Owen SoundOntario
This town in Ontario has a population of 24,075. Its census division is Grey.
Is Owen Sound a good place to live?
The data are hard on it. Homes are dear (D). Crime runs high (C−). Its best grade is for walkability (A). All told, that adds up to a D overall, better than a tenth of Canadian towns. It ranks #830 of 858 in Ontario.
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 Owen Sound stand out
The 3 things Owen Sound does most differently from other towns.
How Owen Sound grades
Each subject compares Owen Sound 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 Owen Sound.
Renting in Owen Sound eats 26% of household income, more than in both Ontario’s towns and Canadian towns
Measured across the Owen Sound metro area: rent as a share of income and monthly rent for a two-bedroom
Shelter took 30% or more of income for 24% of households, higher than both Ontario’s towns (22%) and Canadian towns (18%). The median home value was $400,000, below Ontario’s towns ($695,000) and close to Canadian towns ($406,000).
What homes were worth · The median owner’s estimate at the 2021 census
| Census 2021 | Owen Sound | Ontario | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rent as a share of income | 26% | 22% | 20% |
| Households spending 30%+ on shelter | 24% | 22% | 18% |
| Median home value, 2021 | $400,000 | $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.
Violent crime weighs more on Owen Sound than on Ontario’s towns or Canadian towns: a violent severity index of 155
Property crime ran at 49.9 incidents per 1,000 residents a year, higher than both Ontario’s towns (30.5) and Canadian towns (31.2). Violence accounts for 27.7 recorded crimes per 1,000 residents a year.
Year by year · Crime Severity Index for each year
| 2023–2025 | Owen Sound | Ontario | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Violent crime | 27.7 | 10.5 | 12 |
| Violent Crime Severity Index | 155 | 76 | 86 |
| Property crime per 1,000 | 49.9 | 30.5 | 31.2 |
Statistics Canada, Uniform Crime Reporting Survey, 2023–2025 average
Wildfire low, radon 11%: how Owen Sound stands on hazards
Shaking is less of a worry than in most places, at $0.007 a year per $1,000 of building value ($0.030 typical). No flood study for Owen Sound is on the national inventory.
Radon tests above the guideline · share of tested homes, 200 Bq/m³
| Hazards | Owen Sound | Ontario | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Radon tests above the guideline | 11% | 4% | 6.6% |
| Earthquake loss per $1,000 of buildings a year | $0.007 | $0.043 | $0.030 |
NRCan seismic risk model and burned areas, Health Canada radon survey, the Flood Hazard Map Inventory
Commuters in Owen Sound have a short way to work, 19 min on average, less than in both Ontario’s towns and Canadian towns
88% of commuters drove, near both Ontario’s towns (88%) and Canadian towns (89%).
How working residents got to work · census 2021
| Census 2021 | Owen Sound | Ontario | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average trip | 19 min | 29 min | 26 min |
| Car or van | 88% | 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.
Summers stay cool in Owen Sound: July afternoons reach 24.3°C, below Ontario’s towns and Canadian towns
A normal January night drops to −9.9°C, below Ontario’s towns (−9.1°C) but above Canadian towns (−13.5°C). January is the snowiest month, with 111 cm on average. Frost usually lifts by 12 May and returns around 10 October: 151 days without it.
Average high by season · ECCC normals, 1991–2020
| Normals, 1991–2020 | Owen Sound | Ontario | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Snowfall a year | 385 cm | 146 cm | 141 cm |
| July afternoon high | 24.3°C | 26.7°C | 25.5°C |
| Precipitation a year | 1,074 mm | 902 mm | 883 mm |
| January night low | −9.9°C | −9.1°C | −13.5°C |
Environment and Climate Change Canada, Canadian Climate Normals 1991–2020 (Wiarton)
Most schools around Owen Sound score below the middle in Ontario: 6 of 8
Taken together, Owen Sound and its 3 km edge hold 7 elementary schools and 3 secondary schools for 5,435 students. Results have climbed at 4 of 8 schools over three years. 5 of the 10 are Catholic, more than the 34% in Ontario. Also worth knowing: the largest is Owen Sound District Secondary School Secondary School, with 1,285 students.
| School | Level | Students | System |
|---|---|---|---|
| East Ridge Community School Fourth fifth in OntarioLargest elementary schoolElementary · Grades JK–8 | Elementary · Grades JK–8 | 805 | English public |
| Owen Sound District Secondary School Secondary School Fourth fifth in OntarioLargest secondary schoolSecondary · Grades 9–12 | Secondary · Grades 9–12 | 1,285 | English public |
| École élémentaire catholique St-Dominique-Savio FrenchTeaches in FrenchElementary · Grades JK–8 | Elementary · Grades JK–8 | 175 | French Catholic |
Schools by system · Schools within 3 km
| Schools within 3 km | Owen Sound | Ontario | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| School boards | 3 | 4 | 3 |
Provincial school lists and results, 2024-25
Expect November days around 7°C in Owen Sound, nights around −1°C
Precipitation in November averages 110 mm. Looking ahead to December, expect highs near 1°C and lows near −5°C. About 48 cm of snow falls in a normal November. Hour-by-hour figures come from ECCC’s Owen Sound forecast, on the Weather page.
Normal highs, the months ahead · ECCC normals, 1991–2020
| Season | High | Low | Rain and snow |
|---|---|---|---|
| Winter | −1°C | −8°C | 292 mm |
| Spring | 10°C | 0°C | 232 mm |
| Summer | 23°C | 12°C | 232 mm |
| Autumn | 13°C | 5°C | 319 mm |
ECCC normals, 1991–2020 (Wiarton); the forecast is on the Weather page
Owen Sound spends more per resident than 89% of Ontario’s lower-tier municipalities do
In the Legislative Assembly of Ontario, Owen Sound belongs to Bruce—Grey—Owen Sound; who holds it as MPP (Member of Provincial Parliament, at Queen’s Park in Toronto) isn’t on an open record, so no one is named.
| Turnout | Owen Sound | Ontario | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Municipal election, 2022 | 39% | 31% | 31% |
Wikidata, MAMH, MMAH, Statistics Canada
Owen Sound’s public library is Owen Sound & North Grey Union Public Library
The library is 0.8 km from the centre of Owen Sound.
Provincial library statistics, OpenStreetMap, the CRA and Statistics Canada
17% of adults smoke in the health region around Owen Sound, against 12% for the typical Canadian town
A child born in the region can expect 81.3 years, below Ontario’s towns (82.8) and close to Canadian towns (81.5). Adults here are less upbeat about their health than the province: 48% very good or excellent, against 51% in Ontario. The town’s own part is the trip to care, and Owen Sound is well placed: 2.5 km to a hospital on average, against 3.7 km typical.
Very good or excellent health · adults, age-standardised
| Health | Owen Sound | Ontario | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Smokers | 17% | 10% | 12% |
| Very good or excellent health | 48% | 51% | 52% |
| Life expectancy at birth | 81.3 | 82.8 | 81.5 |
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 Grey Bruce Health Unit
Fewer of Owen Sound’s people belong to a visible minority than in Ontario’s towns or Canadian towns: 5.8%
4.2% of residents have an Indigenous identity, above both Ontario’s towns (1.6%) and Canadian towns (2.8%). Immigrants make up 7.8% of residents, close to Ontario’s towns (7.6%) and above Canadian towns (6.4%).
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 53.3% of Owen Sound
In 2021 there were 11,515 women to 10,090 men; Canada as a whole is 50.9% women.
| Owen Sound | Ontario | Canada | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 15 | 14% | 15% | 16% |
| 15 to 64 | 59% | 65% | 64% |
| 65+ | 27% | 19% | 19% |
| No certificate, diploma or degree | 21% | 15% | 16% |
| Postsecondary qualification | 48% | 56% | 56% |
Statistics Canada, Census 2021; Ontario and Canada: medians of towns of 2,500+
12 beaches lie within 5 km of Owen Sound
For a provincial park, Bayview Escarpment Provincial Park lies 13 km off. 2 mapped walking routes pass within 2 km, among them the Bruce Trail - Sydenham section and Bruce Trail - Sydenham section side trails. 1.3% of the land and water within 10 km is protected (the typical Canadian town: 2.3%). 33 protected areas lie within 10 km.
Protected land · of the land within 10 km
| Outdoors | Owen Sound | Ontario | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Public protected areas within 10 km | 10 | 4 | 4 |
| Protected land within 10 km | 1.3% | 2.3% | 2.3% |
Canadian Protected and Conserved Areas Database (CPCAD), OpenStreetMap routes and beaches
44% of Owen Sound’s homes were built before 1961
Canada’s heritage registers list 2 historic places inside the town, one with the highest designation. The oldest dated place, Billy Bishop Boyhood Home, goes back to 1884. Counted by designation, there are a heritage railway station.
Historic places by designation · inside the town
Among them
| Heritage | Owen Sound | Ontario | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Homes built before 1961 | 44% | 22% | 18% |
Canadian Register of Historic Places, Directory of Federal Heritage Designations, Québec’s Répertoire du patrimoine culturel, Wikidata; Census 2021 homes by period
Community Waterfront Heritage Centre and 4 more in and around Owen Sound
A first look at Owen Sound’s museums, historic sites and days out, and a few just outside town.
MuseumCommunity Waterfront Heritage Centrein town
MuseumBilly Bishop Boyhood Homein town
WaterfallInglis Falls1.7 km outside town, to the southMuseumMuseumOwen Sound Marine and Rail Museumin townMuseumMuseumGrey Roots Museum and Archives2.1 km outside town, to the southPhotos: each place’s Wikidata image, from Wikimedia Commons under the licence below (our copy, resized).
Photo credits (3)
- Community Waterfront Heritage Centre: JasonParis from Toronto, Canada, CC BY 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Billy Bishop Boyhood Home: Rjsbird287, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Inglis Falls: Sydtron, CC BY 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
Everything we know about Owen Sound
Famous people from Owen Sound
58 notable people were born in Owen Sound.
Photo credits
Billy Bishop: William Rider-Rider, Public domain · Larisa Yurkiw: Christian Jansky, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Dean Armstrong: Dean Armstrong, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Curtis Sanford: Mister Leung, CC BY-SA 2.0 · Hap Day: Unknown, Public domain · Elizabeth Hay: Giulia Forsythe from Canada, CC BY-SA 2.0
Owen Sound’s neighbours
The nearest places of 1,000 or more. Statistics Canada
| Town | People | km | Overall | Cost | Safety | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Owen Sound | 24,075 | — | D | D | C− | B− |
| Georgian Bluffs | 12,061 | 6.9 | B− | C | A+ | C+ |
People: Statistics Canada, Census 2021. Distances: centre to centre.
Questions about Owen Sound
Is Owen Sound a young town or an old one?
Half its people are older than 48 (the middle of Canadian towns: 45.2); children under 15 make up 14%, people 65 and over 27%.
Who are the people of Owen Sound?
At the 2021 census, 8% were immigrants and 6% belonged to a visible minority (Canadian towns’ median: 15%). 4% identify as First Nations, Métis or Inuit.
What kind of homes are in Owen Sound?
Single-detached houses make up 51% of the homes here, where Canadian towns sit at 64%; 7% are in high-rise apartments. 38% of households are one person, and the average is 2.1.
Has Owen Sound grown?
It grew from 21,341 people in 2016 to 21,612 in 2021, up 1.3%; the median of Canadian towns grew 4.1%. StatCan’s 2025 estimate is 24,075.
About Owen Sound
Town in Ontario
Every figure TownRatings gives for Owen Sound covers the municipality as Statistics Canada maps it, one census subdivision in Ontario.
Statistics Canada: population estimates 2025 (17-10-0155), Census of Population 2021, 2021 census boundaries.
- Population
- 24,075 (people, 2025 estimate)
- Province or territory
- Ontario
- Census division
- Grey
- Census subdivision
- 3542059
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).