Rainy River, UnorganizedOntario
Some 1,498 people live in this town, in Ontario. It lies in Rainy River.
Is Rainy River, Unorganized a good place to live?
Rainy River, Unorganized’s strongest is cost of living (A−). It is a safe place by the numbers (B+). Schools are its weak spot (D−). Health outcomes fall short of most towns (D).
With fewer than 2,500 residents, Rainy River, Unorganized gets subject grades but no overall one among 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. Safety is the police detachment's figure, shared with the towns and countryside around it. Crime here is counted against the people who live here, but many visitors or second-home owners add to it, so the rate per resident runs higher than residents' own risk. Health is graded on the health region's survey figures and life expectancy, with the distance to hospital giving the town its own spread.
What makes Rainy River, Unorganized stand out
The 3 things Rainy River, Unorganized does most differently from other towns.
How Rainy River, Unorganized grades
Each subject compares Rainy River, Unorganized 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 →
The data
Data highlights are ordered by what stands out in Rainy River, Unorganized.
Rainy River, Unorganized’s schools mostly sit under the middle in Ontario, 3 of the 3 with results
Elementary schools here average 95 students; in Ontario, 365. The nearest secondary school is 24 km away, above Ontario’s towns (1.2 km) and Canadian towns (1.2 km) alike. Catholic schools are fewer here, 1 of 6, where in Ontario they are 34%. 300 students attend the 5 elementary schools and 1 secondary school in or within 3 km of Rainy River, Unorganized.
| School | Level | Students | System |
|---|---|---|---|
| Riverview Elementary School Fourth fifth in OntarioLargest elementary schoolElementary · Grades JK–8 | Elementary · Grades JK–8 | 120 | English public |
| Rainy River High School Bottom fifth in OntarioLargest secondary schoolSecondary · Grades 9–12 | Secondary · Grades 9–12 | 110 | English public |
Schools by system · Schools within 3 km
| Schools within 3 km | Rainy River, Unorganized | Ontario | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nearest elementary school | 21 km | 0.5 km | 0.5 km |
| Nearest secondary school | 24 km | 1.2 km | 1.2 km |
| School boards | 2 | 4 | 3 |
Provincial school lists and results, 2024-25
Rainy River, Unorganized is graded a D for health
A child born in the region can expect 73.7 years, below Ontario’s towns (82.8) and Canadian towns (81.5) alike. For Rainy River, Unorganized itself, the measure is access: 40 km to the nearest hospital on average, with nearly a third of homes beyond 30 km. Across the region, 44% of adults say their health is very good or excellent; Ontario as a whole reaches 51%. Smoking is commoner than in the province: 16% of adults, against 11% for Ontario. Rainy River, Unorganized doesn’t get its own health survey and life expectancy figures; the ones here come from the Northwestern Health Unit.
Very good or excellent health · adults, age-standardised
| Health | Rainy River, Unorganized | Ontario | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life expectancy at birth | 73.7 | 82.8 | 81.5 |
| Very good or excellent health | 44% | 51% | 52% |
| Smokers | 16% | 10% | 12% |
| Chronic conditions (average share) | 16% | 17% | 17% |
Statistics Canada, Canadian Community Health Survey 2023/2024 and life expectancy 2022/2024; Open Database of Healthcare Facilities
Rent takes less of local pay in Rainy River, Unorganized than in Ontario’s towns or Canadian towns: 14% of household income
Owners make up 96% of households, higher than both Ontario’s towns (76%) and Canadian towns (74%). Shelter took 30% or more of income for 4% of households, lower than both Ontario’s towns (22%) and Canadian towns (18%).
What homes were worth · The median owner’s estimate at the 2021 census
| Census 2021 | Rainy River, Unorganized | Ontario | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Households spending 30%+ on shelter | 4% | 22% | 18% |
| Rent as a share of income | 14% | 22% | 20% |
| Households owning their home | 96% | 76% | 74% |
| Median home value, 2021 | $324,000 | $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.
Rainy River, Unorganized has colder winters than Ontario’s towns or Canadian towns: January lows of −21.0°C
Frosty days number 196 in a normal year, above Ontario’s towns (139) and Canadian towns (159) alike. Midsummer afternoons in Rainy River, Unorganized peak at about 25.2°C. A normal January brings 38 cm of snow, the most of any month. The most precipitation falls in June: 109 mm in a normal year.
Average high by season · ECCC normals, 1991–2020
| Normals, 1991–2020 | Rainy River, Unorganized | Ontario | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| January night low | −21.0°C | −9.1°C | −13.5°C |
| Days with frost a year | 196 | 139 | 159 |
| July afternoon high | 25.2°C | 26.7°C | 25.5°C |
| Precipitation a year | 731 mm | 902 mm | 883 mm |
Environment and Climate Change Canada, Canadian Climate Normals 1991–2020 (Fort Frances)
Rainy River, Unorganized is graded a B+ for safety
Across its police area, there are 12.4 property incidents per 1,000 residents a year. The index for the force that serves it came to 49, below both Ontario’s towns (56) and Canadian towns (67). For every 1,000 residents of its police area, 12.7 violent incidents are reported each year.
Year by year · Crime Severity Index for each year
| 2023–2025 | Rainy River, Unorganized | Ontario | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Property crime per 1,000 | 12.4 | 30.5 | 31.2 |
| Crime Severity Index | 49 | 56 | 67 |
| Violent Crime Severity Index | 69 | 76 | 86 |
Statistics Canada, Uniform Crime Reporting Survey, 2023–2025 average · Data for Crime Severity Index, Violent Crime Severity Index, violent crime and property crime per 1,000 covers the Rainy River District detachment area
With 0.1 jobs for each resident in work, most of Rainy River, Unorganized commutes out
The average trip to work takes 30 min.
How working residents got to work · census 2021
| Census 2021 | Rainy River, Unorganized | Ontario | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average trip | 30 min | 29 min | 26 min |
Statistics Canada, Census 2021 (labour and commuting) · Census day was in May 2021, mid-pandemic, so commuting and work figures carry the lockdowns’ mark.
In Rainy River, Unorganized, 34% of the land is set aside as protected
There is no national park within 100 km of the town. Parks and reserves take up nearly a quarter of the ground within 10 km, above both Ontario’s towns (2.3%) and Canadian towns (2.3%), and on top of that 26 protected areas lie within 10 km. Swimmers have 5 beaches within 5 km, The Pines the nearest.
Protected land · of the land within 10 km
| Outdoors | Rainy River, Unorganized | Ontario | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Protected land within 10 km | 23% | 2.3% | 2.3% |
| Public protected areas within 10 km | 24 | 4 | 4 |
Canadian Protected and Conserved Areas Database (CPCAD), OpenStreetMap routes and beaches
Rainy River, Unorganized is graded a B for hazard risk
Shaking is less of a worry than in most places, at $0.006 a year per $1,000 of building value ($0.030 typical). Some 1.9% of the land within 25 km of Rainy River, Unorganized has burned since 1986; at 0.08% a year that is moderate, not high. No flood study for Rainy River, Unorganized is on the national inventory.
Radon tests above the guideline · share of tested homes, 200 Bq/m³
| Hazards | Rainy River, Unorganized | Ontario | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Radon tests above the guideline | 14% | 4% | 6.6% |
| Earthquake loss per $1,000 of buildings a year | $0.006 | $0.043 | $0.030 |
NRCan seismic risk model and burned areas, Health Canada radon survey, the Flood Hazard Map Inventory
More of Rainy River, Unorganized’s residents have an Indigenous identity than in Ontario’s towns or Canadian towns: 16%
Children under 15 count for 13% of the people here. Just over a quarter of residents are 65 or over, above Ontario’s towns (19%) and Canadian towns (19%) alike.
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 49.3% of Rainy River, Unorganized
Women numbered 700 and men 720 in 2021, next to a 50.9% share of women for Canada.
| Rainy River, Unorganized | Ontario | Canada | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 15 | 13% | 15% | 16% |
| 15 to 64 | 60% | 65% | 64% |
| 65+ | 26% | 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+
A normal November in Rainy River, Unorganized runs from −7°C to 1°C
The forecast on the Weather page is ECCC’s for Fort Frances. Next comes December, with normal highs of −6°C and lows of −16°C. A normal November brings 43 mm of rain and snow. Expect around 31 cm of snow in November.
Normal highs, the months ahead · ECCC normals, 1991–2020
| Season | High | Low | Rain and snow |
|---|---|---|---|
| Winter | −7°C | −19°C | 85 mm |
| Spring | 10°C | −3°C | 163 mm |
| Summer | 24°C | 11°C | 297 mm |
| Autumn | 10°C | 0°C | 186 mm |
ECCC normals, 1991–2020 (Fort Frances); the forecast is on the Weather page
Thunder Bay—Rainy River, which takes in Rainy River, Unorganized, is held by Marcus Powlowski (Liberal Party of Canada)
Northern Ontario’s provincial ridings differ from the federal ones, and no open file of them exists, so Rainy River, Unorganized’s riding for the Legislative Assembly of Ontario isn’t shown.
Wikidata, MAMH, MMAH, Statistics Canada
Rainy River, Unorganized is graded an A− for civic life grade
No library board reports for Rainy River, Unorganized alone: its libraries belong to a county or regional system, whose figures cover many towns.
Provincial library statistics, OpenStreetMap, the CRA and Statistics Canada
Everything we know about Rainy River, Unorganized
Questions about Rainy River, Unorganized
Who are the people of Rainy River, Unorganized?
0% of residents belong to a visible minority, against 15% for the median of Canadian towns; 16% have an Indigenous identity and 6% are immigrants.
What kind of homes are in Rainy River, Unorganized?
97% of homes are single-detached houses, against 64% for the median of Canadian towns, and 0% are in apartment buildings of five storeys or more. A household averages 2.4 people; 18% are one person living alone.
Has Rainy River, Unorganized grown?
Between the 2016 and 2021 censuses it went from 1,380 to 1,423 residents (up 3.1%; Canadian towns’ median: 4.1%), and Statistics Canada now estimates 1,498.
Is Rainy River, Unorganized a young town or an old one?
The median resident is 54.4 years old, against 45.2 for the median of Canadian towns. 13% are under 15 and 26% are 65 or over.
About Rainy River, Unorganized
Town in Ontario
For Rainy River, Unorganized, 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
- 1,498 (people, 2025 estimate)
- Province or territory
- Ontario
- Census division
- Rainy River
- Census subdivision
- 3559090
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).