Port ColborneOntario
A town of 21,921 in Ontario. Between 2016 and 2021, its population grew by 9%.
Is Port Colborne a good place to live?
The weak point is cost of living (D). Its schools beat most (A). Overall, that makes a C+, better than 38% of Canadian towns. In the ranking it comes #620 of 858 in Ontario. The rest of its grades are middling: B for safety, C+ for health and B for walkability.
Rents here are the metro area's average, shared by every town and neighbourhood in it. Safety is the regional police service's figure, shared with its other towns. 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 Port Colborne grades
Each subject compares Port Colborne 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 Port Colborne stand out
The 3 things Port Colborne does most differently from other towns.
The data
Data highlights are ordered by what stands out in Port Colborne.
Rent takes more of local pay in Port Colborne than in Ontario’s towns or Canadian towns: 26% of household income
The median home value was $448,000, below Ontario’s towns ($695,000) but above Canadian towns ($406,000). Households that own their home make up 73%.
What homes were worth · The median owner’s estimate at the 2021 census
| Census 2021 | Port Colborne | Ontario | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rent as a share of income | 26% | 22% | 20% |
| Median home value, 2021 | $448,000 | $695,000 | $406,000 |
| Households spending 30%+ on shelter | 20% | 22% | 18% |
| Households owning their home | 73% | 76% | 74% |
Statistics Canada, Census 2021; CMHC Rental Market Survey via Statistics Canada · These are 2021 census values, as owners judged them, set against household income in 2020. · Rent as a share of income and monthly rent for a two-bedroom: one figure for all of the St. Catharines-Niagara metro area
Port Colborne’s schools belong to 4 boards that cover the same streets
Schooling in French is on offer at 3 of 17; in Ontario, one in ten schools teach in it. Results have climbed at 11 of 16 schools over three years. The 3 km around Port Colborne counts 15 elementary schools and 2 secondary schools, 4,715 students between them.
| School | Level | Students | System |
|---|---|---|---|
| McKay Public School Second fifth in OntarioLargest elementary schoolElementary · Grades JK–8 | Elementary · Grades JK–8 | 570 | English public |
| Lakeshore Catholic High School CatholicLargest secondary schoolSecondary · Grades 9–12 | Secondary · Grades 9–12 | 680 | English Catholic |
| ÉÉC Saint-Joseph FrenchTeaches in FrenchElementary · Grades JK–8 | Elementary · Grades JK–8 | 115 | French Catholic |
| DeWitt Carter Public School Top fifth in OntarioResults in the top fifth in OntarioElementary · Grades JK–8 | Elementary · Grades JK–8 | 280 | English public |
Schools by system · Schools within 3 km
| Schools within 3 km | Port Colborne | Ontario | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| School boards | 4 | 4 | 3 |
Provincial school lists and results, 2024-25
The share of 15-to-64s with a job in Port Colborne trails that of 83% of Canadian towns
The car carried 93% of commuters at the census. The average trip to work takes 25 min.
How working residents got to work · census 2021
| Census 2021 | Port Colborne | Ontario | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Car or van | 93% | 88% | 89% |
| Average trip | 25 min | 29 min | 26 min |
Statistics Canada, Census 2021 (labour and commuting) · These are May 2021 figures, gathered while COVID-19 kept many people home or out of work.
A flood study covers Port Colborne: 9 on the national inventory, the newest from Niagara Peninsula Conservation Authority
Radon is lower than usual: 2% of tested homes in the survey area topped the guideline, against 6.6% for the typical town. Seismic risk runs high: $0.066 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
| Hazards | Port Colborne | Ontario | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Radon tests above the guideline | 2% | 4% | 6.6% |
| Earthquake loss per $1,000 of buildings a year | $0.066 | $0.043 | $0.030 |
NRCan seismic risk model and burned areas, Health Canada radon survey, the Flood Hazard Map Inventory
Port Colborne earns a B for safety
Area-wide: Crime Severity Index, Violent Crime Severity Index, violent crime and property crime per 1,000, counted over the Niagara Region (St. Catharines) service area
Its police area recorded 9.4 violent incidents per 1,000 residents a year, lower than both Ontario’s towns (10.5) and Canadian towns (12). Across its police area, there are 25.1 property incidents per 1,000 residents a year.
Year by year · Crime Severity Index for each year
| 2023–2025 | Port Colborne | Ontario | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Property crime per 1,000 | 25.1 | 30.5 | 31.2 |
| Violent crime | 9.4 | 10.5 | 12 |
Statistics Canada, Uniform Crime Reporting Survey, 2023–2025 average
Very good or excellent health for 49% of adults in Port Colborne’s health region
Source area for health survey and life expectancy: the Niagara Regional Area Health Unit
Women in the region live to 83.6 and men to 78.8, 81.2 years taken together (2022/2024). The region has more smokers than Ontario, 15% of adults to 11%. Chronic conditions run at 19% of adults, age-standardised, above both Ontario’s towns (17%) and Canadian towns (17%). For Port Colborne itself the measure is access: 3.0 km to the nearest hospital, much like the typical 3.7 km.
Very good or excellent health · adults, age-standardised
| Health | Port Colborne | Ontario | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Smokers | 15% | 10% | 12% |
| Chronic conditions (average share) | 19% | 17% | 17% |
| Very good or excellent health | 49% | 51% | 52% |
| Life expectancy at birth | 81.2 | 82.8 | 81.5 |
Statistics Canada, Canadian Community Health Survey 2023/2024 and life expectancy 2022/2024; Open Database of Healthcare Facilities
Port Colborne has milder winters than Ontario’s towns or Canadian towns: January lows of −8.0°C
Most of the snow comes in January, about 44 cm. There are 134 days of frost in a typical year, near Ontario’s towns (139) and lower than Canadian towns (159). Between the last spring frost, 6 May, and the first in autumn, 14 October, lie 160 days. The warmest afternoons come in July, at around 26.8°C in Port Colborne.
Average high by season · ECCC normals, 1991–2020
| Normals, 1991–2020 | Port Colborne | Ontario | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| January night low | −8.0°C | −9.1°C | −13.5°C |
| July afternoon high | 26.8°C | 26.7°C | 25.5°C |
| Days with frost a year | 134 | 139 | 159 |
| Precipitation a year | 967 mm | 902 mm | 883 mm |
Environment and Climate Change Canada, Canadian Climate Normals 1991–2020 (Welland-Pelham)
Visible minorities make up less of Port Colborne than of Ontario’s towns or Canadian towns: 2.8%
8.8% of residents came to Canada as immigrants, above both Ontario’s towns (7.6%) and Canadian towns (6.4%). First Nations, Métis and Inuit people make up 5.4% of residents, above both Ontario’s towns (1.6%) and Canadian towns (2.8%).
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 51.5% of Port Colborne
The 2021 census counted 10,315 women and 9,720 men here, where women make up 50.9% of Canada.
| Port Colborne | Ontario | Canada | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 15 | 13% | 15% | 16% |
| 15 to 64 | 60% | 65% | 64% |
| 65+ | 27% | 19% | 19% |
| No certificate, diploma or degree | 19% | 15% | 16% |
| Postsecondary qualification | 46% | 56% | 56% |
Statistics Canada, Census 2021; Ontario and Canada: medians of towns of 2,500+
Port Colborne in November: highs near 9°C, lows near freezing
Then December: 3°C by day, −4°C at night. Rain and snow over a typical November come to 84 mm. For today and the week ahead, the Weather page carries ECCC’s Port Colborne forecast.
Normal highs, the months ahead · ECCC normals, 1991–2020
| Season | High | Low | Rain and snow |
|---|---|---|---|
| Winter | 1°C | −7°C | 216 mm |
| Spring | 13°C | 2°C | 234 mm |
| Summer | 26°C | 15°C | 248 mm |
| Autumn | 15°C | 6°C | 268 mm |
ECCC normals, 1991–2020 (Welland-Pelham); the forecast is on the Weather page
Fewer than 80% of Ontario’s lower-tier municipalities spend as much per resident as Port Colborne
The October 2022 vote made Bill Steele mayor of Port Colborne, heading 9 seats.
| Turnout | Port Colborne | Ontario | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Municipal election, 2022 | 32% | 31% | 31% |
Wikidata, MAMH, MMAH, Statistics Canada
Fewer visits per person served than 78% of Ontario’s town libraries: Port Colborne Public Library counts 2.2
A single building, Port Colborne Public Library, serves 20,033 people.
Provincial library statistics, OpenStreetMap, the CRA and Statistics Canada
Port Colborne has 8 beaches within 5 km
Rouge National Urban Park is the closest national park, 95 km from town. The nearest provincial park, Short Hills Provincial Park, is 14 km away. Within 10 km are 10 protected areas.
Protected land · of the land within 10 km
| Outdoors | Port Colborne | Ontario | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Public protected areas within 10 km | 1 | 4 | 4 |
| Protected land within 10 km | 2% | 2.3% | 2.3% |
Canadian Protected and Conserved Areas Database (CPCAD), OpenStreetMap routes and beaches
Older housing stands out in Port Colborne: 55% predates 1961
Inside the town there is 1 historic place, a top designation.
Historic places by designation · inside the town
Among them
| Heritage | Port Colborne | Ontario | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Homes built before 1961 | 55% | 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 Port Colborne
Arts Place Gallery and 6 more in and around Port Colborne
From museums to parks and historic sites: Port Colborne’s places to visit and those just beyond its edge, most famous first.
Famous people from Port Colborne
27 notable people were born in Port Colborne.
Photo credits
David Lametti: Justin Trudeau – Prime Minister of Canada, CC BY 3.0 · Ted Kennedy: Unknown author, Public domain · Melissa McIntyre: Lindsay D at https://www.flickr.com/photos/88409116@N00/, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Anthony Frederick Tonnos: JFVoll, CC BY 4.0 · Louis Crompton: James Steakley, CC BY-SA 4.0 · Bronco Horvath: TGC-Topps Gum Cards, Public domain
About Port Colborne
Town in Ontario
For Port Colborne, 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
- 21,921 (people, 2025 estimate)
- Province or territory
- Ontario
- Census division
- Niagara
- Metro area
- St. Catharines - Niagara
- Census subdivision
- 3526011
Port Colborne’s neighbours
The nearest places of 1,000 or more. Statistics Canada
| Town | People | km | Overall | Cost | Safety | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Port Colborne | 21,921 | — | C+ | D | B | C+ |
| Welland | 66,480 | 11 | C+ | D− | B | C+ |
| Wainfleet | 7,329 | 14 | C+ | C− | B | C+ |
| Pelham | 19,980 | 17 | B+ | C | B | C+ |
People: Statistics Canada, Census 2021. Distances: centre to centre.
Questions about Port Colborne
Is Port Colborne growing?
Between the 2016 and 2021 censuses it went from 18,306 to 20,033 residents (up 9.4%; Canadian towns’ median: 4.1%), and Statistics Canada now estimates 21,921.
Who are the people of Port Colborne?
3% of residents belong to a visible minority, against 15% for the median of Canadian towns; 5% have an Indigenous identity and 9% are immigrants.
How old are the people of Port Colborne?
Half its people are older than 50.4 (the middle of Canadian towns: 45.2); children under 15 make up 13%, people 65 and over 27%.
What kind of homes are in Port Colborne?
71% of homes are single-detached houses, against 64% for the median of Canadian towns, and 2% are in apartment buildings of five storeys or more. A household averages 2.2 people; 32% are one person living alone.
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).