PrescottOntario
The town, home to 4,342 people, lies in Ontario. It lies in Leeds and Grenville.
Is Prescott a good place to live?
The weak point is jobs & income (D). Homes are dear (D). Hazard risk is higher than most (D). Where it does best is walkability (A−). Overall, that makes a D, good for #843 of 858 in Ontario. It comes out better than 6% of Canadian towns.
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. 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 Prescott grades
Each subject compares Prescott 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 Prescott stand out
The 3 things Prescott does most differently from other towns.
The data
Data highlights are ordered by what stands out in Prescott.
Prescott’s grade for hazard risk: a D
Radon topped the guideline in 19% of tested homes, above Ontario’s towns (4%) and Canadian towns (6.6%) alike. Shaking is a bigger worry than in most places, at $0.10 a year per $1,000 of building value ($0.030 typical). Flood mapping: none on the national inventory for Prescott.
Radon tests above the guideline · share of tested homes, 200 Bq/m³
| Hazards | Prescott | Ontario | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Radon tests above the guideline | 19% | 4% | 6.6% |
| Earthquake loss per $1,000 of buildings a year | $0.10 | $0.043 | $0.030 |
NRCan seismic risk model and burned areas, Health Canada radon survey, the Flood Hazard Map Inventory
Trips to work from Prescott are shorter than from Ontario’s towns or Canadian towns: 24 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 | Prescott | Ontario | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average trip | 24 min | 29 min | 26 min |
| Car or van | 94% | 88% | 89% |
Statistics Canada, Census 2021 (labour and commuting) · These are May 2021 figures, gathered while COVID-19 kept many people home or out of work.
Measured against local pay, Prescott costs more to live in than 86% of Canadian towns
Rent took 25% of household income, above Ontario’s towns (22%) and Canadian towns (20%) alike. Owners put the median home at $250,000, lower than both Ontario’s towns ($695,000) and Canadian towns ($406,000).
What homes were worth · The median owner’s estimate at the 2021 census
| Census 2021 | Prescott | Ontario | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home value, 2021 | $250,000 | $695,000 | $406,000 |
| Rent as a share of income | 25% | 22% | 20% |
| Households spending 30%+ on shelter | 22% | 22% | 18% |
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.
Violent crime weighs more on Prescott than on Ontario’s towns or Canadian towns: a violent severity index of 167
Violent incidents came to 26.4 per 1,000 residents a year, higher than both Ontario’s towns (10.5) and Canadian towns (12). Property crime accounts for 42.1 incidents per 1,000 residents a year.
Year by year · Crime Severity Index for each year
| 2023–2025 | Prescott | Ontario | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Violent crime | 26.4 | 10.5 | 12 |
| Violent Crime Severity Index | 167 | 76 | 86 |
| Property crime per 1,000 | 42.1 | 30.5 | 31.2 |
Statistics Canada, Uniform Crime Reporting Survey, 2023–2025 average
51% of adults around Prescott rate their health very good or excellent
What sets Prescott apart within its region is a longer trip to hospital, 17 km for the average resident (3.7 km typical). Smoking is commoner than in the province: 14% of adults, against 11% for Ontario. Statistics Canada puts the region’s life expectancy at 81.2, women 83.3 and men 79.2 (2022/2024). Arthritis, diabetes and high blood pressure affect 18% of the region’s adults on average, near both Ontario’s towns (17%) and Canadian towns (17%). Prescott doesn’t get its own health survey and life expectancy figures; the ones here come from the Leeds, Grenville and Lanark District Health Unit.
Very good or excellent health · adults, age-standardised
| Health | Prescott | Ontario | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Smokers | 14% | 10% | 12% |
| Life expectancy at birth | 81.2 | 82.8 | 81.5 |
| Chronic conditions (average share) | 18% | 17% | 17% |
Statistics Canada, Canadian Community Health Survey 2023/2024 and life expectancy 2022/2024; Open Database of Healthcare Facilities
January lows in Prescott: −11.3°C, against −9.1°C in Ontario’s towns and −13.5°C in Canadian towns
January is the snowiest month, with 50 cm on average. The frost-free season runs from 27 April to 14 October, 169 days. Snow totals 180 cm over the year, above both Ontario’s towns (146 cm) and Canadian towns (141 cm). Rain and snow peak in July, at 99 mm.
Average high by season · ECCC normals, 1991–2020
| Normals, 1991–2020 | Prescott | Ontario | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Snowfall a year | 180 cm | 146 cm | 141 cm |
| Precipitation a year | 1,017 mm | 902 mm | 883 mm |
| January night low | −11.3°C | −9.1°C | −13.5°C |
| July afternoon high | 26.1°C | 26.7°C | 25.5°C |
Environment and Climate Change Canada, Canadian Climate Normals 1991–2020 (Brockville)
Fewer of Prescott’s people belong to a visible minority than in Ontario’s towns or Canadian towns: 2.8%
First Nations, Métis and Inuit people make up 4.7% of residents, higher than both Ontario’s towns (1.6%) and Canadian towns (2.8%). Immigrants make up 5.9% of residents, below both Ontario’s towns (7.6%) and Canadian towns (6.4%).
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 Prescott
Of the 2021 count, 2,100 were women and 1,975 men (women across Canada: 50.9%).
| Prescott | Ontario | Canada | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 15 | 15% | 15% | 16% |
| 15 to 64 | 58% | 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+
A normal November in Prescott runs from freezing to 7°C
At the extremes, July afternoons reach 26°C and January nights −11°C. Expect about 81 mm of rain and snow over November. Also worth knowing: the forecast on the Weather page is ECCC’s for Brockville.
Normal highs, the months ahead · ECCC normals, 1991–2020
| Season | High | Low | Rain and snow |
|---|---|---|---|
| Winter | −1°C | −9°C | 233 mm |
| Spring | 11°C | 2°C | 237 mm |
| Summer | 25°C | 15°C | 277 mm |
| Autumn | 14°C | 6°C | 271 mm |
ECCC normals, 1991–2020 (Brockville); the forecast is on the Weather page
Leeds—Grenville—Thousand Islands—Rideau Lakes, which takes in Prescott, is held by Michael Barrett (Conservative Party of Canada)
From Ontario come 122 MPs, 71 of them with the Liberal Party of Canada.
| Turnout | Prescott | Ontario | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Municipal election, 2022 | 35% | 31% | 31% |
Wikidata, MAMH, MMAH, Statistics Canada
At 5.5 visits per person served, Prescott Public Library is busier than 83% of Ontario’s town libraries
A single building, Prescott Public Library, serves 4,078 people.
Provincial library statistics, OpenStreetMap, the CRA and Statistics Canada
Prescott’s 3 schools with results spread wide in Ontario, 1 in the top two fifths and 1 in the bottom two
1,115 students attend the 3 elementary schools and 1 secondary school in or within 3 km of Prescott. The schools around it answer to 2 boards, lower than both Ontario’s towns (4) and Canadian towns (3).
| School | Level | Students | System |
|---|---|---|---|
| St. Mark Catholic School CatholicLargest elementary schoolElementary · Grades JK–8 | Elementary · Grades JK–8 | 350 | English Catholic |
| South Grenville District High School Bottom fifth in OntarioLargest secondary schoolSecondary · Grades 9–12 | Secondary · Grades 9–12 | 370 | English public |
Schools by system · Schools within 3 km
| Schools within 3 km | Prescott | Ontario | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| School boards | 2 | 4 | 3 |
Provincial school lists and results, 2024-25
Thousand Islands National Park is 20 km from Prescott
Of the country within 10 km, 0.1% lies in protected areas; the median Canadian town has 2.3%. The nearest provincial park, Brockville Long Swamp Fen Provincial Park, is 15 km away. 2 protected areas lie within 10 km. One unnamed beach is mapped within 5 km.
Protected land · of the land within 10 km
| Outdoors | Prescott | Ontario | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Protected land within 10 km | 0.1% | 2.3% | 2.3% |
| Public protected areas within 10 km | 0 | 4 | 4 |
Canadian Protected and Conserved Areas Database (CPCAD), OpenStreetMap routes and beaches
58% of Prescott’s homes were built before 1961
The earliest construction date, 1813, belongs to Fort Wellington. Canada’s heritage registers list 7 historic places inside the town, 3 with the highest designation.
Historic places by designation · inside the town
Among them
- Fort Wellington 1813
- Prescott Railway Station (Grand Trunk) 1855
- Blockhouse 1838
- Caponier 1839
| Heritage | Prescott | Ontario | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Homes built before 1961 | 58% | 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 Prescott
Fort Wellington and 4 more in and around Prescott
What there is to see in Prescott and within a short drive, starting with the places most people have heard of.
MuseumFort Wellingtonin town
Battlefield · Parks CanadaBattle of the Windmill1.4 km outside town, to the northeast
National historic site · Parks CanadaWindmill Tower1.5 km outside town, to the northeastMuseumMuseumPrescott Railway Stationin townChurchChurchThe Blue Church4 km outside town, to the southwestPhotos: each place’s Wikidata image, from Wikimedia Commons under the licence below (our copy, resized).
Photo credits (3)
- Fort Wellington: Rbgstewart at English Wikipedia, Public domain, Wikimedia Commons
- Battle of the Windmill: Dennis G. Jarvis, CC BY-SA 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Windmill Tower: Dennis G. Jarvis, CC BY-SA 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
Famous people from Prescott
11 notable people were born in Prescott.
Photo credits
Leo Boivin: TGC-Topps Gum Cards, Public domain · James Morrow Walsh: Topley, William James, Public domain · Richard William Scott: Unknown author, Public domain · Robert Henry Lindsay: Robert Henry Lindsay, Public domain · Thomas Pope: Ellisson & Company, Public domain · George H. Baker: Rogers, A. D. .mw-parser-output .messagebox{margin:4px 0;width:auto;border-collapse:collapse;border:2px solid var(--border-color-progressive,#6485d1);background-color:var(--background-color-neutral-su, Public domain
About Prescott
Town in Ontario
TownRatings counts Prescott as Statistics Canada does, as one municipality in Ontario; the census, crime and housing figures all follow that boundary.
Statistics Canada: population estimates 2025 (17-10-0155), Census of Population 2021, 2021 census boundaries.
- Population
- 4,342 (people, 2025 estimate)
- Province or territory
- Ontario
- Census division
- Leeds and Grenville
- Census subdivision
- 3507008
Prescott’s neighbours
The nearest places of 1,000 or more. Statistics Canada
| Town | People | km | Overall | Cost | Safety | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Prescott | 4,342 | — | D | D | C− | C+ |
| Augusta | 7,767 | 6.5 | B | C+ | A | C+ |
| Cardinal | 7,952 | 14 | C− | C− | B+ | C+ |
| Brockville | 23,720 | 19 | C | D | C− | B |
People: Statistics Canada, Census 2021. Distances: centre to centre.
Questions about Prescott
Who are the people of Prescott?
At the 2021 census, 6% were immigrants and 3% belonged to a visible minority (Canadian towns’ median: 15%). 5% identify as First Nations, Métis or Inuit.
How old are the people of Prescott?
At 49.6, its median age compares with 45.2 across Canadian towns. Children make up 15% of the population and seniors 27%.
What kind of homes are in Prescott?
Households hold 2.1 people on average, and 37% have just one.
Has Prescott grown?
No: the census counted 4,222 in 2016 and 4,078 in 2021, 3.4% fewer, against growth of 4.1% for the median of Canadian towns. The 2025 estimate is 4,342.
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).