Tavistockin East Zorra-Tavistock, Ontario

TownGrade

#225 of 2,556

The town has 8,710 residents and lies in Ontario. The population grew 10% between 2016 and 2021.

2 places within 19 kmMap →

Photo: JFVoll · CC BY-SA 3.0

Population

8,710

people, 2025 estimate

Median age

42.4

years · Ontario’s towns: 46.8

Postsecondary

52%

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 Tavistock a good place to live?

Tavistock grades A overall, better than 88% of Canadian towns. That places it #60 of 858 in Ontario. Its strongest subject is safety (A+). Homes were valued at a median $600,000 at the 2021 census, 6 times the typical household’s income. It also does well on jobs & income (A+). Its other grades sit near the middle: B for schools, C+ for health and B− for hazard risk.

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.

StrongestA⁺Safety A⁺Jobs & income A⁻Walkability

How Tavistock grades

Each subject compares Tavistock 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

SafetyVery little crime by comparisonA⁺Open →Jobs & incomeIn the top fifth of the towns comparedA⁺Open →WalkabilityBased on walking, cycling and transit to everyday placesA⁻Open →SchoolsSchools do better than mostBOpen →Cost of livingBased on what homes cost against what households earnC⁺Open →HealthClose to the middle of the towns comparedC⁺Open →Hazard riskGraded on earthquake risk and radon, with high wildfire risk able to lower itB⁻Open →

How TownRatings grades Canadian towns →

What makes Tavistock stand out

The 3 things Tavistock does most differently from other towns.

Picked automatically from the data

Safety

Better than 99%

of Canadian towns on safety

Its safety grade: A+.

Jobs & income

Better than 95%

of Canadian towns on jobs & income

Its jobs & income grade: A+.

Unemployment rate, Census 2021

Work

6% unemployment

The median of Canadian towns: 10%

67% of residents 15 and over were in work, May 2021.

The data

Data highlights are ordered by what stands out in Tavistock.

SafetySafety A⁺

Tavistock’s Violent Crime Severity Index, 27, runs below Ontario’s towns and Canadian towns

23Crime Severity Index

Violent incidents came to 3.6 per 1,000 residents a year, below Ontario’s towns (10.5) and Canadian towns (12) alike. Property crime accounts for 10.3 incidents per 1,000 residents a year.

Year by year · Crime Severity Index for each year

202319

202427

202523

2023–2025	Tavistock	Ontario	Canada
Property crime per 1,000	10.3	30.5	31.2
Violent Crime Severity Index	27	76	86
Violent crime	3.6	10.5	12

non-violent Crime Severity Index

36%

of incidents cleared, 2023–25

Full pageTavistock’s safety reportOpen the full Safety report

Safety23 Crime Severity Index · The index weighs each crime Tavistock’s police recorded by how serious it is.Questions“Is Tavistock safe?”

Statistics Canada, Uniform Crime Reporting Survey, 2023–2025 average

Work & commuteJobs & income A⁺

Tavistock’s grade for jobs & income: an A+

6%walk, cycle or take transit

Workers spend 25 min getting to work, on average. 91% of commuters drove, about level with Canadian towns (89%) and above Ontario’s towns (88%).

How working residents got to work · census 2021

Car or van91%

Walk6%

Bicycle1%

Census 2021	Tavistock	Ontario	Canada
Average trip	25 min	29 min	26 min
Car or van	91%	88%	89%

$100,000

median household income, 2020

24%

worked from home, May 2021

30%

of commuters work inside the municipality

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

Getting to work6% walk, cycle or take transit Unemployment5.7% unemployed · Of the labour force · Canadian towns: 9.9%Where people commute to515 commuters · The biggest flow out: to Woodstock

Statistics Canada, Census 2021 (labour and commuting) · These are May 2021 figures, gathered while COVID-19 kept many people home or out of work.

SchoolsSchools B

4 boards run the schools in and around Tavistock

21schools within 3 kmBSchools Grade

Schooling in French is on offer at 3 of 21; in Ontario, 10% of schools teach in it. Results have climbed at 15 of 18 schools over three years. The 18 with results split, 5 in the upper two fifths in Ontario and 7 in the lower. Measured from the centre, the closest high school lies 13 km off, above both Ontario’s towns (1.2 km) and Canadian towns (1.2 km).

School	Level	Students	System
Algonquin Public School Middle fifth in OntarioLargest elementary schoolElementary · Grades JK–8	Elementary · Grades JK–8	720	English public
Huron Park Secondary School Fourth fifth in OntarioLargest secondary schoolSecondary · Grades 9–12	Secondary · Grades 9–12	965	English public
École élémentaire catholique Sainte-Marguerite-Bourgeoys FrenchTeaches in FrenchElementary · Grades JK–6	Elementary · Grades JK–6	320	French Catholic
Tavistock Public School Top fifth in OntarioResults in the top fifth in OntarioElementary · Grades JK–8	Elementary · Grades JK–8	380	English public

See all 21 schools →

Schools by system · Schools within 3 km

English public13

English Catholic5

French Catholic3

Schools within 3 km	Tavistock	Ontario	Canada
Nearest secondary school	13 km	1.2 km	1.2 km
School boards	4	4	3

8,760

students at the schools within 3 km, 2024-25

13 km

to the nearest secondary school

Full pageTavistock’s schools pageOpen the full Schools page

The boards4 school boards · Thames Valley DSB Every school21 schools within 3 km · 15 elementary schools, 5 secondary schools and 1 alternative or adult school Results5 of 18 in the top two fifths · of the schools with results, placed against every school in Ontario Language3 of 21 teach in French · 10% of schools in Ontario Questions“What schools are there in Tavistock?”

Provincial school lists and results, 2024-25

HousingCost of living C⁺

Rent takes less of local pay in Tavistock than in Ontario’s towns or Canadian towns: 15% of household income

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

81% of households own their home, higher than both Ontario’s towns (76%) and Canadian towns (74%). Shelter took 30% or more of income for 13% of households, lower than both Ontario’s towns (22%) and Canadian towns (18%).

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

Tavistock$600,000

Ontario$695,000

Canadian towns$406,000

Census 2021	Tavistock	Ontario	Canada
Rent as a share of income	15%	22%	20%
Households spending 30%+ on shelter	13%	22%	18%
Median home value, 2021	$600,000	$695,000	$406,000
Households owning their home	81%	76%	74%

$920

monthly rent for a two-bedroom

$1,370

median monthly shelter cost for owners, 2021

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

Renting$920 a month · The median rent at the 2021 census Cost of livingThe median owner’s estimate, $600,000, against the median household income Owners and renters81% own their home

Statistics Canada, Census 2021; CMHC Rental Market Survey via Statistics Canada · These are 2021 census values, as owners judged them, set against household income in 2020.

HealthHealth C⁺

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

49%very good or excellent healthC⁺Health Grade

Measured from where people live, the nearest hospital is 12 km away, above both Ontario’s towns (3.3 km) and Canadian towns (3.7 km). People in the region live to 80.6 on average: 83.0 for women and 78.2 for men in 2022/2024. Pharmacies are closer at hand, 4.7 km away on average and 0.4 of them within 3 km of a typical home. Tavistock 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

Tavistock49%

Ontario’s towns51%

Canadian towns52%

Health	Tavistock	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

12 km

from homes to a hospital, on average

12%

of adults smoke, age-standardised

4.7 km

from homes to a pharmacy, on average

Full pageTavistock’s health pageOpen the full Health page

Health survey49% very good or excellent health · adults, age-standardised Getting care12 km to a hospital · A pharmacy 4.7 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

Climate

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

26.6°CJuly afternoons

Snow peaks in January: 43 cm in a normal year. Gardeners get 165 frost-free days, from 3 May to 16 October. The coldest nights, in January, bottom out at −9.1°C, near Ontario’s towns (−9.1°C) and higher than Canadian towns (−13.5°C). The most precipitation falls in September: 93 mm in a normal year.

Average high by season · ECCC normals, 1991–2020

Winter−0.3°C

Spring12.0°C

Summer25.6°C

Autumn14.8°C

Normals, 1991–2020	Tavistock	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 pageTavistock’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 station36 km to the station · London

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

Weather

What November brings in Tavistock: freezing at night, 8°C by day

8°Ca normal November afternoon

The month after, December, normally sees 1°C afternoons and −5°C nights. In November, the normal is 88 mm of rain and snow. November usually brings some 13 cm of snow. July brings the warmest days, 27°C; January the coldest nights, −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 pageTavistock’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

How is Tavistock run?

For local government, Tavistock falls under East Zorra-Tavistock, a township.

Turnout	Tavistock	Ontario	Canada
Municipal election, 2022	39%	31%	31%

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

Member of Parliament– council seats7

Wikidata, MAMH, MMAH, Statistics Canada

Library & civic lifeCivic life grade C⁺

Innerkip Public Library and Oxford County Library - Tavistock are Tavistock’s two public libraries

No library board reports for Tavistock alone: its libraries belong to a county or regional system, whose figures cover many towns.

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

The libraries2 Libraries Places to belong2.5 charities per 1,000 residents

Provincial library statistics, OpenStreetMap, the CRA and Statistics Canada

Who lives here

Visible minorities make up less of Tavistock than of Ontario’s towns or Canadian towns: 4%

42.4median age

Under 15: 18% of residents. People 65 and over make up a fifth of the town, higher than both Ontario’s towns (19%) and Canadian towns (19%).

TavistockOntarioCanada

OntarioCanada

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

18%

Schooling · Highest qualification, residents 15 and over

No certificate, diploma or degree18%

Postsecondary qualification52%

Women and men · all residents

Women make up 49.6% of Tavistock

In 2021 there were 3,885 women to 3,950 men; Canada as a whole is 50.9% women.

Who lives in Tavistock
	Tavistock	Ontario	Canada
Under 15	18%	15%	16%
15 to 64	62%	65%	64%
65+	20%	19%	19%
No certificate, diploma or degree	18%	15%	16%
Postsecondary qualification	52%	56%	56%

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

Immigrants8% are immigrants · 4% belong to a visible minority Ages42.4 median age · 20% are 65 or over Households2,975 households · 2.6 people per household English and French3% speak both · 0% speak French but not English

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

Outdoors

Tavistock has 3 walking routes on the map

0.2%of the land within 10 km protected

Within 10 km are 9 protected areas. The closest provincial park is Trillium Woods Provincial Park, 5.5 km from the edge of town. Protected areas cover 0.2% of the land within 10 km; for the typical Canadian town it is 2.3%. There is no national park within 100 km of the town.

Protected land · of the land within 10 km

Tavistock0.2%

Ontario’s towns2.3%

Canadian towns2.3%

Outdoors	Tavistock	Ontario	Canada
Protected land within 10 km	0.2%	2.3%	2.3%
Public protected areas within 10 km	1	4	4

5.5 km

to Trillium Woods Provincial Park

beaches within 5 km

public protected area within 10 km

Full pageTavistock’s outdoors pageOpen the full Outdoors page

Footpaths & routes3 named routes · Rotary Trail Protected landof the land within 10 km Protected areas9 protected areas within 10 km · Trillium Woods Provincial Park National & provincial parks5.5 km to a provincial park · Trillium Woods Provincial Park

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

Natural hazardsHazard risk B⁻

Flood mapping exists for Tavistock: 1 on record, latest by Grand River Conservation Authority

Lowwildfire bandB⁻Hazard risk Grade

Shaking is about as much of a worry in Tavistock as in most places, at $0.020 a year per $1,000 of building value ($0.030 typical). In Health Canada’s survey, 12% of homes tested in the area exceeded 200 Bq/m³ (6.6% typical). Tavistock shares its radon tests numbers with the rest of the Oxford County Health Unit.

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

Tavistock12%

Ontario’s towns4%

Canadian towns6.6%

Hazards	Tavistock	Ontario	Canada
Radon tests above the guideline	12%	4%	6.6%
Earthquake loss per $1,000 of buildings a year	$0.020	$0.043	$0.030

$0.020

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

Low

wildfire band

flood study on the national inventory

Full pageTavistock’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$0.020 a year per $1,000 · Canadian towns: $0.030 Radon12% 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

History

In Tavistock, 33% of homes go back before 1961

33%built before 1961

33%

of homes built before 1961 · Canadian towns 18%

Heritage	Tavistock	Ontario	Canada
Homes built before 1961	33%	22%	18%

Full pageTavistock’s history pageOpen the full History page

Older homes33% built before 1961 · Canadian towns: 18%Questions“How many historic places does Tavistock 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 Tavistock

15pages on Tavistock

The big questions

SafetyA⁺Crime Severity Index 23 Housing & costC⁺Homes 6 × income Property pricesSchoolsB21 schools within 3 km HealthC⁺Life expectancy 80.6 in its region Work & commuteA⁺67% of adults in work Natural hazardsB⁻Wildfire band: low

Out and about

Outdoors0.2% of the land within 10 km protected AttractionsClimateJuly afternoons around 27°C WeatherECCC’s forecast, beside the normals

The story

Who lives hereMedian age 42.4 HistoryTown hallFamous people

Nearby attractions

Old Woodstock Town Hall and 3 more in and around Tavistock

A first look at Tavistock’s museums, historic sites and days out, and a few just outside town.

All attractions →

MuseumOld Woodstock Town Hall1.8 km outside town, to the southeast MuseumMuseumBeachville District Historical Society Museum4.9 km outside town, to the south Historic siteHistoric siteMuseum Square1.8 km outside town, to the southeast Water parkWater parkSouthside Aquatic Centre2.2 km outside town, to the southeast

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

Photo credits (1)

Old Woodstock Town Hall: Balcer, Public domain, Wikimedia Commons

Famous people from Tavistock

5 notable people were born in Tavistock.

See all 5 →

John Stanley PlaskettCanadian astronomer · 1865–1941

Armand SchaeferFilm producer, Film director · 1898–1967

Arthur WhiteCanadian politician · 1907–1973

William Thomas StraithCanadian politician · 1894–1980

Mark KeanCanadian curler · born 1988

Photo credits

John Stanley Plaskett: Unknown author, Public domain

About Tavistock

Town in Ontario

Statistics Canada treats Tavistock as a single census subdivision in Ontario, and TownRatings keeps to that line.

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

Population: 8,710 (people, 2025 estimate)
Province or territory: Ontario
Census division: Oxford
Census subdivision: 3532038

Tavistock’s neighbours

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

WoodstockThamesfordTavistock

How the neighbours grade

Town	People	km	Overall	Cost	Safety	Health
Tavistock	8,710	—	A	C⁺	A⁺	C⁺
Woodstock	55,572	12	C	D	C⁺	B⁻
Thamesford	9,755	17	A⁻	B⁻	A⁺	C⁺

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

Questions about Tavistock

Has Tavistock grown?

Yes: the census counted 7,113 in 2016 and 7,841 in 2021, a rise of 10.2%, against 4.1% for the median of Canadian towns. The 2025 estimate is 8,710.

Who are the people of Tavistock?

4% of residents belong to a visible minority, against 15% for the median of Canadian towns; 2% have an Indigenous identity and 8% are immigrants.

What kind of homes are in Tavistock?

Single-detached houses make up 82% of the homes here, where Canadian towns sit at 64%; 1% are in high-rise apartments. 23% of households are one person, and the average is 2.6.

Is Tavistock a young town or an old one?

Its median age is 42.4, 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).