Perth EastOntario

TownGrade

A⁻

#331 of 2,556

Its census division is Perth. 13,423 residents make their home in this town in Ontario.

2 places within 19 kmMap →

Photo: Jfvoll · CC BY-SA 4.0

Population

13,423

people, 2025 estimate

Median age

36.4

years · Ontario’s towns: 46.8

Postsecondary

37%

of residents 15 and over hold a postsecondary certificate, diploma or degree · Canadian towns: 56%

Walk, cycle, transit

walk, cycle or take transit to work · Canadian towns: 8%

Is Perth East a good place to live?

A well-rated place to live, with prices to match. Households here earn well (A+). Perth East’s overall grade, A−, puts it better than 83% of Canadian towns. In the ranking it comes #87 of 858 in Ontario. Safety is another plus (A). The catch is cost of living (C−). Its remaining grades are unremarkable: B− for health, B for walkability and B− for hazard risk.

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. Safety less sure: no police service names this town, so its crime figure is the nearest police detachment's, shared with a wider area. Health is graded on the health region's survey figures and life expectancy, with the distance to hospital giving the town its own spread.

StrongestA⁺Jobs & income ASafetyWeakestC⁻Cost of living

How Perth East grades

Each subject compares Perth East 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 grading works

Jobs & incomeIncomes and work are among the strongest comparedA⁺Open →SafetyNear the top of the towns comparedAOpen →Cost of livingGraded on home prices against local incomesC⁻Open →SchoolsSchools do better than mostB⁺Open →WalkabilityAhead of most towns comparedBOpen →Hazard riskAbout average among the towns comparedB⁻Open →HealthGraded on how healthy residents areB⁻Open →

How TownRatings grades Canadian towns →

What makes Perth East stand out

The 3 things Perth East does most differently from other towns.

Picked automatically from the data

Unemployment rate, Census 2021

Work

4% unemployment

Of the labour force, against 10% for the median of Canadian towns

70% of residents 15 and over were in work, May 2021.

Jobs & income

Better than 98%

of Canadian towns on jobs & income

Its jobs & income grade: A+.

Postsecondary certificate, diploma or degree

Education

37% have a postsecondary qualification

The median of Canadian towns: 56%

Statistics Canada, Census 2021

The data

Data highlights are ordered by what stands out in Perth East.

Work & commuteJobs & income A⁺

Trips to work from Perth East are shorter than from Ontario’s towns or Canadian towns: 22 min on average

8%walk, cycle or take transit

89% of commuters drove, in line with Ontario’s towns (88%) and Canadian towns (89%).

How working residents got to work · census 2021

Car or van89%

Walk8%

Bicycle1%

Public transit0%

Census 2021	Perth East	Ontario	Canada
Average trip	22 min	29 min	26 min
Car or van	89%	88%	89%

$96,000

median household income, 2020

26%

worked from home, May 2021

29%

of commuters work inside the municipality

Full pagePerth East’s work & commute pageOpen the full Work & commute page

Unemployment3.9% unemployed · Of the labour force · Canadian towns: 9.9%Getting to work8% walk, cycle or take transit Where people commute to1,035 commuters · The biggest flow out: to Stratford

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.

SafetySafety A

The force covering Perth East records less serious violence than Ontario’s towns or Canadian towns, at 39

35Crime Severity Index

These figures come from the closest detachment: none reports for Perth East itself

Where it is policed, 6.2 violent incidents per 1,000 residents are recorded each year. The index for the force that serves it came to 35, below Ontario’s towns (56) and Canadian towns (67) alike. In addition, across its police area, there are 11.2 property incidents per 1,000 residents a year. For Crime Severity Index, Violent Crime Severity Index, violent crime and property crime per 1,000, the only official count covers all of the Huron (Huron/Wingham) detachment area, Perth East included.

Year by year · Crime Severity Index for each year

202337

202435

202533

2023–2025	Perth East	Ontario	Canada
Property crime per 1,000	11.2	30.5	31.2
Violent Crime Severity Index	39	76	86
Crime Severity Index	35	56	67
Violent crime	6.2	10.5	12

non-violent Crime Severity Index

46%

of incidents cleared, 2023–25

Full pagePerth East’s safety reportOpen the full Safety report

Safety35 Crime Severity Index · The index weighs each crime Perth East’s police recorded by how serious it is.Questions“Is Perth East safe?”

Statistics Canada, Uniform Crime Reporting Survey, 2023–2025 average

HousingCost of living C⁻

In Perth East, a home and getting around cost just 21% of the median household’s income; the typical Canadian town spends 29%

$600,000median home value, 2021C⁻Cost of living Grade

Home ownership covers just over four in five households. Owners put the median home at $600,000, below Ontario’s towns ($695,000) but above Canadian towns ($406,000).

What homes were worth · The median owner’s estimate at the 2021 census

Perth East$600,000

Ontario$695,000

Canadian towns$406,000

Census 2021	Perth East	Ontario	Canada
Households spending 30%+ on shelter	14%	22%	18%
Rent as a share of income	18%	22%	20%
Households owning their home	82%	76%	74%
Median home value, 2021	$600,000	$695,000	$406,000

$1,050

monthly rent for a two-bedroom

$1,070

median monthly shelter cost for owners, 2021

Full pagePerth East’s cost of living pageOpen the full Cost of living page

Cost of living6.3 times household income · The median owner’s estimate, $600,000, against the median household income Renting$1,050 a month · The median rent at the 2021 census Owners and renters82% own their home

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.

SchoolsSchools B⁺

The schools around Perth East answer to 5 boards

23schools within 3 kmB⁺Schools Grade

The largest is Stratford District Secondary School, with 1,420 students. Results have climbed at 13 of 22 schools over three years. The nearest secondary school is 15 km away, above both Ontario’s towns (1.2 km) and Canadian towns (1.2 km). None of them teaches in French, though 10% of schools in Ontario do.

School	Level	Students	System
Forest Glen Public School Second fifth in OntarioLargest elementary schoolElementary · Grades JK–8	Elementary · Grades JK–8	540	English public
Stratford District Secondary School Fourth fifth in OntarioLargest secondary schoolSecondary · Grades 9–12	Secondary · Grades 9–12	1,420	English public
St Patricks Separate School CatholicResults in the top fifth in OntarioElementary · Grades JK–8	Elementary · Grades JK–8	120	English Catholic

See all 23 schools →

Schools by system · Schools within 3 km

English public16

English Catholic7

Schools within 3 km	Perth East	Ontario	Canada
Nearest secondary school	15 km	1.2 km	1.2 km
School boards	5	4	3
Nearest elementary school	6.6 km	0.5 km	0.5 km

8,040

students at the schools within 3 km, 2024-25

15 km

to the nearest secondary school

6.6 km

to the nearest elementary school

Full pagePerth East’s schools pageOpen the full Schools page

The boards5 school boards · Avon Maitland DSB Every school23 schools within 3 km · 21 elementary schools and 2 secondary schools Results7 of 22 in the top two fifths · of the schools with results, placed against every school in Ontario Language0 of 23 teach in French · 10% of schools in Ontario Questions“What schools are there in Perth East?”

Provincial school lists and results, 2024-25

Who lives here

Children make up 23% of Perth East, above Ontario’s towns and Canadian towns

36.4median age

Over-65s are 16% of the population. 1% of residents belong to a visible minority, below Ontario’s towns (26%) and Canadian towns (15%) alike.

Perth EastOntarioCanada

OntarioCanada

Ages · Share of residents in each age group, Census 2021

23%

Schooling · Highest qualification, residents 15 and over

No certificate, diploma or degree35%

Postsecondary qualification37%

Women and men · all residents

Women make up 49.6% of Perth East

The 2021 census counted 6,250 women and 6,345 men here, where women make up 50.9% of Canada.

Who lives in Perth East
	Perth East	Ontario	Canada
Under 15	23%	15%	16%
15 to 64	61%	65%	64%
65+	16%	19%	19%
No certificate, diploma or degree	35%	15%	16%
Postsecondary qualification	37%	56%	56%

Full pagePerth East’s Who lives here pageOpen the full Who lives here page

Ages36.4 median age · 16% are 65 or over Households4,110 households · 3 people per household Immigrants6% are immigrants · 1% belong to a visible minority English and French2% speak both · 0% speak French but not English

Statistics Canada, Census 2021; Ontario and Canada: medians of towns of 2,500+

Climate

July afternoons in Perth East reach 25.4°C (Ontario towns 26.7°C, Canadian towns 25.5°C)

25.4°CJuly afternoons

In January the thermometer sinks to −10.7°C overnight, below Ontario’s towns (−9.1°C) but above Canadian towns (−13.5°C). January is the snowiest month, with 43 cm on average. Rain and snow peak in July, at 96 mm.

Average high by season · ECCC normals, 1991–2020

Winter−1.8°C

Spring10.8°C

Summer24.4°C

Autumn13.5°C

Normals, 1991–2020	Perth East	Ontario	Canada
July afternoon high	25.4°C	26.7°C	25.5°C
January night low	−10.7°C	−9.1°C	−13.5°C
Days with frost a year	156	139	159
Precipitation a year	851 mm	902 mm	883 mm

156

days with frost a year

115

days with precipitation a year

Full pagePerth East’s climate pageOpen the full Climate page

The yearJuly highs 25.4°C, January lows −10.7°C Rain and snow851 mm a year · Canadian towns: 883 mm Snow152 cm of snow a year Weather station45 km to the station · Elora

Environment and Climate Change Canada, Canadian Climate Normals 1991–2020 (Elora)

Weather

Expect November days around 6°C in Perth East, nights around −2°C

6°Ca normal November afternoon

About 13 cm of snow falls in a normal November. Precipitation in November averages 75 mm. Across the year, normals run from −11°C nights in February to 25°C afternoons in July. For today and the week ahead, the Weather page carries ECCC’s Stratford forecast.

Normal highs, the months ahead · ECCC normals, 1991–2020

November6°C

December0°C

January−3°C

February−2°C

Season	High	Low	Rain and snow
Winter	−2°C	−9°C	167 mm
Spring	11°C	0°C	218 mm
Summer	24°C	13°C	244 mm
Autumn	14°C	4°C	221 mm

−2°C

a normal November night

75 mm

of rain and snow in a normal November

Full pagePerth East’s weather pageOpen the full Weather page

Next 24 hoursTemperature and chance of rain, hour by hour The week aheadECCC’s days ahead, beside the normals The yearWarmest July, coldest February

ECCC normals, 1991–2020 (Elora); the forecast is on the Weather page

Town hall

Perth East spends less per resident than 78% of Ontario’s lower-tier municipalities

The October 2022 vote made Rhonda Ehgoetz mayor of Perth East, heading 7 seats.

Turnout	Perth East	Ontario	Canada
Municipal election, 2022	33%	31%	31%

Full pagePerth East’s town hall & politics pageOpen the full Town hall & politics page

Member of ParliamentJohn Nater Provincial legislaturePerth—Wellington

Wikidata, MAMH, MMAH, Statistics Canada

Library & civic lifeCivic life grade C⁻

Fewer visits per person served than nine in ten Ontario’s town libraries: Perth East Public Library counts 1.5

A single building, Perth East Public Library, serves 12,595 people.

Full pagePerth East’s library & civic life pageOpen the full Library & civic life page

Places to belong1.6 charities per 1,000 residents

Provincial library statistics, OpenStreetMap, the CRA and Statistics Canada

Outdoors

Only 0.5% of the land within 10 km of Perth East is protected

0.5%of the land within 10 km protected

2 mapped walking routes pass within 2 km, among them the Avon Trail and Kissing Bridge Trail. The nearest national park is more than 100 km away. 6 protected areas lie within 10 km. One unnamed beach is mapped within 5 km.

Protected land · of the land within 10 km

Perth East0.5%

Ontario’s towns2.3%

Canadian towns2.3%

Outdoors	Perth East	Ontario	Canada
Protected land within 10 km	0.5%	2.3%	2.3%
Public protected areas within 10 km	0	4	4

29 km

to Trillium Woods Provincial Park

beach within 5 km

Full pagePerth East’s outdoors pageOpen the full Outdoors page

Protected landof the land within 10 km Protected areas6 protected areas within 10 km National & provincial parks29 km to a provincial park · Trillium Woods Provincial Park Footpaths & routes2 named routes · Avon Trail

Canadian Protected and Conserved Areas Database (CPCAD), OpenStreetMap routes and beaches

Natural hazardsHazard risk B⁻

A flood study covers Perth East: 1 on the national inventory, the newest from Grand River Conservation Authority

Lowwildfire bandB⁻Hazard risk Grade

Source area for radon tests: the Perth District Health Unit

NRCan expects $0.018 of shaking damage a year per $1,000 of buildings in Perth East, near the typical $0.030. Radon is higher than usual: just over a tenth of tested homes in the survey area topped the guideline, against 6.6% for the typical town.

Radon tests above the guideline · share of tested homes, 200 Bq/m³

Perth East12%

Ontario’s towns4%

Canadian towns6.6%

Hazards	Perth East	Ontario	Canada
Radon tests above the guideline	12%	4%	6.6%
Earthquake loss per $1,000 of buildings a year	$0.018	$0.043	$0.030

$0.018

expected earthquake loss a year per $1,000 of buildings

Low

wildfire band

flood study on the national inventory

Full pagePerth East’s flood & hazards pageOpen the full Flood & hazards page

FloodOne flood study on record WildfireLow wildfire band · No land burned within 25 km since 1986 Earthquakes$0.018 a year per $1,000 · Canadian towns: $0.030 Radon12% of tests above the guideline Be readyAlerts, FireSmart and radon tests

NRCan seismic risk model and burned areas, Health Canada radon survey, the Flood Hazard Map Inventory

HealthHealth B⁻

Only 45% of adults around Perth East call their health very good or excellent, below the typical Canadian town’s 52%

45%very good or excellent healthB⁻Health Grade

Smoking takes in 12% of adults, age-standardised, above Ontario’s towns (10%) and Canadian towns (12%) alike. Women in the region live to 83.7 and men to 79.7, 81.7 years taken together (2022/2024). Measured from where Perth East’s residents live, the nearest hospital is 15 km away, beyond the typical 3.7 km.

Very good or excellent health · adults, age-standardised

Perth East45%

Ontario’s towns51%

Canadian towns52%

Health	Perth East	Ontario	Canada
Very good or excellent health	45%	51%	52%
Chronic conditions (average share)	15%	17%	17%
Smokers	12%	10%	12%
Life expectancy at birth	81.7	82.8	81.5

81.7

years of life expectancy, 2022/2024

15 km

from homes to a hospital, on average

12%

of adults smoke, age-standardised

10 km

from homes to a pharmacy, on average

Full pagePerth East’s health pageOpen the full Health page

Health survey45% very good or excellent health · adults, age-standardised Getting care15 km to a hospital · A pharmacy 10 km away on average The wider areaLife expectancy: women 83.7, men 79.7 Conditions and habits15% with chronic conditions · adults, age-standardised

Statistics Canada, Canadian Community Health Survey 2023/2024 and life expectancy 2022/2024; Open Database of Healthcare Facilities · Not measured by town: health survey and life expectancy (the Huron Perth Health Unit)

History

Older housing stands out in Perth East: 43% predates 1961

43%built before 1961

43%

of homes built before 1961 · Canadian towns 18%

Heritage	Perth East	Ontario	Canada
Homes built before 1961	43%	22%	18%

Full pagePerth East’s history pageOpen the full History page

Older homes43% built before 1961 · Canadian towns: 18%Questions“How many historic places does Perth East have?”

Canadian Register of Historic Places, Directory of Federal Heritage Designations, Québec’s Répertoire du patrimoine culturel, Wikidata; Census 2021 homes by period

Keep exploring

Everything we know about Perth East

15pages on Perth East

The big questions

SafetyACrime Severity Index 35 Housing & costC⁻Homes 6.3 × income Property pricesSchoolsB⁺23 schools within 3 km HealthB⁻Life expectancy 81.7 in its region Work & commuteA⁺70% of adults in work Natural hazardsB⁻Wildfire band: low

Out and about

Outdoors0.5% of the land within 10 km protected AttractionsClimateJuly afternoons around 25°C WeatherECCC’s forecast, beside the normals

The story

Who lives hereMedian age 36.4 HistoryTown hallFamous people

Nearby attractions

Gallery Stratford and 5 more within 40 km

2 places to visit are mapped within 5 km of Perth East; with them, the best known within 40 km.

All attractions →

MuseumGallery Stratford1.3 km outside town, to the south

MuseumTHEMUSEUM38 km east

MuseumCastle Kilbride25 km east

MuseumJoseph Schneider Haus38 km east

MuseumWoodside38 km east MuseumMuseumStratford-Perth Museum200 m outside town, to the south

Photos: each place’s Wikidata image, from Wikimedia Commons under the licence below (our copy, resized).

Photo credits (5)

Gallery Stratford: . The original uploader was Tarinhughes at English Wikipedia ., CC BY-SA 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
THEMUSEUM: Illustratedjc, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
Castle Kilbride: Tudor Costache, CC BY 2.5, Wikimedia Commons
Joseph Schneider Haus: Yoho2001, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
Woodside: Carole Moran from Cambridge, Ontario, Canada, CC BY 2.0, Wikimedia Commons

Famous people from Perth East

7 notable people were born in Perth East.

See all 7 →

John FraserBritish Columbia politician, born 1866

Scott StecklyCanadian stock car racing driver · born 1972

James Alexander CowanCanadian writer and public relations consultant · 1901–1978

Jim NahrgangCanadian ice hockey defenceman · born 1951

Zachariah Adam HallCanadian politician · 1865–1952

Jacob KaufmanCanadian businessman · 1847–1920

Photo credits

John Fraser: Unknown author, Public domain · Scott Steckly: Veilleux79, CC BY-SA 4.0 · James Alexander Cowan: Renzoy16, CC BY-SA 4.0

About Perth East

Town in Ontario

The boundary here is Statistics Canada’s: Perth East is one census subdivision in Ontario, and TownRatings describes all of it.

Statistics Canada: population estimates 2025 (17-10-0155), Census of Population 2021, 2021 census boundaries.

Population: 13,423 (people, 2025 estimate)
Province or territory: Ontario
Census division: Perth
Census subdivision: 3531030

Perth East’s neighbours

The nearest places of 1,000 or more. Statistics Canada

StratfordWellesleyPerth East

How the neighbours grade

Town	People	km	Overall	Cost	Safety	Health
Perth East	13,423	—	A⁻	C⁻	A	B⁻
Stratford	36,097	15	B	D	B⁻	B
Wellesley	12,413	17	A	B⁻	C⁺	B⁺

People: Statistics Canada, Census 2021. Distances: centre to centre.

Questions about Perth East

What kind of homes are in Perth East?

Single-detached houses make up 88% of the homes here, where Canadian towns sit at 64%; 0% are in high-rise apartments. 18% of households are one person, and the average is 3.

Who are the people of Perth East?

Visible minorities are 1% of the population, where the middle of Canadian towns is 15%. Immigrants make up 6%, and Indigenous people 1%.

Is Perth East growing?

It grew from 12,277 people in 2016 to 12,595 in 2021, up 2.6%; the median of Canadian towns grew 4.1%. StatCan’s 2025 estimate is 13,423.

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).