Vanier SouthOttawa
Ottawa is split into 103 neighbourhoods, and this is one. This neighbourhood in Ottawa has a population of 7,259.
Is Vanier South a good place to live?
The data are hard on it. Its weakest subject is cost of living (D). Vanier South’s overall grade of C− puts it better than 18% of Canadian towns, #776 of 858 in Ontario. Work and incomes lag (D−). It does especially well on health (A+). Safety 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.
How Vanier South grades
Each subject compares Vanier South 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 →
What makes Vanier South stand out
The 3 things Vanier South does most differently from other towns.
The data
Data highlights are ordered by what stands out in Vanier South.
Vanier South scores better for health than 96% of Canadian towns
Statistics Canada puts life expectancy at 83.7, above both Ontario’s towns (82.8) and Canadian towns (81.5). At 8.6%, the share of adults who smoke sits under the 11% for Ontario. The survey puts the region’s share in very good or excellent health at 56%, ahead of the 51% for Ontario. Measured from where Vanier South’s residents live, the nearest hospital is 2.0 km away, under the typical 3.7 km.
Very good or excellent health · adults, age-standardised
| Health | Vanier South | 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 · Health survey and life expectancy: one figure for all of the City of Ottawa Health Unit
Household incomes in Vanier South are lower than in 95% of Canadian towns
A trip to work takes 26 min on average.
How working residents got to work · census 2021
| Census 2021 | Vanier South | Ontario | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average trip | 26 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.
Renting in Vanier South eats 41% of household income, more than in both Ontario’s towns and Canadian towns
The median home value was $300,000, below Ontario’s towns ($695,000) and Canadian towns ($406,000) alike. 37% of households spent 30% or more of their income on shelter, above both Ontario’s towns (22%) and Canadian towns (18%). Vanier South doesn’t get its own rent as a share of income and monthly rent for a two-bedroom figures; the ones here come from the Ottawa-Gatineau metro area.
What homes were worth · The median owner’s estimate at the 2021 census
| Census 2021 | Vanier South | Ontario | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rent as a share of income | 41% | 22% | 20% |
| Households spending 30%+ on shelter | 37% | 22% | 18% |
| Median home value, 2021 | $300,000 | $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.
Vanier South gets a D for safety
Violent crime in the area its police cover: 8 per 1,000 people a year. For violence alone, its police area’s index was 66, lower than both Ontario’s towns (76) and Canadian towns (86).
Year by year · Crime Severity Index for each year
| 2023–2025 | Vanier South | 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 · Area behind the Crime Severity Index, Violent Crime Severity Index, violent crime and property crime per 1,000 figures: the Ottawa service area
Vanier South is on Canada’s flood inventory: 1 listed, led by Rideau Valley Conservation Authority
In Health Canada’s survey, 6.2% of homes tested in Vanier South’s area exceeded 200 Bq/m³, close to the typical 6.6%. The expected yearly loss to earthquakes is $0.15 for each $1,000 of buildings, above both Ontario’s towns ($0.043) and Canadian towns ($0.030). For earthquake risk, the only official count covers all of the city of Ottawa, Vanier South included.
Radon tests above the guideline · share of tested homes, 200 Bq/m³
| Hazards | Vanier South | 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
Few places match Vanier South for protected land nearby: more than 9 in 10 Canadian towns
1.3 km out lies the largest, Rideau Canal National Historic Site, at 19,972 ha. Count 39 protected areas within 10 km of town. For a national park, Thousand Islands National Park is 96 km away. A provincial park, Plaisance National Park (Québec), lies 37 km away.
Protected land · of the land within 10 km
| Outdoors | Vanier South | Ontario | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Protected land within 10 km | 12% | 2.3% | 2.3% |
| Public protected areas within 10 km | 19 | 4 | 4 |
Canadian Protected and Conserved Areas Database (CPCAD), OpenStreetMap routes and beaches
January lows in Vanier South: −14.0°C, against −9.1°C in Ontario’s towns and −13.5°C in Canadian towns
Snowfall adds up to 185 cm a year, above both Ontario’s towns (146 cm) and Canadian towns (141 cm). Between the last spring frost, 30 April, and the first in autumn, 6 October, lie 158 days. June is the wettest month, with 95 mm of rain and snow on average. January is the snowiest month, with 45 cm on average.
Average high by season · ECCC normals, 1991–2020
| Normals, 1991–2020 | Vanier South | 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 |
Environment and Climate Change Canada, Canadian Climate Normals 1991–2020 (Ottawa (City))
12 of the 32 schools around Vanier South teach in French
On the tests, 12 of 28 schools land above the middle in Ontario, 13 under it. English and French, public and Catholic boards all run schools here. 13,065 students attend the 26 elementary schools and 6 secondary schools in or within 3 km of Vanier South.
| School | Level | Students | System |
|---|---|---|---|
| École élémentaire catholique Montfort FrenchLargest elementary schoolElementary · Grades JK–6 | Elementary · Grades JK–6 | 690 | French Catholic |
| Lisgar Collegiate Institute Second fifth in OntarioLargest secondary schoolSecondary · Grades 9–12 | Secondary · Grades 9–12 | 960 | English public |
| École élémentaire catholique Horizon-Jeunesse FrenchTeaches in FrenchElementary · Grades JK–6 | Elementary · Grades JK–6 | 465 | French Catholic |
| École secondaire publique De La Salle FrenchResults in the top fifth in OntarioSecondary · Grades 9–12 | Secondary · Grades 9–12 | 950 | French public |
Schools by system · Schools within 3 km
| Schools within 3 km | Vanier South | Ontario | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| School boards | 4 | 4 | 3 |
Provincial school lists and results, 2024-25
Fewer children live in Vanier South than in Ontario’s towns or Canadian towns: 9.9% are under 15
22% of residents are 65 or over, above Ontario’s towns (19%) and Canadian towns (19%) alike. Visible minorities make up 33% of the population, higher than both Ontario’s towns (26%) and Canadian towns (15%).
Ages · Share of residents in each age group, Census 2021
Schooling · Highest qualification, residents 15 and over
Women and men · all residents
49.8% of Vanier South’s residents are women
3,615 women and 3,645 men at the 2021 census; across Canada, women are 50.9%.
| Vanier South | Ontario | Canada | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 15 | 9.9% | 15% | 16% |
| 15 to 64 | 68% | 65% | 64% |
| 65+ | 22% | 19% | 19% |
| No certificate, diploma or degree | 18% | 15% | 16% |
| Postsecondary qualification | 54% | 56% | 56% |
Statistics Canada, Census 2021; Ontario and Canada: medians of towns of 2,500+
In Vanier South, November normally means 6°C afternoons and −2°C nights
About 16 cm of snow falls in a normal November. Then December: −2°C by day, −9°C at night. Expect about 72 mm of rain and snow over November. Over the year, July is warmest at 27°C by day and January coldest at −14°C by night.
Normal highs, the months ahead · ECCC normals, 1991–2020
| 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 |
ECCC normals, 1991–2020 (Ottawa (City)); the forecast is on the Weather page
One councillor per 47,520 residents: Ottawa is more thinly represented than 99% of Ontario municipalities
Provincially, Vanier South votes in Ottawa—Vanier; the open record doesn’t name its MPP (Member of Provincial Parliament, at Queen’s Park in Toronto) in the Legislative Assembly of Ontario, so the legislature’s own list is linked below.
| Turnout | Vanier South | Ontario | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Municipal election, 2022 | 44% | 31% | 31% |
Wikidata, MAMH, MMAH, Statistics Canada
Each person Ottawa public library serves borrows 7.6 items, more than at 91% of Ontario’s town libraries
Vanier South 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.
Provincial library statistics, OpenStreetMap, the CRA and Statistics Canada
Heritage in Vanier South
Homes from before 1961 make up 35% of the stock, higher than both Ontario’s towns (22%) and Canadian towns (18%).
| Heritage | Vanier South | Ontario | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Homes built before 1961 | 35% | 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 Vanier South
National Gallery of Canada and 54 more in and around Vanier South
Sights in Vanier South and close by, ordered by how widely each is known.
Art galleryNational Gallery of Canada2.1 km outside town, to the west · 237K visitors a year (2014)
Big drawMuseumCanadian Museum of History2.9 km outside town, to the west · 1.3M visitors a year
MuseumCanadian Museum of Nature2.3 km outside town, to the southwest
MuseumCanada Science and Technology Museum3.9 km outside town, to the southeast · 348K visitors a year
CastleRideau Hall and Landscaped Grounds1.7 km outside town, to the west
MuseumCanadian War Museum3.9 km outside town, to the southwestPhotos: 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
- Canadian Museum of Nature: RealGrouchy, Public domain, Wikimedia Commons
- Canada Science and Technology Museum: Ajadams94, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Rideau Hall and Landscaped Grounds: Peregrine981, Public domain, Wikimedia Commons
- Canadian War Museum: Balcer~commonswiki, CC BY 2.5, Wikimedia Commons
Famous people from around Vanier South
No notable person born in Vanier South is on our list; these were born in the towns around it.
Photo credits
Eric Gelinas: Lisa Gansky, CC BY-SA 2.0 · Andre Champagne: Unknown author, Public domain · Bernard Grandmaître: Legislative Assembly of Ontario, CC BY 4.0
About Vanier South
Neighbourhood in Ottawa
Census areas put together by TownRatings make up Vanier South, 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
- 7,259 (people, 2021 estimate)
- Province or territory
- Ontario
- City
- Ottawa
- Census subdivision
- 3506008
Vanier South’s neighbours
The nearest places of 1,000 or more. Statistics Canada
| Town | People | km | Overall | Cost | Safety | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Vanier South | 7,259 | — | C− | D | D | A+ |
| Vanier North | 10,498 | 0.9 | C | D− | C− | A+ |
| Overbrook | 19,953 | 1 | C | D− | C− | A+ |
| Sandy Hill | 13,830 | 1.9 | C− | D− | D | A+ |
| Manor Park | 9,491 | 1.9 | B+ | D | A | A+ |
| New Edinburgh | 5,728 | 2 | B+ | C− | C+ | A+ |
| Lowertown East | 6,996 | 2.1 | D | D− | D | A+ |
People: Statistics Canada, Census 2021. Distances: centre to centre.
Questions about Vanier South
Do people in Vanier South speak French?
Many do: 48% are bilingual in English and French (Canadian towns’ median: 8%), and 5.5% 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).