MetcalfeOttawa
The neighbourhood has 5,434 residents and lies in Ottawa. Ottawa is split into 103 neighbourhoods, and this is one.
Is Metcalfe a good place to live?
A strong record with one exception. Metcalfe grades A overall, better than 87% of Canadian towns. In the ranking it comes #62 of 858 in Ontario. Its strongest is safety (A+). Add health to its strengths (A−). Housing is expensive (C). Few people walk, cycle or take the bus to work (C+).
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.
What makes Metcalfe stand out
The 3 things Metcalfe does most differently from other towns.
How Metcalfe grades
Each subject compares Metcalfe 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 Metcalfe.
Metcalfe gets an A+ for safety
Where it is policed, 8 violent incidents per 1,000 residents are recorded each year. Across the area its police cover, the Crime Severity Index averaged 55 over 2023–25, close to Ontario’s towns (56) and below Canadian towns (67).
Year by year · Crime Severity Index for each year
| 2023–2025 | Metcalfe | Ontario | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Violent crime | 8 | 10.5 | 12 |
| Violent Crime Severity Index | 66 | 76 | 86 |
| Crime Severity Index | 55 | 56 | 67 |
Statistics Canada, Uniform Crime Reporting Survey, 2023–2025 average · Crime Severity Index, Violent Crime Severity Index, violent crime and property crime per 1,000: one figure for all of the Ottawa service area
Life expectancy around Metcalfe is 83.7 years, 2.2 more than for the typical Canadian town
Measured from where people live, the nearest hospital is 18 km away, higher than both Ontario’s towns (3.3 km) and Canadian towns (3.7 km). The region has fewer smokers than Ontario, 8.6% of adults to 11%. Even so, the survey puts the region’s share in very good or excellent health at 56%, ahead of the 51% for Ontario. For health survey and life expectancy, the only official count covers all of the City of Ottawa Health Unit, Metcalfe included.
Very good or excellent health · adults, age-standardised
| Health | Metcalfe | 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% |
Statistics Canada, Canadian Community Health Survey 2023/2024 and life expectancy 2022/2024; Open Database of Healthcare Facilities
Household incomes in Metcalfe top those of 98% of Canadian towns
On average, the journey to work lasts 27 min.
How working residents got to work · census 2021
| Census 2021 | Metcalfe | Ontario | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average trip | 27 min | 29 min | 26 min |
Statistics Canada, Census 2021 (labour and commuting) · Census day was in May 2021, mid-pandemic, so commuting and work figures carry the lockdowns’ mark.
Metcalfe’s schools come under 6 different boards
Schooling in French is on offer at 2 of 12; in Ontario, 10% of schools teach in it. On the tests, 2 of 11 schools land above the middle in Ontario, 3 under it. In or within 3 km of Metcalfe: 10 elementary schools and 2 secondary schools, with 4,140 students.
| School | Level | Students | System |
|---|---|---|---|
| Castor Valley Elementary School Middle fifth in OntarioLargest elementary schoolElementary · Grades JK–8 | Elementary · Grades JK–8 | 685 | English public |
| Osgoode Township High School Middle fifth in OntarioLargest secondary schoolSecondary · Grades 9–12 | Secondary · Grades 9–12 | 490 | English public |
| École élémentaire catholique Sainte-Thérèse-d'Avila FrenchTeaches in FrenchElementary · Grades JK–8 | Elementary · Grades JK–8 | 170 | French Catholic |
Schools by system · Schools within 3 km
| Schools within 3 km | Metcalfe | Ontario | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| School boards | 6 | 4 | 3 |
Provincial school lists and results, 2024-25
Metcalfe is a town of owners: 88% of households own their home, above Ontario’s towns and Canadian towns
11% of households spent 30% or more of their income on shelter, below both Ontario’s towns (22%) and Canadian towns (18%). A year’s rent came to 17% of the median 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 | Metcalfe | Ontario | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Households spending 30%+ on shelter | 11% | 22% | 18% |
| Households owning their home | 88% | 76% | 74% |
| Rent as a share of income | 17% | 22% | 20% |
| Median home value, 2021 | $600,000 | $695,000 | $406,000 |
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. · Rent as a share of income and monthly rent for a two-bedroom published for the Ottawa-Gatineau metro area, not by town
A flood study covers Metcalfe: 2 on the national inventory, the newest from South Nation Conservation
Measured across the city of Ottawa: earthquake risk
Earthquakes add more: NRCan’s model puts building losses at $0.15 a year per $1,000 of value, against $0.030 for the typical town. About as many homes carry radon around Metcalfe as elsewhere, 6.2% over the guideline where the typical town has 6.6%.
Radon tests above the guideline · share of tested homes, 200 Bq/m³
| Hazards | Metcalfe | 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% |
NRCan seismic risk model and burned areas, Health Canada radon survey, the Flood Hazard Map Inventory
Winter nights bite in Metcalfe: January lows of −14.3°C, colder than Ontario’s towns or Canadian towns
Summer highs in Metcalfe reach 27.0°C in July. Frost usually lifts by 29 April and returns around 7 October: 160 days without it. Snowfall adds up to 232 cm a year, above both Ontario’s towns (146 cm) and Canadian towns (141 cm). January is the snowiest month, with 59 cm on average.
Average high by season · ECCC normals, 1991–2020
| Normals, 1991–2020 | Metcalfe | Ontario | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Snowfall a year | 232 cm | 146 cm | 141 cm |
| January night low | −14.3°C | −9.1°C | −13.5°C |
| July afternoon high | 27.0°C | 26.7°C | 25.5°C |
| Days with frost a year | 154 | 139 | 159 |
Environment and Climate Change Canada, Canadian Climate Normals 1991–2020 (Ottawa (Airport))
Fewer of Metcalfe’s people belong to a visible minority than in Ontario’s towns or Canadian towns: 4.8%
First Nations, Métis and Inuit people make up 4.5% of residents, above Ontario’s towns (1.6%) and Canadian towns (2.8%) alike. The share of residents under 15 is 18%. Those 65 and older account for 15% of residents.
Ages · Share of residents in each age group, Census 2021
Schooling · Highest qualification, residents 15 and over
Women and men · all residents
49.5% of Metcalfe’s residents are women
Women numbered 2,695 and men 2,750 in 2021, next to a 50.9% share of women for Canada.
| Metcalfe | Ontario | Canada | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 15 | 18% | 15% | 16% |
| 15 to 64 | 67% | 65% | 64% |
| 65+ | 15% | 19% | 19% |
| No certificate, diploma or degree | 13% | 15% | 16% |
| Postsecondary qualification | 59% | 56% | 56% |
Statistics Canada, Census 2021; Ontario and Canada: medians of towns of 2,500+
What November brings in Metcalfe: −2°C at night, 6°C by day
Hour-by-hour figures come from ECCC’s Ottawa (Richmond - Metcalfe) forecast, on the Weather page. Looking ahead to December, expect highs near −2°C and lows near −10°C. Snow is normal by November, about 21 cm over the month. Expect about 74 mm of rain and snow over November.
Normal highs, the months ahead · ECCC normals, 1991–2020
| Season | High | Low | Rain and snow |
|---|---|---|---|
| Winter | −4°C | −12°C | 192 mm |
| Spring | 11°C | 0°C | 222 mm |
| Summer | 26°C | 14°C | 264 mm |
| Autumn | 13°C | 4°C | 251 mm |
ECCC normals, 1991–2020 (Ottawa (Airport)); the forecast is on the Weather page
Each person Ottawa public library serves borrows 7.6 items, more than at 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, Metcalfe among them.
Provincial library statistics, OpenStreetMap, the CRA and Statistics Canada
From Metcalfe, Rideau River Provincial Park is the nearest provincial park (19 km)
OpenStreetMap shows 3 unnamed beaches within 5 km. Rideau Canal National Historic Site (19,972 ha) is the biggest, 9.7 km from town. 13 protected areas lie within 10 km. The nearest national park is Thousand Islands National Park, 68 km away.
Protected land · of the land within 10 km
| Outdoors | Metcalfe | Ontario | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Public protected areas within 10 km | 2 | 4 | 4 |
| Protected land within 10 km | 1.9% | 2.3% | 2.3% |
Canadian Protected and Conserved Areas Database (CPCAD), OpenStreetMap routes and beaches
Osgoode Township Historical Society and Museum and 2 more in and around Metcalfe
Sights in Metcalfe and close by, ordered by how widely each is known.
Everything we know about Metcalfe
Famous people from Metcalfe
4 notable people were born in Metcalfe.
Photo credits
Jack Brannen: William Notman & Son, Public domain · Sharron Proulx-Turner: rmajzels, CC BY 3.0
Metcalfe’s neighbours
The nearest places of 1,000 or more. Statistics Canada
| Town | People | km | Overall | Cost | Safety | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Metcalfe | 5,434 | — | A | C | A+ | A− |
| Greely | 10,359 | 9.9 | A | B− | A+ | A− |
| Edwards - Carlsbad Springs | 3,536 | 11 | B | D | B+ | A |
| Embrun | 23,655 | 14 | A− | C | A+ | C |
| Osgoode - Vernon | 6,398 | 14 | A | C | A+ | A− |
| Findlay Creek | 14,089 | 14 | A− | C | A | A |
| Manotick | 8,770 | 16 | A+ | B− | A+ | A− |
People: Statistics Canada, Census 2021. Distances: centre to centre.
Questions about Metcalfe
Do people in Metcalfe speak French?
33% of residents can hold a conversation in both English and French, against 8% for the median of Canadian towns; 0.3% speak French but not English.
About Metcalfe
Neighbourhood in Ottawa
Census areas put together by TownRatings make up Metcalfe, 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
- 5,434 (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).