McDougallOntario
Some 3,002 people live in this town, in Ontario. It is part of Parry Sound, a census division.
Is McDougall a good place to live?
Schools are its weak spot (D). Prices are high against local incomes (D). It also trails on walkability (D). Where it does best is jobs & income (A+). The overall grade comes out at D−, better than 4% of Canadian towns. That places it #849 of 858 in Ontario.
This town's rent is the 2021 census rent scaled to 2025 by its province's ratio of surveyed to census rents: no rental survey covers it, so its Cost Grade is less sure. Safety less sure: no police service names this town, so its crime figure is the nearest police detachment's, shared with a wider area. Crime here is counted against the people who live here, but many visitors or second-home owners add to it, so the rate per resident runs higher than residents' own risk. 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 McDougall grades
Each subject compares McDougall 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 McDougall stand out
The 3 things McDougall does most differently from other towns.
The data
Data highlights are ordered by what stands out in McDougall.
Commuters in McDougall have a short way to work, 21 min on average, less than in Ontario’s towns and Canadian towns
How working residents got to work · census 2021
| Census 2021 | McDougall | Ontario | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average trip | 21 min | 29 min | 26 min |
Statistics Canada, Census 2021 (labour and commuting) · Counted in May 2021, under pandemic rules: fewer commutes and more people between jobs than in a normal year.
Results around McDougall lean low: 5 of 5 schools in the lower two fifths in Ontario
Only 1 of the 9 are Catholic, against 34% in Ontario. French-language schooling is strong here, 2 of 9, where in Ontario it is 10%. Also worth knowing: its schools answer to 3 boards. Secondary school means a trip of 11 km at the nearest, higher than both Ontario’s towns (1.2 km) and Canadian towns (1.2 km).
| School | Level | Students | System |
|---|---|---|---|
| Parry Sound Public School School Fourth fifth in OntarioLargest elementary schoolElementary · Grades JK–6 | Elementary · Grades JK–6 | 435 | English public |
| Parry Sound High School Bottom fifth in OntarioLargest secondary schoolSecondary · Grades 9–12 | Secondary · Grades 9–12 | 625 | English public |
| École secondaire publique aux Quatre-Vents FrenchTeaches in FrenchSecondary · Grades 9–12 | Secondary · Grades 9–12 | – | French public |
Schools by system · Schools within 3 km
| Schools within 3 km | McDougall | Ontario | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nearest secondary school | 11 km | 1.2 km | 1.2 km |
| Nearest elementary school | 4.7 km | 0.5 km | 0.5 km |
| School boards | 3 | 4 | 3 |
Provincial school lists and results, 2024-25
Few places are as safe from hazards as McDougall: it beats 90% of Canadian towns
Radon topped the guideline in 1.9% of tested homes, below Ontario’s towns (4%) and Canadian towns (6.6%) alike. Earthquake risk in McDougall is ordinary: NRCan’s model puts building losses at $0.020 a year per $1,000 of value, close to the typical town’s $0.030. No flood study for McDougall is on the national inventory.
Radon tests above the guideline · share of tested homes, 200 Bq/m³
| Hazards | McDougall | Ontario | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Radon tests above the guideline | 1.9% | 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
McDougall is a town of owners: 92% of households own their home, above Ontario’s towns and Canadian towns
Shelter took 30% or more of income for 14% of households, lower than both Ontario’s towns (22%) and Canadian towns (18%). Owners put the median home at $500,000, below Ontario’s towns ($695,000) but above Canadian towns ($406,000).
What homes were worth · The median owner’s estimate at the 2021 census
| Census 2021 | McDougall | Ontario | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Households owning their home | 92% | 76% | 74% |
| Households spending 30%+ on shelter | 14% | 22% | 18% |
| Median home value, 2021 | $500,000 | $695,000 | $406,000 |
| Rent as a share of income | 22% | 22% | 20% |
Statistics Canada, Census 2021; CMHC Rental Market Survey via Statistics Canada · Values come from owners at the 2021 census and incomes from 2020, so they predate the later rise in rates.
Violent crime weighs more where McDougall is policed than in Ontario’s towns or Canadian towns: a violent severity index of 196
No police detachment reports under McDougall’s name, so these are the nearest detachment’s figures, not the town’s own · Shared with the rest of the Southern Georgian Bay (Georgian Bay) detachment area: Crime Severity Index, Violent Crime Severity Index, violent crime and property crime per 1,000
Its police area recorded 7.3 violent incidents per 1,000 residents a year, below Ontario’s towns (10.5) and Canadian towns (12) alike. Across the area its police cover, the Crime Severity Index averaged 107 over 2023–25, higher than both Ontario’s towns (56) and Canadian towns (67).
Year by year · Crime Severity Index for each year
| 2023–2025 | McDougall | Ontario | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Violent Crime Severity Index | 196 | 76 | 86 |
| Crime Severity Index | 107 | 56 | 67 |
| Violent crime | 7.3 | 10.5 | 12 |
Statistics Canada, Uniform Crime Reporting Survey, 2023–2025 average
Smoking runs high around McDougall: 18% of adults, the typical Canadian town 12%
Arthritis, diabetes and high blood pressure affect nearly a fifth of the region’s adults on average, higher than both Ontario’s towns (17%) and Canadian towns (17%). Women in the region live to 82.6 and men to 77.6, 80.0 years taken together (2022/2024), and on top of that the survey puts the region’s share in very good or excellent health at 47%, behind the 51% for Ontario. Measured from where McDougall’s residents live, the nearest hospital is 11 km away, beyond the typical 3.7 km. For health survey and life expectancy, the only official count covers all of the North Bay Parry Sound District Health Unit, McDougall included.
Very good or excellent health · adults, age-standardised
| Health | McDougall | Ontario | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Smokers | 18% | 10% | 12% |
| Life expectancy at birth | 80.0 | 82.8 | 81.5 |
| Very good or excellent health | 47% | 51% | 52% |
| Chronic conditions (average share) | 19% | 17% | 17% |
Statistics Canada, Canadian Community Health Survey 2023/2024 and life expectancy 2022/2024; Open Database of Healthcare Facilities
McDougall has colder winters than Ontario’s towns or Canadian towns: January lows of −15.3°C
The most precipitation falls in October: 111 mm in a normal year. Frost comes on 175 days a year, above both Ontario’s towns (139) and Canadian towns (159). July afternoons in McDougall average 25.3°C.
Average high by season · ECCC normals, 1991–2020
| Normals, 1991–2020 | McDougall | Ontario | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| January night low | −15.3°C | −9.1°C | −13.5°C |
| Days with frost a year | 175 | 139 | 159 |
| Precipitation a year | 1,062 mm | 902 mm | 883 mm |
| July afternoon high | 25.3°C | 26.7°C | 25.5°C |
Environment and Climate Change Canada, Canadian Climate Normals 1991–2020 (Muskoka)
Visible minorities make up less of McDougall than of Ontario’s towns or Canadian towns: 1.6%
First Nations, Métis and Inuit people make up 4.7% of residents, above both Ontario’s towns (1.6%) and Canadian towns (2.8%). Immigrants make up 6.9% of residents, lower than Ontario’s towns (7.6%) yet higher than Canadian towns (6.4%).
Ages · Share of residents in each age group, Census 2021
Schooling · Highest qualification, residents 15 and over
Women and men · all residents
Women make up 48.8% of McDougall
Here the census found 1,340 women and 1,405 men; across Canada the share of women is 50.9%.
| McDougall | Ontario | Canada | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 15 | 14% | 15% | 16% |
| 15 to 64 | 59% | 65% | 64% |
| 65+ | 28% | 19% | 19% |
| No certificate, diploma or degree | 13% | 15% | 16% |
| Postsecondary qualification | 59% | 56% | 56% |
Statistics Canada, Census 2021; Ontario and Canada: medians of towns of 2,500+
McDougall has more protected land around it than nearly 9 in 10 Canadian towns
16 areas within 10 km are protected for nature. Georgian Bay Islands National Park is the closest national park, 24 km from town. For a swim, Nobel Beach is the nearest of 9 beaches within 5 km.
Protected land · of the land within 10 km
| Outdoors | McDougall | Ontario | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Protected land within 10 km | 10% | 2.3% | 2.3% |
| Public protected areas within 10 km | 12 | 4 | 4 |
Canadian Protected and Conserved Areas Database (CPCAD), OpenStreetMap routes and beaches
What November brings in McDougall: −3°C at night, 5°C by day
November normally sees 103 mm of precipitation. Then December: −1°C by day, −10°C at night. Over the year, July is warmest at 25°C by day and January coldest at −15°C by night. For today and the week ahead, the Weather page carries ECCC’s Parry Sound forecast.
Normal highs, the months ahead · ECCC normals, 1991–2020
| Season | High | Low | Rain and snow |
|---|---|---|---|
| Winter | −3°C | −13°C | 235 mm |
| Spring | 10°C | −2°C | 244 mm |
| Summer | 24°C | 12°C | 267 mm |
| Autumn | 13°C | 2°C | 316 mm |
ECCC normals, 1991–2020 (Muskoka); the forecast is on the Weather page
Each seat on McDougall’s council speaks for just 600 residents, fewer than in 79% of Ontario municipalities
The October 2022 vote made Dale Robinson mayor of McDougall, heading 5 seats.
| Turnout | McDougall | Ontario | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Municipal election, 2022 | 39% | 31% | 31% |
Wikidata, MAMH, MMAH, Statistics Canada
No public library stands in McDougall: the closest, Parry Sound Public Library, is 12 km away
After it comes Rosseau Library (Seguin), 40 km away.
Provincial library statistics, OpenStreetMap, the CRA and Statistics Canada
Everything we know about McDougall
Charles W. Stockey Centre for the Performing Arts and 2 more in and around McDougall
What there is to see in McDougall and within a short drive, starting with the places most people have heard of.
Famous people from around McDougall
No notable person born in McDougall is on our list; these were born in the towns around it.
Photo credits
Bobby Orr: Aaron Frutman, CC BY 2.0 · Francis Pegahmagabow: Canadian government, Public domain · Mark Ideson: LGOntario from Ontario, Canada, CC BY-SA 2.0
About McDougall
Town in Ontario
McDougall is a municipality in Ontario, read by TownRatings as Statistics Canada draws it: one census subdivision, so its figures cover the whole municipality.
Statistics Canada: population estimates 2025 (17-10-0155), Census of Population 2021, 2021 census boundaries.
- Population
- 3,002 (people, 2025 estimate)
- Province or territory
- Ontario
- Census division
- Parry Sound
- Census subdivision
- 3549031
McDougall’s neighbours
The nearest places of 1,000 or more. Statistics Canada
| Town | People | km | Overall | Cost | Safety | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| McDougall | 3,002 | — | D− | D | C− | C− |
| Parry Sound | 7,584 | 12 | D | D | C | C |
| McKellar | 1,534 | 13 | — | — | A | D |
| Carling | 1,609 | 14 | — | — | — | D |
| The Archipelago | 1,057 | 17 | — | — | C− | C− |
People: Statistics Canada, Census 2021. Distances: centre to centre.
Questions about McDougall
Who are the people of McDougall?
At the 2021 census, 7% were immigrants and 2% belonged to a visible minority (Canadian towns’ median: 15%). 5% identify as First Nations, Métis or Inuit.
What kind of homes are in McDougall?
97% of homes are single-detached houses, against 64% for the median of Canadian towns, and 0% are in apartment buildings of five storeys or more. A household averages 2.4 people; 22% are one person living alone.
Is McDougall a young town or an old one?
52 is the median age, 45.2 the median among Canadian towns; 28% of residents are 65 or over and 14% under 15.
Has McDougall grown?
Between the 2016 and 2021 censuses it went from 2,702 to 2,744 residents (up 1.6%; Canadian towns’ median: 4.1%), and Statistics Canada now estimates 3,002.
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).