German MillsMarkham
A neighbourhood in Markham, home to 11,923 people. Markham is split into 22 neighbourhoods, and this is one.
Is German Mills a good place to live?
German Mills does the important things well, at a cost. Schools do well (A+). With an A− overall, German Mills is better than 84% of Canadian towns and ranks #80 of 858 in Ontario. Health is a strength too (A). The trade-off is cost of living (C−).
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 German Mills stand out
The 3 things German Mills does most differently from other towns.
How German Mills grades
Each subject compares German Mills 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 →
The data
Data highlights are ordered by what stands out in German Mills.
Four parallel systems run German Mills’s schools through 6 boards: English and French, public and Catholic
2 of the 59 teach in French, against 10% of schools in Ontario. Of the 54 with results, 37 sit in the upper two fifths in Ontario. St Robert Catholic High School is the biggest, at 1,705 students. Counting a 3 km margin, German Mills has 49 elementary schools, 9 secondary schools and 1 alternative or adult school, for 22,720 students.
| School | Level | Students | System |
|---|---|---|---|
| Doncrest Public School Second fifth in OntarioLargest elementary schoolElementary · Grades JK–8 | Elementary · Grades JK–8 | 685 | English public |
| St Robert Catholic High School CatholicLargest secondary schoolSecondary · Grades 9–12 | Secondary · Grades 9–12 | 1,705 | English Catholic |
| École élémentaire Paul-Demers FrenchTeaches in FrenchElementary · Grades JK–6 | Elementary · Grades JK–6 | 170 | French public |
| A Y Jackson Secondary School Top fifth in OntarioResults in the top fifth in OntarioSecondary · Grades 9–12 | Secondary · Grades 9–12 | 1,400 | English public |
Schools by system · Schools within 3 km
| Schools within 3 km | German Mills | Ontario | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| School boards | 6 | 4 | 3 |
Provincial school lists and results, 2024-25
Lives run long around German Mills: 86.3 years, 4.8 more than the typical Canadian town’s region
What sets German Mills apart within its region is distance, and at 2.7 km to a hospital it is ordinary (3.7 km typical). The three chronic conditions the survey tracks average 16% of adults, lower than both Ontario’s towns (17%) and Canadian towns (17%). About as many adults call their health very good or excellent here as across Ontario, 51% against 51%.
Very good or excellent health · adults, age-standardised
| Health | German Mills | 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 · Health survey and life expectancy published for the York Regional Health Unit, not by town
Few places are as safe from hazards as German Mills: it beats 88% of Canadian towns
For earthquakes German Mills is middling, $0.034 a year per $1,000 against $0.030 for the typical town. Flood mapping exists: a study by Toronto Regional Conservation Authority.
Radon tests above the guideline · share of tested homes, 200 Bq/m³
| Hazards | German Mills | 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 · Data for earthquake risk covers the city of Markham
Most households in German Mills own their home: 88%, more than in both Ontario’s towns and Canadian towns
24% of households spent 30% or more of their income on shelter, above Ontario’s towns (22%) and Canadian towns (18%) alike.
What homes were worth · The median owner’s estimate at the 2021 census
| Census 2021 | German Mills | Ontario | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Households owning their home | 88% | 76% | 74% |
| Households spending 30%+ on shelter | 24% | 22% | 18% |
| Rent as a share of income | 18% | 22% | 20% |
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. · Rent as a share of income and monthly rent for a two-bedroom: the Toronto metro area
German Mills’s grade for safety: a B+
Where it is policed, thefts, break-ins and damage came to 21.4 per 1,000 a year, below both Ontario’s towns (30.5) and Canadian towns (31.2). Violence across its police area runs at 9.7 per 1,000 residents a year.
Year by year · Crime Severity Index for each year
| 2023–2025 | German Mills | 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 · Crime Severity Index, Violent Crime Severity Index, violent crime and property crime per 1,000: one figure for all of the York Region service area
Households in German Mills earn more than in almost any other Canadian town
The average trip to work took 30 min, near Ontario’s towns (29 min) and higher than Canadian towns (26 min). Driving is how 87% of commuters got to work at the census.
How working residents got to work · census 2021
| Census 2021 | German Mills | Ontario | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average trip | 30 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.
Summer afternoons in German Mills are warmer than in 91% of Canadian towns
Midwinter nights in German Mills bottom out at −10.1°C on average. Most of the snow comes in January, about 40 cm. The frost-free season runs from 3 May to 13 October, 161 days. The most precipitation falls in June: 87 mm in a normal year.
Average high by season · ECCC normals, 1991–2020
| Normals, 1991–2020 | German Mills | 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))
Visible minorities make up more of German Mills than of Ontario’s towns or Canadian towns: 62%
Under 15: 14% of residents. People 65 and over make up just over a quarter of the town, higher than both Ontario’s towns (19%) and Canadian towns (19%).
Ages · Share of residents in each age group, Census 2021
Schooling · Highest qualification, residents 15 and over
Women and men · all residents
51.3% of German Mills’ residents are women
6,110 women and 5,810 men at the 2021 census; across Canada, women are 50.9%.
| German Mills | Ontario | Canada | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 15 | 14% | 15% | 16% |
| 15 to 64 | 61% | 65% | 64% |
| 65+ | 26% | 19% | 19% |
| No certificate, diploma or degree | 6.7% | 15% | 16% |
| Postsecondary qualification | 73% | 56% | 56% |
Statistics Canada, Census 2021; Ontario and Canada: medians of towns of 2,500+
What November brings in German Mills: −1°C at night, 7°C by day
July brings the warmest days, 27°C; January the coldest nights, −10°C. A normal December brings highs of 2°C, lows of −6°C. November usually brings some 12 cm of snow. Expect about 77 mm of rain and snow over November.
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
For the Legislative Assembly of Ontario, German Mills votes in Markham—Thornhill; open data doesn’t yet say who its MPP (Member of Provincial Parliament, at Queen’s Park in Toronto) is.
| Turnout | German Mills | Ontario | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Municipal election, 2022 | 32% | 31% | 31% |
Wikidata, MAMH, MMAH, Statistics Canada
Markham public library draws 6.9 visits per person served, ahead of 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, German Mills among them.
Provincial library statistics, OpenStreetMap, the CRA and Statistics Canada
Within 13 km of German Mills: Rouge National Urban Park
Within 10 km, the count of public protected areas is 22, above Ontario’s towns (4) and Canadian towns (4) alike. Elgin West Channel Lands (89 ha) is the biggest, 9.0 km from town. Uxbridge Urban Provincial Park is the closest provincial park, at 31 km.
Protected land · of the land within 10 km
| Outdoors | German Mills | Ontario | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Public protected areas within 10 km | 22 | 4 | 4 |
| Protected land within 10 km | 1.6% | 2.3% | 2.3% |
Canadian Protected and Conserved Areas Database (CPCAD), OpenStreetMap routes and beaches
Uplands Golf & Ski Club and 8 more in and around German Mills
The best-known places to visit in and around German Mills come first; the full list is on the Attractions page.
Ski hillUplands Golf & Ski Club3.4 km outside town, to the westMuseumMuseumSt. Mark's Coptic Museum1.4 km outside town, to the eastMuseumMuseumHistoric Zion Schoolhouse2.2 km outside town, to the southArt galleryArt galleryIrena Art Gallery2.1 km outside town, to the southwestMuseumMuseumGibson House4.6 km outside town, to the southMuseumMuseumCanadian Museum of Hindu Civilization3.7 km outside town, to the westPhotos: each place’s Wikidata image, from Wikimedia Commons under the licence below (our copy, resized).
Photo credits (1)
- Uplands Golf & Ski Club: Silver Dovelet, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons
Everything we know about German Mills
German Mills’ neighbours
The nearest places of 1,000 or more. Statistics Canada
| Town | People | km | Overall | Cost | Safety | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| German Mills | 11,923 | — | A− | C− | B+ | A |
| Thornlea | 20,872 | 2 | A− | D− | B+ | A |
| Hillcrest Village | 16,374 | 2.2 | B+ | D− | B+ | A |
| Bayview Woods-Steeles | 12,499 | 3.2 | A− | D− | A− | A |
| Steeles | 22,943 | 3.7 | A− | D− | A+ | A |
| Steeles Corners | 9,468 | 4.1 | B+ | D− | B+ | A |
| Langstaff | 8,147 | 4.2 | B+ | D− | B+ | A |
People: Statistics Canada, Census 2021. Distances: centre to centre.
Questions about German Mills
How old are the people of German Mills?
Its median age is 48.7, where Canadian towns sit at 45.2.
About German Mills
Neighbourhood in Markham
German Mills is one of Markham’s neighbourhoods, which TownRatings draws from census dissemination areas and names from the city’s own map or OpenStreetMap.
Statistics Canada: population estimates 2025 (17-10-0155), Census of Population 2021, 2021 census boundaries.
- Population
- 11,923 (people, 2021 estimate)
- Province or territory
- Ontario
- City
- Markham
- Census subdivision
- 3519036
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).