St. ThomasOntario
A town in Ontario, home to 49,388 people. It belongs to the London metropolitan area.
Is St. Thomas a good place to live?
The data are hard on it. Its lowest grade is for cost of living (D). St. Thomas’s overall grade is C−, better than 19% of Canadian towns. In the ranking it comes #768 of 858 in Ontario. Schools are weaker too (C). Walking, cycling and public transport work well here (B+). Elsewhere it is close to typical: B− for safety, B− for health and C+ for jobs & income.
Rents here are the metro area's average, shared by every town and neighbourhood in 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.
What makes St. Thomas stand out
The 2 things St. Thomas does most differently from other towns.
How St. Thomas grades
Each subject compares St. Thomas 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 St. Thomas.
Rent takes more of local pay in St. Thomas than in Ontario’s towns or Canadian towns: 26% of household income
Area-wide: rent as a share of income and monthly rent for a two-bedroom, counted over the London metro area
Just over two thirds of households own their home, below Ontario’s towns (76%) and Canadian towns (74%) alike. The median home value was $448,000, lower than Ontario’s towns ($695,000) yet higher than Canadian towns ($406,000).
What homes were worth · The median owner’s estimate at the 2021 census
| Census 2021 | St. Thomas | Ontario | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rent as a share of income | 26% | 22% | 20% |
| Households owning their home | 68% | 76% | 74% |
| Median home value, 2021 | $448,000 | $695,000 | $406,000 |
| Households spending 30%+ on shelter | 19% | 22% | 18% |
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.
St. Thomas’s schools mostly sit under the middle in Ontario, 9 of the 14 with results
Over three years, results rose at 8 of its 14 tested schools. The schools around it answer to 2 boards, below Ontario’s towns (4) and Canadian towns (3) alike. No French-language school is among them; in Ontario, 10% of schools are. In or within 3 km of St. Thomas: 10 elementary schools and 4 secondary schools, with 8,555 students.
| School | Level | Students | System |
|---|---|---|---|
| St. Anne's Separate School CatholicLargest elementary schoolElementary · Grades JK–8 | Elementary · Grades JK–8 | 800 | English Catholic |
| Parkside Collegiate Institute Fourth fifth in OntarioLargest secondary schoolSecondary · Grades 9–12 | Secondary · Grades 9–12 | 1,015 | English public |
Schools by system · Schools within 3 km
| Schools within 3 km | St. Thomas | Ontario | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| School boards | 2 | 4 | 3 |
Provincial school lists and results, 2024-25
St. Thomas is on Canada’s flood inventory: 1 listed, led by Kettle Creek Conservation Authority
The radon tests numbers here cover the Elgin-St. Thomas Health Unit
Of the homes tested for radon, 7.5% were over 200 Bq/m³, above both Ontario’s towns (4%) and Canadian towns (6.6%). Seismic risk in St. Thomas sits near the middle: $0.023 of expected damage per $1,000 of buildings a year, the typical town $0.030.
Radon tests above the guideline · share of tested homes, 200 Bq/m³
| Hazards | St. Thomas | Ontario | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Radon tests above the guideline | 7.5% | 4% | 6.6% |
| Earthquake loss per $1,000 of buildings a year | $0.023 | $0.043 | $0.030 |
NRCan seismic risk model and burned areas, Health Canada radon survey, the Flood Hazard Map Inventory
Commuters in St. Thomas have a short way to work, 21 min on average, less than in Ontario’s towns and Canadian towns
93% of commuters drove, above both Ontario’s towns (88%) and Canadian towns (89%).
How working residents got to work · census 2021
| Census 2021 | St. Thomas | Ontario | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average trip | 21 min | 29 min | 26 min |
| Car or van | 93% | 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.
Frosty mornings in St. Thomas are scarcer than in 75% of Canadian towns
Between the last spring frost, 3 May, and the first in autumn, 16 October, lie 165 days. January nights fall to −9.1°C on average, near Ontario’s towns (−9.1°C) and higher than Canadian towns (−13.5°C). Snow peaks in January: 43 cm in a normal year. For the wettest month, look to September: 93 mm on average.
Average high by season · ECCC normals, 1991–2020
| Normals, 1991–2020 | St. Thomas | 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 |
Environment and Climate Change Canada, Canadian Climate Normals 1991–2020 (London)
What November brings in St. Thomas: freezing at night, 8°C by day
For today and the week ahead, the Weather page carries ECCC’s St. Thomas forecast. About 13 cm of snow falls in a normal November. Expect about 88 mm of rain and snow over November. By December, a normal day reaches 1°C and a night falls to −5°C.
Normal highs, the months ahead · ECCC normals, 1991–2020
| 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 |
ECCC normals, 1991–2020 (London); the forecast is on the Weather page
St. Thomas has one council seat for every 5,490 residents, more than 85% of municipalities in Ontario
Provincially, St.
| Turnout | St. Thomas | Ontario | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Municipal election, 2022 | 31% | 31% | 31% |
Wikidata, MAMH, MMAH, Statistics Canada
St. Thomas Public Library lends 8 items per person served, more than 93% of Ontario’s town libraries
St.
Provincial library statistics, OpenStreetMap, the CRA and Statistics Canada
Very good or excellent health for 49% of adults in St. Thomas’ health region
Measured from where St. Thomas’ residents live, the nearest hospital is 1.7 km away, under the typical 3.7 km. Life expectancy at birth in the region is 80.6 years, lower than both Ontario’s towns (82.8) and Canadian towns (81.5). A pharmacy is nearer: 1.1 km on average, with 4.1 within 3 km of the typical home.
Very good or excellent health · adults, age-standardised
| Health | St. Thomas | 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% |
Statistics Canada, Canadian Community Health Survey 2023/2024 and life expectancy 2022/2024; Open Database of Healthcare Facilities · Data for health survey and life expectancy covers the Oxford Elgin St. Thomas Health Unit
3 named trails run within 2 km of St. Thomas
No national park lies within 100 km. The nearest provincial park, Port Bruce Provincial Park, is 15 km away. The protected share within 10 km is 0.2%, where a typical Canadian town has 2.3%.
Protected land · of the land within 10 km
| Outdoors | St. Thomas | 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
Visible minorities make up less of St. Thomas than of Ontario’s towns or Canadian towns: 7.1%
People 65 and over make up just over a fifth of the town, above Ontario’s towns (19%) and Canadian towns (19%) alike. 17% of residents are children under 15.
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 51.7% of St. Thomas
In 2021 there were 22,130 women to 20,710 men; Canada as a whole is 50.9% women.
| St. Thomas | Ontario | Canada | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 15 | 17% | 15% | 16% |
| 15 to 64 | 62% | 65% | 64% |
| 65+ | 21% | 19% | 19% |
| No certificate, diploma or degree | 18% | 15% | 16% |
| Postsecondary qualification | 49% | 56% | 56% |
Statistics Canada, Census 2021; Ontario and Canada: medians of towns of 2,500+
St. Thomas earns a B− for safety
Its violent severity index came to 73, close to Ontario’s towns (76) and below Canadian towns (86). Property crime runs at 34.7 per 1,000 people a year.
Year by year · Crime Severity Index for each year
| 2023–2025 | St. Thomas | Ontario | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Property crime per 1,000 | 34.7 | 30.5 | 31.2 |
| Violent Crime Severity Index | 73 | 76 | 86 |
Statistics Canada, Uniform Crime Reporting Survey, 2023–2025 average
St. Thomas has 4 historic places on the registers, one in the top tier
Old St. Thomas Church, begun in 1824, is the oldest by its record. On the list: a Recognized Federal Heritage Building, a heritage railway station and a provincial or municipal listing. Older housing, built before 1961, accounts for a third of homes, higher than both Ontario’s towns (22%) and Canadian towns (18%).
Historic places by designation · inside the town
Among them
| Heritage | St. Thomas | Ontario | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Homes built before 1961 | 33% | 22% | 18% |
Canadian Register of Historic Places, Directory of Federal Heritage Designations, Québec’s Répertoire du patrimoine culturel, Wikidata; Census 2021 homes by period
Elgin Military Museum and 4 more in and around St. Thomas
A first look at St. Thomas’s museums, historic sites and days out, and a few just outside town.
MuseumElgin County Railway Museumin town
MuseumNorth America Railway Hall of Famein townArt galleryArt gallerySt. Thomas - Elgin Public Art Centrein townMuseumMuseumElgin County Museum800 m outside town, to the southPhotos: 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
Everything we know about St. Thomas
Famous people from St. Thomas
61 notable people were born in St. Thomas.
Photo credits
Helen Shaver: NBC Television, Public domain · Dell Henderson: Fox Film Corporation, Public domain · Cory Emmerton: Pakeha, CC BY-SA 4.0 · Greg McKegg: Michael Miller, CC BY-SA 4.0 · Mitchell Hepburn: Unknown author, Public domain
St. Thomas’ neighbours
The nearest places of 1,000 or more. Statistics Canada
| Town | People | km | Overall | Cost | Safety | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| St. Thomas | 49,388 | — | C− | D | B− | B− |
| Central Elgin | 15,230 | 2 | B− | C− | A | B− |
| Southwold | 5,473 | 13 | B− | C− | A | B− |
| Aylmer | 8,371 | 15 | C | D | B+ | C+ |
| Malahide | 9,995 | 17 | B− | C− | A | C+ |
| Lambeth | 2,609 | 18 | A− | C+ | C+ | B+ |
| White Oaks | 21,108 | 19 | C | D | C+ | A− |
People: Statistics Canada, Census 2021. Distances: centre to centre.
Questions about St. Thomas
Has St. Thomas grown?
It added people: 38,909 in 2016, 42,840 in 2021, 10.1% more, where the middle of Canadian towns grew 4.1%. Statistics Canada’s 2025 estimate is 49,388.
Who are the people of St. Thomas?
7% of residents belong to a visible minority, against 15% for the median of Canadian towns; 3% have an Indigenous identity and 10% are immigrants.
What kind of homes are in St. Thomas?
Single-detached houses make up 65% of the homes here, where Canadian towns sit at 64%; 4% are in high-rise apartments. 30% of households are one person, and the average is 2.3.
About St. Thomas
Town in Ontario
The boundary here is Statistics Canada’s: St. Thomas is one census subdivision in Ontario, and TownRatings describes all of it.
Statistics Canada: population estimates 2025 (17-10-0155), Census of Population 2021, 2021 census boundaries.
- Population
- 49,388 (people, 2025 estimate)
- Province or territory
- Ontario
- Census division
- Elgin
- Metro area
- London
- Census subdivision
- 3534021
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).