Smiths FallsOntario
It is a town of 11,093 residents in Ontario. Statistics Canada places it in the Lanark census division.
Is Smiths Falls a good place to live?
Several subjects drag its grade down. Its weakest is schools (D). Overall, Smiths Falls earns a D−, which places it #854 of 858 in Ontario. On that grade it does behind almost every Canadian town. Where it does best is walkability (A+). Homes were valued at a median $300,000 at the 2021 census, 4.9 times the typical household’s income. Incomes are on the low side (D).
Figures: home values and income: Statistics Canada, Census 2021.
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 Smiths Falls grades
Each subject compares Smiths Falls 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 Smiths Falls stand out
The 3 things Smiths Falls does most differently from other towns.
The data
Data highlights are ordered by what stands out in Smiths Falls.
Most schools around Smiths Falls score below the middle in Ontario: 4 of 5
2,015 students attend the 4 elementary schools and 3 secondary schools in or within 3 km of Smiths Falls. Catholic schools make up 4 of 7, above the 34% in Ontario.
| School | Level | Students | System |
|---|---|---|---|
| St Francis de Sales Separate School CatholicLargest elementary schoolElementary · Grades JK–6 | Elementary · Grades JK–6 | 430 | English Catholic |
| Smiths Falls District Collegiate Institute Bottom fifth in OntarioLargest secondary schoolSecondary · Grades 9–12 | Secondary · Grades 9–12 | 700 | English public |
Schools by system · Schools within 3 km
| Schools within 3 km | Smiths Falls | Ontario | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| School boards | 2 | 4 | 3 |
Provincial school lists and results, 2024-25
On hazards, Smiths Falls comes out behind 92% of Canadian towns
5 flood studies cover the town, the latest by Rideau Valley Conservation Authority. More homes than usual carry radon here, 19% over the guideline where the typical town has 6.6%. NRCan’s model puts the yearly earthquake loss at $0.092 per $1,000 of building value, higher than both Ontario’s towns ($0.043) and Canadian towns ($0.030).
Radon tests above the guideline · share of tested homes, 200 Bq/m³
| Hazards | Smiths Falls | Ontario | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Radon tests above the guideline | 19% | 4% | 6.6% |
| Earthquake loss per $1,000 of buildings a year | $0.092 | $0.043 | $0.030 |
NRCan seismic risk model and burned areas, Health Canada radon survey, the Flood Hazard Map Inventory
Renting in Smiths Falls eats 27% of household income, more than in both Ontario’s towns and Canadian towns
Shelter took 30% or more of income for 26% of households, above both Ontario’s towns (22%) and Canadian towns (18%).
What homes were worth · The median owner’s estimate at the 2021 census
| Census 2021 | Smiths Falls | Ontario | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rent as a share of income | 27% | 22% | 20% |
| Households spending 30%+ on shelter | 26% | 22% | 18% |
| Median home value, 2021 | $300,000 | $695,000 | $406,000 |
Statistics Canada, Census 2021; CMHC Rental Market Survey via Statistics Canada · The 2021 census asked owners what their home was worth; those values, and 2020 incomes, are what this compares.
A place people come to for work: Smiths Falls has 1.9 jobs per resident in work
Workers spend 26 min getting to work, on average. 86% of commuters drove, in line with Ontario’s towns (88%) and Canadian towns (89%).
How working residents got to work · census 2021
| Census 2021 | Smiths Falls | Ontario | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average trip | 26 min | 29 min | 26 min |
| Car or van | 86% | 88% | 89% |
Statistics Canada, Census 2021 (labour and commuting) · The 2021 census was taken in May 2021, during COVID-19 restrictions: more people than usual worked from home or were off work.
Smiths Falls’s Violent Crime Severity Index, 148, runs above Ontario’s towns and Canadian towns
Violent incidents came to 24.9 per 1,000 residents a year, above Ontario’s towns (10.5) and Canadian towns (12) alike. Thefts, break-ins and damage add up to 43.1 per 1,000 residents a year.
Year by year · Crime Severity Index for each year
| 2023–2025 | Smiths Falls | Ontario | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Violent crime | 24.9 | 10.5 | 12 |
| Violent Crime Severity Index | 148 | 76 | 86 |
| Property crime per 1,000 | 43.1 | 30.5 | 31.2 |
Statistics Canada, Uniform Crime Reporting Survey, 2023–2025 average
January lows in Smiths Falls: −14.2°C, against −9.1°C in Ontario’s towns and −13.5°C in Canadian towns
Summer highs in Smiths Falls reach 27.1°C in July. The thermometer drops below freezing on 163 days a year, above Ontario’s towns (139) and close to Canadian towns (159). January is the snowiest month, with 46 cm on average. The most precipitation falls in September: 91 mm in a normal year.
Average high by season · ECCC normals, 1991–2020
| Normals, 1991–2020 | Smiths Falls | Ontario | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Snowfall a year | 187 cm | 146 cm | 141 cm |
| July afternoon high | 27.1°C | 26.7°C | 25.5°C |
| January night low | −14.2°C | −9.1°C | −13.5°C |
| Days with frost a year | 163 | 139 | 159 |
Environment and Climate Change Canada, Canadian Climate Normals 1991–2020 (Drummond Centre)
51% of adults around Smiths Falls rate their health very good or excellent
Smoking is commoner than in the province: 14% of adults, against 11% for Ontario. The region’s 2022/2024 life expectancy is 81.2, with women at 83.3 and men at 79.2. The three chronic conditions the survey tracks average 18% of adults, in line with Ontario’s towns (17%) and Canadian towns (17%). Measured from where Smiths Falls’ residents live, the nearest hospital is 1.4 km away, under the typical 3.7 km. Smiths Falls 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 | Smiths Falls | 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
A normal November in Smiths Falls runs from −2°C to 6°C
Expect around 17 cm of snow in November. A normal November brings 75 mm of rain and snow. December follows at −1°C by day and −9°C by night. ECCC’s forecast for Smiths Falls is on the Weather page, hour by hour.
Normal highs, the months ahead · ECCC normals, 1991–2020
| Season | High | Low | Rain and snow |
|---|---|---|---|
| Winter | −3°C | −12°C | 204 mm |
| Spring | 12°C | 0°C | 214 mm |
| Summer | 26°C | 13°C | 267 mm |
| Autumn | 13°C | 3°C | 253 mm |
ECCC normals, 1991–2020 (Drummond Centre); the forecast is on the Weather page
Scott Reid (Conservative Party of Canada) holds Lanark—Frontenac, the riding that includes Smiths Falls
Across Ontario, 71 of the 122 MPs sit with the Liberal Party of Canada.
| Turnout | Smiths Falls | Ontario | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Municipal election, 2022 | 39% | 31% | 31% |
Wikidata, MAMH, MMAH, Statistics Canada
At 2 visits per person served, Smiths Falls Public Library is quieter than 83% of Ontario’s town libraries
A single building, Smiths Falls Public Library, serves 9,254 people.
Provincial library statistics, OpenStreetMap, the CRA and Statistics Canada
Older residents shape Smiths Falls: 26% are 65 or over, above Ontario’s towns and Canadian towns
Visible minorities make up 4.1% of the population, below Ontario’s towns (26%) and Canadian towns (15%) alike. 6.8% of residents have an Indigenous identity, 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 52.4% of Smiths Falls
The 2021 census counted 4,850 women and 4,400 men here, where women make up 50.9% of Canada.
| Smiths Falls | Ontario | Canada | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 15 | 16% | 15% | 16% |
| 15 to 64 | 58% | 65% | 64% |
| 65+ | 26% | 19% | 19% |
| No certificate, diploma or degree | 25% | 15% | 16% |
| Postsecondary qualification | 41% | 56% | 56% |
Statistics Canada, Census 2021; Ontario and Canada: medians of towns of 2,500+
The The Great Trail (Eastern Ontario) passes Smiths Falls
The closest provincial park is Murphys Point Provincial Park, 17 km from the edge of town. Protected areas cover 7.5% of the land within 10 km, above both Ontario’s towns (2.3%) and Canadian towns (2.3%). 35 km separate the town from Thousand Islands National Park, its nearest national park.
Protected land · of the land within 10 km
| Outdoors | Smiths Falls | Ontario | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Protected land within 10 km | 7.5% | 2.3% | 2.3% |
| Public protected areas within 10 km | 1 | 4 | 4 |
Canadian Protected and Conserved Areas Database (CPCAD), OpenStreetMap routes and beaches
56% of Smiths Falls’s homes were built before 1961
The list takes in 2 Recognized Federal Heritage Buildings. Its oldest building on the record is West Mill, from 1852. The lists give 4 historic places here, 2 in the top tier.
Historic places by designation · inside the town
Among them
| Heritage | Smiths Falls | Ontario | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Homes built before 1961 | 56% | 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 Smiths Falls
Smiths Falls Railway Station (Canadian Northern) and 4 more in and around Smiths Falls
What there is to see in Smiths Falls and within a short drive, starting with the places most people have heard of.
MuseumSmiths Falls Railway Station (Canadian Northern)in townHistoric siteHistoric siteDefensible Lockmaster's Housein townMuseumMuseumHeritage House Museumin townArt galleryArt galleryOrganic Conceptionsin townMuseumMuseumRideau Canal Visitor Information Centrein townPhotos: each place’s Wikidata image, from Wikimedia Commons under the licence below (our copy, resized).
Photo credits (1)
- Smiths Falls Railway Station (Canadian Northern): Bruce Fingerhood from Springfield, Oregon, US, CC BY 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
Famous people from Smiths Falls
18 notable people were born in Smiths Falls.
Photo credits
Don McKenney: TCG Topps Gum Cards, Public domain · Francis Theodore Frost: Unknown author, Public domain
About Smiths Falls
Town in Ontario
Smiths Falls is a municipality in Ontario, read by TownRatings as Statistics Canada draws it: one census subdivision, so its figures cover the whole municipality.
Statistics Canada: population estimates 2025 (17-10-0155), Census of Population 2021, 2021 census boundaries.
- Population
- 11,093 (people, 2025 estimate)
- Province or territory
- Ontario
- Census division
- Lanark
- Census subdivision
- 3509004
Smiths Falls’ neighbours
The nearest places of 1,000 or more. Statistics Canada
| Town | People | km | Overall | Cost | Safety | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Smiths Falls | 11,093 | — | D− | D | C− | B |
| Montague | 4,414 | 6.9 | C | C− | A+ | B− |
| Merrickville | 3,411 | 12 | B− | C | A | B− |
| Drummond/North Elmsley | 8,817 | 16 | C+ | C | A+ | B− |
| Perth | 6,972 | 19 | C− | D | C+ | B |
People: Statistics Canada, Census 2021. Distances: centre to centre.
Questions about Smiths Falls
Who are the people of Smiths Falls?
Visible minorities are 4% of the population, where the middle of Canadian towns is 15%. Immigrants make up 6%, and Indigenous people 7%.
What kind of homes are in Smiths Falls?
Mostly 53% single-detached houses (the median of Canadian towns: 64%), with 1% of homes in buildings of five or more storeys. Households hold 2.1 people on average, and 39% have just one.
Is Smiths Falls growing?
It grew from 8,780 people in 2016 to 9,254 in 2021, up 5.4%; the median of Canadian towns grew 4.1%. StatCan’s 2025 estimate is 11,093.
Is Smiths Falls a young town or an old one?
Its median age is 47.2, where Canadian towns sit at 45.2. Under-15s are 16% of residents; over-65s, 26%.
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).