St. JosephOntario
With 1,560 residents, it is a town in Ontario. It grew by 15% between the 2016 and 2021 censuses.
Is St. Joseph a good place to live?
Hazard risk is low (A−). Its weakest subject is safety (D−). The typical owner put their home at $348,000 in 2021: 4.2 years of the median household’s income. It lags on health as well (C−).
Figures: home values and income: Statistics Canada, Census 2021. St. Joseph has subject grades but no overall grade: Canadian towns get one from 2,500 residents.
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 less sure: no police service names this town, so its crime figure is the nearest police detachment's, shared with a wider area. 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.
How St. Joseph grades
Each subject compares St. Joseph with Canadian towns of 2,500 or more, ordered by how far it is from the middle. Towns in other countries are graded separately.
St. Joseph has subject grades but no overall grade: Canadian towns get one from 2,500 residents.
How TownRatings grades Canadian towns →
What makes St. Joseph stand out
The 3 things St. Joseph does most differently from other towns.
The data
Data highlights are ordered by what stands out in St. Joseph.
Crime runs heavier where St. Joseph is policed than in Ontario’s towns or Canadian towns, at an index of 302
A best guess: the nearest detachment’s figures, since none is filed under St. Joseph
Its police area recorded 52.6 violent incidents per 1,000 residents a year, higher than both Ontario’s towns (10.5) and Canadian towns (12). Property crime in the area its police cover: 75.6 per 1,000 people a year. St. Joseph shares its Crime Severity Index, Violent Crime Severity Index, violent crime and property crime per 1,000 numbers with the rest of the Sault Ste. Marie detachment area.
Year by year · Crime Severity Index for each year
| 2023–2025 | St. Joseph | Ontario | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Crime Severity Index | 302 | 56 | 67 |
| Violent Crime Severity Index | 509 | 76 | 86 |
| Violent crime | 52.6 | 10.5 | 12 |
| Property crime per 1,000 | 75.6 | 30.5 | 31.2 |
Statistics Canada, Uniform Crime Reporting Survey, 2023–2025 average
Wildfire low, radon 8.6%: how St. Joseph stands on hazards
Seismic risk runs low: $0.006 of expected damage per $1,000 of buildings a year, the typical town $0.030. No wildfire is mapped within 25 km of St. Joseph’s homes since 1986 (0% of the land, 0.001% a year). Flood mapping: none on the national inventory of the town.
Radon tests above the guideline · share of tested homes, 200 Bq/m³
| Hazards | St. Joseph | Ontario | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Radon tests above the guideline | 8.6% | 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
Life expectancy around St. Joseph is 77.9 years, 3.6 less than for the typical Canadian town
For St. Joseph itself the measure is access: 3.5 km to the nearest hospital, much like the typical 3.7 km. The survey counts 17% of adults as smokers, higher than both Ontario’s towns (10%) and Canadian towns (12%). Across the region, 46% of adults say their health is very good or excellent; Ontario as a whole reaches 51%. For health survey and life expectancy, the only official count covers all of the The District of Algoma Health Unit, St. Joseph included.
Very good or excellent health · adults, age-standardised
| Health | St. Joseph | 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
Commuters in St. Joseph travel further than in Ontario’s towns or Canadian towns, 33 min on average
How working residents got to work · census 2021
| Census 2021 | St. Joseph | Ontario | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average trip | 33 min | 29 min | 26 min |
Statistics Canada, Census 2021 (labour and commuting) · Counted in May 2021, under pandemic rules: fewer commutes and more people between jobs than in a normal year.
Summers stay cool in St. Joseph: July afternoons reach 24.2°C, below Ontario’s towns and Canadian towns
Frost comes on 175 days a year, above Ontario’s towns (139) and Canadian towns (159) alike. The coldest nights come in January, when St. Joseph averages a low of −14.5°C. A normal January brings 84 cm of snow, the most of any month. The frost-free season runs from 28 May to 29 September, 123 days.
Average high by season · ECCC normals, 1991–2020
| Normals, 1991–2020 | St. Joseph | 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)
More of St. Joseph’s residents have an Indigenous identity than in Ontario’s towns or Canadian towns: 8.1%
3.5% of residents belong to a visible minority, below 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 50.2% of St. Joseph
Here the census found 710 men and 715 women; the figure for women across Canada is 50.9%.
| St. Joseph | Ontario | Canada | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 15 | 14% | 15% | 16% |
| 15 to 64 | 53% | 65% | 64% |
| 65+ | 34% | 19% | 19% |
| No certificate, diploma or degree | 15% | 15% | 16% |
| Postsecondary qualification | 57% | 56% | 56% |
Statistics Canada, Census 2021; Ontario and Canada: medians of towns of 2,500+
Most households in St. Joseph own their home: 88%, more than in both Ontario’s towns and Canadian towns
Shelter took 30% or more of income for 17% of households, about level with Canadian towns (18%) and below Ontario’s towns (22%). Rent took 16% of household income, below both Ontario’s towns (22%) and Canadian towns (20%).
What homes were worth · The median owner’s estimate at the 2021 census
| Census 2021 | St. Joseph | Ontario | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rent as a share of income | 16% | 22% | 20% |
| Households owning their home | 88% | 76% | 74% |
| Median home value, 2021 | $348,000 | $695,000 | $406,000 |
| Households spending 30%+ on shelter | 17% | 22% | 18% |
Statistics Canada, Census 2021; CMHC Rental Market Survey via Statistics Canada · Values come from owners at the 2021 census and incomes from 2020, so they predate the later rise in rates.
St. Joseph in November: highs near 5°C, lows near −3°C
November usually brings some 44 cm of snow. Next comes December, with normal highs of −1°C and lows of −9°C. Expect about 89 mm of rain and snow over November. July brings the warmest days, 24°C; February the coldest 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
Township of St. Joseph Public Library logs 1.7 visits per person served, fewer than 88% of Ontario’s town libraries
A single building, Township of St.
Provincial library statistics, OpenStreetMap, the CRA and Statistics Canada
Protected land is scarce around St. Joseph: 0.3% within 10 km
8 protected areas lie within 10 km. The nearest provincial park, North Channel Islands - la Cloche Provincial Park Addition, is 13 km away. There is no national park within 100 km of the town. OpenStreetMap shows 7 unnamed beaches within 5 km.
Protected land · of the land within 10 km
| Outdoors | St. Joseph | Ontario | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Protected land within 10 km | 0.3% | 2.3% | 2.3% |
| Public protected areas within 10 km | 0 | 4 | 4 |
Canadian Protected and Conserved Areas Database (CPCAD), OpenStreetMap routes and beaches
Results around St. Joseph lean low: 2 of 3 schools in the lower two fifths in Ontario
The 3 km around St. Joseph counts 3 elementary schools and 1 secondary school, 860 students between them. Elementary schools here average 167 students; in Ontario, 365. Teenagers have 13 km to go to the closest secondary school, above Ontario’s towns (1.2 km) and Canadian towns (1.2 km) alike.
| School | Level | Students | System |
|---|---|---|---|
| Central Algoma Intermediate SchoolLargest elementary schoolElementary · Grades 7–8 | Elementary · Grades 7–8 | 200 | English public |
| Central Algoma Secondary School Bottom fifth in OntarioLargest secondary schoolSecondary · Grades 9–12 | Secondary · Grades 9–12 | 360 | English public |
| Schools within 3 km | St. Joseph | Ontario | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nearest secondary school | 13 km | 1.2 km | 1.2 km |
| Nearest elementary school | 3.3 km | 0.5 km | 0.5 km |
Provincial school lists and results, 2024-25
Everything we know about St. Joseph
St. Joseph Island Museum and 6 more within 40 km
One place to visit is mapped within 5 km of St. Joseph; with it, the best known within 40 km.
CathedralPrecious Blood Cathedral34 km northwest
MuseumCanadian Bushplane Heritage Centre34 km northwest
Art galleryArt Gallery of Algoma34 km northwest
Museum · Parks CanadaSault Ste. Marie Canal36 km northwest
National historic site · Parks CanadaPower House36 km northwestPhotos: each place’s Wikidata image, from Wikimedia Commons under the licence below (our copy, resized).
Photo credits (5)
- 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 Canal: P199, CC BY-SA 2.5, Wikimedia Commons
- Power House: Fungus Guy, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
About St. Joseph
Town in Ontario
Every figure TownRatings gives for St. Joseph 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
- 1,560 (people, 2025 estimate)
- Province or territory
- Ontario
- Census division
- Algoma
- Census subdivision
- 3557008
St. Joseph’s neighbours
The nearest places of 1,000 or more. Statistics Canada
| Town | People | km | Overall | Cost | Safety | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| St. Joseph | 1,560 | — | — | C+ | D− | C− |
| Laird | 1,221 | 14 | — | B | A | D |
People: Statistics Canada, Census 2021. Distances: centre to centre.
Questions about St. Joseph
Who are the people of St. Joseph?
At the 2021 census, 9% were immigrants and 4% belonged to a visible minority (Canadian towns’ median: 15%). 8% identify as First Nations, Métis or Inuit.
Is St. Joseph growing?
Between the 2016 and 2021 censuses it went from 1,240 to 1,426 residents (up 15%; Canadian towns’ median: 4.1%), and Statistics Canada now estimates 1,560.
What kind of homes are in St. Joseph?
Mostly 94% single-detached houses (the median of Canadian towns: 64%), with 0% of homes in buildings of five or more storeys. Households hold 2.3 people on average, and 24% have just one.
Is St. Joseph a young town or an old one?
At 57.2, its median age compares with 45.2 across Canadian towns. Children make up 14% of the population and seniors 34%.
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).