North BayOntario

A town of 62,062 in Ontario. It lies in Nipissing.

2 places within 19 kmMap →

Photo: Hayden Soloviev · CC BY 4.0

Population

62,062

people, 2025 estimate

Median age

years · Ontario’s towns: 46.8

Postsecondary

56%

of residents 15 and over hold a postsecondary certificate, diploma or degree · Canadian towns: 56%

Walk, cycle, transit

12%

walk, cycle or take transit to work · Canadian towns: 8%

TownGrade

#2,355 of 2,556

Is North Bay a good place to live?

A tough set of grades. Buying in is costly (C−). Overall, North Bay earns a D: better than 13% of Canadian towns, and #820 of 858 in Ontario. Where it does best is walkability (A).

Health is graded on the health region's survey figures and life expectancy, with the distance to hospital giving the town its own spread.

StrongestAWalkability A⁻Hazard riskWeakestC⁻Cost of living

What makes North Bay stand out

The 2 things North Bay does most differently from other towns.

Picked automatically from the data

Households renting

Housing

41% rent their home

The median of Canadian towns: 25%

Statistics Canada, Census 2021

Walkability

Better than 89%

of Canadian towns on walkability

Its walkability grade: A.

How North Bay grades

Each subject compares North Bay 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 grading works

WalkabilityAmong the easiest places to get around without a carAOpen →Cost of livingIn the bottom fifth of the towns comparedC⁻Open →Hazard riskBased on earthquake losses and radon in homes; a high wildfire risk can pull it downA⁻Open →HealthResidents’ health trails most townsCOpen →SafetyBelow the middle of the towns comparedCOpen →SchoolsBased on how pupils do in exams and testsCOpen →Jobs & incomeAbout average among the towns comparedC⁺Open →

How TownRatings grades Canadian towns →

The data

Data highlights are ordered by what stands out in North Bay.

HousingCost of living C⁻

Measured against local pay, North Bay costs more to live in than 85% of Canadian towns

The median home value was $300,000, below Ontario’s towns ($695,000) and Canadian towns ($406,000) alike. A year’s rent came to 24% of the median household income, above Ontario’s towns (22%) and Canadian towns (20%) alike.

$300,000median home value, 2021C⁻Cost of living Grade

What homes were worth · The median owner’s estimate at the 2021 census

North Bay$300,000

Ontario$695,000

Canadian towns$406,000

Census 2021	North Bay	Ontario	Canada
Median home value, 2021	$300,000	$695,000	$406,000
Rent as a share of income	24%	22%	20%
Households spending 30%+ on shelter	21%	22%	18%

$1,404

monthly rent for a two-bedroom

$1,200

median monthly shelter cost for owners, 2021

Full pageNorth Bay’s cost of living pageOpen the full Cost of living page

Cost of living4.2 times household income · The median owner’s estimate, $300,000, against the median household income Renting$1,404 a month · A two-bedroom apartment, CMHC’s survey Owners and renters59% own their home

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. · Rent as a share of income and monthly rent for a two-bedroom: one figure for all of the North Bay metro area

Natural hazardsHazard risk A⁻

Hazards in North Bay are mild: low wildfire and earthquake risk, and 1.9% of area homes above the radon guideline

For earthquakes North Bay is middling, $0.050 a year per $1,000 against $0.030 for the typical town. Burn scars are few around North Bay, with 0.2% of the land within 25 km touched by fire since 1986 (0.005% a year). No one has filed a flood map for North Bay on the national inventory.

Lowwildfire bandA⁻Hazard risk Grade

Radon tests above the guideline · share of tested homes, 200 Bq/m³

North Bay1.9%

Ontario’s towns4%

Canadian towns6.6%

Hazards	North Bay	Ontario	Canada
Radon tests above the guideline	1.9%	4%	6.6%
Earthquake loss per $1,000 of buildings a year	$0.050	$0.043	$0.030

Low

wildfire band

14 km

to the nearest land burned since 1986

Full pageNorth Bay’s flood & hazards pageOpen the full Flood & hazards page

Radon1.9% of tests above the guideline WildfireLow wildfire band · 0.2% of the land within 25 km burned since 1986 FloodNo flood study on record Earthquakes$0.050 a year per $1,000 · Canadian towns: $0.030 Be readyAlerts, FireSmart and radon tests

NRCan seismic risk model and burned areas, Health Canada radon survey, the Flood Hazard Map Inventory

HealthHealth C

North Bay’s health region counts 18% of adults who smoke, above the typical Canadian town’s 12%

Adults who call their own health very good or excellent: 47%, lower than both Ontario’s towns (51%) and Canadian towns (52%). The region’s 2022/2024 life expectancy is 80.0, with women at 82.6 and men at 77.6. What sets North Bay apart within its region is distance, and at 2.8 km to a hospital it is ordinary (3.7 km typical). Nobody publishes health survey and life expectancy for North Bay alone, so this card uses the figure for the North Bay Parry Sound District Health Unit.

47%very good or excellent healthCHealth Grade

Very good or excellent health · adults, age-standardised

North Bay47%

Ontario’s towns51%

Canadian towns52%

Health	North Bay	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%

80.0

years of life expectancy, 2022/2024

18%

of adults smoke, age-standardised

1.5 km

from homes to a pharmacy, on average

Full pageNorth Bay’s health pageOpen the full Health page

Health survey47% very good or excellent health · adults, age-standardised Getting care2.8 km to a hospital · A pharmacy 1.5 km away on average The wider areaLife expectancy: women 82.6, men 77.6 Conditions and habits19% with chronic conditions · adults, age-standardised

Statistics Canada, Canadian Community Health Survey 2023/2024 and life expectancy 2022/2024; Open Database of Healthcare Facilities

SafetySafety C

North Bay’s Violent Crime Severity Index, 124, runs above Ontario’s towns and Canadian towns

Violent crime is recorded at 19 per 1,000 residents a year. Property crime ran at 32.9 incidents per 1,000 residents a year, higher than both Ontario’s towns (30.5) and Canadian towns (31.2).

88Crime Severity Index

Year by year · Crime Severity Index for each year

202392

202482

202588

2023–2025	North Bay	Ontario	Canada
Violent crime	19	10.5	12
Violent Crime Severity Index	124	76	86

non-violent Crime Severity Index

53%

of incidents cleared, 2023–25

Full pageNorth Bay’s safety reportOpen the full Safety report

Safety88 Crime Severity Index · The index weighs each crime North Bay’s police recorded by how serious it is.Questions“Is North Bay safe?”

Statistics Canada, Uniform Crime Reporting Survey, 2023–2025 average

Climate

North Bay has cooler summers than Ontario’s towns or Canadian towns: July highs of 24.3°C

September is the wettest month, with 114 mm of rain and snow on average. A normal winter brings 312 cm of snow, above Ontario’s towns (146 cm) and Canadian towns (141 cm) alike. On a January night, the temperature in North Bay falls to about −17.3°C. Most of the snow comes in December, about 71 cm.

24.3°CJuly afternoons

Average high by season · ECCC normals, 1991–2020

Winter−5.6°C

Spring8.8°C

Summer23.1°C

Autumn10.7°C

Normals, 1991–2020	North Bay	Ontario	Canada
Snowfall a year	312 cm	146 cm	141 cm
January night low	−17.3°C	−9.1°C	−13.5°C
July afternoon high	24.3°C	26.7°C	25.5°C
Days with frost a year	176	139	159

312 cm

of snow a year

176

days with frost a year

135

frost-free days, 15 May to 29 Sep

133

days with precipitation a year

Full pageNorth Bay’s climate pageOpen the full Climate page

The yearJuly highs 24.3°C, January lows −17.3°C Rain and snow1,020 mm a year · Canadian towns: 883 mm Snow312 cm of snow a year Weather station5.6 km to the station · North Bay

Environment and Climate Change Canada, Canadian Climate Normals 1991–2020 (North Bay)

SchoolsSchools C

Results around North Bay lean low: 19 of 23 schools in the lower two fifths in Ontario

All four of Ontario’s systems run schools here, English and French, public and Catholic. Teaching in French runs high: 8 of 29 schools, against 10% in Ontario. Within 3 km of North Bay are 24 elementary schools and 5 secondary schools, teaching 9,310 students.

29schools within 3 kmCSchools Grade

School	Level	Students	System
Woodland Public School Bottom fifth in OntarioLargest elementary schoolElementary · Grades JK–6	Elementary · Grades JK–6	495	English public
St Joseph-Scollard Hall Secondary School CatholicLargest secondary schoolSecondary · Grades 9–12	Secondary · Grades 9–12	1,160	English Catholic
École secondaire catholique Algonquin FrenchTeaches in FrenchSecondary · Grades 9–12	Secondary · Grades 9–12	490	French Catholic

See all 29 schools →

Schools by system · Schools within 3 km

English public12

English Catholic9

French Catholic5

French public3

Schools within 3 km	North Bay	Ontario	Canada
School boards	4	4	3

9,310

students at the schools within 3 km, 2024-25

1.1 km

to the nearest secondary school

Full pageNorth Bay’s schools pageOpen the full Schools page

Results2 of 23 in the top two fifths · of the schools with results, placed against every school in Ontario Every school29 schools within 3 km · 24 elementary schools and 5 secondary schools Language8 of 29 teach in French · 10% of schools in Ontario The boards4 school boards · Near North DSB Questions“What schools are there in North Bay?”

Provincial school lists and results, 2024-25

Work & commuteJobs & income C⁺

Commuters in North Bay have a short way to work, 17 min on average, less than in Ontario’s towns and Canadian towns

The car took 86% of commuters, in line with Ontario’s towns (88%) and Canadian towns (89%).

12%walk, cycle or take transit

How working residents got to work · census 2021

Car or van86%

Walk8%

Public transit4%

Bicycle1%

Census 2021	North Bay	Ontario	Canada
Average trip	17 min	29 min	26 min
Car or van	86%	88%	89%

$72,000

median household income, 2020

19%

worked from home, May 2021

92%

of commuters work inside the municipality

Full pageNorth Bay’s work & commute pageOpen the full Work & commute page

Unemployment12% unemployed · Of the labour force · Canadian towns: 9.9%Getting to work12% walk, cycle or take transit Where people commute to145 commuters · The biggest flow out: to West Nipissing

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.

Weather

A normal November in North Bay runs from −4°C to 3°C

The forecast on the Weather page is ECCC’s for North Bay. November usually brings some 38 cm of snow. A normal November brings 97 mm of rain and snow. July brings the warmest days, 24°C; January the coldest nights, −17°C.

3°Ca normal November afternoon

Normal highs, the months ahead · ECCC normals, 1991–2020

November3°C

December−4°C

January−7°C

February−6°C

Season	High	Low	Rain and snow
Winter	−6°C	−15°C	197 mm
Spring	9°C	−2°C	221 mm
Summer	23°C	13°C	282 mm
Autumn	11°C	2°C	320 mm

−4°C

a normal November night

97 mm

of rain and snow in a normal November

Full pageNorth Bay’s weather pageOpen the full Weather page

Next 24 hoursTemperature and chance of rain, hour by hour The week aheadECCC’s days ahead, beside the normals The yearWarmest July, coldest January

ECCC normals, 1991–2020 (North Bay); the forecast is on the Weather page

Town hall

Council seats in North Bay are spread thin, 5,640 residents each, more than in 86% of Ontario municipalities

Pauline Rochefort (Liberal Party of Canada) is the MP for Nipissing—Timiskaming, the riding (a federal electoral district, which elects one MP) that takes in North Bay.

Turnout	North Bay	Ontario	Canada
Municipal election, 2022	38%	31%	31%

Full pageNorth Bay’s town hall & politics pageOpen the full Town hall & politics page

Who runs itCity council seats11

Wikidata, MAMH, MMAH, Statistics Canada

Library & civic lifeCivic life grade B⁻

North Bay Public Library is North Bay’s public library

North Bay Public Library has one location for the 52,662 people it serves.

Full pageNorth Bay’s library & civic life pageOpen the full Library & civic life page

A year at the library4 visits per person served The libraries1 Libraries Places to belong2 charities per 1,000 residents

Provincial library statistics, OpenStreetMap, the CRA and Statistics Canada

Who lives here

More of North Bay’s residents have an Indigenous identity than in Ontario’s towns or Canadian towns: 11%

5.1% of residents came to Canada as immigrants, lower than both Ontario’s towns (7.6%) and Canadian towns (6.4%). One measure of family life: 14% of residents are under 15. Retirement age and beyond: just over a fifth of residents are 65 or older.

44median age

North BayOntarioCanada

OntarioCanada

Ages · Share of residents in each age group, Census 2021

22%

Schooling · Highest qualification, residents 15 and over

No certificate, diploma or degree17%

Postsecondary qualification56%

Women and men · all residents

51.4% of North Bay’s residents are women

The 2021 census counted 27,095 women and 25,570 men here, where women make up 50.9% of Canada.

Who lives in North Bay
	North Bay	Ontario	Canada
Under 15	14%	15%	16%
15 to 64	64%	65%	64%
65+	22%	19%	19%
No certificate, diploma or degree	17%	15%	16%
Postsecondary qualification	56%	56%	56%

Full pageNorth Bay’s Who lives here pageOpen the full Who lives here page

Immigrants5% are immigrants · 4% belong to a visible minority Ages44 median age · 22% are 65 or over Households23,465 households · 2.2 people per household English and French24% speak both · 0.3% speak French but not English

Statistics Canada, Census 2021; Ontario and Canada: medians of towns of 2,500+

Outdoors

North Bay has more protected land around it than 8 in 10 Canadian towns

Named trails close by number 4, the South Duchesnay Valley Trail and West Duchesnay Falls Trail among them. Within 100 km there is no national park. Swimmers have 13 beaches within 5 km, Birchhaven Cove Beach the nearest.

7.4%of the land within 10 km protected

Protected land · of the land within 10 km

North Bay7.4%

Ontario’s towns2.3%

Canadian towns2.3%

Outdoors	North Bay	Ontario	Canada
Protected land within 10 km	7.4%	2.3%	2.3%
Public protected areas within 10 km	4	4	4

At the edge

to Widdifield Forest Provincial Park

beaches within 5 km

Full pageNorth Bay’s outdoors pageOpen the full Outdoors page

Protected landof the land within 10 km Protected areas4 protected areas within 10 km · Mattawa River Provincial Park National & provincial parksAt the edge to a provincial park · Widdifield Forest Provincial Park Footpaths & routes4 named routes · South Duchesnay Valley Trail

Canadian Protected and Conserved Areas Database (CPCAD), OpenStreetMap routes and beaches

History

Heritage in North Bay: 3 historic places, one of the highest rank

The record has 2 heritage railway stations. Its oldest building on the record is Canadian Pacific Railway Station, North Bay, Ontario, from 1903. Homes from before 1961 make up 30% of the stock, above Ontario’s towns (22%) and Canadian towns (18%) alike.

3historic places

Historic places by designation · inside the town

Highest designations1

Other federal designations2

Provincial and local listings0

Among them

1903

oldest construction date on the record

30%

of homes built before 1961 · Canadian towns 18%

Heritage	North Bay	Ontario	Canada
Homes built before 1961	30%	22%	18%

Full pageNorth Bay’s history pageOpen the full History page

On the registers3 historic places inside the town Highest designations1 top designation · Power Cavern and Control Building Older homes30% built before 1961 · Canadian towns: 18%Questions“How many historic places does North Bay have?”

Canadian Register of Historic Places, Directory of Federal Heritage Designations, Québec’s Répertoire du patrimoine culturel, Wikidata; Census 2021 homes by period

Nearby attractions

Pro-Cathedral of the Assumption and 8 more in and around North Bay

Museums, historic sites, parks, gardens and days out in and near North Bay, the best known first.

All attractions →

CathedralPro-Cathedral of the Assumptionin town MuseumMuseumCanadian Pacific Railway Station, North Bay, Ontarioin town Historic shipHistoric shipCF-100 Mk 5Min town MuseumMuseumDionne Quints Museumin town MuseumMuseumDionne Quintuplets Home Museumin town Historic siteHistoric siteHeritage Carouselin town

Photos: each place’s Wikidata image, from Wikimedia Commons under the licence below (our copy, resized).

Photo credits (1)

Pro-Cathedral of the Assumption: Tessamarie2, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons

Keep exploring

Everything we know about North Bay

15pages on North Bay

The big questions

SafetyCCrime Severity Index 88 Housing & costC⁻Homes 4.2 × income Property pricesSchoolsC29 schools within 3 km HealthCLife expectancy 80 in its region Work & commuteC⁺51% of adults in work Natural hazardsA⁻Wildfire band: low

Out and about

Outdoors7.4% of the land within 10 km protected AttractionsClimateJuly afternoons around 24°C WeatherECCC’s forecast, beside the normals

The story

Who lives hereMedian age 44 History3 places on the heritage registers Town hallFamous people

Famous people from North Bay

89 notable people were born in North Bay.

See all 89 →

Garnet AultCanadian swimmer, Olympic bronze medallist · 1905–1993

Anthony RotaCanadian politician · born 1961

Craig RivetCanadian ice hockey defenceman · born 1974

Ray GirouxCanadian ice hockey player · born 1976

Scott ThompsonCanadian television actor and comedian · born 1959

Gordon AitchisonCanadian basketball player · 1909–1990

Photo credits

Garnet Ault: Unknown author, Public domain · Anthony Rota: Photographer: Dati Bendo, CC BY 4.0 · Craig Rivet: Ivanmakarov , Bildbearbeitung: Wladyslaw, CC BY-SA 2.0 · Ray Giroux: Ильяха . Original uploader was Ильяха at ru.wikipedia, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Scott Thompson: Canadian Film Centre, CC BY 2.0

North Bay’s neighbours

The nearest places of 1,000 or more. Statistics Canada

CallanderEast FerrisNorth Bay

How the neighbours grade

Town	People	km	Overall	Cost	Safety	Health
North Bay	62,062	—	D	C⁻	C	C
Callander	4,021	14	C	C⁺	B⁻	C⁻
East Ferris	5,835	15	B⁻	B	A⁺	C⁻

People: Statistics Canada, Census 2021. Distances: centre to centre.

Questions about North Bay

Who are the people of North Bay?

At the 2021 census, 5% were immigrants and 4% belonged to a visible minority (Canadian towns’ median: 15%). 11% identify as First Nations, Métis or Inuit.

Do people in North Bay speak French?

Many do: 24% are bilingual in English and French (Canadian towns’ median: 8%), and 0.3% speak French only.

What kind of homes are in North Bay?

Single-detached houses make up 49% of the homes here, where Canadian towns sit at 64%; 9% are in high-rise apartments. 34% of households are one person, and the average is 2.2.

Has North Bay grown?

It added people: 51,553 in 2016, 52,662 in 2021, 2.2% more, where the middle of Canadian towns grew 4.1%. Statistics Canada’s 2025 estimate is 62,062.

About North Bay

Town in Ontario

The boundary here is Statistics Canada’s: North Bay is one census subdivision in Ontario, and TownRatings describes all of it.

Statistics Canada: population estimates 2025 (17-10-0155), Census of Population 2021, 2021 census boundaries.

Population: 62,062 (people, 2025 estimate)
Province or territory: Ontario
Census division: Nipissing
Census subdivision: 3548044

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).