PetroliaOntario

TownGrade

C⁺

#1,514 of 2,556

It is a town of 6,422 residents in Ontario. Statistics Canada places it in the Lambton census division.

2 places within 19 kmMap →

Photo: P199 · CC BY-SA 3.0

Population

6,422

people, 2025 estimate

Median age

42.8

years · Ontario’s towns: 46.8

Postsecondary

57%

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 Petrolia a good place to live?

The picture is mixed. Its lowest grade is for safety (D−). Owners valued their homes at a median $376,000 in 2021, which is 4.4 years of the typical household’s pay. Schools do well (A−). Put together, the subjects come to a C+ overall, ranking #571 of 858 in Ontario. That leaves it better than 45% of Canadian towns. Its remaining grades are unremarkable: B− for health, B for jobs & income and B for walkability.

Figures: home values and income: Statistics Canada, Census 2021.

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 is the police detachment's figure, shared with the towns and countryside around it. 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⁻SchoolsWeakestD⁻Safety

How Petrolia grades

Each subject compares Petrolia 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

SafetyBased on crimes reported per residentD⁻Open →SchoolsSchools do better than mostA⁻Open →Hazard riskAhead of most towns comparedB⁺Open →WalkabilityGraded on how easily people get around without a carBOpen →Jobs & incomeIncomes and work beat most townsBOpen →Cost of livingGraded on home prices against local incomesC⁺Open →HealthClose to the middle of the towns comparedB⁻Open →

How TownRatings grades Canadian towns →

What makes Petrolia stand out

The 2 things Petrolia does most differently from other towns.

Picked automatically from the data

Safety

Behind 97%

of Canadian towns on safety

Its safety grade: D−.

Residents 65 and over

Who lives here

24% are 65 or over

Where the typical figure for Canadian towns is 19%

Statistics Canada, Census 2021

The data

Data highlights are ordered by what stands out in Petrolia.

SafetySafety D⁻

The police who cover Petrolia record more serious crime than Ontario’s towns or Canadian towns: a Crime Severity Index of 334

334Crime Severity Index

Measured across the Lambton (Walpole Island First Nation) detachment area: Crime Severity Index, Violent Crime Severity Index, violent crime and property crime per 1,000

Thefts, break-ins and damage add up to 95 per 1,000 residents a year where it is policed. The violent index for its police area came to 378, higher than both Ontario’s towns (76) and Canadian towns (86). For every 1,000 residents of its police area, 53.3 violent incidents are reported each year.

Year by year · Crime Severity Index for each year

2023360

2024354

2025287

2023–2025	Petrolia	Ontario	Canada
Crime Severity Index	334	56	67
Violent Crime Severity Index	378	76	86
Violent crime	53.3	10.5	12
Property crime per 1,000	95	30.5	31.2

319

non-violent Crime Severity Index

50%

of incidents cleared, 2023–25

Full pagePetrolia’s safety reportOpen the full Safety report

Safety334 Crime Severity Index · The index weighs each crime Petrolia’s police recorded by how serious it is.Questions“Is Petrolia safe?”

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

SchoolsSchools A⁻

Mixed results around Petrolia: 1 high and 1 low of 5 schools in Ontario

5schools within 3 kmA⁻Schools Grade

In or within 3 km of Petrolia: 4 elementary schools and 1 secondary school, with 1,875 students. Counting each board with a school within 3 km gives 2, below both Ontario’s towns (4) and Canadian towns (3).

School	Level	Students	System
Queen Elizabeth II P Public School Middle fifth in OntarioLargest elementary schoolElementary · Grades JK–8	Elementary · Grades JK–8	335	English public
Lambton Central Collegiate and Vocational Institute Middle fifth in OntarioLargest secondary schoolSecondary · Grades 9–12	Secondary · Grades 9–12	845	English public

See all 5 schools →

Schools by system · Schools within 3 km

English public4

English Catholic1

Schools within 3 km	Petrolia	Ontario	Canada
School boards	2	4	3

1,875

students at the schools within 3 km, 2024-25

0.1 km

to the nearest secondary school

Full pagePetrolia’s schools pageOpen the full Schools page

Results1 of 5 in the top two fifths · of the schools with results, placed against every school in Ontario Every school5 schools within 3 km · 4 elementary schools and 1 secondary school Language0 of 5 teach in French · 10% of schools in Ontario The boards2 school boards · Lambton Kent DSB Questions“What schools are there in Petrolia?”

Provincial school lists and results, 2024-25

Natural hazardsHazard risk B⁺

Flood mapping exists for Petrolia: 1 on record, latest by St. Clair Region Conservation Authority

Lowwildfire bandB⁺Hazard risk Grade

Petrolia’s survey area, 8.4% over the radon guideline, is close to the typical town’s 6.6%. Seismic risk runs low: $0.015 of expected damage per $1,000 of buildings a year, the typical town $0.030.

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

Petrolia8.4%

Ontario’s towns4%

Canadian towns6.6%

Hazards	Petrolia	Ontario	Canada
Radon tests above the guideline	8.4%	4%	6.6%
Earthquake loss per $1,000 of buildings a year	$0.015	$0.043	$0.030

$0.015

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

Low

wildfire band

flood study on the national inventory

Full pagePetrolia’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$0.015 a year per $1,000 · Canadian towns: $0.030 Radon8.4% 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

Work & commuteJobs & income B

Commuters in Petrolia have a short way to work, 21 min on average, less than in Ontario’s towns and Canadian towns

4%walk, cycle or take transit

By car: that was how 95% of commuters travelled at the census.

How working residents got to work · census 2021

Car or van95%

Walk4%

Bicycle1%

Census 2021	Petrolia	Ontario	Canada
Average trip	21 min	29 min	26 min
Car or van	95%	88%	89%

$86,000

median household income, 2020

13%

worked from home, May 2021

41%

of commuters work inside the municipality

Full pagePetrolia’s work & commute pageOpen the full Work & commute page

Unemployment9.1% unemployed · Of the labour force · Canadian towns: 9.9%Getting to work4% walk, cycle or take transit Where people commute to600 commuters · The biggest flow out: to Sarnia

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.

Climate

Petrolia has milder winters than Ontario’s towns or Canadian towns: January lows of −8.2°C

26.5°CJuly afternoons

January is the snowiest month, with 34 cm on average. Frosty days number 131 in a normal year, below Ontario’s towns (139) and Canadian towns (159) alike. Rain and snow peak in June, at 93 mm.

Average high by season · ECCC normals, 1991–2020

Winter0.4°C

Spring11.9°C

Summer25.3°C

Autumn15.2°C

Normals, 1991–2020	Petrolia	Ontario	Canada
January night low	−8.2°C	−9.1°C	−13.5°C
Snowfall a year	112 cm	146 cm	141 cm
Days with frost a year	131	139	159
July afternoon high	26.5°C	26.7°C	25.5°C

112 cm

of snow a year

131

days with frost a year

113

days with precipitation a year

Full pagePetrolia’s climate pageOpen the full Climate page

The yearJuly highs 26.5°C, January lows −8.2°C Rain and snow871 mm a year · Canadian towns: 883 mm Snow112 cm of snow a year Weather station19 km to the station · Sarnia

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

HousingCost of living C⁺

Renting in Petrolia costs 16% of household income, less than in Ontario’s towns or Canadian towns

$376,000median home value, 2021C⁺Cost of living Grade

Just over one in ten households spent 30% or more of their income on shelter, below Ontario’s towns (22%) and Canadian towns (18%) alike. Owners make up nearly four in five households.

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

Petrolia$376,000

Ontario$695,000

Canadian towns$406,000

Census 2021	Petrolia	Ontario	Canada
Households spending 30%+ on shelter	12%	22%	18%
Rent as a share of income	16%	22%	20%
Median home value, 2021	$376,000	$695,000	$406,000
Households owning their home	79%	76%	74%

$850

monthly rent for a two-bedroom

$1,070

median monthly shelter cost for owners, 2021

Full pagePetrolia’s cost of living pageOpen the full Cost of living page

Renting$850 a month · The median rent at the 2021 census Cost of living4.4 times household income · The median owner’s estimate, $376,000, against the median household income Owners and renters79% 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.

Weather

In Petrolia, November normally means 8°C afternoons and freezing nights

8°Ca normal November afternoon

By December, a normal day reaches 2°C and a night falls to −4°C. Snow is normal by November, about 7 cm over the month. A normal November brings 80 mm of rain and snow. For today and the week ahead, the Weather page carries ECCC’s Sarnia forecast.

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

November8°C

December2°C

January−1°C

February0°C

Season	High	Low	Rain and snow
Winter	0°C	−7°C	164 mm
Spring	12°C	2°C	221 mm
Summer	25°C	15°C	244 mm
Autumn	15°C	6°C	242 mm

0°C

a normal November night

80 mm

of rain and snow in a normal November

Full pagePetrolia’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 January

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

Town hall

Petrolia turned out at 46% for its 2022 council election, above 85% of Ontario municipalities

Brad Loosley was elected mayor of Petrolia in October 2022, on a council of 7 seats.

Turnout	Petrolia	Ontario	Canada
Municipal election, 2022	46%	31%	31%

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

Member of ParliamentMarilyn Gladu Provincial legislatureSarnia—Lambton

Wikidata, MAMH, MMAH, Statistics Canada

Library & civic lifeCivic life grade C

Lambton County Library - Petrolia is Petrolia’s public library

From the centre of Petrolia, it is 0.5 km away.

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

The libraries1 Libraries Places to belong3.7 charities per 1,000 residents

Provincial library statistics, OpenStreetMap, the CRA and Statistics Canada

Outdoors

Only 0.3% of the land within 10 km of Petrolia is protected

0.3%of the land within 10 km protected

There is no national park within 100 km of the town. The nearest provincial park, Pinery Provincial Park, is 43 km away. 3.1% of the town lies within a protected area.

Protected land · of the land within 10 km

Petrolia0.3%

Ontario’s towns2.3%

Canadian towns2.3%

Outdoors	Petrolia	Ontario	Canada
Protected land within 10 km	0.3%	2.3%	2.3%
Public protected areas within 10 km	0	4	4

43 km

to Pinery Provincial Park

Full pagePetrolia’s outdoors pageOpen the full Outdoors page

Protected landof the land within 10 km Protected areas3 protected areas within 10 km National & provincial parks43 km to a provincial park · Pinery Provincial Park

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

Who lives here

Fewer of Petrolia’s people belong to a visible minority than in Ontario’s towns or Canadian towns: 2.4%

42.8median age

3.7% of residents have an Indigenous identity, above both Ontario’s towns (1.6%) and Canadian towns (2.8%). Immigrants make up 5.6% of residents, lower than both Ontario’s towns (7.6%) and Canadian towns (6.4%).

PetroliaOntarioCanada

OntarioCanada

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

24%

Schooling · Highest qualification, residents 15 and over

No certificate, diploma or degree14%

Postsecondary qualification57%

Women and men · all residents

Women make up 52.0% of Petrolia

In 2021 there were 3,125 women to 2,885 men; Canada as a whole is 50.9% women.

Who lives in Petrolia
	Petrolia	Ontario	Canada
Under 15	18%	15%	16%
15 to 64	59%	65%	64%
65+	24%	19%	19%
No certificate, diploma or degree	14%	15%	16%
Postsecondary qualification	57%	56%	56%

Full pagePetrolia’s Who lives here pageOpen the full Who lives here page

Immigrants6% are immigrants · 2% belong to a visible minority Ages42.8 median age · 24% are 65 or over Households2,460 households · 2.4 people per household English and French7% speak both · 0.1% speak French but not English

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

HealthHealth B⁻

Expect 80.0 years of life in the region around Petrolia, 1.5 under the typical Canadian town

49%very good or excellent healthB⁻Health Grade

By their own account, 49% of adults here are in very good or excellent health, lower than both Ontario’s towns (51%) and Canadian towns (52%). The region has more smokers than Ontario, 14% of adults to 11%. The town’s own part is the trip to care, and Petrolia is well placed: 0.7 km to a hospital on average, against 3.7 km typical. Figures for health survey and life expectancy are published for the Lambton Health Unit as a whole, not for Petrolia alone.

Very good or excellent health · adults, age-standardised

Petrolia49%

Ontario’s towns51%

Canadian towns52%

Health	Petrolia	Ontario	Canada
Smokers	14%	10%	12%
Life expectancy at birth	80.0	82.8	81.5
Very good or excellent health	49%	51%	52%
Chronic conditions (average share)	18%	17%	17%

80.0

years of life expectancy, 2022/2024

0.7 km

from homes to a hospital, on average

14%

of adults smoke, age-standardised

1.0 km

from homes to a pharmacy, on average

Full pagePetrolia’s health pageOpen the full Health page

Health survey49% very good or excellent health · adults, age-standardised Getting care0.7 km to a hospital · A pharmacy 1.0 km away on average The wider areaLife expectancy: women 82.2, men 77.8 Conditions and habits18% with chronic conditions · adults, age-standardised

Statistics Canada, Canadian Community Health Survey 2023/2024 and life expectancy 2022/2024; Open Database of Healthcare Facilities

History

Petrolia’s 1 historic place is a top designation

1historic place

33% of its homes were built before 1961, higher than both Ontario’s towns (22%) and Canadian towns (18%).

Historic places by designation · inside the town

Highest designations1

Other federal designations0

Provincial and local listings0

Among them

Victoria Hall / Petrolia Town Hall 1887

1887

oldest construction date on the record

33%

of homes built before 1961 · Canadian towns 18%

Heritage	Petrolia	Ontario	Canada
Homes built before 1961	33%	22%	18%

Full pagePetrolia’s history pageOpen the full History page

On the registersOne historic place inside the town Highest designations1 top designation · Victoria Hall / Petrolia Town Hall Older homes33% built before 1961 · Canadian towns: 18%Questions“How many historic places does Petrolia 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 Petrolia

15pages on Petrolia

The big questions

SafetyD⁻Crime Severity Index 334 Housing & costC⁺Homes 4.4 × income Property pricesSchoolsA⁻5 schools within 3 km HealthB⁻Life expectancy 80 in its region Work & commuteB53% of adults in work Natural hazardsB⁺Wildfire band: low

Out and about

Outdoors0.3% of the land within 10 km protected AttractionsClimateJuly afternoons around 27°C WeatherECCC’s forecast, beside the normals

The story

Who lives hereMedian age 42.8 HistoryOne place on the heritage registers Town hallFamous people

Famous people from Petrolia

19 notable people were born in Petrolia.

See all 19 →

Dale HunterCanadian ice hockey player and coach · born 1960

Michael LeightonCanadian ice hockey player · born 1981

Mark HunterCanadian ice hockey player · born 1962

John Van BoxmeerCanadian ice hockey player · born 1952

Jedidiah GoodacreCanadian actor · born 1989

Dave HunterCanadian ice hockey player · born 1958

Photo credits

Dale Hunter: Tabercil from Canadian, CC BY-SA 2.0 · Michael Leighton: TheAHL, CC BY 2.0 · Mark Hunter: 5of7, CC BY-SA 2.0 · John Van Boxmeer: Fanny Schertzer, CC BY-SA 3.0

About Petrolia

Town in Ontario

The boundary here is Statistics Canada’s: Petrolia 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: 6,422 (people, 2025 estimate)
Province or territory: Ontario
Census division: Lambton
Census subdivision: 3538019

Petrolia’s neighbours

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

EnniskillenPlympton-WyomingPetrolia

How the neighbours grade

Town	People	km	Overall	Cost	Safety	Health
Petrolia	6,422	—	C⁺	C⁺	D⁻	B⁻
Enniskillen	3,174	2.1	B	B	D⁻	C⁺
Plympton-Wyoming	9,548	13	C	C⁺	D⁻	C⁺

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

Questions about Petrolia

Who are the people of Petrolia?

2% of residents belong to a visible minority, against 15% for the median of Canadian towns; 4% have an Indigenous identity and 6% are immigrants.

How old are the people of Petrolia?

The typical resident is 42.8 (Canadian towns: 45.2), with seniors at 24% of the population and under-15s at 18%.

What kind of homes are in Petrolia?

Mostly 82% single-detached houses (the median of Canadian towns: 64%), with 0% of homes in buildings of five or more storeys. Households hold 2.4 people on average, and 29% have just one.

Is Petrolia growing?

Yes: the census counted 5,742 in 2016 and 6,013 in 2021, a rise of 4.7%, against 4.1% for the median of Canadian towns. The 2025 estimate is 6,422.

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).