Vinegar HillMarkham
Home to 19,543 people, this neighbourhood lies in Markham. Markham is split into 22 neighbourhoods, and this is one.
Is Vinegar Hill a good place to live?
A good place to live, if you can afford it. Vinegar Hill grades A− overall, better than 77% of Canadian towns. In the ranking it comes #154 of 858 in Ontario. Its schools beat most (A+). It also does well on health (A). The drawback is cost of living (D). Jobs & income is weaker too (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.
How Vinegar Hill grades
Each subject compares Vinegar Hill 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 Vinegar Hill stand out
The 3 things Vinegar Hill does most differently from other towns.
The data
Data highlights are ordered by what stands out in Vinegar Hill.
In the top two fifths in Ontario: 42 of the 60 schools around Vinegar Hill with results
In or within 3 km of Vinegar Hill: 53 elementary schools and 8 secondary schools, with 35,685 students. Bill Hogarth Secondary School is the biggest, at 2,055 students. 5 boards run its schools. One of the 61 teaches in French, against 10% of schools in Ontario.
| School | Level | Students | System |
|---|---|---|---|
| Parkland Public School Middle fifth in OntarioLargest elementary schoolElementary · Grades JK–8 | Elementary · Grades JK–8 | 805 | English public |
| Bill Hogarth Secondary School Top fifth in OntarioLargest secondary schoolSecondary · Grades 9–12 | Secondary · Grades 9–12 | 2,055 | English public |
| École élémentaire Laure-Rièse FrenchTeaches in FrenchElementary · Grades JK–6 | Elementary · Grades JK–6 | 190 | French public |
| Agnes Macphail Public School Top fifth in OntarioResults in the top fifth in OntarioElementary · Grades JK–8 | Elementary · Grades JK–8 | 250 | English public |
Schools by system · Schools within 3 km
| Schools within 3 km | Vinegar Hill | Ontario | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| School boards | 5 | 4 | 3 |
Provincial school lists and results, 2024-25
Measured against local pay, Vinegar Hill costs more to live in than 93% of Canadian towns
Households that own their home make up 83%. Shelter took 30% or more of income for 28% of households, above both Ontario’s towns (22%) and Canadian towns (18%). Figures for rent as a share of income and monthly rent for a two-bedroom are published for the Toronto metro area as a whole, not for Vinegar Hill alone.
What homes were worth · The median owner’s estimate at the 2021 census
| Census 2021 | Vinegar Hill | Ontario | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Households spending 30%+ on shelter | 28% | 22% | 18% |
| Households owning their home | 83% | 76% | 74% |
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.
Vinegar Hill’s region outlives the typical Canadian town by 4.8 years: life expectancy 86.3
The town’s own part is the trip to care, and Vinegar Hill is well placed: 2.1 km to a hospital on average, against 3.7 km typical. About as many adults call their health very good or excellent here as across Ontario, 51% against 51%. 10% of adults smoke, daily or now and then, about level with Ontario’s towns (10%) and below Canadian towns (12%).
Very good or excellent health · adults, age-standardised
| Health | Vinegar Hill | 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: the York Regional Health Unit
Few places are as safe from hazards as Vinegar Hill: it beats 88% of Canadian towns
2 flood studies cover the town, the latest by Toronto Regional Conservation Authority. Shaking is about as much of a worry in Vinegar Hill as in most places, at $0.034 a year per $1,000 of building value ($0.030 typical). Nobody publishes earthquake risk for Vinegar Hill alone, so this card uses the figure for the city of Markham.
Radon tests above the guideline · share of tested homes, 200 Bq/m³
| Hazards | Vinegar Hill | 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
Trips to work from Vinegar Hill take longer than from Ontario’s towns or Canadian towns: 33 min on average
The car took 85% of commuters, about level with Ontario’s towns (88%) and below Canadian towns (89%).
How working residents got to work · census 2021
| Census 2021 | Vinegar Hill | Ontario | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average trip | 33 min | 29 min | 26 min |
| Car or van | 85% | 88% | 89% |
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.
For safety, Vinegar Hill gets a B+
Area-wide: Crime Severity Index, Violent Crime Severity Index, violent crime and property crime per 1,000, counted over the York Region service area
Property crime in its police area ran at 21.4 per 1,000 residents a year, below Ontario’s towns (30.5) and Canadian towns (31.2) alike. The force’s area logs 9.7 violent incidents per 1,000 residents a year.
Year by year · Crime Severity Index for each year
| 2023–2025 | Vinegar Hill | 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
July in Vinegar Hill runs hotter than in 91% of Canadian towns
Rain and snow peak in June, at 87 mm. In January the thermometer sinks to −10.1°C overnight, below Ontario’s towns (−9.1°C) but above Canadian towns (−13.5°C). January is the snowiest month, with 40 cm on average. The frost-free season runs from 3 May to 13 October, 161 days.
Average high by season · ECCC normals, 1991–2020
| Normals, 1991–2020 | Vinegar Hill | 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 Vinegar Hill belongs to a visible minority than Ontario’s towns or Canadian towns: 85%
People 65 and over make up 16% of the town, lower than both Ontario’s towns (19%) and Canadian towns (19%). One measure of family life: 16% 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
50.2% of Vinegar Hill’s residents are women
Of the 2021 count, 9,810 were women and 9,745 men (women across Canada: 50.9%).
| Vinegar Hill | Ontario | Canada | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 15 | 16% | 15% | 16% |
| 15 to 64 | 68% | 65% | 64% |
| 65+ | 16% | 19% | 19% |
| No certificate, diploma or degree | 21% | 15% | 16% |
| Postsecondary qualification | 51% | 56% | 56% |
Statistics Canada, Census 2021; Ontario and Canada: medians of towns of 2,500+
A normal November in Vinegar Hill runs from −1°C to 7°C
Expect around 12 cm of snow in November. Next comes December, with normal highs of 2°C and lows of −6°C. November normally sees 77 mm of precipitation. The year peaks in July (27°C) and bottoms out in January (−10°C).
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
For civic life grade, Vinegar Hill gets a B−
The library figures on this page are Markham’s: Markham Public Library serves all 365,051 people of the city, Vinegar Hill among them.
Provincial library statistics, OpenStreetMap, the CRA and Statistics Canada
Rouge National Urban Park lies 2.1 km beyond Vinegar Hill’s edge
One unnamed beach is mapped within 5 km. Out to 10 km from the town’s edge, nearly a tenth of the land is protected; 2.3% is typical for a Canadian town. 21 km from town is Uxbridge Urban Provincial Park, the nearest provincial park. The Villages & Valley (foot) is the one mapped walking route close by.
Protected land · of the land within 10 km
| Outdoors | Vinegar Hill | Ontario | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Protected land within 10 km | 8.7% | 2.3% | 2.3% |
| Public protected areas within 10 km | 7 | 4 | 4 |
Canadian Protected and Conserved Areas Database (CPCAD), OpenStreetMap routes and beaches
Everything we know about Vinegar Hill
Rouge National Urban Park and 7 more in and around Vinegar Hill
The best-known places to visit in and around Vinegar Hill come first; the full list is on the Attractions page.
National park · Parks CanadaRouge National Urban Park4 km outside town, to the northeast
GardenMilliken Park1 km outside town, to the south
MuseumFrederick Horsman Varley Art Gallery2.3 km outside town, to the west
MuseumMarkham Museum2.3 km outside town, to the north
National historic siteCanadian National Railway Station, Unionville, Ontario2.2 km outside town, to the westMuseumMuseumBurkholder House2.3 km outside town, to the northPhotos: each place’s Wikidata image, from Wikimedia Commons under the licence below (our copy, resized).
Photo credits (5)
- Rouge National Urban Park: Paul Gierszewski ( Gierszep ), CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Milliken Park: Jason Zhang, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Frederick Horsman Varley Art Gallery: Silver Dovelet, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Markham Museum: Zhangj1079, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Canadian National Railway Station, Unionville, Ontario: oaktree_brian_1976 from Canada, CC BY-SA 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
Famous people from around Vinegar Hill
No notable person born in Vinegar Hill is on our list; these were born in the towns around it.
Photo credits
Clarence Chant: Unknown author, Public domain · Richard Craig: Unknown author, Public domain · William Robert Braden: Unknown author, Public domain
About Vinegar Hill
Neighbourhood in Markham
Statistics Canada counts Markham as one municipality, so TownRatings builds Vinegar Hill and its other neighbourhoods from census dissemination areas, named from the city’s map or OpenStreetMap.
Statistics Canada: population estimates 2025 (17-10-0155), Census of Population 2021, 2021 census boundaries.
- Population
- 19,543 (people, 2021 estimate)
- Province or territory
- Ontario
- City
- Markham
- Census subdivision
- 3519036
Vinegar Hill’s neighbours
The nearest places of 1,000 or more. Statistics Canada
| Town | People | km | Overall | Cost | Safety | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Vinegar Hill | 19,543 | — | A− | D | B+ | A |
| Box Grove | 25,496 | 1.8 | A− | D | B+ | A |
| Hagerman's Corners | 43,555 | 2.6 | B+ | D− | B+ | A |
| Milliken | 24,431 | 3.2 | C+ | D− | C | A |
| Markham Village | 10,319 | 3.8 | A− | D− | B+ | A |
| Underwood | 5,972 | 4.1 | B+ | D− | B+ | A |
| Agincourt North | 27,790 | 4.4 | B | D− | A− | A |
People: Statistics Canada, Census 2021. Distances: centre to centre.
Questions about Vinegar Hill
How old are the people of Vinegar Hill?
At 40, its median age compares with 45.2 across Canadian towns.
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).