McKellarOntario
A town of 1,534 in Ontario. Statistics Canada places it in the Parry Sound census division.
Is McKellar a good place to live?
Safety is its strong suit (A). Incomes are on the low side (D). A median home here was worth $600,000 at the census, or 7.6 times what the middle household earns in a year. Getting around depends on the car (D−). It also trails on health (D).
Figures: home values and income: Statistics Canada, Census 2021. McKellar has subject grades but no overall grade: Canadian towns get one from 2,500 residents.
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 McKellar grades
Each subject compares McKellar with Canadian towns of 2,500 or more, ordered by how far it is from the middle. Towns in other countries are graded separately.
McKellar has subject grades but no overall grade: Canadian towns get one from 2,500 residents.
How TownRatings grades Canadian towns →
What makes McKellar stand out
The 3 things McKellar does most differently from other towns.
The data
Data highlights are ordered by what stands out in McKellar.
Violent crime weighs less where McKellar is policed than in Ontario’s towns or Canadian towns: a violent severity index of 35
No police detachment reports under McKellar’s name, so these are the nearest detachment’s figures, not the town’s own
Property crime in its police area ran at 13.4 per 1,000 residents a year, below both Ontario’s towns (30.5) and Canadian towns (31.2). Its police area records 5.4 violent incidents per 1,000 residents a year.
Year by year · Crime Severity Index for each year
| 2023–2025 | McKellar | Ontario | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Property crime per 1,000 | 13.4 | 30.5 | 31.2 |
| Violent Crime Severity Index | 35 | 76 | 86 |
| Crime Severity Index | 33 | 56 | 67 |
| Violent crime | 5.4 | 10.5 | 12 |
Statistics Canada, Uniform Crime Reporting Survey, 2023–2025 average · Area behind the Crime Severity Index, Violent Crime Severity Index, violent crime and property crime per 1,000 figures: the Huntsville detachment area
Commuters in McKellar travel further than in Ontario’s towns or Canadian towns, 32 min on average
The car took 95% of commuters, above both Ontario’s towns (88%) and Canadian towns (89%).
How working residents got to work · census 2021
| Census 2021 | McKellar | Ontario | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average trip | 32 min | 29 min | 26 min |
| Car or van | 95% | 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.
Health in McKellar trails 88% of Canadian towns
The health survey and life expectancy numbers here cover the North Bay Parry Sound District Health Unit
Homes here are 19 km from a hospital on average, above both Ontario’s towns (3.3 km) and Canadian towns (3.7 km). Smoking is commoner than in the province: 18% of adults, against 11% for Ontario. In the health survey, 47% of adults in the region rate their health very good or excellent, fewer than Ontario’s 51%. For 2022/2024, the region’s figure is 80.0 years at birth, 82.6 for women and 77.6 for men.
Very good or excellent health · adults, age-standardised
| Health | McKellar | 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
Few places are as safe from hazards as McKellar: it beats 87% of Canadian towns
Radon topped the guideline in 1.9% of tested homes, below both Ontario’s towns (4%) and Canadian towns (6.6%). NRCan expects $0.025 of shaking damage a year per $1,000 of buildings in McKellar, near the typical $0.030. Flood mapping: none on the national inventory of the town.
Radon tests above the guideline · share of tested homes, 200 Bq/m³
| Hazards | McKellar | Ontario | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Radon tests above the guideline | 1.9% | 4% | 6.6% |
| Earthquake loss per $1,000 of buildings a year | $0.025 | $0.043 | $0.030 |
NRCan seismic risk model and burned areas, Health Canada radon survey, the Flood Hazard Map Inventory
Most households in McKellar own their home: 96%, more than in Ontario’s towns or across Canadian towns
14% of households spent 30% or more of their income on shelter, below Ontario’s towns (22%) and Canadian towns (18%) alike.
What homes were worth · The median owner’s estimate at the 2021 census
| Census 2021 | McKellar | Ontario | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Households owning their home | 96% | 76% | 74% |
| Households spending 30%+ on shelter | 14% | 22% | 18% |
| Median home value, 2021 | $600,000 | $695,000 | $406,000 |
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.
Fewer of McKellar’s people belong to a visible minority than in Ontario’s towns or Canadian towns: 2.1%
Just over one in ten residents came to Canada as immigrants, higher than both Ontario’s towns (7.6%) and Canadian towns (6.4%). First Nations, Métis and Inuit people make up 1.4% of residents, below both Ontario’s towns (1.6%) and 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
49.5% of McKellar’s residents are women
Women numbered 705 and men 720 in 2021, next to a 50.9% share of women for Canada.
| McKellar | Ontario | Canada | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 15 | 7% | 15% | 16% |
| 15 to 64 | 55% | 65% | 64% |
| 65+ | 37% | 19% | 19% |
| No certificate, diploma or degree | 14% | 15% | 16% |
| Postsecondary qualification | 50% | 56% | 56% |
Statistics Canada, Census 2021; Ontario and Canada: medians of towns of 2,500+
McKellar has colder winters than Ontario’s towns or Canadian towns: January lows of −15.3°C
The year’s precipitation totals 1,062 mm, higher than both Ontario’s towns (902 mm) and Canadian towns (883 mm). Midsummer afternoons in McKellar peak at about 25.3°C. Muskoka, 73 km away, supplies the normals.
Average high by season · ECCC normals, 1991–2020
| Normals, 1991–2020 | McKellar | 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)
What November brings in McKellar: −3°C at night, 5°C by day
Rain and snow over a typical November come to 103 mm. A normal December brings highs of −1°C, lows of −10°C. The year peaks in July (25°C) and bottoms out in January (−15°C). The forecast on the Weather page is ECCC’s for Parry Sound.
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
McKellar has a council seat for every 310 residents, fewer than 93% of municipalities in Ontario
The October 2022 vote made David Moore mayor of McKellar, heading 5 seats.
| Turnout | McKellar | Ontario | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Municipal election, 2022 | 49% | 31% | 31% |
Wikidata, MAMH, MMAH, Statistics Canada
At 2 loans per person served, McKellar public library lends less than 92% of Ontario’s town libraries
McKellar public library serves 1,419 people.
Provincial library statistics, OpenStreetMap, the CRA and Statistics Canada
McKellar has more protected land around it than 9 in 10 Canadian towns
A provincial park, Oastler Lake Provincial Park, lies 11 km away. The closest of Canada’s national parks is Georgian Bay Islands National Park, at 37 km. Inside the town itself, 15% of the land is protected.
Protected land · of the land within 10 km
| Outdoors | McKellar | Ontario | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Protected land within 10 km | 13% | 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 McKellar
Famous people from around McKellar
One notable person was born in McKellar; with them, the best known 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 McKellar
Town in Ontario
For McKellar, TownRatings uses Statistics Canada’s census-subdivision boundary in Ontario, and every figure on its pages covers that whole area.
Statistics Canada: population estimates 2025 (17-10-0155), Census of Population 2021, 2021 census boundaries.
- Population
- 1,534 (people, 2025 estimate)
- Province or territory
- Ontario
- Census division
- Parry Sound
- Census subdivision
- 3549028
McKellar’s neighbours
The nearest places of 1,000 or more. Statistics Canada
| Town | People | km | Overall | Cost | Safety | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| McKellar | 1,534 | — | — | — | A | D |
| McDougall | 3,002 | 13 | D− | D | C− | C− |
| Parry Sound | 7,584 | 16 | D | D | C | C |
| Seguin | 5,761 | 16 | D− | D | C− | D |
People: Statistics Canada, Census 2021. Distances: centre to centre.
Questions about McKellar
Has McKellar grown?
It added people: 1,111 in 2016, 1,419 in 2021, 27.7% more, where the middle of Canadian towns grew 4.1%. Statistics Canada’s 2025 estimate is 1,534.
Who are the people of McKellar?
2% of residents belong to a visible minority, against 15% for the median of Canadian towns; 1% have an Indigenous identity and 12% are immigrants.
What kind of homes are in McKellar?
99% 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 people; 30% are one person living alone.
Is McKellar a young town or an old one?
The median resident is 60.4 years old, against 45.2 for the median of Canadian towns. 7% are under 15 and 37% are 65 or over.
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).