VarsOttawa
A neighbourhood of 2,767 in Ottawa. Ottawa is split into 103 neighbourhoods, and this is one.
Is Vars a good place to live?
The everyday basics are strong; the price of a home is the catch. It is a safe place by the numbers (A+). Schools are a strength too (A+). Buying in is costly (C). All told, that adds up to an A overall, better than 91% of Canadian towns. In the ranking it comes #45 of 858 in Ontario.
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 Vars stand out
The 3 things Vars does most differently from other towns.
How Vars grades
Each subject compares Vars 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 Vars.
Vars earns an A+ for safety
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. For violence alone, its police area’s index was 66, lower than both Ontario’s towns (76) and Canadian towns (86). Figures for Crime Severity Index, Violent Crime Severity Index, violent crime and property crime per 1,000 are published for the Ottawa service area as a whole, not for Vars alone.
Year by year · Crime Severity Index for each year
| 2023–2025 | Vars | 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
No high school in or near Vars: the closest is 11 km off
Of 3 schools, 2 teach in French; in Ontario, 10% do.
| School | Level | Students | System |
|---|---|---|---|
| École élémentaire catholique Saint-Viateur FrenchLargest elementary schoolElementary · Grades JK–6 | Elementary · Grades JK–6 | 390 | French Catholic |
| École élémentaire catholique Saint-Guillaume FrenchTeaches in FrenchElementary · Grades JK–8 | Elementary · Grades JK–8 | 205 | French Catholic |
Schools by system · Schools within 3 km
| Schools within 3 km | Vars | Ontario | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nearest secondary school | 11 km | 1.2 km | 1.2 km |
| School boards | 3 | 4 | 3 |
Provincial school lists and results, 2024-25
Households in Vars earn more than those in 98% of Canadian towns
Commutes averaged 30 min, near Ontario’s towns (29 min) and higher than Canadian towns (26 min). By car: that was how 92% of commuters travelled at the census.
How working residents got to work · census 2021
| Census 2021 | Vars | Ontario | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average trip | 30 min | 29 min | 26 min |
| Car or van | 92% | 88% | 89% |
Statistics Canada, Census 2021 (labour and commuting) · These are May 2021 figures, gathered while COVID-19 kept many people home or out of work.
Life expectancy around Vars is 83.7 years, 2.2 more than for the typical Canadian town
Measured across the City of Ottawa Health Unit: health survey and life expectancy
The survey counts 8.6% of adults as smokers, below Ontario’s towns (10%) and Canadian towns (12%) alike. Across the region, 56% of adults say their health is very good or excellent; Ontario as a whole manages 51%. What sets Vars apart within its region is a longer trip to hospital, 23 km for the average resident (3.7 km typical).
Very good or excellent health · adults, age-standardised
| Health | Vars | 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
Vars is a town of owners: 93% of households own their home, above Ontario’s towns and Canadian towns
Rent as a share of income and monthly rent for a two-bedroom for the Ottawa-Gatineau metro area
A year’s rent came to 18% of the median household income, below both Ontario’s towns (22%) and Canadian towns (20%). Just over one in ten households spent 30% or more of their income on shelter, below both Ontario’s towns (22%) and Canadian towns (18%).
What homes were worth · The median owner’s estimate at the 2021 census
| Census 2021 | Vars | Ontario | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Households spending 30%+ on shelter | 12% | 22% | 18% |
| Households owning their home | 93% | 76% | 74% |
| Rent as a share of income | 18% | 22% | 20% |
| Median home value, 2021 | $600,000 | $695,000 | $406,000 |
Statistics Canada, Census 2021; CMHC Rental Market Survey via Statistics Canada · These are 2021 census values, as owners judged them, set against household income in 2020.
Vars is on Canada’s flood inventory: 1 listed, led by South Nation Conservation
Source area for earthquake risk: the city of Ottawa
About as many homes carry radon around Vars as elsewhere, 6.2% over the guideline where the typical town has 6.6%. Earthquakes are expected to cost $0.15 a year for every $1,000 of buildings, higher than both Ontario’s towns ($0.043) and Canadian towns ($0.030).
Radon tests above the guideline · share of tested homes, 200 Bq/m³
| Hazards | Vars | 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 Vars: January lows of −14.3°C, colder than Ontario’s towns or Canadian towns
For the wettest month, look to June: 97 mm on average. Gardeners get 160 frost-free days, from 29 April to 7 October. Also worth knowing: some 232 cm of snow falls in a typical year, above Ontario’s towns (146 cm) and Canadian towns (141 cm) alike. Summer highs in Vars reach 27.0°C in July.
Average high by season · ECCC normals, 1991–2020
| Normals, 1991–2020 | Vars | 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))
Visible minorities make up less of Vars than of Ontario’s towns or Canadian towns: 2%
Over-65s are 15% of the population. 6.3% of residents have an Indigenous identity, higher than both Ontario’s towns (1.6%) and Canadian towns (2.8%). One measure of family life: 16% of residents are under 15.
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 47.5% of Vars
The 2021 census counted 1,310 women and 1,445 men here, where women make up 50.9% of Canada.
| Vars | Ontario | Canada | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 15 | 16% | 15% | 16% |
| 15 to 64 | 68% | 65% | 64% |
| 65+ | 15% | 19% | 19% |
| No certificate, diploma or degree | 17% | 15% | 16% |
| Postsecondary qualification | 54% | 56% | 56% |
Statistics Canada, Census 2021; Ontario and Canada: medians of towns of 2,500+
A normal November in Vars runs from −2°C to 6°C
In November, the normal is 74 mm of rain and snow. December follows at −2°C by day and −10°C by night. Snowfall in a normal November: 21 cm. ECCC’s forecast for Ottawa (Richmond - Metcalfe) is on the Weather page, hour by hour.
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, Vars among them.
Provincial library statistics, OpenStreetMap, the CRA and Statistics Canada
From Vars, Plaisance National Park (Québec) is the nearest provincial park (19 km)
A drive of 89 km reaches Thousand Islands National Park, the nearest national park. 10 protected areas lie within 10 km. Of the country within 10 km, 3.8% lies in protected areas; the median Canadian town has 2.3%. There is a beach within 5 km, unnamed on the map.
Protected land · of the land within 10 km
| Outdoors | Vars | Ontario | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Protected land within 10 km | 3.8% | 2.3% | 2.3% |
| Public protected areas within 10 km | 0 | 4 | 4 |
Canadian Protected and Conserved Areas Database (CPCAD), OpenStreetMap routes and beaches
Little Ray's Nature Centre and 12 more within 40 km
One place to visit is mapped within 5 km of Vars; with it, the best known within 40 km.
Art galleryNational Gallery of Canada29 km west · 237K visitors a year (2014)
MuseumCarleton University28 km west
Big drawMuseumCanadian Museum of History30 km west · 1.3M visitors a year
MuseumCanada Science and Technology Museum22 km west · 348K visitors a year
MuseumCanadian Museum of Nature28 km westPhotos: each place’s Wikidata image, from Wikimedia Commons under the licence below (our copy, resized).
Photo credits (5)
- National Gallery of Canada: Wladyslaw [Disk.], CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Carleton University: Harleyd613, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Canadian Museum of History: Wojciech Dittwald, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Canada Science and Technology Museum: Ajadams94, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Canadian Museum of Nature: RealGrouchy, Public domain, Wikimedia Commons
Everything we know about Vars
Famous people from around Vars
No notable person born in Vars is on our list; these were born in the towns around it.
Photo credits
Érik Bédard: Keith Allison on Flickr, CC BY-SA 2.0 · Harold Hume: University of Florida Digital Collections, Public domain · Véronic DiCaire: Anirudh Koul, CC BY 2.0 · Norman Frank Wilson: Unknown author , Published by Montreal Perrault Print. Co, Public domain
Vars’ neighbours
The nearest places of 1,000 or more. Statistics Canada
| Town | People | km | Overall | Cost | Safety | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Vars | 2,767 | — | A | C | A+ | A− |
| Navan - Sarsfield | 2,853 | 8.5 | A− | C | B+ | A− |
| Embrun | 23,655 | 11 | A− | C | A+ | C |
| Edwards - Carlsbad Springs | 3,536 | 11 | B | D | B+ | A |
| Portobello South | 29,960 | 14 | A | C | A | A |
| Cardinal Creek | 11,676 | 16 | A+ | C+ | A+ | A |
| Chapel Hill South | 14,278 | 16 | A+ | C+ | A | A |
People: Statistics Canada, Census 2021. Distances: centre to centre.
Questions about Vars
Do people in Vars speak French?
English and French are both spoken by 60% of residents, where the median of Canadian towns is 8%. French alone: 3.3%.
Is Vars a young town or an old one?
Its median age is 45.5, where Canadian towns sit at 45.2.
About Vars
Neighbourhood in Ottawa
The edges of Vars follow census dissemination areas, which TownRatings groups into Ottawa’s neighbourhoods; the name comes from the city’s map or OpenStreetMap.
Statistics Canada: population estimates 2025 (17-10-0155), Census of Population 2021, 2021 census boundaries.
- Population
- 2,767 (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).