
How working residents got to work · census 2021
| Census 2021 | Highland | Ontario | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average trip | 20 min | 29 min | 26 min |
| Car or van | 89% | 88% | 89% |
Statistics Canada, Census 2021 (labour and commuting) · These are May 2021 figures, gathered while COVID-19 kept many people home or out of work.
Komoka Provincial Park is 8.8 km from Highland
16 protected areas lie within 10 km. National parks are all over 100 km off. For walks, 2 named routes run within 2 km, such as the Westminster Ponds and Thames Valley Trail.
Protected land · of the land within 10 km
| Outdoors | Highland | Ontario | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Public protected areas within 10 km | 8 | 4 | 4 |
| Protected land within 10 km | 2.2% | 2.3% | 2.3% |
Canadian Protected and Conserved Areas Database (CPCAD), OpenStreetMap routes and beaches
Everything we know about Highland
Highland’s neighbours
The nearest places of 1,000 or more. Statistics Canada
| Town | People | km | Overall | Cost | Safety | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Highland | 19,963 | — | C+ | D | C+ | A− |
| Southcrest | 14,477 | 2 | C+ | D− | C+ | A− |
| Bostwick | 7,694 | 2.3 | C | D | C+ | B+ |
| South London | 14,684 | 2.3 | B− | D− | C+ | A− |
| White Oaks | 21,108 | 2.5 | C | D | C+ | A− |
| Westmount | 19,591 | 3.3 | B | D | C+ | B+ |
| Westminster | 10,794 | 3.9 | B− | D | C+ | A− |
People: Statistics Canada, Census 2021. Distances: centre to centre.
Questions about Highland
How old are the people of Highland?
The typical resident is 40.8 (Canadian towns: 45.2), with seniors at 19% of the population and under-15s at 18%.
About Highland
Neighbourhood in London
Where Highland begins and ends inside London is TownRatings’s line, traced along census dissemination areas and named after the city’s map or OpenStreetMap.
Statistics Canada: population estimates 2025 (17-10-0155), Census of Population 2021, 2021 census boundaries.
- Population
- 19,963 (people, 2021 estimate)
- Province or territory
- Ontario
- City
- London
- Census subdivision
- 3539036
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).