CornellMarkham
Home to 22,014 people, this neighbourhood lies in Markham. It is one of 22 neighbourhoods of Markham.
Is Cornell a good place to live?
The everyday basics are strong; the price of a home is the catch. Schools do well (A+). With an A− overall, Cornell is better than 77% of Canadian towns and ranks #150 of 858 in Ontario. Health outcomes beat most towns (A). What counts against it is cost of living (D).
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.
How Cornell grades
Each subject compares Cornell 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 Cornell stand out
The 3 things Cornell does most differently from other towns.
The data
Data highlights are ordered by what stands out in Cornell.
The top fifth in Ontario holds 16 of the 27 schools around Cornell with results
The 3 km around Cornell counts 23 elementary schools and 4 secondary schools, 17,170 students between them. The schools around it answer to 2 boards, below both Ontario’s towns (4) and Canadian towns (3). The largest is Bill Hogarth Secondary School, with 2,055 students. None of them teaches in French, though 10% of schools in Ontario do.
| School | Level | Students | System |
|---|---|---|---|
| Black Walnut Public School Second fifth in OntarioLargest elementary schoolElementary · Grades JK–8 | Elementary · Grades JK–8 | 745 | English public |
| Bill Hogarth Secondary School Top fifth in OntarioLargest secondary schoolSecondary · Grades 9–12 | Secondary · Grades 9–12 | 2,055 | English public |
Schools by system · Schools within 3 km
| Schools within 3 km | Cornell | Ontario | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| School boards | 2 | 4 | 3 |
Provincial school lists and results, 2024-25
Cornell scores better for health than 91% of Canadian towns
Statistics Canada puts the region’s life expectancy at 86.3, women 87.9 and men 84.6 (2022/2024). Self-rated health is ordinary for Ontario: 51% of the region’s adults say very good or excellent, the province 51%. Chronic conditions run at 16% of adults, age-standardised, lower than both Ontario’s towns (17%) and Canadian towns (17%). What sets Cornell apart within its region is a short trip to hospital, 1.0 km for the average resident (3.7 km typical). For health survey and life expectancy, the only official count covers all of the York Regional Health Unit, Cornell included.
Very good or excellent health · adults, age-standardised
| Health | Cornell | Ontario | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life expectancy at birth | 86.3 | 82.8 | 81.5 |
| Chronic conditions (average share) | 16% | 17% | 17% |
| Smokers | 10% | 10% | 12% |
Statistics Canada, Canadian Community Health Survey 2023/2024 and life expectancy 2022/2024; Open Database of Healthcare Facilities
Measured against local pay, Cornell costs more to live in than 90% of Canadian towns
Area-wide: rent as a share of income and monthly rent for a two-bedroom, counted over the Toronto metro area
Owners make up just over four in five households, above Ontario’s towns (76%) and Canadian towns (74%) alike. 31% of households spent 30% or more of their income on shelter, higher than both Ontario’s towns (22%) and Canadian towns (18%).
What homes were worth · The median owner’s estimate at the 2021 census
| Census 2021 | Cornell | Ontario | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Households spending 30%+ on shelter | 31% | 22% | 18% |
| Households owning their home | 82% | 76% | 74% |
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.
For hazard risk, Cornell gets an A
Earthquake risk in Cornell is ordinary: NRCan’s model puts building losses at $0.034 a year per $1,000 of value, close to the typical town’s $0.030. Toronto Regional Conservation Authority has mapped the flood hazard here, one of 2 studies on the national inventory. Behind earthquake risk sits data gathered across the city of Markham, with Cornell one part of it.
Radon tests above the guideline · share of tested homes, 200 Bq/m³
| Hazards | Cornell | Ontario | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Radon tests above the guideline | 0% | 4% | 6.6% |
| Earthquake loss per $1,000 of buildings a year | $0.034 | $0.043 | $0.030 |
NRCan seismic risk model and burned areas, Health Canada radon survey, the Flood Hazard Map Inventory
Commuters in Cornell travel further than in Ontario’s towns or Canadian towns, 35 min on average
The car took 88% of commuters, close to both Ontario’s towns (88%) and Canadian towns (89%).
How working residents got to work · census 2021
| Census 2021 | Cornell | Ontario | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average trip | 35 min | 29 min | 26 min |
| Car or van | 88% | 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.
For safety, Cornell gets a B+
The Crime Severity Index, Violent Crime Severity Index, violent crime and property crime per 1,000 numbers here cover the York Region service area
The index for the force that serves it came to 53, below Ontario’s towns (56) and Canadian towns (67) alike. Its police area records 21.4 property incidents per 1,000 residents a year. Violent crime in the area its police cover: 9.7 per 1,000 people a year.
Year by year · Crime Severity Index for each year
| 2023–2025 | Cornell | Ontario | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Property crime per 1,000 | 21.4 | 30.5 | 31.2 |
| Violent Crime Severity Index | 67 | 76 | 86 |
| Crime Severity Index | 53 | 56 | 67 |
Statistics Canada, Uniform Crime Reporting Survey, 2023–2025 average
Cornell has warmer summers than Ontario’s towns or Canadian towns: July afternoons reach 27.3°C
Snow peaks in January: 40 cm in a normal year. In January the thermometer sinks to −10.1°C overnight, between Ontario’s towns (−9.1°C) and Canadian towns (−13.5°C). For the wettest month, look to June: 87 mm on average. Frost usually lifts by 3 May and returns around 13 October: 161 days without it.
Average high by season · ECCC normals, 1991–2020
| Normals, 1991–2020 | Cornell | Ontario | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| July afternoon high | 27.3°C | 26.7°C | 25.5°C |
| January night low | −10.1°C | −9.1°C | −13.5°C |
| Days with frost a year | 145 | 139 | 159 |
Environment and Climate Change Canada, Canadian Climate Normals 1991–2020 (Toronto Buttonville (Airport))
More of Cornell belongs to a visible minority than Ontario’s towns or Canadian towns: 82%
12% of residents are 65 or over, lower than both Ontario’s towns (19%) and Canadian towns (19%). One measure of family life: 22% of residents are under 15.
Ages · Share of residents in each age group, Census 2021
Schooling · Highest qualification, residents 15 and over
Women and men · all residents
51.8% of Cornell’s residents are women
10,620 men and 11,395 women lived here in 2021, against a share of women of 50.9% for Canada.
| Cornell | Ontario | Canada | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 15 | 22% | 15% | 16% |
| 15 to 64 | 66% | 65% | 64% |
| 65+ | 12% | 19% | 19% |
| No certificate, diploma or degree | 13% | 15% | 16% |
| Postsecondary qualification | 63% | 56% | 56% |
Statistics Canada, Census 2021; Ontario and Canada: medians of towns of 2,500+
In Cornell, November normally means 7°C afternoons and −1°C nights
About 12 cm of snow falls in a normal November. Looking ahead to December, expect highs near 2°C and lows near −6°C. Rain and snow over a typical November come to 77 mm. Normal highs peak at 27°C in July; nights bottom out at −10°C in January.
Normal highs, the months ahead · ECCC normals, 1991–2020
| Season | High | Low | Rain and snow |
|---|---|---|---|
| Winter | 0°C | −9°C | 177 mm |
| Spring | 12°C | 1°C | 211 mm |
| Summer | 26°C | 14°C | 244 mm |
| Autumn | 15°C | 5°C | 230 mm |
ECCC normals, 1991–2020 (Toronto Buttonville (Airport)); the forecast is on the Weather page
Each seat on Markham’s council stands for 28,580 residents, more than in 97% of Ontario municipalities
City council runs Cornell; in October 2022, Markham chose Frank Scarpitti as mayor.
| Turnout | Cornell | Ontario | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Municipal election, 2022 | 32% | 31% | 31% |
Wikidata, MAMH, MMAH, Statistics Canada
At 6.9 visits per person served, Markham Public Library is busier than 94% of Ontario’s town libraries
Markham Public Library serves the whole of Markham, so the library figures on this page are the city’s: 365,051 people, Cornell among them.
Provincial library statistics, OpenStreetMap, the CRA and Statistics Canada
Cornell borders Rouge National Urban Park
Protected areas take in 16% of the neighbourhood itself. 17 km from town is Uxbridge Urban Provincial Park, the nearest provincial park. Of the land within 10 km, 12% has protected status, above Ontario’s towns (2.3%) and Canadian towns (2.3%) alike. 9 protected areas lie within 10 km.
Protected land · of the land within 10 km
| Outdoors | Cornell | Ontario | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Protected land within 10 km | 12% | 2.3% | 2.3% |
| Public protected areas within 10 km | 2 | 4 | 4 |
Canadian Protected and Conserved Areas Database (CPCAD), OpenStreetMap routes and beaches
Everything we know about Cornell
Rouge National Urban Park and 3 more in and around Cornell
Sights in Cornell and close by, ordered by how widely each is known.
National park · Parks CanadaRouge National Urban Parkin town
MuseumMarkham Museum1.8 km outside town, to the westMuseumMuseumBurkholder House1.9 km outside town, to the westWater parkWater parkUpper Cornell Park (Water Park)300 m outside town, to the northPhotos: each place’s Wikidata image, from Wikimedia Commons under the licence below (our copy, resized).
Photo credits (2)
- Rouge National Urban Park: Paul Gierszewski ( Gierszep ), CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Markham Museum: Zhangj1079, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons
About Cornell
Neighbourhood in Markham
The edges of Cornell follow census dissemination areas, which TownRatings groups into Markham’s neighbourhoods; the name comes from the city’s map or OpenStreetMap.
Statistics Canada: population estimates 2025 (17-10-0155), Census of Population 2021, 2021 census boundaries.
- Population
- 22,014 (people, 2021 estimate)
- Province or territory
- Ontario
- City
- Markham
- Census subdivision
- 3519036
Cornell’s neighbours
The nearest places of 1,000 or more. Statistics Canada
| Town | People | km | Overall | Cost | Safety | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cornell | 22,014 | — | A− | D | B+ | A |
| Upper Cornell | 8,304 | 1.2 | A− | C− | B+ | A |
| Greensborough | 19,270 | 2.5 | A− | D | B+ | A |
| Markham Village | 10,319 | 2.6 | A− | D− | B+ | A |
| Mount Joy | 8,345 | 2.9 | A− | D | B+ | A |
| Box Grove | 25,496 | 4 | A− | D | B+ | A |
| Wismer Commons | 20,591 | 4.1 | B+ | D | B+ | A |
People: Statistics Canada, Census 2021. Distances: centre to centre.
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).