Canada›Ontario›Ottawa

Lowertown EastOttawa

It is one of 103 neighbourhoods of Ottawa. Some 6,996 people live in this neighbourhood, in Ottawa.

6 places within 19 kmMap →

Photo: Tim & Selena Middleton from Toronto, Canada · CC BY 2.0

Population

6,996

people, Census 2021

Median age

39.1

years · Ontario’s towns: 46.8

Postsecondary

61%

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

Walk, cycle, transit

50%

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

TownGrade

#2,324 of 2,556

Is Lowertown East a good place to live?

More weak spots than strong ones. With a D overall, Lowertown East is better than 15% of Canadian towns and ranks #809 of 858 in Ontario. Buying in is costly (D−). It does especially well on health (A+). Walking, cycling and public transport work well here (A+). Safety is weaker too (D). Jobs & income is weaker too (D).

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⁺HealthWeakestD⁻Cost of living DSafety

What makes Lowertown East stand out

The 3 things Lowertown East does most differently from other towns.

Picked automatically from the data

Households renting

Housing

85% rent their home

Next to 25%, the median among Canadian towns

Statistics Canada, Census 2021

Walk, cycle or transit to work

Getting around

50% walk, cycle or take transit

For the middle of Canadian towns, 8%

Statistics Canada, Census 2021

Speak English and French

Who lives here

47% speak English and French

Canadian towns centre on 8%

Statistics Canada, Census 2021

How Lowertown East grades

Each subject compares Lowertown East 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 →Cost of livingHomes are among the least affordable for local incomesD⁻Open →HealthIn the top fifth of the towns comparedA⁺Open →SafetyGraded on crime per residentDOpen →Jobs & incomeIncomes and work are among the weakest comparedDOpen →Hazard riskBehind most towns comparedC⁺Open →SchoolsClose to the middle of the towns comparedB⁻Open →

How TownRatings grades Canadian towns →

Nearby attractions

National Gallery of Canada and 54 more in and around Lowertown East

The best-known places to visit in and around Lowertown East come first; the full list is on the Attractions page.

All attractions →

Art galleryNational Gallery of Canada900 m outside town, to the southwest · 237K visitors a year (2014)

Big drawMuseumCanadian Museum of History1.5 km outside town, to the southwest · 1.3M visitors a year

MuseumCarleton University4.7 km outside town, to the south

MuseumCanadian Museum of Nature1.8 km outside town, to the south

CastleRideau Hall and Landscaped Grounds600 m outside town, to the north

ChurchNotre-Dame Roman Catholic Basilica700 m outside town, to the southwest

Places: © OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL) · Wikidata · ODCAF · federal and Québec heritage registers · CPCAD

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

Photo credits (6)

National Gallery of Canada: Wladyslaw [Disk.], CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
Canadian Museum of History: Wojciech Dittwald, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
Carleton University: Harleyd613, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons
Canadian Museum of Nature: RealGrouchy, Public domain, Wikimedia Commons
Rideau Hall and Landscaped Grounds: Peregrine981, Public domain, Wikimedia Commons
Notre-Dame Roman Catholic Basilica: Daryl Mitchell from Saskatoon, Canada, CC BY-SA 2.0, Wikimedia Commons

The data

Data highlights are ordered by what stands out in Lowertown East.

HousingCost of living D⁻

Renting in Lowertown East eats 42% of household income, more than in Ontario’s towns and across Canadian towns

The rent as a share of income and monthly rent for a two-bedroom numbers here cover the Ottawa-Gatineau metro area

Shelter took 30% or more of income for 28% of households, higher than both Ontario’s towns (22%) and Canadian towns (18%). Owners put the median home at $600,000, between Ontario’s towns ($695,000) and Canadian towns ($406,000).

$600,000median home value, 2021D⁻Cost of living Grade

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

Lowertown East$600,000

Ontario$695,000

Canadian towns$406,000

Census 2021	Lowertown East	Ontario	Canada
Rent as a share of income	42%	22%	20%
Households spending 30%+ on shelter	28%	22%	18%
Median home value, 2021	$600,000	$695,000	$406,000

$1,916

monthly rent for a two-bedroom

Full pageLowertown East’s cost of living pageOpen the full Cost of living page

Renting$1,916 a month · A two-bedroom apartment, CMHC’s survey Cost of living10.9 times household income · The median owner’s estimate, $600,000, against the median household income Owners and renters15% own their home

Statistics Canada, Census 2021; CMHC Rental Market Survey via Statistics Canada · Values come from owners at the 2021 census and incomes from 2020, so they predate the later rise in rates.

HealthHealth A⁺

For health, Lowertown East is ahead of 97% of Canadian towns

Area-wide: health survey and life expectancy, counted over the City of Ottawa Health Unit

Arthritis, diabetes and high blood pressure affect 16% of the region’s adults on average, below Ontario’s towns (17%) and Canadian towns (17%) alike; what’s more, the region has fewer smokers than Ontario, nearly one in ten adults to 11%. Still, in the health survey, 56% of adults in the region rate their health very good or excellent, more than Ontario’s 51%. Life expectancy in the region is 83.7 years (85.7 for women, 81.6 for men, 2022/2024).

56%very good or excellent healthA⁺Health Grade

Very good or excellent health · adults, age-standardised

Lowertown East56%

Ontario’s towns51%

Canadian towns52%

Health	Lowertown East	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

1.2 km

from homes to a hospital, on average

8.6%

of adults smoke, age-standardised

0.3 km

from homes to a pharmacy, on average

Full pageLowertown East’s health pageOpen the full Health page

Health survey56% very good or excellent health · adults, age-standardised Getting care1.2 km to a hospital · A pharmacy 0.3 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

SafetySafety D

Lowertown East earns a D for safety

Crime Severity Index, Violent Crime Severity Index, violent crime and property crime per 1,000 for the Ottawa service area

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

55Crime Severity Index

Year by year · Crime Severity Index for each year

202356

202456

202552

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

24.3

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

non-violent Crime Severity Index

32%

of incidents cleared, 2023–25

Full pageLowertown East’s safety reportOpen the full Safety report

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

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

Work & commuteJobs & income D

Households in Lowertown East earn less than those in 95% of Canadian towns

The average trip to work took 25 min, lower than Ontario’s towns (29 min) and near Canadian towns (26 min).

50%walk, cycle or take transit

How working residents got to work · census 2021

Car or van46%

Public transit24%

Walk24%

Bicycle3%

Census 2021	Lowertown East	Ontario	Canada
Average trip	25 min	29 min	26 min

$55,300

median household income, 2020

44%

worked from home, May 2021

97%

of commuters work inside the municipality

Full pageLowertown East’s work & commute pageOpen the full Work & commute page

Unemployment14% unemployed · Of the labour force · Canadian towns: 9.9%Getting to work50% walk, cycle or take transit

Statistics Canada, Census 2021 (labour and commuting) · Counted in May 2021, under pandemic rules: fewer commutes and more people between jobs than in a normal year.

Natural hazardsHazard risk C⁺

A flood study covers Lowertown East: 5 on the national inventory, the newest from Rideau Valley Conservation Authority

Averaged over the years, quake damage costs $0.15 per $1,000 of buildings, higher than both Ontario’s towns ($0.043) and Canadian towns ($0.030). In Health Canada’s survey, 6.2% of homes tested in Lowertown East’s area exceeded 200 Bq/m³, close to the typical 6.6%.

Lowwildfire bandC⁺Hazard risk Grade

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

Lowertown East6.2%

Ontario’s towns4%

Canadian towns6.6%

Hazards	Lowertown East	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

19 km

to the nearest land burned since 1986

flood studies on the national inventory

Full pageLowertown East’s flood & hazards pageOpen the full Flood & hazards page

Flood5 flood studies 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 · Earthquake risk: one figure for all of the city of Ottawa

Outdoors

Few places match Lowertown East for protected land nearby: more than nearly 9 in 10 Canadian towns

Swimmers have 3 beaches within 5 km, The Pond Beach the nearest. Biggest among them: Rideau Canal National Historic Site, 19,972 ha, 0.7 km off. 38 protected areas lie within 10 km. For a national park, Thousand Islands National Park is 96 km away.

11%of the land within 10 km protected

Protected land · of the land within 10 km

Lowertown East11%

Ontario’s towns2.3%

Canadian towns2.3%

Outdoors	Lowertown East	Ontario	Canada
Protected land within 10 km	11%	2.3%	2.3%
Public protected areas within 10 km	18	4	4

96 km

to Thousand Islands National Park

38 km

to Plaisance National Park (Québec)

beaches within 5 km

public protected areas within 10 km

Full pageLowertown East’s outdoors pageOpen the full Outdoors page

Protected landof the land within 10 km Protected areas38 protected areas within 10 km · Rideau Canal National Historic Site National & provincial parks96 km to a national park · Thousand Islands National Park Footpaths & routes4 named routes · Confederation Boulevard

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

Climate

January nights in Lowertown East drop to −14.0°C (Ontario towns −9.1°C, Canadian towns −13.5°C)

Summer highs average 26.7°C in July, about level with Ontario’s towns (26.7°C) and above Canadian towns (25.5°C). The frost-free season runs from 30 April to 6 October, 158 days. Snow peaks in January: 45 cm in a normal year. A normal June brings 95 mm of precipitation, more than any other month.

26.7°CJuly afternoons

Average high by season · ECCC normals, 1991–2020

Winter−3.3°C

Spring11.0°C

Summer25.5°C

Autumn13.4°C

Normals, 1991–2020	Lowertown East	Ontario	Canada
Snowfall a year	185 cm	146 cm	141 cm
January night low	−14.0°C	−9.1°C	−13.5°C
July afternoon high	26.7°C	26.7°C	25.5°C
Days with frost a year	147	139	159

185 cm

of snow a year

147

days with frost a year

158

frost-free days, 30 Apr to 6 Oct

120

days with precipitation a year

Full pageLowertown East’s climate pageOpen the full Climate page

The yearJuly highs 26.7°C, January lows −14.0°C Rain and snow938 mm a year · Canadian towns: 883 mm Snow185 cm of snow a year Weather station6.6 km to the station · Ottawa (City)

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

Who lives here

More of Lowertown East belongs to a visible minority than Ontario’s towns or Canadian towns: 41%

Over-65s are 21% of the population. 13% are under 15, below both Ontario’s towns (15%) and Canadian towns (16%).

39.1median age

Lowertown EastOntarioCanada

OntarioCanada

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

21%

Schooling · Highest qualification, residents 15 and over

No certificate, diploma or degree16%

Postsecondary qualification61%

Women and men · all residents

53.2% of Lowertown East’s residents are women

Women numbered 3,725 and men 3,275 in 2021, next to a 50.9% share of women for Canada.

Who lives in Lowertown East
	Lowertown East	Ontario	Canada
Under 15	13%	15%	16%
15 to 64	66%	65%	64%
65+	21%	19%	19%
No certificate, diploma or degree	16%	15%	16%
Postsecondary qualification	61%	56%	56%

Full pageLowertown East’s Who lives here pageOpen the full Who lives here page

Ages39.1 median age · 21% are 65 or over Households3,635 households English and French47% speak both · 6.3% speak French but not English

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

Weather

What November brings in Lowertown East: −2°C at night, 6°C by day

The forecast on the Weather page is ECCC’s for Ottawa (Kanata - Orléans). Expect around 16 cm of snow in November. November normally sees 72 mm of precipitation. A normal December brings highs of −2°C, lows of −9°C.

6°Ca normal November afternoon

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

November6°C

December−2°C

January−5°C

February−3°C

Season	High	Low	Rain and snow
Winter	−3°C	−12°C	191 mm
Spring	11°C	1°C	223 mm
Summer	26°C	15°C	275 mm
Autumn	13°C	4°C	249 mm

−2°C

a normal November night

72 mm

of rain and snow in a normal November

Full pageLowertown East’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 (Ottawa (City)); the forecast is on the Weather page

Town hall

Ottawa has one council seat for every 47,520 residents, more than 99% of municipalities in Ontario

City council runs Lowertown East; in October 2022, Ottawa chose Mark Sutcliffe as mayor.

Turnout	Lowertown East	Ontario	Canada
Municipal election, 2022	44%	31%	31%

Full pageLowertown East’s town hall & politics pageOpen the full Town hall & politics page

Member of ParliamentMona Fortier council seats25

Wikidata, MAMH, MMAH, Statistics Canada

Library & civic lifeCivic life grade C⁺

At 7.6 loans per person served, Ottawa Public Library lends more than 91% of Ontario’s town libraries

Ottawa Public Library serves the whole of Ottawa, so the library figures on this page are the city’s: 1,083,550 people, Lowertown East among them.

Full pageLowertown East’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

SchoolsSchools B⁻

Teaching in French: 14 of Lowertown East’s 37 schools

English and French, public and Catholic boards all run schools here. The 25 with results split, 10 in the upper two fifths in Ontario and 12 in the lower. 11,085 students attend the 28 elementary schools, 6 secondary schools, 1 school for every grade and 2 alternative or adult schools in or within 3 km of Lowertown East.

37schools within 3 kmB⁻Schools Grade

School	Level	Students	System
Manor Park Public School Fourth fifth in OntarioLargest elementary schoolElementary · Grades JK–6	Elementary · Grades JK–6	680	English public
Lisgar Collegiate Institute Second fifth in OntarioLargest secondary schoolSecondary · Grades 9–12	Secondary · Grades 9–12	960	English public
École secondaire publique De La Salle FrenchTeaches in FrenchSecondary · Grades 9–12	Secondary · Grades 9–12	950	French public

See all 37 schools →

Schools by system · Schools within 3 km

English public18

French public8

French Catholic5

English Catholic5

Independent1

Schools within 3 km	Lowertown East	Ontario	Canada
School boards	5	4	3

11,085

students at the schools within 3 km, 2024-25

0.2 km

to the nearest secondary school

Full pageLowertown East’s schools pageOpen the full Schools page

Language14 of 37 teach in French · 10% of schools in Ontario Every school37 schools within 3 km · 28 elementary schools, 6 secondary schools, 1 school for every grade and 2 alternative or adult schools Results10 of 25 in the top two fifths · of the schools with results, placed against every school in Ontario The boards5 school boards · Ottawa-Carleton DSB Questions“What schools are there in Lowertown East?”

Provincial school lists and results, 2024-25

Keep exploring

Everything we know about Lowertown East

15pages on Lowertown East

The big questions

SafetyDCrime Severity Index 55 Housing & costD⁻Homes 10.9 × income Property pricesSchoolsB⁻37 schools within 3 km HealthA⁺Life expectancy 83.7 in its region Work & commuteD48% of adults in work Natural hazardsC⁺Wildfire band: low

Out and about

Outdoors11% of the land within 10 km protected AttractionsClimateJuly afternoons around 27°C WeatherECCC’s forecast, beside the normals

The story

Who lives hereMedian age 39.1 HistoryTown hallFamous people

Famous people from around Lowertown East

No notable person born in Lowertown East is on our list; these were born in the towns around it.

How we find them →

Eric GelinasCanadian ice hockey defenceman · born in Vanier North · born 1991

Rennison MannersCanadian ice hockey player · born in Sandy Hill · 1904–1944

James Buckham KennedyCanadian politician · born in Centretown · 1844–1930

Andre ChampagneCanadian ice hockey winger · born in Vanier North · 1943–2025

Bernard GrandmaîtreCanadian politician · born in Vanier North · 1933–2025

Corey HoganCanadian politician · born in Centretown · born 1981

Photo credits

Eric Gelinas: Lisa Gansky, CC BY-SA 2.0 · James Buckham Kennedy: Unknown author , Published by Montreal Perrault Print. Co, Public domain · Andre Champagne: Unknown author, Public domain · Bernard Grandmaître: Legislative Assembly of Ontario, CC BY 4.0

Lowertown East’s neighbours

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

Lowertown WestSandy HillNew EdinburghVanier NorthVanier SouthCentretownLowertown East

How the neighbours grade

Town	People	km	Overall	Cost	Safety	Health
Lowertown East	6,996	—	D	D⁻	D	A⁺
Lowertown West	5,947	0.7	C	D	D⁻	A⁺
Sandy Hill	13,830	0.9	C⁻	D⁻	D	A⁺
New Edinburgh	5,728	1.2	B⁺	C⁻	C⁺	A⁺
Vanier North	10,498	1.8	C	D⁻	C⁻	A⁺
Vanier South	7,259	2.1	C⁻	D	D	A⁺
Centretown	32,035	2.4	C⁺	D⁻	D	A⁺

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

Questions about Lowertown East

Do people in Lowertown East speak French?

47% of residents can hold a conversation in both English and French, against 8% for the median of Canadian towns; 6.3% speak French but not English.

How old are the people of Lowertown East?

Its median age is 39.1, where Canadian towns sit at 45.2. Under-15s are 13% of residents; over-65s, 21%.

About Lowertown East

Neighbourhood in Ottawa

Census areas put together by TownRatings make up Lowertown East, one part of Ottawa; the city’s map or OpenStreetMap gives it its name.

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

Population: 6,996 (people, 2021 estimate)
Province or territory: Ontario
City: Ottawa
Census subdivision: 3506008

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).