SouthwoldOntario

TownGrade

B⁻

#1,209 of 2,556

A town of 5,473 in Ontario. Between 2016 and 2021, its population grew by 10%.

5 places within 19 kmMap →

Photo: Unknown. Canada. Department of National Defence. · Public domain

Population

5,473

people, 2025 estimate

Median age

years · Ontario’s towns: 46.8

Postsecondary

58%

of residents 15 and over hold a postsecondary certificate, diploma or degree · Canadian towns: 56%

Walk, cycle, transit

walk, cycle or take transit to work · Canadian towns: 8%

Is Southwold a good place to live?

Real strengths, and real weak spots. Recorded crime is low (A). Add jobs & income to its strengths (A). Prices are high against local incomes (C−). It lags on walkability as well (C−). The overall grade comes out at B−, better than 54% of Canadian towns. In the ranking it comes #458 of 858 in Ontario.

Rents here are the metro area's average, shared by every town and neighbourhood in it. Safety is the police detachment's figure, shared with the towns and countryside around it. Health is graded on the health region's survey figures and life expectancy, with the distance to hospital giving the town its own spread.

StrongestASafety AJobs & incomeWeakestC⁻Walkability C⁻Cost of living

How Southwold grades

Each subject compares Southwold 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 grading works

SafetyNear the top of the towns comparedAOpen →Jobs & incomeGraded on incomes, poverty and employmentAOpen →WalkabilityAmong the hardest places to get around without a carC⁻Open →Cost of livingWeaker than most of the towns comparedC⁻Open →Hazard riskBased on seismic risk and radon tests, lowered where wildfire runs highB⁺Open →SchoolsSchools trail most of those comparedCOpen →HealthBased on how healthy residents are for their agesB⁻Open →

How TownRatings grades Canadian towns →

What makes Southwold stand out

The 3 things Southwold does most differently from other towns.

Picked automatically from the data

Walk, cycle or transit to work

Getting around

4% walk, cycle or take transit

Compare 8% for the median of Canadian towns

Statistics Canada, Census 2021

Safety

Better than 94%

of Canadian towns on safety

Its safety grade: A.

Jobs & income

Better than 90%

of Canadian towns on jobs & income

Its jobs & income grade: A.

The data

Data highlights are ordered by what stands out in Southwold.

SafetySafety A

The police who cover Southwold record less serious crime than Ontario’s towns or Canadian towns: a Crime Severity Index of 32

32Crime Severity Index

Its police area recorded 6.9 violent incidents per 1,000 residents a year, below Ontario’s towns (10.5) and Canadian towns (12) alike. Property crime in the area its police cover: 11.6 per 1,000 people a year.

Year by year · Crime Severity Index for each year

202330

202435

202529

2023–2025	Southwold	Ontario	Canada
Property crime per 1,000	11.6	30.5	31.2
Crime Severity Index	32	56	67
Violent Crime Severity Index	41	76	86
Violent crime	6.9	10.5	12

non-violent Crime Severity Index

43%

of incidents cleared, 2023–25

Full pageSouthwold’s safety reportOpen the full Safety report

Safety32 Crime Severity Index · The index weighs each crime Southwold’s police recorded by how serious it is.Questions“Is Southwold safe?”

Statistics Canada, Uniform Crime Reporting Survey, 2023–2025 average · Area behind the Crime Severity Index, Violent Crime Severity Index, violent crime and property crime per 1,000 figures: the Elgin County detachment area

Work & commuteJobs & income A

Trips to work from Southwold are shorter than from Ontario’s towns or Canadian towns: 24 min on average

4%walk, cycle or take transit

How working residents got to work · census 2021

Car or van95%

Walk4%

Census 2021	Southwold	Ontario	Canada
Average trip	24 min	29 min	26 min

$105,000

median household income, 2020

22%

worked from home, May 2021

12%

of commuters work inside the municipality

Full pageSouthwold’s work & commute pageOpen the full Work & commute page

Unemployment12% unemployed · Of the labour force · Canadian towns: 9.9%Getting to work4% walk, cycle or take transit Where people commute to580 commuters · The biggest flow out: to St. Thomas

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.

HousingCost of living C⁻

Southwold is a town of owners: 92% of households own their home, above Ontario’s towns and Canadian towns

$600,000median home value, 2021C⁻Cost of living Grade

Measured across the London metro area: rent as a share of income and monthly rent for a two-bedroom

Rent took 19% of household income, below Ontario’s towns (22%) and Canadian towns (20%) alike. Shelter took 30% or more of income for 6% of households, below Ontario’s towns (22%) and Canadian towns (18%) alike.

What homes were worth · The median owner’s estimate at the 2021 census

Southwold$600,000

Ontario$695,000

Canadian towns$406,000

Census 2021	Southwold	Ontario	Canada
Households spending 30%+ on shelter	6%	22%	18%
Households owning their home	92%	76%	74%
Rent as a share of income	19%	22%	20%
Median home value, 2021	$600,000	$695,000	$406,000

$1,645

monthly rent for a two-bedroom

$1,310

median monthly shelter cost for owners, 2021

Full pageSouthwold’s cost of living pageOpen the full Cost of living page

Owners and renters92% own their home Cost of living5.7 times household income · The median owner’s estimate, $600,000, against the median household income Renting$1,645 a month · A two-bedroom apartment, CMHC’s survey

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.

Natural hazardsHazard risk B⁺

Flood mapping exists for Southwold: 1 on record, latest by Kettle Creek Conservation Authority

Lowwildfire bandB⁺Hazard risk Grade

Southwold’s survey area, 7.5% over the radon guideline, is close to the typical town’s 6.6%. Earthquake risk locally is ordinary: NRCan’s model puts building losses at $0.021 a year per $1,000 of value, close to the typical town’s $0.030. Behind radon tests sits data gathered across the Elgin-St. Thomas Health Unit, with Southwold one part of it.

Radon tests above the guideline · share of tested homes, 200 Bq/m³

Southwold7.5%

Ontario’s towns4%

Canadian towns6.6%

Hazards	Southwold	Ontario	Canada
Radon tests above the guideline	7.5%	4%	6.6%
Earthquake loss per $1,000 of buildings a year	$0.021	$0.043	$0.030

$0.021

expected earthquake loss a year per $1,000 of buildings

Low

wildfire band

flood study on the national inventory

Full pageSouthwold’s flood & hazards pageOpen the full Flood & hazards page

FloodOne flood study on record WildfireLow wildfire band · No land burned within 25 km since 1986 Earthquakes$0.021 a year per $1,000 · Canadian towns: $0.030 Radon7.5% of tests above the guideline Be readyAlerts, FireSmart and radon tests

NRCan seismic risk model and burned areas, Health Canada radon survey, the Flood Hazard Map Inventory

SchoolsSchools C

5 of Southwold’s 9 tested schools score in the lower two fifths in Ontario

9schools within 3 kmCSchools Grade

The Catholic boards run 1 of its 9 schools, below the 34% in Ontario. Boards running schools in the area: 2, below Ontario’s towns (4) and Canadian towns (3) alike. Its elementary schools are big ones, 526 students on average, against 365 in Ontario. Within 3 km of Southwold are 7 elementary schools and 2 secondary schools, teaching 5,050 students.

School	Level	Students	System
Southwold Public School Middle fifth in OntarioLargest elementary schoolElementary · Grades JK–8	Elementary · Grades JK–8	690	English public
Parkside Collegiate Institute Fourth fifth in OntarioLargest secondary schoolSecondary · Grades 9–12	Secondary · Grades 9–12	1,015	English public

See all 9 schools →

Schools by system · Schools within 3 km

English public8

English Catholic1

Schools within 3 km	Southwold	Ontario	Canada
School boards	2	4	3
Nearest secondary school	11 km	1.2 km	1.2 km
Nearest elementary school	7.7 km	0.5 km	0.5 km

5,050

students at the schools within 3 km, 2024-25

11 km

to the nearest secondary school

7.7 km

to the nearest elementary school

Full pageSouthwold’s schools pageOpen the full Schools page

Results0 of 9 in the top two fifths · of the schools with results, placed against every school in Ontario Every school9 schools within 3 km · 7 elementary schools and 2 secondary schools Language0 of 9 teach in French · 10% of schools in Ontario The boards2 school boards · Thames Valley DSB Questions“What schools are there in Southwold?”

Provincial school lists and results, 2024-25

Climate

Frosty mornings in Southwold are scarcer than in 75% of Canadian towns

26.6°CJuly afternoons

Snow peaks in January: 43 cm in a normal year. In January, overnight lows in Southwold settle at −9.1°C. The frost-free season runs from 3 May to 16 October, 165 days. July afternoons reach 26.6°C on average, close to Ontario’s towns (26.7°C) and above Canadian towns (25.5°C).

Average high by season · ECCC normals, 1991–2020

Winter−0.3°C

Spring12.0°C

Summer25.6°C

Autumn14.8°C

Normals, 1991–2020	Southwold	Ontario	Canada
January night low	−9.1°C	−9.1°C	−13.5°C
July afternoon high	26.6°C	26.7°C	25.5°C
Days with frost a year	139	139	159
Precipitation a year	962 mm	902 mm	883 mm

139

days with frost a year

165

frost-free days, 3 May to 16 Oct

128

days with precipitation a year

Full pageSouthwold’s climate pageOpen the full Climate page

The yearJuly highs 26.6°C, January lows −9.1°C Rain and snow962 mm a year · Canadian towns: 883 mm Snow152 cm of snow a year Weather station35 km to the station · London

Environment and Climate Change Canada, Canadian Climate Normals 1991–2020 (London)

Weather

A normal November in Southwold runs from freezing to 8°C

8°Ca normal November afternoon

In November, the normal is 88 mm of rain and snow. Next comes December, with normal highs of 1°C and lows of −5°C. Snowfall in a normal November: 13 cm. The year peaks in July (27°C) and bottoms out in January (−9°C).

Normal highs, the months ahead · ECCC normals, 1991–2020

November8°C

December1°C

January−2°C

February−1°C

Season	High	Low	Rain and snow
Winter	0°C	−8°C	221 mm
Spring	12°C	2°C	245 mm
Summer	26°C	14°C	233 mm
Autumn	15°C	5°C	263 mm

0°C

a normal November night

88 mm

of rain and snow in a normal November

Full pageSouthwold’s weather pageOpen the full Weather page

Next 24 hoursTemperature and chance of rain, hour by hour The week aheadECCC’s days ahead, beside the normals The yearWarmest July, coldest January

ECCC normals, 1991–2020 (London); the forecast is on the Weather page

Town hall

Southwold’s MP is Andrew Lawton (Conservative Party of Canada), for Elgin—St. Thomas—London South

Southwold sends one MPP (Member of Provincial Parliament, at Queen’s Park in Toronto) to the Legislative Assembly of Ontario from Elgin—Middlesex—London, though no open record we can reuse gives the name.

Turnout	Southwold	Ontario	Canada
Municipal election, 2022	37%	31%	31%

Full pageSouthwold’s town hall & politics pageOpen the full Town hall & politics page

Who runs itTownship council seats5

Wikidata, MAMH, MMAH, Statistics Canada

Library & civic lifeCivic life grade C⁺

Southwold has one public library, Elgin County Library - Shedden

It sits 2 km from the centre of Southwold.

Full pageSouthwold’s library & civic life pageOpen the full Library & civic life page

The libraries1 Libraries Places to belong1.6 charities per 1,000 residents

Provincial library statistics, OpenStreetMap, the CRA and Statistics Canada

Outdoors

4 named trails run within 2 km of Southwold

0.1%of the land within 10 km protected

No national park lies within 100 km. Swimmers have 5 beaches within 5 km, Erie Rest Beach the nearest. John E. Pearce Provincial Park is the closest provincial park, at 9.9 km. Out to 10 km from the town’s edge, 0.1% of the land is protected; 2.3% is typical for a Canadian town.

Protected land · of the land within 10 km

Southwold0.1%

Ontario’s towns2.3%

Canadian towns2.3%

Outdoors	Southwold	Ontario	Canada
Protected land within 10 km	0.1%	2.3%	2.3%
Public protected areas within 10 km	1	4	4

9.9 km

to John E. Pearce Provincial Park

beaches within 5 km

public protected area within 10 km

Full pageSouthwold’s outdoors pageOpen the full Outdoors page

Footpaths & routes4 named routes · Elgin Trail Protected landof the land within 10 km Protected areas5 protected areas within 10 km · John E. Pearce Provincial Park National & provincial parks9.9 km to a provincial park · John E. Pearce Provincial Park

Canadian Protected and Conserved Areas Database (CPCAD), OpenStreetMap routes and beaches

HealthHealth B⁻

49% of adults around Southwold rate their health very good or excellent

49%very good or excellent healthB⁻Health Grade

Smoking takes in just over one in ten adults, age-standardised, above Ontario’s towns (10%) and Canadian towns (12%) alike. A baby born in the region can expect 80.6 years, 83.0 for a girl and 78.2 for a boy (2022/2024). What sets Southwold apart within its region is a longer trip to hospital, 8.4 km for the average resident (3.7 km typical). Southwold doesn’t get its own health survey and life expectancy figures; the ones here come from the Oxford Elgin St. Thomas Health Unit.

Very good or excellent health · adults, age-standardised

Southwold49%

Ontario’s towns51%

Canadian towns52%

Health	Southwold	Ontario	Canada
Life expectancy at birth	80.6	82.8	81.5
Very good or excellent health	49%	51%	52%
Smokers	12%	10%	12%
Chronic conditions (average share)	18%	17%	17%

80.6

years of life expectancy, 2022/2024

8.4 km

from homes to a hospital, on average

12%

of adults smoke, age-standardised

8.9 km

from homes to a pharmacy, on average

Full pageSouthwold’s health pageOpen the full Health page

Health survey49% very good or excellent health · adults, age-standardised Getting care8.4 km to a hospital · A pharmacy 8.9 km away on average The wider areaLife expectancy: women 83.0, men 78.2 Conditions and habits18% with chronic conditions · adults, age-standardised

Statistics Canada, Canadian Community Health Survey 2023/2024 and life expectancy 2022/2024; Open Database of Healthcare Facilities

Who lives here

Fewer of Southwold’s people belong to a visible minority than in Ontario’s towns or Canadian towns: 2.2%

44median age

18% of residents are children under 15. The 65-and-over age group makes up 20% of residents. First Nations, Métis and Inuit people make up 2.1% of residents, above Ontario’s towns (1.6%) but below Canadian towns (2.8%).

SouthwoldOntarioCanada

OntarioCanada

Ages · Share of residents in each age group, Census 2021

18%

Schooling · Highest qualification, residents 15 and over

No certificate, diploma or degree13%

Postsecondary qualification58%

Women and men · all residents

49.8% of Southwold’s residents are women

In 2021 there were 2,415 women to 2,435 men; Canada as a whole is 50.9% women.

Who lives in Southwold
	Southwold	Ontario	Canada
Under 15	18%	15%	16%
15 to 64	62%	65%	64%
65+	20%	19%	19%
No certificate, diploma or degree	13%	15%	16%
Postsecondary qualification	58%	56%	56%

Full pageSouthwold’s Who lives here pageOpen the full Who lives here page

Immigrants7% are immigrants · 2% belong to a visible minority Ages44 median age · 20% are 65 or over Households1,710 households · 2.8 people per household English and French4% speak both · 0% speak French but not English

Statistics Canada, Census 2021; Ontario and Canada: medians of towns of 2,500+

History

History in Southwold goes back to 1450: Southwold Earthworks

1historic place

Its 1 historic place is of the highest rank. Just over two fifths of its homes were built before 1961, above Ontario’s towns (22%) and Canadian towns (18%) alike.

Historic places by designation · inside the town

Highest designations1

Other federal designations0

Provincial and local listings0

Among them

Southwold Earthworks 1450

1450

oldest construction date on the record

41%

of homes built before 1961 · Canadian towns 18%

Heritage	Southwold	Ontario	Canada
Homes built before 1961	41%	22%	18%

Full pageSouthwold’s history pageOpen the full History page

On the registersOne historic place inside the town Highest designations1 top designation · Southwold Earthworks Older homes41% built before 1961 · Canadian towns: 18%Questions“How many historic places does Southwold have?”

Canadian Register of Historic Places, Directory of Federal Heritage Designations, Québec’s Répertoire du patrimoine culturel, Wikidata; Census 2021 homes by period

Keep exploring

Everything we know about Southwold

15pages on Southwold

The big questions

SafetyACrime Severity Index 32 Housing & costC⁻Homes 5.7 × income Property pricesSchoolsC9 schools within 3 km HealthB⁻Life expectancy 80.6 in its region Work & commuteA61% of adults in work Natural hazardsB⁺Wildfire band: low

Out and about

Outdoors0.1% of the land within 10 km protected AttractionsClimateJuly afternoons around 27°C WeatherECCC’s forecast, beside the normals

The story

Who lives hereMedian age 44 HistoryOne place on the heritage registers Town hallFamous people

Nearby attractions

Elgin Military Museum and 5 more in and around Southwold

Sights in Southwold and close by, ordered by how widely each is known.

All attractions →

MuseumMuseumElgin Military Museum1.3 km outside town, to the northeast

MuseumElgin County Railway Museum2.7 km outside town, to the northeast

MuseumNorth America Railway Hall of Fame2.5 km outside town, to the northeast Heritage railwayHeritage railwayPort Stanley Terminal Rail1.3 km outside town, to the southeast MuseumMuseumElgin County Museum1.5 km outside town, to the east Art galleryArt gallerySt. Thomas - Elgin Public Art Centre1.5 km outside town, to the northeast

Photos: each place’s Wikidata image, from Wikimedia Commons under the licence below (our copy, resized).

Photo credits (2)

Elgin County Railway Museum: Balcer, Public domain, Wikimedia Commons
North America Railway Hall of Fame: Narhfwiki, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons

Famous people from Southwold

6 notable people were born in Southwold.

See all 6 →

John Kenneth GalbraithCanadian-American economist and diplomat · 1908–2006

James Craig WatsonAmerican astronomer · 1838–1880

Colin CampbellCanadian politician and general · 1901–1978

Ann ShipleyCanadian politician · 1899–1981

Dugald McCollCanadian politician · 1846–1915

John Giles LethbridgeCanadian politician · 1855–1947

Photo credits

John Kenneth Galbraith: Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. Photographer is unknown., Public domain · James Craig Watson: Anonymous, Public domain · Colin Campbell: Lyonde, L., Public domain

About Southwold

Town in Ontario

Every figure TownRatings gives for Southwold covers the municipality as Statistics Canada maps it, one census subdivision in Ontario.

Statistics Canada: population estimates 2025 (17-10-0155), Census of Population 2021, 2021 census boundaries.

Population: 5,473 (people, 2025 estimate)
Province or territory: Ontario
Census division: Elgin
Metro area: London
Census subdivision: 3534024

Southwold’s neighbours

The nearest places of 1,000 or more. Statistics Canada

Oneida 41St. ThomasCentral ElginDuttonLambethSouthwold

How the neighbours grade

Town	People	km	Overall	Cost	Safety	Health
Southwold	5,473	—	B⁻	C⁻	A	B⁻
Oneida 41	1,565	12	—	—	A⁺	B
St. Thomas	49,388	13	C⁻	D	B⁻	B⁻
Central Elgin	15,230	14	B⁻	C⁻	A	B⁻
Dutton	4,686	17	B⁺	B⁻	A	C⁺
Lambeth	2,609	19	A⁻	C⁺	C⁺	B⁺

People: Statistics Canada, Census 2021. Distances: centre to centre.

Questions about Southwold

Has Southwold grown?

It added people: 4,421 in 2016, 4,851 in 2021, 9.7% more, where the middle of Canadian towns grew 4.1%. Statistics Canada’s 2025 estimate is 5,473.

Who are the people of Southwold?

Visible minorities are 2% of the population, where the middle of Canadian towns is 15%. Immigrants make up 7%, and Indigenous people 2%.

What kind of homes are in Southwold?

98% 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 2.8 people; 17% are one person living alone.

How old are the people of Southwold?

Its median age is 44, where Canadian towns sit at 45.2.

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).