Sault Ste. MarieOntario
It is a town of 81,182 residents in Ontario. It lies in Algoma.
Is Sault Ste. Marie a good place to live?
Health outcomes fall short of most towns (C−). Crime is the sore point (C−). Walkability is where it shines (A−). At $250,000, the median home value in 2021 came to 3.4 times local household income. The overall grade lands at D, #839 of 858 in Ontario. It comes out better than 8% of Canadian towns.
Figures: home values and income: Statistics Canada, Census 2021.
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 Sault Ste. Marie stand out
The 2 things Sault Ste. Marie does most differently from other towns.
How Sault Ste. Marie grades
Each subject compares Sault Ste. Marie 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 →
Precious Blood Cathedral and 11 more in and around Sault Ste. Marie
From museums to parks and historic sites: Sault Ste. Marie’s places to visit and those just beyond its edge, most famous first.
CathedralPrecious Blood Cathedralin town
MuseumCanadian Bushplane Heritage Centrein town
Art galleryArt Gallery of Algomain town
MuseumSault Ste. Marie Museumin town
CathedralSt. Luke's Cathedralin town
MuseumErmatinger Clergue National Historic Sitein townPhotos: each place’s Wikidata image, from Wikimedia Commons under the licence below (our copy, resized).
Photo credits (6)
- Precious Blood Cathedral: Fungus Guy, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Canadian Bushplane Heritage Centre: P199, Public domain, Wikimedia Commons
- Art Gallery of Algoma: Fungus Guy, Public domain, Wikimedia Commons
- Sault Ste. Marie Museum: Fungus Guy, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
- St. Luke's Cathedral: Fungus Guy, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Ermatinger Clergue National Historic Site: Fungus Guy, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
The data
Data highlights are ordered by what stands out in Sault Ste. Marie.
Sault Ste. Marie’s grade for hazard risk: an A
Of the homes tested for radon, 8.6% were over 200 Bq/m³, higher than both Ontario’s towns (4%) and Canadian towns (6.6%). Seismic risk runs low: $0.004 of expected damage per $1,000 of buildings a year, the typical town $0.030. Burn scars are few around Sault Ste. Marie, with 0.5% of the land within 25 km touched by fire since 1986 (0.01% a year).
Radon tests above the guideline · share of tested homes, 200 Bq/m³
| Hazards | Sault Ste. Marie | Ontario | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Radon tests above the guideline | 8.6% | 4% | 6.6% |
| Earthquake loss per $1,000 of buildings a year | $0.004 | $0.043 | $0.030 |
NRCan seismic risk model and burned areas, Health Canada radon survey, the Flood Hazard Map Inventory
Lives run shorter around Sault Ste. Marie: 77.9 years, 3.6 below the typical Canadian town’s region
Source area for health survey and life expectancy: the The District of Algoma Health Unit
On average a fifth of adults live with arthritis, diabetes or high blood pressure, above both Ontario’s towns (17%) and Canadian towns (17%), and on top of that the region has more smokers than Ontario, 17% of adults to 11%. Across the region, 46% of adults say their health is very good or excellent; Ontario as a whole reaches 51%. What sets Sault Ste. Marie apart within its region is distance, and at 3.6 km to a hospital it is ordinary (3.7 km typical).
Very good or excellent health · adults, age-standardised
| Health | Sault Ste. Marie | Ontario | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life expectancy at birth | 77.9 | 82.8 | 81.5 |
| Smokers | 17% | 10% | 12% |
| Chronic conditions (average share) | 20% | 17% | 17% |
| Very good or excellent health | 46% | 51% | 52% |
Statistics Canada, Canadian Community Health Survey 2023/2024 and life expectancy 2022/2024; Open Database of Healthcare Facilities
Sault Ste. Marie’s Violent Crime Severity Index, 137, runs above Ontario’s towns and Canadian towns
Property crime ran at 50.6 incidents per 1,000 residents a year, above Ontario’s towns (30.5) and Canadian towns (31.2) alike. Violence reaches 16.2 per 1,000 residents a year.
Year by year · Crime Severity Index for each year
| 2023–2025 | Sault Ste. Marie | Ontario | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Property crime per 1,000 | 50.6 | 30.5 | 31.2 |
| Violent Crime Severity Index | 137 | 76 | 86 |
| Violent crime | 16.2 | 10.5 | 12 |
Statistics Canada, Uniform Crime Reporting Survey, 2023–2025 average
English or French, public or Catholic: Sault Ste. Marie’s schools come under 4 boards
Results lean low: 17 of 30 in the lower two fifths in Ontario. Schooling in French is on offer at 3 of 36; in Ontario, 10% of schools teach in it. Taken together, Sault Ste. Marie and its 3 km edge hold 30 elementary schools, 5 secondary schools and 1 alternative or adult school for 11,455 students.
| School | Level | Students | System |
|---|---|---|---|
| St. Basil Catholic School CatholicLargest elementary schoolElementary · Grades JK–8 | Elementary · Grades JK–8 | 725 | English Catholic |
| Korah Collegiate and Vocational School Bottom fifth in OntarioLargest secondary schoolSecondary · Grades 9–12 | Secondary · Grades 9–12 | 990 | English public |
| École élémentaire Notre-Dame-du-Sault FrenchTeaches in FrenchElementary · Grades JK–8 | Elementary · Grades JK–8 | 215 | French Catholic |
Schools by system · Schools within 3 km
| Schools within 3 km | Sault Ste. Marie | Ontario | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| School boards | 4 | 4 | 3 |
Provincial school lists and results, 2024-25
Buying in Sault Ste. Marie takes 3.4 years of household income for the median home, fewer than the 4.7 typical across Canada
The owner-occupied share of households is 68%. 16% of households spent 30% or more of their income on shelter, below both Ontario’s towns (22%) and Canadian towns (18%). Figures for rent as a share of income and monthly rent for a two-bedroom are published for the Sault Ste. Marie metro area as a whole, not for Sault Ste. Marie alone.
What homes were worth · The median owner’s estimate at the 2021 census
| Census 2021 | Sault Ste. Marie | Ontario | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home value, 2021 | $250,000 | $695,000 | $406,000 |
| Households spending 30%+ on shelter | 16% | 22% | 18% |
| Households owning their home | 68% | 76% | 74% |
| Rent as a share of income | 23% | 22% | 20% |
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.
Sault Ste. Marie has cooler summers than Ontario’s towns or Canadian towns: July highs of 24.2°C
The frost-free season runs from 28 May to 29 September, 123 days. Snowfall adds up to 325 cm a year, higher than both Ontario’s towns (146 cm) and Canadian towns (141 cm). In January, overnight lows in Sault Ste. Marie settle at −14.5°C. Snow peaks in January: 84 cm in a normal year.
Average high by season · ECCC normals, 1991–2020
| Normals, 1991–2020 | Sault Ste. Marie | Ontario | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Snowfall a year | 325 cm | 146 cm | 141 cm |
| July afternoon high | 24.2°C | 26.7°C | 25.5°C |
| Days with frost a year | 175 | 139 | 159 |
| January night low | −14.5°C | −9.1°C | −13.5°C |
Environment and Climate Change Canada, Canadian Climate Normals 1991–2020 (Sault Ste Marie)
In Sault Ste. Marie, November normally means 5°C afternoons and −3°C nights
A normal November brings 89 mm of rain and snow. By December, a normal day reaches −1°C and a night falls to −9°C. Expect around 44 cm of snow in November. At the extremes, July afternoons reach 24°C and February nights −15°C.
Normal highs, the months ahead · ECCC normals, 1991–2020
| Season | High | Low | Rain and snow |
|---|---|---|---|
| Winter | −3°C | −13°C | 181 mm |
| Spring | 9°C | −3°C | 192 mm |
| Summer | 23°C | 11°C | 234 mm |
| Autumn | 12°C | 3°C | 308 mm |
ECCC normals, 1991–2020 (Sault Ste Marie); the forecast is on the Weather page
James L. McIntyre Centennial Library and Arthur Wishart Library / West Wing are Sault Ste. Marie’s two public libraries
The 78,574 people Sault Ste.
Provincial library statistics, OpenStreetMap, the CRA and Statistics Canada
More of Sault Ste. Marie’s residents have an Indigenous identity than in Ontario’s towns or Canadian towns: 12%
Visible minorities make up 4.5% of the population, lower than both Ontario’s towns (26%) and Canadian towns (15%). Immigrants make up nearly one in ten residents, above 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 51.4% of Sault Ste. Marie
The 2021 census counted 37,020 women and 35,035 men here, where women make up 50.9% of Canada.
| Sault Ste. Marie | Ontario | Canada | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 15 | 14% | 15% | 16% |
| 15 to 64 | 61% | 65% | 64% |
| 65+ | 25% | 19% | 19% |
| No certificate, diploma or degree | 16% | 15% | 16% |
| Postsecondary qualification | 53% | 56% | 56% |
Statistics Canada, Census 2021; Ontario and Canada: medians of towns of 2,500+
Trips to work from Sault Ste. Marie are shorter than from Ontario’s towns or Canadian towns: 15 min on average
91% of commuters drove to work at the census.
How working residents got to work · census 2021
| Census 2021 | Sault Ste. Marie | Ontario | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average trip | 15 min | 29 min | 26 min |
| Car or van | 91% | 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.
Sault Ste. Marie touches Sault Ste. Marie Water Lot
3 beaches are mapped within 5 km, none with a name. Biggest among them: Goulais River Beach Ridges Conservation Reserve, 929 ha, 9.2 km off. For a provincial park, Sandy Islands Provincial Park lies 24 km off. No national park lies within 100 km.
Protected land · of the land within 10 km
| Outdoors | Sault Ste. Marie | Ontario | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Protected land within 10 km | 1.6% | 2.3% | 2.3% |
| Public protected areas within 10 km | 2 | 4 | 4 |
Canadian Protected and Conserved Areas Database (CPCAD), OpenStreetMap routes and beaches
Sault Ste. Marie has 11 historic places on the registers, 6 in the top tier
Counted by designation, there are 3 Recognized Federal Heritage Buildings and 2 provincial or municipal listings. The earliest construction date, 1812, belongs to Ermatinger House. Before 1961 is when 34% of the homes went up, higher than both Ontario’s towns (22%) and Canadian towns (18%).
Historic places by designation · inside the town
Among them
| Heritage | Sault Ste. Marie | Ontario | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Homes built before 1961 | 34% | 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 Sault Ste. Marie
Famous people from Sault Ste. Marie
134 notable people were born in Sault Ste. Marie.
Photo credits
Roberta Bondar: JSC/NASA, Public domain · Phil Esposito: Алексей Дружинин / Alexei Druzhinin, CC BY 4.0 · Tony Esposito: Chicago Blackhawks / NHL, Public domain · Brad Jacobs: Krazytea, CC BY-SA 4.0 · Ron Francis: akulawolf, CC BY-SA 2.0 · Colin Miller: Lisa Gansky from New York, NY, USA, CC BY-SA 2.0
Sault Ste. Marie’s neighbours
The nearest places of 1,000 or more. Statistics Canada
| Town | People | km | Overall | Cost | Safety | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sault Ste. Marie | 81,182 | — | D | C | C− | C− |
| Garden River 14 | 1,205 | 14 | — | — | — | D |
| Prince | 1,113 | 14 | — | A− | D− | D |
People: Statistics Canada, Census 2021. Distances: centre to centre.
Questions about Sault Ste. Marie
Who are the people of Sault Ste. Marie?
5% of residents belong to a visible minority, against 15% for the median of Canadian towns; 12% have an Indigenous identity and 9% are immigrants.
Is Sault Ste. Marie a young town or an old one?
At 47.2, its median age compares with 45.2 across Canadian towns. Children make up 14% of the population and seniors 25%.
Is Sault Ste. Marie growing?
It went from 73,368 people in 2016 to 72,051 in 2021, down 1.8%, while the median of Canadian towns grew 4.1%. StatCan’s 2025 estimate is 81,182.
What kind of homes are in Sault Ste. Marie?
Single-detached houses make up 65% of the homes here, where Canadian towns sit at 64%; 6% are in high-rise apartments.
About Sault Ste. Marie
Town in Ontario
TownRatings follows Statistics Canada’s map: Sault Ste. Marie is one municipality in Ontario, figures and all.
Statistics Canada: population estimates 2025 (17-10-0155), Census of Population 2021, 2021 census boundaries.
- Population
- 81,182 (people, 2025 estimate)
- Province or territory
- Ontario
- Census division
- Algoma
- Census subdivision
- 3557061
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).