Sturgeon Fallsin West Nipissing / Nipissing Ouest, Ontario
Its census division is Nipissing. Population 16,682: a town in Ontario.
Is Sturgeon Falls a good place to live?
Jobs and pay trail most towns (D). It lags on health as well (C−). Its best grade is for hazard risk (A−). Owners valued their homes at a median $280,000 in 2021, which is 4 years of the typical household’s pay. The overall grade lands at D, better than nearly a tenth of Canadian towns. That places it #835 of 858 in Ontario. Elsewhere it is close to typical: B− for safety and B− for walkability.
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 Sturgeon Falls stand out
The 3 things Sturgeon Falls does most differently from other towns.
How Sturgeon Falls grades
Each subject compares Sturgeon 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 →
The data
Data highlights are ordered by what stands out in Sturgeon Falls.
The share of 15-to-64s with a job in Sturgeon Falls trails that of 91% of Canadian towns
92% of commuters drove, above Ontario’s towns (88%) and Canadian towns (89%) alike. Workers spend 27 min getting to work, on average.
How working residents got to work · census 2021
| Census 2021 | Sturgeon Falls | Ontario | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Car or van | 92% | 88% | 89% |
| Average trip | 27 min | 29 min | 26 min |
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.
Hazards in Sturgeon Falls are mild: low wildfire and earthquake risk, and 1.9% of area homes above the radon guideline
Little of the land around Sturgeon Falls has burned: 0.6% within 25 km since 1986, or 0.02% a year. No flood study for Sturgeon Falls is on the national inventory.
Radon tests above the guideline · share of tested homes, 200 Bq/m³
| Hazards | Sturgeon Falls | Ontario | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Radon tests above the guideline | 1.9% | 4% | 6.6% |
| Earthquake loss per $1,000 of buildings a year | $0.033 | $0.043 | $0.030 |
NRCan seismic risk model and burned areas, Health Canada radon survey, the Flood Hazard Map Inventory
More smokers around Sturgeon Falls: 18% of adults, where the typical Canadian town has 12%
Age-standardised, 47% of the region’s adults put their health at very good or excellent, lower than both Ontario’s towns (51%) and Canadian towns (52%). For 2022/2024, the region’s figure is 80.0 years at birth, 82.6 for women and 77.6 for men. Closer to home, a hospital is 7.2 km from the average resident of Sturgeon Falls, further than the usual 3.7 km.
Very good or excellent health · adults, age-standardised
| Health | Sturgeon Falls | Ontario | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Smokers | 18% | 10% | 12% |
| Life expectancy at birth | 80.0 | 82.8 | 81.5 |
| Very good or excellent health | 47% | 51% | 52% |
| Chronic conditions (average share) | 19% | 17% | 17% |
Statistics Canada, Canadian Community Health Survey 2023/2024 and life expectancy 2022/2024; Open Database of Healthcare Facilities · Health survey and life expectancy: one figure for all of the North Bay Parry Sound District Health Unit
Home ownership in Sturgeon Falls, 68%, runs below Ontario’s towns and Canadian towns
20% of households spent 30% or more of their income on shelter, lower than Ontario’s towns (22%) yet higher than Canadian towns (18%).
What homes were worth · The median owner’s estimate at the 2021 census
| Census 2021 | Sturgeon Falls | Ontario | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home value, 2021 | $280,000 | $695,000 | $406,000 |
| Households owning their home | 68% | 76% | 74% |
| Households spending 30%+ on shelter | 20% | 22% | 18% |
| Rent as a share of income | 20% | 22% | 20% |
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.
Winter nights bite in Sturgeon Falls: January lows of −17.3°C, colder than Ontario’s towns or Canadian towns
In July the thermometer climbs to 24.3°C by day, below both Ontario’s towns (26.7°C) and Canadian towns (25.5°C). Between the last spring frost, 15 May, and the first in autumn, 29 September, lie 135 days. Also worth knowing: most of the snow comes in December, about 71 cm. The most precipitation falls in September: 114 mm in a normal year.
Average high by season · ECCC normals, 1991–2020
| Normals, 1991–2020 | Sturgeon Falls | Ontario | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Snowfall a year | 312 cm | 146 cm | 141 cm |
| January night low | −17.3°C | −9.1°C | −13.5°C |
| July afternoon high | 24.3°C | 26.7°C | 25.5°C |
| Days with frost a year | 176 | 139 | 159 |
Environment and Climate Change Canada, Canadian Climate Normals 1991–2020 (North Bay)
Around Sturgeon Falls, 8 schools of 12 teach in French
Boards running schools in the area: 6, above Ontario’s towns (4) and Canadian towns (3) alike. Of the 10 with results, 6 sit in the lower two fifths in Ontario. Catholic schools make up 7 of 12, above the 34% in Ontario. Elementary schools here average 193 students; in Ontario, 365.
| School | Level | Students | System |
|---|---|---|---|
| White Woods Public School Bottom fifth in OntarioLargest elementary schoolElementary · Grades JK–8 | Elementary · Grades JK–8 | 290 | English public |
| École secondaire catholique Franco-Cité FrenchLargest secondary schoolSecondary · Grades 9–12 | Secondary · Grades 9–12 | 320 | French Catholic |
| École publique Jeunesse-Active FrenchTeaches in FrenchElementary · Grades JK–8 | Elementary · Grades JK–8 | 280 | French public |
Schools by system · Schools within 3 km
| Schools within 3 km | Sturgeon Falls | Ontario | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| School boards | 6 | 4 | 3 |
| Nearest elementary school | 3.8 km | 0.5 km | 0.5 km |
| Nearest secondary school | 4.8 km | 1.2 km | 1.2 km |
Provincial school lists and results, 2024-25
A provincial park at Sturgeon Falls’ edge: Mashkinonje Provincial Park
Within 10 km, the count of public protected areas is 19, above both Ontario’s towns (4) and Canadian towns (4). The nearest national park is more than 100 km away. 7.2% of the land and water within 10 km is protected (the typical Canadian town: 2.3%).
Protected land · of the land within 10 km
| Outdoors | Sturgeon Falls | Ontario | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Protected land within 10 km | 7.2% | 2.3% | 2.3% |
| Public protected areas within 10 km | 19 | 4 | 4 |
Canadian Protected and Conserved Areas Database (CPCAD), OpenStreetMap routes and beaches
More of Sturgeon Falls’s residents have an Indigenous identity than in Ontario’s towns or Canadian towns: 20%
Visible minorities make up 1.7% of the population, below Ontario’s towns (26%) and Canadian towns (15%) alike.
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 51.0% of Sturgeon Falls
Of the 2021 count, 7,435 were women and 7,140 men (women across Canada: 50.9%).
| Sturgeon Falls | Ontario | Canada | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 15 | 14% | 15% | 16% |
| 15 to 64 | 59% | 65% | 64% |
| 65+ | 26% | 19% | 19% |
| No certificate, diploma or degree | 23% | 15% | 16% |
| Postsecondary qualification | 50% | 56% | 56% |
Statistics Canada, Census 2021; Ontario and Canada: medians of towns of 2,500+
What November brings in Sturgeon Falls: −4°C at night, 3°C by day
Expect about 97 mm of rain and snow over November. Snow is normal by November, about 38 cm over the month. Normal highs peak at 24°C in July; nights bottom out at −17°C in January. For today and the week ahead, the Weather page carries ECCC’s West Nipissing forecast.
Normal highs, the months ahead · ECCC normals, 1991–2020
| Season | High | Low | Rain and snow |
|---|---|---|---|
| Winter | −6°C | −15°C | 197 mm |
| Spring | 9°C | −2°C | 221 mm |
| Summer | 23°C | 13°C | 282 mm |
| Autumn | 11°C | 2°C | 320 mm |
ECCC normals, 1991–2020 (North Bay); the forecast is on the Weather page
Sturgeon Falls turned out at 48% for its 2022 council election, above 91% of Ontario municipalities
The council for Sturgeon Falls is that of West Nipissing / Nipissing Ouest, a municipality.
| Turnout | Sturgeon Falls | Ontario | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Municipal election, 2022 | 48% | 31% | 31% |
Wikidata, MAMH, MMAH, Statistics Canada
Sturgeon Falls’s public library works from 4 branches
Field Library serves 12,964 people.
Provincial library statistics, OpenStreetMap, the CRA and Statistics Canada
Sturgeon Falls’s grade for safety: a B−
Violent crime is recorded at 13.4 per 1,000 residents a year. Thefts, break-ins and damage came to 27.5 per 1,000 residents a year, below Ontario’s towns (30.5) and Canadian towns (31.2) alike.
Year by year · Crime Severity Index for each year
| 2023–2025 | Sturgeon Falls | Ontario | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Violent crime | 13.4 | 10.5 | 12 |
| Property crime per 1,000 | 27.5 | 30.5 | 31.2 |
Statistics Canada, Uniform Crime Reporting Survey, 2023–2025 average
Everything we know about Sturgeon Falls
Famous people from Sturgeon Falls
20 notable people were born in Sturgeon Falls.
Photo credits
Gerry McNamara: Unknown author, Public domain
Questions about Sturgeon Falls
Do people in Sturgeon Falls speak French?
Many do: 65% are bilingual in English and French (Canadian towns’ median: 8%), and 3.5% speak French only.
Is Sturgeon Falls a young town or an old one?
Half its people are older than 51.2 (the middle of Canadian towns: 45.2); children under 15 make up 14%, people 65 and over 26%.
What kind of homes are in Sturgeon Falls?
74% 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 2.2 people; 30% are one person living alone.
Has Sturgeon Falls grown?
Between the 2016 and 2021 censuses it went from 14,364 to 14,583 residents (up 1.5%; Canadian towns’ median: 4.1%), and Statistics Canada now estimates 16,682.
About Sturgeon Falls
Town in Ontario
Every figure TownRatings gives for Sturgeon Falls 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
- 16,682 (people, 2025 estimate)
- Province or territory
- Ontario
- Census division
- Nipissing
- Census subdivision
- 3548055
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).