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Blackburn HamletOttawa

TownGrade

#156 of 2,556

Home to 7,606 people, this neighbourhood lies in Ottawa. Ottawa is split into 103 neighbourhoods, and this is one.

6 places within 19 kmMap →

Photo: P199 · CC BY-SA 4.0

Population

7,606

people, Census 2021

Median age

43.1

years · Ontario’s towns: 46.8

Postsecondary

63%

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

Walk, cycle, transit

17%

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

Is Blackburn Hamlet a good place to live?

Crime is low (A+). Residents are healthier than most (A). Buying in is costly (D). It also trails on hazard risk (C+). The overall grade lands at A, #40 of 858 in Ontario. Set against the rest, it does better than 91% of Canadian towns.

Rents here are the metro area's average, shared by every town and neighbourhood in it. Safety uses the city's Crime Severity Index, scaled by this neighbourhood's own violent and property crime rates. Health is graded on the health region's survey figures and life expectancy, with the distance to hospital giving the town its own spread.

StrongestA⁺Walkability A⁺Safety AHealthWeakestDCost of living

How Blackburn Hamlet grades

Each subject compares Blackburn Hamlet 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

WalkabilityGraded on how easily people get around without a carA⁺Open →SafetyVery little crime by comparisonA⁺Open →HealthIn the top fifth of the towns comparedAOpen →Cost of livingGraded on home prices against local incomesDOpen →Jobs & incomeIncomes and work are among the strongest comparedA⁻Open →SchoolsAhead of most towns comparedA⁻Open →Hazard riskBased on seismic risk and radon tests, lowered where wildfire runs highC⁺Open →

How TownRatings grades Canadian towns →

What makes Blackburn Hamlet stand out

The 3 things Blackburn Hamlet does most differently from other towns.

Picked automatically from the data

Speak English and French

Who lives here

46% speak English and French

For the middle of Canadian towns, 8%

Statistics Canada, Census 2021

Walkability

Better than 99%

of Canadian towns on walkability

Its walkability grade: A+.

Safety

Better than 95%

of Canadian towns on safety

Its safety grade: A+.

The data

Data highlights are ordered by what stands out in Blackburn Hamlet.

SafetySafety A⁺

Blackburn Hamlet earns an A+ for safety

55Crime Severity Index

Shared with the rest of the Ottawa service area: Crime Severity Index, Violent Crime Severity Index, violent crime and property crime per 1,000

Violent incidents in its police area came to 8 per 1,000 residents a year, below Ontario’s towns (10.5) and Canadian towns (12) alike. The violent index for its police area came to 66, lower than both Ontario’s towns (76) and Canadian towns (86).

Year by year · Crime Severity Index for each year

202356

202456

202552

2023–2025	Blackburn Hamlet	Ontario	Canada
Violent crime	8	10.5	12
Violent Crime Severity Index	66	76	86
Crime Severity Index	55	56	67

5.7

violent incidents per 1,000 in the neighbourhood itself, a year

non-violent Crime Severity Index

32%

of incidents cleared, 2023–25

Full pageBlackburn Hamlet’s safety reportOpen the full Safety report

Safety55 Crime Severity Index · The index weighs each crime Blackburn Hamlet’s police recorded by how serious it is.Questions“Is Blackburn Hamlet safe?”

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

HealthHealth A

Health in Blackburn Hamlet beats 93% of Canadian towns

56%very good or excellent healthAHealth Grade

Smokers make up nearly a tenth of the region’s adults, below Ontario’s towns (10%) and Canadian towns (12%) alike. The survey puts the region’s share in very good or excellent health at 56%, ahead of the 51% for Ontario. Add to that, for 2022/2024, the region’s figure is 83.7 years at birth, 85.7 for women and 81.6 for men. What sets Blackburn Hamlet apart within its region is a longer trip to hospital, 6.1 km for the average resident (3.7 km typical).

Very good or excellent health · adults, age-standardised

Blackburn Hamlet56%

Ontario’s towns51%

Canadian towns52%

Health	Blackburn Hamlet	Ontario	Canada
Very good or excellent health	56%	51%	52%
Life expectancy at birth	83.7	82.8	81.5
Smokers	8.6%	10%	12%
Chronic conditions (average share)	16%	17%	17%

83.7

years of life expectancy, 2022/2024

6.1 km

from homes to a hospital, on average

8.6%

of adults smoke, age-standardised

0.5 km

from homes to a pharmacy, on average

Full pageBlackburn Hamlet’s health pageOpen the full Health page

Health survey56% very good or excellent health · adults, age-standardised Getting care6.1 km to a hospital · A pharmacy 0.5 km away on average The wider areaLife expectancy: women 85.7, men 81.6 Conditions and habits16% with chronic conditions · adults, age-standardised

Statistics Canada, Canadian Community Health Survey 2023/2024 and life expectancy 2022/2024; Open Database of Healthcare Facilities · Area behind the health survey and life expectancy figures: the City of Ottawa Health Unit

HousingCost of living D

Measured against local pay, Blackburn Hamlet costs more to live in than nine in ten Canadian towns

$640,000median home value, 2021DCost of living Grade

Area-wide: rent as a share of income and monthly rent for a two-bedroom, counted over the Ottawa-Gatineau metro area

The median home value was $640,000, between Ontario’s towns ($695,000) and Canadian towns ($406,000). Shelter took 30% or more of income for 15% of households, below both Ontario’s towns (22%) and Canadian towns (18%).

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

Blackburn Hamlet$640,000

Ontario$695,000

Canadian towns$406,000

Census 2021	Blackburn Hamlet	Ontario	Canada
Households spending 30%+ on shelter	15%	22%	18%
Rent as a share of income	23%	22%	20%
Median home value, 2021	$640,000	$695,000	$406,000

$1,916

monthly rent for a two-bedroom

Full pageBlackburn Hamlet’s cost of living pageOpen the full Cost of living page

Cost of living6.4 times household income · The median owner’s estimate, $640,000, against the median household income Renting$1,916 a month · A two-bedroom apartment, CMHC’s survey Owners and renters74% 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.

Work & commuteJobs & income A⁻

The car carries only 78% of commuters in Blackburn Hamlet, fewer than in Ontario’s towns and Canadian towns

17%walk, cycle or take transit

The average trip to work takes 24 min.

How working residents got to work · census 2021

Car or van78%

Public transit12%

Walk5%

Bicycle1%

Census 2021	Blackburn Hamlet	Ontario	Canada
Car or van	78%	88%	89%
Average trip	24 min	29 min	26 min

$100,300

median household income, 2020

41%

worked from home, May 2021

95%

of commuters work inside the municipality

Full pageBlackburn Hamlet’s work & commute pageOpen the full Work & commute page

Getting to work17% walk, cycle or take transit Unemployment8.7% unemployed · Of the labour force · Canadian towns: 9.9%

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.

SchoolsSchools A⁻

Blackburn Hamlet has 9 French-language schools among its 28

28schools within 3 kmA⁻Schools Grade

All four of Ontario’s systems run schools here, English and French, public and Catholic. The Catholic boards run 14 of its 28 schools, against 34% in Ontario. The 24 with results split, 13 in the upper two fifths in Ontario and 7 in the lower. In or within 3 km of Blackburn Hamlet: 23 elementary schools, 4 secondary schools and 1 alternative or adult school, with 12,250 students.

School	Level	Students	System
École élémentaire catholique La Vérendrye FrenchLargest elementary schoolElementary · Grades JK–6	Elementary · Grades JK–6	540	French Catholic
Gloucester High School Bottom fifth in OntarioLargest secondary schoolSecondary · Grades 9–12	Secondary · Grades 9–12	1,160	English public
École élémentaire catholique Sainte-Marie FrenchTeaches in FrenchElementary · Grades JK–6	Elementary · Grades JK–6	240	French Catholic
Colonel By Secondary School Top fifth in OntarioResults in the top fifth in OntarioSecondary · Grades 9–12	Secondary · Grades 9–12	1,140	English public

See all 28 schools →

Schools by system · Schools within 3 km

English public10

English Catholic9

French Catholic5

French public4

Schools within 3 km	Blackburn Hamlet	Ontario	Canada
School boards	4	4	3

12,250

students at the schools within 3 km, 2024-25

1 km

to the nearest secondary school

Full pageBlackburn Hamlet’s schools pageOpen the full Schools page

Language9 of 28 teach in French · 10% of schools in Ontario Every school28 schools within 3 km · 23 elementary schools, 4 secondary schools and 1 alternative or adult school Results13 of 24 in the top two fifths · of the schools with results, placed against every school in Ontario The boards4 school boards · Ottawa-Carleton DSB Questions“What schools are there in Blackburn Hamlet?”

Provincial school lists and results, 2024-25

Climate

Blackburn Hamlet has colder winters than Ontario’s towns or Canadian towns: January lows of −16.5°C

26.2°CJuly afternoons

Snow totals 185 cm over the year, above both Ontario’s towns (146 cm) and Canadian towns (141 cm). Between the last spring frost, 26 May, and the first in autumn, 22 September, lie 119 days. For the wettest month, look to June: 95 mm on average. January is the snowiest month, with 45 cm on average.

Average high by season · ECCC normals, 1991–2020

Winter−3.7°C

Spring10.7°C

Summer25.0°C

Autumn12.7°C

Normals, 1991–2020	Blackburn Hamlet	Ontario	Canada
January night low	−16.5°C	−9.1°C	−13.5°C
Days with frost a year	179	139	159
Snowfall a year	185 cm	146 cm	141 cm
July afternoon high	26.2°C	26.7°C	25.5°C

185 cm

of snow a year

179

days with frost a year

119

frost-free days, 26 May to 22 Sep

120

days with precipitation a year

Full pageBlackburn Hamlet’s climate pageOpen the full Climate page

The yearJuly highs 26.2°C, January lows −16.5°C Rain and snow938 mm a year · Canadian towns: 883 mm Snow185 cm of snow a year Weather station13 km to the station · Angers

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

Natural hazardsHazard risk C⁺

Blackburn Hamlet is on Canada’s flood inventory: 1 listed, led by Rideau Valley Conservation Authority

Lowwildfire bandC⁺Hazard risk Grade

NRCan’s model puts the yearly earthquake loss at $0.15 per $1,000 of building value, higher than both Ontario’s towns ($0.043) and Canadian towns ($0.030). About as many homes carry radon around Blackburn Hamlet as elsewhere, 6.2% over the guideline where the typical town has 6.6%. Figures for earthquake risk are published for the city of Ottawa as a whole, not for Blackburn Hamlet alone.

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

Blackburn Hamlet6.2%

Ontario’s towns4%

Canadian towns6.6%

Hazards	Blackburn Hamlet	Ontario	Canada
Earthquake loss per $1,000 of buildings a year	$0.15	$0.043	$0.030
Radon tests above the guideline	6.2%	4%	6.6%

$0.15

expected earthquake loss a year per $1,000 of buildings

Low

wildfire band

24 km

to the nearest land burned since 1986

flood study on the national inventory

Full pageBlackburn Hamlet’s flood & hazards pageOpen the full Flood & hazards page

FloodOne flood study on record WildfireLow wildfire band · No land burned within 25 km since 1986 Earthquakes$0.15 a year per $1,000 · Canadian towns: $0.030 Radon6.2% of tests above the guideline Be readyAlerts, FireSmart and radon tests

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

Outdoors

Blackburn Hamlet has more protected land around it than 9 in 10 Canadian towns

15%of the land within 10 km protected

Within 10 km are 32 protected areas. Rideau Canal National Historic Site (19,972 ha) is the biggest, 8.4 km from town. For a provincial park, Plaisance National Park (Québec) lies 29 km off. 97 km separate the town from Thousand Islands National Park, its nearest national park.

Protected land · of the land within 10 km

Blackburn Hamlet15%

Ontario’s towns2.3%

Canadian towns2.3%

Outdoors	Blackburn Hamlet	Ontario	Canada
Protected land within 10 km	15%	2.3%	2.3%
Public protected areas within 10 km	16	4	4

97 km

to Thousand Islands National Park

29 km

to Plaisance National Park (Québec)

public protected areas within 10 km

Full pageBlackburn Hamlet’s outdoors pageOpen the full Outdoors page

Protected landof the land within 10 km Protected areas32 protected areas within 10 km · Rideau Canal National Historic Site National & provincial parks97 km to a national park · Thousand Islands National Park

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

Who lives here

Children make up 18% of Blackburn Hamlet, above Ontario’s towns and Canadian towns

43.1median age

People 65 and over make up 23% of the town, above both Ontario’s towns (19%) and Canadian towns (19%). Visible minorities make up 21% of the population, lower than Ontario’s towns (26%) yet higher than Canadian towns (15%).

Blackburn HamletOntarioCanada

OntarioCanada

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

23%

Schooling · Highest qualification, residents 15 and over

No certificate, diploma or degree11%

Postsecondary qualification63%

Women and men · all residents

Women make up 52.1% of Blackburn Hamlet

By the 2021 count the town had 3,965 women and 3,645 men, while Canada has 50.9% women.

Who lives in Blackburn Hamlet
	Blackburn Hamlet	Ontario	Canada
Under 15	18%	15%	16%
15 to 64	60%	65%	64%
65+	23%	19%	19%
No certificate, diploma or degree	11%	15%	16%
Postsecondary qualification	63%	56%	56%

Full pageBlackburn Hamlet’s Who lives here pageOpen the full Who lives here page

Ages43.1 median age · 23% are 65 or over Households2,945 households English and French46% speak both · 2.4% speak French but not English

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

Weather

Blackburn Hamlet in November: highs near 5°C, lows near −4°C

5°Ca normal November afternoon

For today and the week ahead, the Weather page carries ECCC’s Gatineau forecast. By December, a normal day reaches −2°C and a night falls to −11°C. Rain and snow over a typical November come to 72 mm. About 16 cm of snow falls in a normal November.

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

November5°C

December−2°C

January−6°C

February−3°C

Season	High	Low	Rain and snow
Winter	−4°C	−14°C	191 mm
Spring	11°C	−1°C	223 mm
Summer	25°C	12°C	275 mm
Autumn	13°C	2°C	249 mm

−4°C

a normal November night

72 mm

of rain and snow in a normal November

Full pageBlackburn Hamlet’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 (Angers); the forecast is on the Weather page

Library & civic lifeCivic life grade C⁺

Each person Ottawa Public Library serves borrows 7.6 items, more than at 91% of Ontario’s town libraries

Blackburn Hamlet is served by Ottawa Public Library, the library of all of Ottawa, so the figures here are the city’s, for 1,083,550 people.

Full pageBlackburn Hamlet’s library & civic life pageOpen the full Library & civic life page

A year at the library3.4 visits per person served The libraries1 Libraries Places to belong1.7 charities per 1,000 residents

Provincial library statistics, OpenStreetMap, the CRA and Statistics Canada

Keep exploring

Everything we know about Blackburn Hamlet

15pages on Blackburn Hamlet

The big questions

SafetyA⁺Crime Severity Index 55 Housing & costDHomes 6.4 × income Property pricesSchoolsA⁻28 schools within 3 km HealthALife expectancy 83.7 in its region Work & commuteA⁻57% of adults in work Natural hazardsC⁺Wildfire band: low

Out and about

Outdoors15% of the land within 10 km protected AttractionsClimateJuly afternoons around 26°C WeatherECCC’s forecast, beside the normals

The story

Who lives hereMedian age 43.1 HistoryTown hallFamous people

Nearby attractions

Canada Science and Technology Museum and 2 more in and around Blackburn Hamlet

A first look at Blackburn Hamlet’s museums, historic sites and days out, and a few just outside town.

All attractions →

MuseumCanada Science and Technology Museum4.5 km outside town, to the southwest · 348K visitors a year MuseumMuseumIngenium4.5 km outside town, to the southwest MuseumMuseumScience & Technology Museum5 km outside town, to the southwest

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

Photo credits (1)

Canada Science and Technology Museum: Ajadams94, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons

About Blackburn Hamlet

Neighbourhood in Ottawa

Blackburn Hamlet is one of Ottawa’s neighbourhoods, which TownRatings draws from census dissemination areas and names from the city’s own map or OpenStreetMap.

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

Population: 7,606 (people, 2021 estimate)
Province or territory: Ontario
City: Ottawa
Census subdivision: 3506008

Blackburn Hamlet’s neighbours

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

Greenbelt (east)Beacon Hill South - Cardinal HeightsChapel Hill NorthChapel Hill SouthPineviewRothwell Heights - Beacon Hill NorthBlackburn Hamlet

How the neighbours grade

Town	People	km	Overall	Cost	Safety	Health
Blackburn Hamlet	7,606	—	A	D	A⁺	A
Greenbelt (east)	3,094	0.8	B⁻	C	C⁻	A
Beacon Hill South - Cardinal Heights	7,746	3	B⁺	D	A⁻	A
Chapel Hill North	11,715	3.1	A⁺	C	A⁺	A
Chapel Hill South	14,278	3.2	A⁺	C⁺	A	A
Pineview	6,346	3.5	B⁺	C⁻	A⁻	A
Rothwell Heights - Beacon Hill North	10,985	3.8	A	C⁻	A⁺	A

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

Questions about Blackburn Hamlet

Do people in Blackburn Hamlet speak French?

Many do: 46% are bilingual in English and French (Canadian towns’ median: 8%), and 2.4% speak French only.

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).