Perth SouthOntario
It lies in Perth. 4,055 people live in this town in Ontario.
Is Perth South a good place to live?
Much to like here, and you pay for it. Its strongest subject is jobs & income (A+). Buying in is costly (C−). It is hard to get around without a car (C−). The overall grade comes out at B+, #239 of 858 in Ontario. On that grade it does better than 69% of Canadian towns. Elsewhere it is close to typical: B for health 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.
How Perth South grades
Each subject compares Perth 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 Perth South stand out
The one thing Perth South does most differently from other towns.
The data
Data highlights are ordered by what stands out in Perth South.
Trips to work from Perth South are shorter than from Ontario’s towns or Canadian towns: 22 min on average
Driving is how 94% of commuters got to work at the census.
How working residents got to work · census 2021
| Census 2021 | Perth South | Ontario | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average trip | 22 min | 29 min | 26 min |
| Car or van | 94% | 88% | 89% |
Statistics Canada, Census 2021 (labour and commuting) · Census day was in May 2021, mid-pandemic, so commuting and work figures carry the lockdowns’ mark.
Perth South’s 16 schools with results spread wide in Ontario, 6 in the top two fifths and 4 in the bottom two
Elementary school is 3.9 km away at the nearest, above both Ontario’s towns (0.5 km) and Canadian towns (0.5 km). Results have climbed at 11 of 16 schools over three years. The largest is Stratford District Secondary School, with 1,420 students. None of them teaches in French, though one in ten schools in Ontario do.
| School | Level | Students | System |
|---|---|---|---|
| Stratford Intermediate SchoolLargest elementary schoolElementary · Grades 7–8 | Elementary · Grades 7–8 | 465 | English public |
| Stratford District Secondary School Fourth fifth in OntarioLargest secondary schoolSecondary · Grades 9–12 | Secondary · Grades 9–12 | 1,420 | English public |
| St Aloysius School CatholicResults in the top fifth in OntarioElementary · Grades JK–8 | Elementary · Grades JK–8 | 245 | English Catholic |
Schools by system · Schools within 3 km
| Schools within 3 km | Perth South | Ontario | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| School boards | 2 | 4 | 3 |
| Nearest elementary school | 3.9 km | 0.5 km | 0.5 km |
| Nearest secondary school | 4.6 km | 1.2 km | 1.2 km |
Provincial school lists and results, 2024-25
Housing and transport take only 18% of household income in Perth South, against 29% in the typical Canadian town
Owners put the median home at $620,000, lower than Ontario’s towns ($695,000) yet higher than Canadian towns ($406,000). Home ownership covers 78% of households.
What homes were worth · The median owner’s estimate at the 2021 census
| Census 2021 | Perth South | Ontario | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Households spending 30%+ on shelter | 14% | 22% | 18% |
| Rent as a share of income | 18% | 22% | 20% |
| Median home value, 2021 | $620,000 | $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.
Perth South gets a B+ for safety
A best guess: the nearest detachment’s figures, since none is filed under Perth South
Its police area recorded 6 violent incidents per 1,000 residents a year, below Ontario’s towns (10.5) and Canadian towns (12) alike. The force’s area logs 12.6 thefts, break-ins and acts of damage per 1,000 residents a year.
Year by year · Crime Severity Index for each year
| 2023–2025 | Perth South | Ontario | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Property crime per 1,000 | 12.6 | 30.5 | 31.2 |
| Violent crime | 6 | 10.5 | 12 |
| Crime Severity Index | 53 | 56 | 67 |
Statistics Canada, Uniform Crime Reporting Survey, 2023–2025 average · Not measured by town: Crime Severity Index, Violent Crime Severity Index, violent crime and property crime per 1,000 (the Middlesex (Strathroy) detachment area)
Only 45% of adults around Perth South call their health very good or excellent, below the typical Canadian town’s 52%
Life expectancy in the region is 81.7 years (83.7 for women, 79.7 for men, 2022/2024). Arthritis, diabetes and high blood pressure affect 15% of the region’s adults on average, lower than both Ontario’s towns (17%) and Canadian towns (17%). What sets Perth South apart within its region is a longer trip to hospital, 7.4 km for the average resident (3.7 km typical).
Very good or excellent health · adults, age-standardised
| Health | Perth South | 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 |
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 Huron Perth Health Unit
Frosty mornings in Perth South are scarcer than in 75% of Canadian towns
Gardeners get 165 frost-free days, from 3 May to 16 October. January nights in Perth South drop to −9.1°C on average. Snow peaks in January: 43 cm in a normal year. For the wettest month, look to September: 93 mm on average.
Average high by season · ECCC normals, 1991–2020
| Normals, 1991–2020 | Perth South | Ontario | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| January night low | −9.1°C | −9.1°C | −13.5°C |
| July afternoon high | 26.6°C | 26.7°C | 25.5°C |
| Days with frost a year | 139 | 139 | 159 |
| Precipitation a year | 962 mm | 902 mm | 883 mm |
Environment and Climate Change Canada, Canadian Climate Normals 1991–2020 (London)
A normal November in Perth South runs from freezing to 8°C
At the extremes, July afternoons reach 27°C and January nights −9°C. Snowfall in a normal November: 13 cm. December follows at 1°C by day and −5°C by night. Expect about 88 mm of rain and snow over November.
Normal highs, the months ahead · ECCC normals, 1991–2020
| Season | High | Low | Rain and snow |
|---|---|---|---|
| Winter | 0°C | −8°C | 221 mm |
| Spring | 12°C | 2°C | 245 mm |
| Summer | 26°C | 14°C | 233 mm |
| Autumn | 15°C | 5°C | 263 mm |
ECCC normals, 1991–2020 (London); the forecast is on the Weather page
A small constituency per seat: 580 residents in Perth South, fewer than in 81% of Ontario municipalities
For the Legislative Assembly of Ontario, Perth South votes in Perth—Wellington; open data doesn’t yet say who its MPP (Member of Provincial Parliament, at Queen’s Park in Toronto) is.
| Turnout | Perth South | Ontario | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Municipal election, 2022 | 38% | 31% | 31% |
Wikidata, MAMH, MMAH, Statistics Canada
Perth South has no public library of its own; the nearest is St. Mary's Public Library, 4.3 km away
After it comes Harrington Public Library (Thamesford), 12 km away.
Provincial library statistics, OpenStreetMap, the CRA and Statistics Canada
Perth South’s hazards at a glance: a low wildfire record and 12% of area homes over the radon guideline
Earthquake risk in Perth South is ordinary: NRCan’s model puts building losses at $0.017 a year per $1,000 of value, close to the typical town’s $0.030. Flood mapping: none on the national inventory of the town. For radon tests, the only official count covers all of the Perth District Health Unit, Perth South included.
Radon tests above the guideline · share of tested homes, 200 Bq/m³
| Hazards | Perth South | Ontario | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Radon tests above the guideline | 12% | 4% | 6.6% |
| Earthquake loss per $1,000 of buildings a year | $0.017 | $0.043 | $0.030 |
NRCan seismic risk model and burned areas, Health Canada radon survey, the Flood Hazard Map Inventory
Walk from Perth South: 4 mapped routes
0.3% of the land and water within 10 km is protected (the typical Canadian town: 2.3%). Within 100 km there is no national park. For a provincial park, Trillium Woods Provincial Park lies 29 km off.
Protected land · of the land within 10 km
| Outdoors | Perth South | Ontario | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Protected land within 10 km | 0.3% | 2.3% | 2.3% |
| Public protected areas within 10 km | 0 | 4 | 4 |
Canadian Protected and Conserved Areas Database (CPCAD), OpenStreetMap routes and beaches
Fewer of Perth South’s people belong to a visible minority than in Ontario’s towns or Canadian towns: 1.7%
17% are under 15, about level with Canadian towns (16%) and above Ontario’s towns (15%). Over-65s are nearly a fifth of the population.
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 48.5% of Perth South
Here the census found 1,945 men and 1,830 women; the figure for women across Canada is 50.9%.
| Perth South | Ontario | Canada | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 15 | 17% | 15% | 16% |
| 15 to 64 | 64% | 65% | 64% |
| 65+ | 19% | 19% | 19% |
| No certificate, diploma or degree | 15% | 15% | 16% |
| Postsecondary qualification | 53% | 56% | 56% |
Statistics Canada, Census 2021; Ontario and Canada: medians of towns of 2,500+
Perth South keeps its older homes: 53% from before 1961
| Heritage | Perth South | Ontario | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Homes built before 1961 | 53% | 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 Perth South
Stratford-Perth Museum and 3 more in and around Perth South
A first look at Perth South’s museums, historic sites and days out, and a few just outside town.
MuseumGallery Stratford3 km outside town, to the northeastMuseumMuseumSt. Marys Museum1.5 km outside town, to the southMuseumMuseumCanadian Baseball Hall of Fame1.3 km outside town, to the southPhotos: each place’s Wikidata image, from Wikimedia Commons under the licence below (our copy, resized).
Photo credits (1)
- Gallery Stratford: . The original uploader was Tarinhughes at English Wikipedia ., CC BY-SA 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
Famous people from Perth South
5 notable people were born in Perth South.
Photo credits
Arthur Meighen: Unknown author, Public domain · Mark Bell: Steve_Bernier,_Dave_Scatchard_and_Mark_Bell.jpg : Elliot from Castro Valley, California, USA derivative work: Geofth, CC BY 2.0 · Albert James Bradshaw: Unknown author, Public domain
About Perth South
Town in Ontario
For Perth South, TownRatings uses Statistics Canada’s census-subdivision boundary in Ontario, and every figure on its pages covers that whole area.
Statistics Canada: population estimates 2025 (17-10-0155), Census of Population 2021, 2021 census boundaries.
- Population
- 4,055 (people, 2025 estimate)
- Province or territory
- Ontario
- Census division
- Perth
- Census subdivision
- 3531013
Perth South’s neighbours
The nearest places of 1,000 or more. Statistics Canada
| Town | People | km | Overall | Cost | Safety | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Perth South | 4,055 | — | B+ | C− | B+ | B |
| St. Marys | 8,203 | 4.7 | A− | C− | B+ | B |
| Stratford | 36,097 | 14 | B | D | B− | B |
People: Statistics Canada, Census 2021. Distances: centre to centre.
Questions about Perth South
Who are the people of Perth South?
Visible minorities are 2% of the population, where the middle of Canadian towns is 15%. Immigrants make up 6%, and Indigenous people 2%.
What kind of homes are in Perth South?
Single-detached houses make up 97% of the homes here, where Canadian towns sit at 64%; 0% are in high-rise apartments. 17% of households are one person, and the average is 2.7.
Has Perth South grown?
No: the census counted 3,805 in 2016 and 3,776 in 2021, 0.8% fewer, against growth of 4.1% for the median of Canadian towns. The 2025 estimate is 4,055.
How old are the people of Perth South?
The median resident is 44.8 years old, against 45.2 for the median of Canadian towns. 17% are under 15 and 19% are 65 or over.
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).