North KawarthaOntario
With 3,355 residents, it is a town in Ontario. The population grew 16% between 2016 and 2021.
Is North Kawartha a good place to live?
North Kawartha ranks #834 of 858 in Ontario, with a D overall. It comes out better than nearly a tenth of Canadian towns. Jobs & income is its weak spot (D). Safety is its strong suit (A+). The typical owner put their home at $500,000 in 2021: 6.8 years of the median household’s income. Its schools fall short (D).
Figures: home values and income: Statistics Canada, Census 2021.
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. 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.
What makes North Kawartha stand out
The 3 things North Kawartha does most differently from other towns.
How North Kawartha grades
Each subject compares North Kawartha 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 North Kawartha.
Violent crime weighs less on North Kawartha than on Ontario’s towns or Canadian towns: a violent severity index of 38
Each year brings 8.8 property incidents per 1,000 residents. Violent incidents came to 4.7 per 1,000 residents a year, lower than both Ontario’s towns (10.5) and Canadian towns (12).
Year by year · Crime Severity Index for each year
| 2023–2025 | North Kawartha | Ontario | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Property crime per 1,000 | 8.8 | 30.5 | 31.2 |
| Violent Crime Severity Index | 38 | 76 | 86 |
| Violent crime | 4.7 | 10.5 | 12 |
Statistics Canada, Uniform Crime Reporting Survey, 2023–2025 average
Commuters in North Kawartha travel further than in Ontario’s towns or Canadian towns, 35 min on average
At the census, 91% of commuters went by car.
How working residents got to work · census 2021
| Census 2021 | North Kawartha | Ontario | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average trip | 35 min | 29 min | 26 min |
| Car or van | 91% | 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.
The nearest high school to North Kawartha is 36 km away
Elementary schools here average 120 students; in Ontario, 365. The schools around it answer to 2 boards, below both Ontario’s towns (4) and Canadian towns (3).
| School | Level | Students | System |
|---|---|---|---|
| Apsley Central Public School Fourth fifth in OntarioLargest elementary schoolElementary · Grades JK–8 | Elementary · Grades JK–8 | 175 | English public |
| Schools within 3 km | North Kawartha | Ontario | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nearest secondary school | 36 km | 1.2 km | 1.2 km |
| Nearest elementary school | 12 km | 0.5 km | 0.5 km |
| School boards | 2 | 4 | 3 |
Provincial school lists and results, 2024-25
A hospital trip from North Kawartha means 38 km on average, in a straight line
Health survey and life expectancy for the Peterborough County—City Health Unit
In the health survey, 47% of adults in the region rate their health very good or excellent, fewer than Ontario’s 51%. At 14%, the share of adults who smoke tops the 11% for Ontario. Life expectancy at birth in the region is 80.5 years, below Ontario’s towns (82.8) and Canadian towns (81.5) alike.
Very good or excellent health · adults, age-standardised
| Health | North Kawartha | Ontario | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Smokers | 14% | 10% | 12% |
| Very good or excellent health | 47% | 51% | 52% |
| Chronic conditions (average share) | 19% | 17% | 17% |
| Life expectancy at birth | 80.5 | 82.8 | 81.5 |
Statistics Canada, Canadian Community Health Survey 2023/2024 and life expectancy 2022/2024; Open Database of Healthcare Facilities
More households own their home in North Kawartha than in Ontario’s towns or across Canadian towns: 93%
Shelter took 30% or more of income for 14% of households, below Ontario’s towns (22%) and Canadian towns (18%) alike. Rent took 19% of household income, below Ontario’s towns (22%) and Canadian towns (20%) alike.
What homes were worth · The median owner’s estimate at the 2021 census
| Census 2021 | North Kawartha | Ontario | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Households owning their home | 93% | 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 | 19% | 22% | 20% |
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.
Winter nights bite in North Kawartha: January lows of −16.0°C, colder than Ontario’s towns or Canadian towns
A normal November brings 103 mm of precipitation, more than any other month. The thermometer drops below freezing on 187 days a year, higher than both Ontario’s towns (139) and Canadian towns (159). Frost usually lifts by 31 May and returns around 18 September: 108 days without it. July afternoons in North Kawartha average 25.3°C.
Average high by season · ECCC normals, 1991–2020
| Normals, 1991–2020 | North Kawartha | Ontario | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Snowfall a year | 278 cm | 146 cm | 141 cm |
| Days with frost a year | 187 | 139 | 159 |
| January night low | −16.0°C | −9.1°C | −13.5°C |
| Precipitation a year | 1,106 mm | 902 mm | 883 mm |
Environment and Climate Change Canada, Canadian Climate Normals 1991–2020 (Haliburton)
Fewer of North Kawartha’s people belong to a visible minority than in Ontario’s towns or Canadian towns: 1.9%
9.8% of residents came to Canada as immigrants, higher than both Ontario’s towns (7.6%) and 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 48.3% of North Kawartha
The 2021 census counted 1,390 women and 1,485 men here, where women make up 50.9% of Canada.
| North Kawartha | Ontario | Canada | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 15 | 10% | 15% | 16% |
| 15 to 64 | 54% | 65% | 64% |
| 65+ | 35% | 19% | 19% |
| No certificate, diploma or degree | 15% | 15% | 16% |
| Postsecondary qualification | 53% | 56% | 56% |
Statistics Canada, Census 2021; Ontario and Canada: medians of towns of 2,500+
North Kawartha in November: highs near 5°C, lows near −4°C
Snow is normal by November, about 33 cm over the month. Precipitation in November averages 103 mm. Hour-by-hour figures come from ECCC’s Apsley forecast, on the Weather page.
Normal highs, the months ahead · ECCC normals, 1991–2020
| Season | High | Low | Rain and snow |
|---|---|---|---|
| Winter | −3°C | −14°C | 264 mm |
| Spring | 11°C | −3°C | 254 mm |
| Summer | 24°C | 11°C | 284 mm |
| Autumn | 13°C | 2°C | 304 mm |
ECCC normals, 1991–2020 (Haliburton); the forecast is on the Weather page
670 residents per council seat in North Kawartha, a lower ratio than three in four Ontario municipalities
In October 2022, North Kawartha elected Carolyn Amyotte as mayor, with a council of 5.
| Turnout | North Kawartha | Ontario | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Municipal election, 2022 | 30% | 31% | 31% |
Wikidata, MAMH, MMAH, Statistics Canada
North Kawartha is graded a B+ for civic life grade
North Kawartha Public Library has 2 branches for the 2,877 people it serves.
Provincial library statistics, OpenStreetMap, the CRA and Statistics Canada
Few places match North Kawartha for protected land nearby: more than 9 in 10 Canadian towns
Walkers have 3 mapped routes close by, starting with the Silent Lake Provicial Park and The Legacy Trail. The nearest national park is more than 100 km away. Protected areas take in 36% of the town itself. The 10 km around town hold 20 protected areas.
Protected land · of the land within 10 km
| Outdoors | North Kawartha | Ontario | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Protected land within 10 km | 18% | 2.3% | 2.3% |
| Public protected areas within 10 km | 8 | 4 | 4 |
Canadian Protected and Conserved Areas Database (CPCAD), OpenStreetMap routes and beaches
Flood mapping exists for North Kawartha: 2 on record, latest by Crowe Valley Conservation Authority
Shaking is about as much of a worry in North Kawartha as in most places, at $0.029 a year per $1,000 of building value ($0.030 typical). In Health Canada’s survey, 8.9% of homes tested in the town’s area exceeded 200 Bq/m³, close to the typical 6.6%. North Kawartha shares its radon tests numbers with the rest of the Peterborough County-City Health Unit.
Radon tests above the guideline · share of tested homes, 200 Bq/m³
| Hazards | North Kawartha | Ontario | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Radon tests above the guideline | 8.9% | 4% | 6.6% |
| Earthquake loss per $1,000 of buildings a year | $0.029 | $0.043 | $0.030 |
NRCan seismic risk model and burned areas, Health Canada radon survey, the Flood Hazard Map Inventory
North Kawartha’s 1 historic place is a top designation
Before 1961 is when 23% of the homes went up, above Ontario’s towns (22%) and Canadian towns (18%) alike.
Historic places by designation · inside the town
Among them
| Heritage | North Kawartha | Ontario | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Homes built before 1961 | 23% | 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 North Kawartha
Questions about North Kawartha
Is North Kawartha growing?
It grew from 2,479 people in 2016 to 2,877 in 2021, up 16.1%; the median of Canadian towns grew 4.1%. StatCan’s 2025 estimate is 3,355.
Who are the people of North Kawartha?
At the 2021 census, 10% were immigrants and 2% belonged to a visible minority (Canadian towns’ median: 15%). 2% identify as First Nations, Métis or Inuit.
What kind of homes are in North Kawartha?
95% 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 2.1 people; 32% are one person living alone.
Is North Kawartha a young town or an old one?
59.2 is the median age, 45.2 the median among Canadian towns; 35% of residents are 65 or over and 10% under 15.
About North Kawartha
Town in Ontario
Statistics Canada treats North Kawartha as a single census subdivision in Ontario, and TownRatings keeps to that line.
Statistics Canada: population estimates 2025 (17-10-0155), Census of Population 2021, 2021 census boundaries.
- Population
- 3,355 (people, 2025 estimate)
- Province or territory
- Ontario
- Census division
- Peterborough
- Census subdivision
- 3515037
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).