PetawawaOntario
A town in Ontario, home to 19,606 people. It is part of Renfrew, a census division.
Is Petawawa a good place to live?
Homes are affordable here, though not without reasons. Where it does best is safety (A+). Petawawa grades A overall, better than 88% of Canadian towns. That places it #58 of 858 in Ontario. Health lags (C). A median home here was worth $348,000 at the census, or 3.4 times what the middle household earns in a year. Hazard risk is higher than most (C+).
Figures: home values and income: Statistics Canada, Census 2021.
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 Petawawa grades
Each subject compares Petawawa 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 Petawawa stand out
The 3 things Petawawa does most differently from other towns.
The data
Data highlights are ordered by what stands out in Petawawa.
Violent crime weighs less on Petawawa than on Ontario’s towns or Canadian towns: a violent severity index of 43
Each year brings 11.4 property incidents per 1,000 residents. Police recorded 9.6 violent incidents per 1,000 residents a year, below Ontario’s towns (10.5) and Canadian towns (12) alike.
Year by year · Crime Severity Index for each year
| 2023–2025 | Petawawa | Ontario | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Property crime per 1,000 | 11.4 | 30.5 | 31.2 |
| Violent Crime Severity Index | 43 | 76 | 86 |
Statistics Canada, Uniform Crime Reporting Survey, 2023–2025 average
Commuters in Petawawa have a short way to work, 17 min on average, less than in Ontario’s towns and Canadian towns
How working residents got to work · census 2021
| Census 2021 | Petawawa | Ontario | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average trip | 17 min | 29 min | 26 min |
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.
Smoking runs high around Petawawa: 16% of adults, the typical Canadian town 12%
Measured from where people live, the nearest hospital is 15 km away, higher than both Ontario’s towns (3.3 km) and Canadian towns (3.7 km). Women in the region live to 83.0 and men to 78.7, 81.0 years taken together (2022/2024). On self-rated health the region tracks the province: 50% very good or excellent, 51% for Ontario. Petawawa shares its health survey and life expectancy numbers with the rest of the Renfrew County and District Health Unit.
Very good or excellent health · adults, age-standardised
| Health | Petawawa | Ontario | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Smokers | 16% | 10% | 12% |
| Chronic conditions (average share) | 19% | 17% | 17% |
| Life expectancy at birth | 81.0 | 82.8 | 81.5 |
| Very good or excellent health | 50% | 51% | 52% |
Statistics Canada, Canadian Community Health Survey 2023/2024 and life expectancy 2022/2024; Open Database of Healthcare Facilities
More of Petawawa’s residents have an Indigenous identity than in Ontario’s towns or Canadian towns: 7.2%
21% speak both English and French, above both Ontario’s towns (6.7%) and Canadian towns (7.5%). Visible minorities make up 6.2% of the population, lower than both Ontario’s towns (26%) and Canadian towns (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 46.2% of Petawawa
By the 2021 count the town had 8,385 women and 9,780 men, while Canada has 50.9% women.
| Petawawa | Ontario | Canada | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 15 | 22% | 15% | 16% |
| 15 to 64 | 69% | 65% | 64% |
| 65+ | 9.4% | 19% | 19% |
| No certificate, diploma or degree | 12% | 15% | 16% |
| Postsecondary qualification | 52% | 56% | 56% |
Statistics Canada, Census 2021; Ontario and Canada: medians of towns of 2,500+
Renting in Petawawa costs 14% of household income, less than in Ontario’s towns or Canadian towns
Source area for rent as a share of income and monthly rent for a two-bedroom: the Petawawa metro area
9% of households spent 30% or more of their income on shelter, lower than both Ontario’s towns (22%) and Canadian towns (18%). The owner-occupied share of households is 64%.
What homes were worth · The median owner’s estimate at the 2021 census
| Census 2021 | Petawawa | Ontario | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Households spending 30%+ on shelter | 9% | 22% | 18% |
| Rent as a share of income | 14% | 22% | 20% |
| Households owning their home | 64% | 76% | 74% |
| Median home value, 2021 | $348,000 | $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.
Petawawa has 3 French-language schools among its 9
Of its 8 tested schools, 3 sit in the top two fifths in Ontario and 4 in the bottom two. Counting a 3 km margin, Petawawa has 7 elementary schools and 2 secondary schools, for 3,255 students.
| School | Level | Students | System |
|---|---|---|---|
| Valour JK to 12 School - Elementary School Bottom fifth in OntarioLargest elementary schoolElementary · Grades JK–8 | Elementary · Grades JK–8 | 770 | English public |
| Valour JK to 12 School - Secondary School Fourth fifth in OntarioLargest secondary schoolSecondary · Grades 9–12 | Secondary · Grades 9–12 | 490 | English public |
| École élémentaire catholique Jeanne-Lajoie FrenchTeaches in FrenchElementary · Grades JK–6 | Elementary · Grades JK–6 | 530 | French Catholic |
| École secondaire catholique Jeanne-Lajoie FrenchResults in the top fifth in OntarioSecondary · Grades 9–12 | Secondary · Grades 9–12 | 220 | French Catholic |
Schools by system · Schools within 3 km
| Schools within 3 km | Petawawa | Ontario | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| School boards | 3 | 4 | 3 |
Provincial school lists and results, 2024-25
Winter nights bite in Petawawa: January lows of −17.9°C, colder than Ontario’s towns or Canadian towns
The warmest stretch brings July afternoons of 26.3°C, near Ontario’s towns (26.7°C) and higher than Canadian towns (25.5°C). A normal January brings 49 cm of snow, the most of any month. June is the wettest month, with 96 mm of rain and snow on average.
Average high by season · ECCC normals, 1991–2020
| Normals, 1991–2020 | Petawawa | Ontario | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| January night low | −17.9°C | −9.1°C | −13.5°C |
| Snowfall a year | 199 cm | 146 cm | 141 cm |
| July afternoon high | 26.3°C | 26.7°C | 25.5°C |
Environment and Climate Change Canada, Canadian Climate Normals 1991–2020 (Petawawa)
Flood mapping exists for Petawawa: 1 on record, latest by MRC de Pontiac
Earthquakes are expected to cost $0.11 a year for every $1,000 of buildings, above both Ontario’s towns ($0.043) and Canadian towns ($0.030). Petawawa’s survey area, 8% over the radon guideline, is close to the typical town’s 6.6%. Wildfire is a moderate presence around Petawawa: 1.7% of the land within 25 km has burned since 1986, 0.06% a year, short of the band that counts against Risk.
Radon tests above the guideline · share of tested homes, 200 Bq/m³
| Hazards | Petawawa | Ontario | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Earthquake loss per $1,000 of buildings a year | $0.11 | $0.043 | $0.030 |
| Radon tests above the guideline | 8% | 4% | 6.6% |
NRCan seismic risk model and burned areas, Health Canada radon survey, the Flood Hazard Map Inventory
Expect November days around 5°C in Petawawa, nights around −4°C
By December, a normal day reaches −2°C and a night falls to −12°C. Expect about 77 mm of rain and snow over November. Snow is normal by November, about 25 cm over the month. For today and the week ahead, the Weather page carries ECCC’s Petawawa forecast.
Normal highs, the months ahead · ECCC normals, 1991–2020
| Season | High | Low | Rain and snow |
|---|---|---|---|
| Winter | −4°C | −15°C | 191 mm |
| Spring | 11°C | −3°C | 222 mm |
| Summer | 25°C | 11°C | 276 mm |
| Autumn | 13°C | 2°C | 244 mm |
ECCC normals, 1991–2020 (Petawawa); the forecast is on the Weather page
Only 27% of Petawawa voters cast a ballot in 2022, fewer than in 80% of Ontario municipalities
Petawawa’s council of 7 was elected in October 2022, with Gary Serviss as mayor.
| Turnout | Petawawa | Ontario | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Municipal election, 2022 | 27% | 31% | 31% |
Wikidata, MAMH, MMAH, Statistics Canada
Petawawa Public Library is Petawawa’s public library
Petawawa Public Library serves 18,160 people from a single building.
Provincial library statistics, OpenStreetMap, the CRA and Statistics Canada
Petawawa borders Petawawa Terrace Provincial Park
For a swim, Black Bear Beach is the nearest of 15 beaches within 5 km. Land set aside Rivière-Dumoine (33,215 ha) is the biggest, 4.4 km from town. The 10 km around town hold 9 protected areas. National parks are all over 100 km off.
Protected land · of the land within 10 km
| Outdoors | Petawawa | Ontario | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Public protected areas within 10 km | 8 | 4 | 4 |
| Protected land within 10 km | 1.9% | 2.3% | 2.3% |
Canadian Protected and Conserved Areas Database (CPCAD), OpenStreetMap routes and beaches
Canada’s registers list 1 historic place in Petawawa
Within 5 km of the town lies one more that belongs to it. 17% of its homes were built before 1961, below Ontario’s towns (22%) and close to Canadian towns (18%).
Historic places by designation · inside the town
Among them
- Building F-16 1953
| Heritage | Petawawa | Ontario | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Homes built before 1961 | 17% | 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 Petawawa
CFB Petawawa Military Museum & Canadian Airborne Forces Museum and 4 more in and around Petawawa
From museums to parks and historic sites: Petawawa’s places to visit and those just beyond its edge, most famous first.
FortFort William600 m outside town, to the northPhotos: each place’s Wikidata image, from Wikimedia Commons under the licence below (our copy, resized).
Photo credits (1)
- Fort William: P199, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
Famous people from Petawawa
3 notable people were born in Petawawa.
Photo credits
Matthew Peca: TheAHL, CC BY 2.0
About Petawawa
Town in Ontario
TownRatings follows Statistics Canada’s map: Petawawa is one municipality in Ontario, figures and all.
Statistics Canada: population estimates 2025 (17-10-0155), Census of Population 2021, 2021 census boundaries.
- Population
- 19,606 (people, 2025 estimate)
- Province or territory
- Ontario
- Census division
- Renfrew
- Census subdivision
- 3547076
Petawawa’s neighbours
The nearest places of 1,000 or more. Statistics Canada
| Town | People | km | Overall | Cost | Safety | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Petawawa | 19,606 | — | A | B+ | A+ | C |
| Laurentian Valley | 9,714 | 13 | B+ | B | A | C+ |
| Pembroke | 15,479 | 14 | D | C− | C− | C+ |
| L'Isle-aux-Allumettes Quebec | 1,413 | 17 | — | B− | B | B |
People: Statistics Canada, Census 2021. Distances: centre to centre.
Questions about Petawawa
Do people in Petawawa speak French?
21% of residents can hold a conversation in both English and French, against 8% for the median of Canadian towns; 0.8% speak French but not English.
Is Petawawa a young town or an old one?
Half its people are older than 32 (the middle of Canadian towns: 45.2); children under 15 make up 22%, people 65 and over 9%.
Who are the people of Petawawa?
At the 2021 census, 6% were immigrants and 6% belonged to a visible minority (Canadian towns’ median: 15%). 7% identify as First Nations, Métis or Inuit.
What kind of homes are in Petawawa?
Mostly 70% single-detached houses (the median of Canadian towns: 64%), with 0% of homes in buildings of five or more storeys. Households hold 2.6 people on average, and 23% have just one.
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).