Parry SoundOntario
7,584 residents make their home in this town in Ontario. Between 2016 and 2021, its population grew by 7%.
Is Parry Sound a good place to live?
The data are hard on it. Homes are dear (D). Taken together, its subjects give Parry Sound a D overall, better than 5% of Canadian towns. Its place in the ranking is #844 of 858 in Ontario. Walkability is its strong suit (A+). It lags on schools as well (D).
This town's rent is the 2021 census rent scaled to 2025 by its province's ratio of surveyed to census rents: no rental survey covers it, so its Cost Grade is less sure. 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 Parry Sound stand out
The 3 things Parry Sound does most differently from other towns.
How Parry Sound grades
Each subject compares Parry 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 Parry Sound.
Parry Sound’s grade for hazard risk: an A
In Health Canada’s survey, just 1.9% of homes tested in the area exceeded 200 Bq/m³ (6.6% typical). NRCan expects $0.016 of shaking damage a year per $1,000 of buildings in Parry Sound, near the typical $0.030. No one has filed a flood map for Parry Sound on the national inventory.
Radon tests above the guideline · share of tested homes, 200 Bq/m³
| Hazards | Parry Sound | Ontario | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Radon tests above the guideline | 1.9% | 4% | 6.6% |
| Earthquake loss per $1,000 of buildings a year | $0.016 | $0.043 | $0.030 |
NRCan seismic risk model and burned areas, Health Canada radon survey, the Flood Hazard Map Inventory
Fewer households own their home in Parry Sound than in Ontario’s towns or across Canadian towns: 60%
Rent took 26% of household income, above both Ontario’s towns (22%) and Canadian towns (20%). Shelter took 30% or more of income for 28% of households, higher than both Ontario’s towns (22%) and Canadian towns (18%).
What homes were worth · The median owner’s estimate at the 2021 census
| Census 2021 | Parry Sound | Ontario | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Households spending 30%+ on shelter | 28% | 22% | 18% |
| Rent as a share of income | 26% | 22% | 20% |
| Households owning their home | 60% | 76% | 74% |
| Median home value, 2021 | $360,000 | $695,000 | $406,000 |
Statistics Canada, Census 2021; CMHC Rental Market Survey via Statistics Canada · The 2021 census asked owners what their home was worth; those values, and 2020 incomes, are what this compares.
4 of Parry Sound’s 4 tested schools score in the lower two fifths in Ontario
French-language schooling is strong here, 2 of 8, where in Ontario it is 10%. They come under 3 school boards. In or within 3 km of Parry Sound: 6 elementary schools and 2 secondary schools, with 1,560 students.
| School | Level | Students | System |
|---|---|---|---|
| Parry Sound Public School School Fourth fifth in OntarioLargest elementary schoolElementary · Grades JK–6 | Elementary · Grades JK–6 | 435 | English public |
| Parry Sound High School Bottom fifth in OntarioLargest secondary schoolSecondary · Grades 9–12 | Secondary · Grades 9–12 | 625 | English public |
| École élémentaire publique aux Quatre-Vents FrenchTeaches in FrenchElementary · Grades JK–8 | Elementary · Grades JK–8 | – | French public |
Schools by system · Schools within 3 km
| Schools within 3 km | Parry Sound | Ontario | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| School boards | 3 | 4 | 3 |
Provincial school lists and results, 2024-25
Parry Sound’s Violent Crime Severity Index, 121, runs above Ontario’s towns and Canadian towns
Violent incidents came to 21.4 per 1,000 residents a year, above both Ontario’s towns (10.5) and Canadian towns (12). Each year brings 36.2 property incidents per 1,000 residents.
Year by year · Crime Severity Index for each year
| 2023–2025 | Parry Sound | Ontario | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Violent crime | 21.4 | 10.5 | 12 |
| Violent Crime Severity Index | 121 | 76 | 86 |
| Property crime per 1,000 | 36.2 | 30.5 | 31.2 |
Statistics Canada, Uniform Crime Reporting Survey, 2023–2025 average
More smokers around Parry Sound: 18% of adults, where the typical Canadian town has 12%
By their own account, 47% of adults here are in very good or excellent health, below Ontario’s towns (51%) and Canadian towns (52%) alike. For 2022/2024, the region’s figure is 80.0 years at birth, 82.6 for women and 77.6 for men. Closer to home, a hospital is just 1.6 km from the average resident of Parry Sound, nearer than the usual 3.7 km. For health survey and life expectancy, the only official count covers all of the North Bay Parry Sound District Health Unit, Parry Sound included.
Very good or excellent health · adults, age-standardised
| Health | Parry Sound | Ontario | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Smokers | 18% | 10% | 12% |
| Life expectancy at birth | 80.0 | 82.8 | 81.5 |
| Very good or excellent health | 47% | 51% | 52% |
| Chronic conditions (average share) | 19% | 17% | 17% |
Statistics Canada, Canadian Community Health Survey 2023/2024 and life expectancy 2022/2024; Open Database of Healthcare Facilities
Parry Sound has colder winters than Ontario’s towns or Canadian towns: January lows of −15.3°C
There are 175 days of frost in a typical year, above Ontario’s towns (139) and Canadian towns (159) alike. Expect July highs of around 25.3°C in Parry Sound. A normal October brings 111 mm of precipitation, more than any other month.
Average high by season · ECCC normals, 1991–2020
| Normals, 1991–2020 | Parry Sound | Ontario | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| January night low | −15.3°C | −9.1°C | −13.5°C |
| Days with frost a year | 175 | 139 | 159 |
| Precipitation a year | 1,062 mm | 902 mm | 883 mm |
| July afternoon high | 25.3°C | 26.7°C | 25.5°C |
Environment and Climate Change Canada, Canadian Climate Normals 1991–2020 (Muskoka)
Trips to work from Parry Sound are shorter than from Ontario’s towns or Canadian towns: 17 min on average
The car took 85% of commuters, near Ontario’s towns (88%) and lower than Canadian towns (89%).
How working residents got to work · census 2021
| Census 2021 | Parry Sound | Ontario | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average trip | 17 min | 29 min | 26 min |
| Car or van | 85% | 88% | 89% |
Statistics Canada, Census 2021 (labour and commuting) · The 2021 census was taken in May 2021, during COVID-19 restrictions: more people than usual worked from home or were off work.
More of Parry Sound’s residents have an Indigenous identity than in Ontario’s towns or Canadian towns: 10%
Visible minorities make up 5.3% of the population, below both Ontario’s towns (26%) and Canadian towns (15%). 7.5% of residents came to Canada as immigrants, 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
53.1% of Parry Sound’s residents are women
Of the 2021 count, 3,650 were women and 3,230 men (women across Canada: 50.9%).
| Parry Sound | Ontario | Canada | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 15 | 12% | 15% | 16% |
| 15 to 64 | 56% | 65% | 64% |
| 65+ | 32% | 19% | 19% |
| No certificate, diploma or degree | 22% | 15% | 16% |
| Postsecondary qualification | 47% | 56% | 56% |
Statistics Canada, Census 2021; Ontario and Canada: medians of towns of 2,500+
A normal November in Parry Sound runs from −3°C to 5°C
November normally sees 103 mm of precipitation. December follows at −1°C by day and −10°C by night. At the extremes, July afternoons reach 25°C and January nights −15°C. ECCC’s forecast for Parry Sound is on the Weather page, hour by hour.
Normal highs, the months ahead · ECCC normals, 1991–2020
| Season | High | Low | Rain and snow |
|---|---|---|---|
| Winter | −3°C | −13°C | 235 mm |
| Spring | 10°C | −2°C | 244 mm |
| Summer | 24°C | 12°C | 267 mm |
| Autumn | 13°C | 2°C | 316 mm |
ECCC normals, 1991–2020 (Muskoka); the forecast is on the Weather page
Parry Sound spends more per resident than nine in ten Ontario’s single-tier municipalities
Northern Ontario’s provincial ridings differ from the federal ones, and no open file of them exists, so Parry Sound’s riding for the Legislative Assembly of Ontario isn’t shown.
| Turnout | Parry Sound | Ontario | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Municipal election, 2022 | 42% | 31% | 31% |
Wikidata, MAMH, MMAH, Statistics Canada
More loans per person served than four in five Ontario’s town libraries: Parry Sound Public Library lends 6.4
Parry Sound Public Library serves 6,879 people from a single building.
Provincial library statistics, OpenStreetMap, the CRA and Statistics Canada
Georgian Bay Islands National Park is 25 km from Parry Sound
Within 5 km are 2 beaches; Waubuno Beach is the nearest. A provincial park, Oastler Lake Provincial Park, lies 4.2 km away. The protected share within 10 km is 7.1%, where a typical Canadian town has 2.3%.
Protected land · of the land within 10 km
| Outdoors | Parry Sound | Ontario | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Protected land within 10 km | 7.1% | 2.3% | 2.3% |
| Public protected areas within 10 km | 6 | 4 | 4 |
Canadian Protected and Conserved Areas Database (CPCAD), OpenStreetMap routes and beaches
In Parry Sound, 41% of homes go back before 1961
On the list: a heritage railway station and a Recognized Federal Heritage Building. Of the dated places, Lighttower; Byng Inlet Front Range is the oldest, from 1890. Canada’s heritage registers list 2 historic places inside the town.
Historic places by designation · inside the town
| Heritage | Parry Sound | Ontario | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Homes built before 1961 | 41% | 22% | 18% |
Canadian Register of Historic Places, Directory of Federal Heritage Designations, Québec’s Répertoire du patrimoine culturel, Wikidata; Census 2021 homes by period
Charles W. Stockey Centre for the Performing Arts and 2 more in and around Parry Sound
The best-known places to visit in and around Parry Sound come first; the full list is on the Attractions page.
Everything we know about Parry Sound
Famous people from Parry Sound
23 notable people were born in Parry Sound.
Photo credits
Bobby Orr: Aaron Frutman, CC BY 2.0 · Francis Pegahmagabow: Canadian government, Public domain · Mark Ideson: LGOntario from Ontario, Canada, CC BY-SA 2.0 · Gerald Carson: Unknown author, Public domain · Allan Loney: Unknown author, Public domain
Parry Sound’s neighbours
The nearest places of 1,000 or more. Statistics Canada
| Town | People | km | Overall | Cost | Safety | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Parry Sound | 7,584 | — | D | D | C | C |
| The Archipelago | 1,057 | 5.8 | — | — | C− | C− |
| McDougall | 3,002 | 12 | D− | D | C− | C− |
| McKellar | 1,534 | 16 | — | — | A | D |
| Carling | 1,609 | 17 | — | — | — | D |
| Seguin | 5,761 | 18 | D− | D | C− | D |
People: Statistics Canada, Census 2021. Distances: centre to centre.
Questions about Parry Sound
Who are the people of Parry Sound?
At the 2021 census, 8% were immigrants and 5% belonged to a visible minority (Canadian towns’ median: 15%). 10% identify as First Nations, Métis or Inuit.
How old are the people of Parry Sound?
The median resident is 53.2 years old, against 45.2 for the median of Canadian towns. 12% are under 15 and 32% are 65 or over.
What kind of homes are in Parry Sound?
54% of homes are single-detached houses, against 64% for the median of Canadian towns, and 6% are in apartment buildings of five storeys or more. A household averages 2 people; 40% are one person living alone.
Has Parry Sound grown?
Yes: the census counted 6,408 in 2016 and 6,879 in 2021, a rise of 7.4%, against 4.1% for the median of Canadian towns. The 2025 estimate is 7,584.
About Parry Sound
Town in Ontario
TownRatings counts Parry Sound as Statistics Canada does, as one municipality in Ontario; the census, crime and housing figures all follow that boundary.
Statistics Canada: population estimates 2025 (17-10-0155), Census of Population 2021, 2021 census boundaries.
- Population
- 7,584 (people, 2025 estimate)
- Province or territory
- Ontario
- Census subdivision
- 3549032
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).