Mitchellin West Perth, Ontario
Home to 10,080 people, this town lies in Ontario. Its census division is Perth.
Is Mitchell a good place to live?
The everyday basics are strong; the price of a home is the catch. Its best grade is for jobs & income (A+). What counts against it is cost of living (C). All told, that adds up to an A− overall, better than 78% of Canadian towns. It ranks #145 of 858 in Ontario. Its remaining grades are unremarkable: B− for health, B for walkability and B− for hazard risk.
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. 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 Mitchell stand out
The 2 things Mitchell does most differently from other towns.
How Mitchell grades
Each subject compares Mitchell 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 Mitchell.
Commuters in Mitchell have a short way to work, 23 min on average, less than in Ontario’s towns and Canadian towns
92% of commuters took the car to work at the census.
How working residents got to work · census 2021
| Census 2021 | Mitchell | Ontario | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average trip | 23 min | 29 min | 26 min |
| Car or van | 92% | 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.
Mitchell’s Violent Crime Severity Index, 52, runs below Ontario’s towns and Canadian towns
Thefts, break-ins and damage came to 16.2 per 1,000 residents a year, below both Ontario’s towns (30.5) and Canadian towns (31.2). The violent crime rate is 9 per 1,000 residents a year.
Year by year · Crime Severity Index for each year
| 2023–2025 | Mitchell | Ontario | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Property crime per 1,000 | 16.2 | 30.5 | 31.2 |
| Violent Crime Severity Index | 52 | 76 | 86 |
| Violent crime | 9 | 10.5 | 12 |
Statistics Canada, Uniform Crime Reporting Survey, 2023–2025 average
Between the home and getting around, Mitchell’s households spend 20% of income, below the 29% of the typical Canadian town
The median home value was $500,000, below Ontario’s towns ($695,000) but above Canadian towns ($406,000). 79% of households are owner-occupiers.
What homes were worth · The median owner’s estimate at the 2021 census
| Census 2021 | Mitchell | Ontario | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Households spending 30%+ on shelter | 13% | 22% | 18% |
| Rent as a share of income | 18% | 22% | 20% |
| Median home value, 2021 | $500,000 | $695,000 | $406,000 |
| Households owning their home | 79% | 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.
Catholic schools are a larger share around Mitchell: 3 of 6, against 34% in Ontario
Within 3 km of Mitchell are 5 elementary schools and 1 secondary school, teaching 1,500 students. The schools around it answer to 2 boards, below Ontario’s towns (4) and Canadian towns (3) alike.
| School | Level | Students | System |
|---|---|---|---|
| Upper Thames Elementary School Middle fifth in OntarioLargest elementary schoolElementary · Grades JK–8 | Elementary · Grades JK–8 | 595 | English public |
| Mitchell District High School Fourth fifth in OntarioLargest secondary schoolSecondary · Grades 9–12 | Secondary · Grades 9–12 | 350 | English public |
| St Patricks Separate School CatholicResults in the top fifth in OntarioElementary · Grades JK–8 | Elementary · Grades JK–8 | 120 | English Catholic |
Schools by system · Schools within 3 km
| Schools within 3 km | Mitchell | Ontario | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| School boards | 2 | 4 | 3 |
Provincial school lists and results, 2024-25
A town of families: 20% of people in Mitchell are under 15, more than in Ontario’s towns or Canadian towns
3.1% of residents belong to a visible minority, below Ontario’s towns (26%) and Canadian towns (15%) alike. Immigrants make up 5.9% of residents, below Ontario’s towns (7.6%) and Canadian towns (6.4%) alike.
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 50.7% of Mitchell
4,455 men and 4,585 women lived here in 2021, against a share of women of 50.9% for Canada.
| Mitchell | Ontario | Canada | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 15 | 20% | 15% | 16% |
| 15 to 64 | 61% | 65% | 64% |
| 65+ | 19% | 19% | 19% |
| No certificate, diploma or degree | 19% | 15% | 16% |
| Postsecondary qualification | 47% | 56% | 56% |
Statistics Canada, Census 2021; Ontario and Canada: medians of towns of 2,500+
Frost comes to Mitchell less often than to 75% of Canadian towns
A normal September brings 93 mm of precipitation, more than any other month. Winter lows average −9.1°C in January, near Ontario’s towns (−9.1°C) and higher than Canadian towns (−13.5°C). The frost-free season runs from 3 May to 16 October, 165 days. Snow peaks in January: 43 cm in a normal year.
Average high by season · ECCC normals, 1991–2020
| Normals, 1991–2020 | Mitchell | Ontario | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| January night low | −9.1°C | −9.1°C | −13.5°C |
| July afternoon high | 26.6°C | 26.7°C | 25.5°C |
| Days with frost a year | 139 | 139 | 159 |
| Precipitation a year | 962 mm | 902 mm | 883 mm |
Environment and Climate Change Canada, Canadian Climate Normals 1991–2020 (London)
A normal November in Mitchell runs from freezing to 8°C
Next comes December, with normal highs of 1°C and lows of −5°C. November usually brings some 13 cm of snow. A normal November brings 88 mm of rain and snow. At the extremes, July afternoons reach 27°C and January nights −9°C.
Normal highs, the months ahead · ECCC normals, 1991–2020
| Season | High | Low | Rain and snow |
|---|---|---|---|
| Winter | 0°C | −8°C | 221 mm |
| Spring | 12°C | 2°C | 245 mm |
| Summer | 26°C | 14°C | 233 mm |
| Autumn | 15°C | 5°C | 263 mm |
ECCC normals, 1991–2020 (London); the forecast is on the Weather page
Turnout in Mitchell reached 42% in 2022, higher than in 77% of Ontario’s municipalities
The council for Mitchell is that of West Perth, a municipality.
| Turnout | Mitchell | Ontario | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Municipal election, 2022 | 42% | 31% | 31% |
Wikidata, MAMH, MMAH, Statistics Canada
Each person West Perth Public Library serves borrows 6.1 items, more than at 80% of Ontario’s town libraries
West Perth Public Library serves 9,038 people from 2 branches.
Provincial library statistics, OpenStreetMap, the CRA and Statistics Canada
Wildfire low, radon 12%: how Mitchell stands on hazards
Seismic risk in Mitchell sits near the middle: $0.017 of expected damage per $1,000 of buildings a year, the typical town $0.030. No one has filed a flood map for Mitchell on the national inventory. Mitchell doesn’t get its own radon tests figures; the ones here come from the Perth District Health Unit.
Radon tests above the guideline · share of tested homes, 200 Bq/m³
| Hazards | Mitchell | Ontario | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Radon tests above the guideline | 12% | 4% | 6.6% |
| Earthquake loss per $1,000 of buildings a year | $0.017 | $0.043 | $0.030 |
NRCan seismic risk model and burned areas, Health Canada radon survey, the Flood Hazard Map Inventory
Little of the land around Mitchell is protected: 0.2% within 10 km
For a provincial park, Pinery Provincial Park lies 32 km off. National parks are all over 100 km off.
Protected land · of the land within 10 km
| Outdoors | Mitchell | Ontario | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Protected land within 10 km | 0.2% | 2.3% | 2.3% |
| Public protected areas within 10 km | 0 | 4 | 4 |
Canadian Protected and Conserved Areas Database (CPCAD), OpenStreetMap routes and beaches
Very good or excellent health for just 45% of adults around Mitchell; the typical Canadian town: 52%
Area-wide: health survey and life expectancy, counted over the Huron Perth Health Unit
Statistics Canada puts the region’s life expectancy at 81.7, women 83.7 and men 79.7 (2022/2024). The survey counts just over one in ten adults as smokers, above Ontario’s towns (10%) and Canadian towns (12%) alike. Closer to home, a hospital is 17 km from the average resident of Mitchell, further than the usual 3.7 km.
Very good or excellent health · adults, age-standardised
| Health | Mitchell | Ontario | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Very good or excellent health | 45% | 51% | 52% |
| Chronic conditions (average share) | 15% | 17% | 17% |
| Smokers | 12% | 10% | 12% |
| Life expectancy at birth | 81.7 | 82.8 | 81.5 |
Statistics Canada, Canadian Community Health Survey 2023/2024 and life expectancy 2022/2024; Open Database of Healthcare Facilities
Before 1961: 44% of the homes in Mitchell
| Heritage | Mitchell | Ontario | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Homes built before 1961 | 44% | 22% | 18% |
Canadian Register of Historic Places, Directory of Federal Heritage Designations, Québec’s Répertoire du patrimoine culturel, Wikidata; Census 2021 homes by period
Everything we know about Mitchell
Famous people from Mitchell
13 notable people were born in Mitchell.
Photo credits
Howie Morenz: Unknown author, Public domain · Duane Harmer: Morten Granhaug/Frilænsfotografan, CC BY 3.0 · Fred Davis: Unknown author, Public domain · James Johnson: Unknown author, Public domain · Roy Brown: Unknown author, Public domain
Mitchell’s neighbours
The nearest places of 1,000 or more. Statistics Canada
Questions about Mitchell
Who are the people of Mitchell?
Visible minorities are 3% of the population, where the middle of Canadian towns is 15%. Immigrants make up 6%, and Indigenous people 1%.
What kind of homes are in Mitchell?
88% 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 2.6 people; 23% are one person living alone.
Is Mitchell growing?
It added people: 8,865 in 2016, 9,038 in 2021, 2% more, where the middle of Canadian towns grew 4.1%. Statistics Canada’s 2025 estimate is 10,080.
How old are the people of Mitchell?
At 40, its median age compares with 45.2 across Canadian towns. Children make up 20% of the population and seniors 19%.
About Mitchell
Town in Ontario
Every figure TownRatings gives for Mitchell covers the municipality as Statistics Canada maps it, one census subdivision in Ontario.
Statistics Canada: population estimates 2025 (17-10-0155), Census of Population 2021, 2021 census boundaries.
- Population
- 10,080 (people, 2025 estimate)
- Province or territory
- Ontario
- Census division
- Perth
- Census subdivision
- 3531025
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).