SarniaOntario
The town has 80,539 residents and lies in Ontario. It lies in Lambton.
Is Sarnia a good place to live?
Sarnia’s lowest grade is for cost of living (D). It lags on schools as well (C−). Getting around on foot or by bus is easy (A−). The overall grade comes out at D, #810 of 858 in Ontario. Nationally, it does better than 14% of Canadian towns. Elsewhere it is close to typical: C+ for health and B− for jobs & income.
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 Sarnia stand out
The 3 things Sarnia does most differently from other towns.
How Sarnia grades
Each subject compares Sarnia 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 Sarnia.
Home ownership in Sarnia, 68%, runs below Ontario’s towns and Canadian towns
Area-wide: rent as a share of income and monthly rent for a two-bedroom, counted over the Sarnia metro area
Rent took nearly a quarter of household income, above both Ontario’s towns (22%) and Canadian towns (20%). The median home value was $400,000, below Ontario’s towns ($695,000) and close to Canadian towns ($406,000).
What homes were worth · The median owner’s estimate at the 2021 census
| Census 2021 | Sarnia | Ontario | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home value, 2021 | $400,000 | $695,000 | $406,000 |
| Households owning their home | 68% | 76% | 74% |
| Rent as a share of income | 23% | 22% | 20% |
| Households spending 30%+ on shelter | 18% | 22% | 18% |
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.
In Sarnia, families choose among 4 boards: English and French, public and Catholic
Within 3 km of Sarnia are 24 elementary schools and 6 secondary schools, teaching 11,200 students. St Patrick's Catholic High School is the biggest, at 1,480 students. Results are mixed: 6 of 28 schools above the middle in Ontario, 14 below it. 6 of the 30 teach in French, against 10% of schools in Ontario.
| School | Level | Students | System |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gregory A Hogan Catholic School CatholicLargest elementary schoolElementary · Grades JK–8 | Elementary · Grades JK–8 | 615 | English Catholic |
| St Patrick's Catholic High School CatholicLargest secondary schoolSecondary · Grades 9–12 | Secondary · Grades 9–12 | 1,480 | English Catholic |
| École élémentaire catholique Saint-Thomas-d'Aquin FrenchTeaches in FrenchElementary · Grades JK–6 | Elementary · Grades JK–6 | 205 | French Catholic |
| Cathcart Boulevard Public School Top fifth in OntarioResults in the top fifth in OntarioElementary · Grades JK–8 | Elementary · Grades JK–8 | 555 | English public |
Schools by system · Schools within 3 km
| Schools within 3 km | Sarnia | Ontario | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| School boards | 4 | 4 | 3 |
Provincial school lists and results, 2024-25
Sarnia is on Canada’s flood inventory: 1 listed, led by St. Clair Region Conservation Authority
Radon is about average around Sarnia: nearly a tenth of tested homes in the survey area topped the guideline, against 6.6% for the typical town. Earthquakes matter little: NRCan’s model puts building losses at $0.015 a year per $1,000 of value, against $0.030 for the typical town.
Radon tests above the guideline · share of tested homes, 200 Bq/m³
| Hazards | Sarnia | 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 |
NRCan seismic risk model and burned areas, Health Canada radon survey, the Flood Hazard Map Inventory
Sarnia earns a C for safety
For violence alone the index was 105, above Ontario’s towns (76) and Canadian towns (86) alike. Violent crime is recorded at 18.7 per 1,000 residents a year.
Year by year · Crime Severity Index for each year
| 2023–2025 | Sarnia | Ontario | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Violent crime | 18.7 | 10.5 | 12 |
| Violent Crime Severity Index | 105 | 76 | 86 |
Statistics Canada, Uniform Crime Reporting Survey, 2023–2025 average
Winter nights in Sarnia are milder than in 83% of Canadian towns
Most of the snow comes in January, about 34 cm. There are 131 days of frost in a typical year, below both Ontario’s towns (139) and Canadian towns (159). A normal June brings 93 mm of precipitation, more than any other month.
Average high by season · ECCC normals, 1991–2020
| Normals, 1991–2020 | Sarnia | 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 |
Environment and Climate Change Canada, Canadian Climate Normals 1991–2020 (Sarnia)
Expect 80.0 years of life in the region around Sarnia, 1.5 under the typical Canadian town
The town’s own part is the trip to care: residents of Sarnia live 3.4 km from a hospital on average, close to the typical town’s 3.7 km. Smokers make up 14% of the region’s adults, above both Ontario’s towns (10%) and Canadian towns (12%). Across the region, nearly half of adults say their health is very good or excellent; Ontario as a whole reaches 51%.
Very good or excellent health · adults, age-standardised
| Health | Sarnia | 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% |
Statistics Canada, Canadian Community Health Survey 2023/2024 and life expectancy 2022/2024; Open Database of Healthcare Facilities · Health survey and life expectancy: one figure for all of the Lambton Health Unit
Sarnia in November: highs near 8°C, lows near freezing
A normal December brings highs of 2°C, lows of −4°C. Expect around 7 cm of snow in November. In November, the normal is 80 mm of rain and snow. The forecast on the Weather page is ECCC’s for Sarnia.
Normal highs, the months ahead · ECCC normals, 1991–2020
| 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 |
ECCC normals, 1991–2020 (Sarnia); the forecast is on the Weather page
8,950 residents per council seat in Sarnia, a higher ratio than nine in ten Ontario municipalities
In October 2022, Sarnia elected Mike Bradley as mayor, with a council of 9.
| Turnout | Sarnia | Ontario | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Municipal election, 2022 | 40% | 31% | 31% |
Wikidata, MAMH, MMAH, Statistics Canada
Sarnia has 3 public library branches
They are Lambton County Library - Bright's Grove, Lambton County Library - Mallroad and Lambton County Library - Sarnia.
Provincial library statistics, OpenStreetMap, the CRA and Statistics Canada
Little of the land around Sarnia is protected: 0.2% within 10 km
Swimmers have 2 beaches within 5 km, Canatara Beach the nearest. National parks are all over 100 km off. Count 4 protected areas within 10 km of town. A provincial park, Pinery Provincial Park, lies 36 km away.
Protected land · of the land within 10 km
| Outdoors | Sarnia | Ontario | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Protected land within 10 km | 0.2% | 2.3% | 2.3% |
| Public protected areas within 10 km | 0 | 4 | 4 |
Canadian Protected and Conserved Areas Database (CPCAD), OpenStreetMap routes and beaches
Commuters in Sarnia have a short way to work, 17 min on average, less than in both Ontario’s towns and Canadian towns
92% of commuters drove, about level with Canadian towns (89%) and above Ontario’s towns (88%).
How working residents got to work · census 2021
| Census 2021 | Sarnia | Ontario | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average trip | 17 min | 29 min | 26 min |
| Car or van | 92% | 88% | 89% |
Statistics Canada, Census 2021 (labour and commuting) · Census day was in May 2021, mid-pandemic, so commuting and work figures carry the lockdowns’ mark.
Fewer of Sarnia’s people belong to a visible minority than in Ontario’s towns or Canadian towns: 8.3%
4.2% of residents have an Indigenous identity, above Ontario’s towns (1.6%) and Canadian towns (2.8%) alike.
Ages · Share of residents in each age group, Census 2021
Schooling · Highest qualification, residents 15 and over
Women and men · all residents
51.3% of Sarnia’s residents are women
35,105 men and 36,945 women lived here in 2021, against a share of women of 50.9% for Canada.
| Sarnia | Ontario | Canada | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 15 | 15% | 15% | 16% |
| 15 to 64 | 61% | 65% | 64% |
| 65+ | 25% | 19% | 19% |
| No certificate, diploma or degree | 14% | 15% | 16% |
| Postsecondary qualification | 55% | 56% | 56% |
Statistics Canada, Census 2021; Ontario and Canada: medians of towns of 2,500+
Sarnia’s past, on the record: 2 historic places
36% of its homes were built before 1961, above both Ontario’s towns (22%) and Canadian towns (18%). Of the dated places, VIA Rail Station, Sarnia, Ontario is the oldest, from 1891. The list takes in a Recognized Federal Heritage Building and a heritage railway station.
Historic places by designation · inside the town
Among them
| Heritage | Sarnia | Ontario | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Homes built before 1961 | 36% | 22% | 18% |
Canadian Register of Historic Places, Directory of Federal Heritage Designations, Québec’s Répertoire du patrimoine culturel, Wikidata; Census 2021 homes by period
Stones 'N Bones Museum and 2 more in and around Sarnia
The best-known places to visit in and around Sarnia come first; the full list is on the Attractions page.
Everything we know about Sarnia
Famous people from Sarnia
139 notable people were born in Sarnia.
Photo credits
Sid Meier: Guerric, CC BY-SA 2.0 · Marie Prevost: Elmer Fryer (1898-1944), Public domain · Susan Clark: ABC Television, Public domain · Lance Storm: Tabercil, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Cameron Mathison: Graytess, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Dino Ciccarelli: John Croft, Public domain
Sarnia’s neighbours
The nearest places of 1,000 or more. Statistics Canada
| Town | People | km | Overall | Cost | Safety | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sarnia | 80,539 | — | D | D | C | C+ |
| Point Edward | 1,989 | 3.6 | — | C− | C | B− |
People: Statistics Canada, Census 2021. Distances: centre to centre.
Questions about Sarnia
How old are the people of Sarnia?
Its median age is 46, where Canadian towns sit at 45.2. Under-15s are 15% of residents; over-65s, 25%.
Has Sarnia grown?
Yes: the census counted 71,594 in 2016 and 72,047 in 2021, a rise of 0.6%, against 4.1% for the median of Canadian towns. The 2025 estimate is 80,539.
What kind of homes are in Sarnia?
Mostly 67% single-detached houses (the median of Canadian towns: 64%), with 12% of homes in buildings of five or more storeys. Households hold 2.2 people on average, and 34% have just one.
About Sarnia
Town in Ontario
For Sarnia, 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
- 80,539 (people, 2025 estimate)
- Province or territory
- Ontario
- Census division
- Lambton
- Census subdivision
- 3538030
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).