Tay ValleyOntario
It is part of Lanark, a census division. With 6,171 residents, it is a town in Ontario.
Is Tay Valley a good place to live?
The weak point is cost of living (C). Most journeys need a car (C−). It lags on hazard risk as well (D). Crime is low (A). Put together, the subjects come to a C+ overall, ranking #640 of 858 in Ontario. That leaves it better than 36% of Canadian towns. The rest of its grades are middling: B− for schools and B− for health.
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. 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 Tay Valley grades
Each subject compares Tay Valley 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 →
What makes Tay Valley stand out
The 3 things Tay Valley does most differently from other towns.
The data
Data highlights are ordered by what stands out in Tay Valley.
Tay Valley’s grade for hazard risk: a D
More homes than usual carry radon here, 19% over the guideline where the typical town has 6.6%. Earthquakes add more: NRCan’s model puts building losses at $0.064 a year per $1,000 of value, against $0.030 for the typical town. 5 flood studies cover the town, the latest by Mississippi Valley Conservation Authority.
Radon tests above the guideline · share of tested homes, 200 Bq/m³
| Hazards | Tay Valley | Ontario | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Radon tests above the guideline | 19% | 4% | 6.6% |
| Earthquake loss per $1,000 of buildings a year | $0.064 | $0.043 | $0.030 |
NRCan seismic risk model and burned areas, Health Canada radon survey, the Flood Hazard Map Inventory
Tay Valley’s Violent Crime Severity Index, 47, runs below Ontario’s towns and Canadian towns
Thefts, break-ins and damage came to 14.5 per 1,000 residents a year, below both Ontario’s towns (30.5) and Canadian towns (31.2). Violent crime runs at 8.5 per 1,000 residents a year.
Year by year · Crime Severity Index for each year
| 2023–2025 | Tay Valley | Ontario | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Property crime per 1,000 | 14.5 | 30.5 | 31.2 |
| Violent Crime Severity Index | 47 | 76 | 86 |
| Violent crime | 8.5 | 10.5 | 12 |
Statistics Canada, Uniform Crime Reporting Survey, 2023–2025 average
Most households in Tay Valley own their home: 93%, more than in both Ontario’s towns and Canadian towns
Rent took 18% of household income, lower than both Ontario’s towns (22%) and Canadian towns (20%). Shelter took 30% or more of income for 13% of households, below both Ontario’s towns (22%) and Canadian towns (18%).
What homes were worth · The median owner’s estimate at the 2021 census
| Census 2021 | Tay Valley | Ontario | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Households owning their home | 93% | 76% | 74% |
| Households spending 30%+ on shelter | 13% | 22% | 18% |
| Rent as a share of income | 18% | 22% | 20% |
| Median home value, 2021 | $448,000 | $695,000 | $406,000 |
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.
Tay Valley has fewer jobs than residents in work: 0.1 for each
The average trip to work takes 29 min.
How working residents got to work · census 2021
| Census 2021 | Tay Valley | Ontario | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average trip | 29 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.
Visible minorities make up less of Tay Valley than of Ontario’s towns or Canadian towns: 1.1%
6.1% of residents came to Canada as immigrants, about level with Canadian towns (6.4%) and below Ontario’s towns (7.6%). First Nations, Métis and Inuit people make up 2.8% of residents, higher than Ontario’s towns (1.6%) and near Canadian towns (2.8%).
Ages · Share of residents in each age group, Census 2021
Schooling · Highest qualification, residents 15 and over
Women and men · all residents
49.4% of Tay Valley’s residents are women
Census 2021 put women at 2,925 and men at 3,000; women are 50.9% of Canada.
| Tay Valley | Ontario | Canada | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 15 | 12% | 15% | 16% |
| 15 to 64 | 57% | 65% | 64% |
| 65+ | 32% | 19% | 19% |
| No certificate, diploma or degree | 14% | 15% | 16% |
| Postsecondary qualification | 55% | 56% | 56% |
Statistics Canada, Census 2021; Ontario and Canada: medians of towns of 2,500+
January lows in Tay Valley: −14.2°C, against −9.1°C in Ontario’s towns and −13.5°C in Canadian towns
A normal September brings 91 mm of precipitation, more than any other month. There are 163 days of frost in a typical year, higher than Ontario’s towns (139) and near Canadian towns (159). In July, daytime highs in Tay Valley average 27.1°C. January is the snowiest month, with 46 cm on average.
Average high by season · ECCC normals, 1991–2020
| Normals, 1991–2020 | Tay Valley | Ontario | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Snowfall a year | 187 cm | 146 cm | 141 cm |
| July afternoon high | 27.1°C | 26.7°C | 25.5°C |
| January night low | −14.2°C | −9.1°C | −13.5°C |
| Days with frost a year | 163 | 139 | 159 |
Environment and Climate Change Canada, Canadian Climate Normals 1991–2020 (Drummond Centre)
In Tay Valley, November normally means 6°C afternoons and −2°C nights
Into December, the normals move to −1°C and −9°C. A typical November adds 17 cm of snow. November normally sees 75 mm of precipitation. Hour-by-hour figures come from ECCC’s Westport forecast, on the Weather page.
Normal highs, the months ahead · ECCC normals, 1991–2020
| Season | High | Low | Rain and snow |
|---|---|---|---|
| Winter | −3°C | −12°C | 204 mm |
| Spring | 12°C | 0°C | 214 mm |
| Summer | 26°C | 13°C | 267 mm |
| Autumn | 13°C | 3°C | 253 mm |
ECCC normals, 1991–2020 (Drummond Centre); the forecast is on the Weather page
One councillor per 770 residents: Tay Valley is more closely represented than 73% of Ontario municipalities
In the Legislative Assembly of Ontario, Tay Valley belongs to Lanark—Frontenac—Kingston; who holds it as MPP (Member of Provincial Parliament, at Queen’s Park in Toronto) isn’t on an open record, so no one is named.
| Turnout | Tay Valley | Ontario | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Municipal election, 2022 | 40% | 31% | 31% |
Wikidata, MAMH, MMAH, Statistics Canada
The nearest public library to Tay Valley is Perth & District Union Public Library, 11 km away
The next is Lanark Highlands Public Library (Lanark Highlands), 18 km away.
Provincial library statistics, OpenStreetMap, the CRA and Statistics Canada
51% of adults around Tay Valley rate their health very good or excellent
Life expectancy at birth in the region is 81.2 years, about level with Canadian towns (81.5) and below Ontario’s towns (82.8). Smoking is commoner than in the province: 14% of adults, against 11% for Ontario. Measured from where Tay Valley’s residents live, the nearest hospital is 12 km away, beyond the typical 3.7 km.
Very good or excellent health · adults, age-standardised
| Health | Tay Valley | Ontario | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Smokers | 14% | 10% | 12% |
| Life expectancy at birth | 81.2 | 82.8 | 81.5 |
| 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 · Health survey and life expectancy published for the Leeds, Grenville and Lanark District Health Unit, not by town
In the lower two fifths in Ontario: 4 of the 7 schools around Tay Valley with results
None of them teaches in French, though one in ten schools in Ontario do. An elementary school stands 4.4 km from the centre, higher than both Ontario’s towns (0.5 km) and Canadian towns (0.5 km). In or within 3 km of Tay Valley: 8 elementary schools and 2 secondary schools, with 2,845 students.
| School | Level | Students | System |
|---|---|---|---|
| St John Elementary School CatholicLargest elementary schoolElementary · Grades JK–6 | Elementary · Grades JK–6 | 375 | English Catholic |
| Perth and District Collegiate Institute Bottom fifth in OntarioLargest secondary schoolSecondary · Grades 9–12 | Secondary · Grades 9–12 | 580 | English public |
Schools by system · Schools within 3 km
| Schools within 3 km | Tay Valley | Ontario | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| School boards | 2 | 4 | 3 |
| Nearest secondary school | 9.9 km | 1.2 km | 1.2 km |
| Nearest elementary school | 4.4 km | 0.5 km | 0.5 km |
Provincial school lists and results, 2024-25
A national park 16 km from Tay Valley: Thousand Islands National Park
Within 10 km, 5.8% of the land is protected, above both Ontario’s towns (2.3%) and Canadian towns (2.3%). 8 beaches are mapped within 5 km, the nearest Murphy's Point Day Use Beach. Inside the town itself, 3.9% of the land is protected.
Protected land · of the land within 10 km
| Outdoors | Tay Valley | Ontario | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Protected land within 10 km | 5.8% | 2.3% | 2.3% |
| Public protected areas within 10 km | 4 | 4 | 4 |
Canadian Protected and Conserved Areas Database (CPCAD), OpenStreetMap routes and beaches
Everything we know about Tay Valley
Matheson House and 6 more in and around Tay Valley
Sights in Tay Valley and close by, ordered by how widely each is known.
MuseumMatheson House1.1 km outside town, to the northeast
MuseumMcMartin House1.3 km outside town, to the northeastMuseumMuseumLanark Highlands Basketry Museum4.3 km outside town, to the northwestMuseumMuseumLanark & District Museum2.8 km outside town, to the northMuseumMuseumForest & Farm Heritage Museum2.4 km outside town, to the westMuseumMuseumMaple Heritage Museum2.5 km outside town, to the westPhotos: each place’s Wikidata image, from Wikimedia Commons under the licence below (our copy, resized).
Photo credits (2)
- Matheson House: JustSomePics, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
- McMartin House: Kenn Chaplin from Toronto, Canada, CC BY-SA 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
Famous people from around Tay Valley
No notable person born in Tay Valley is on our list; these were born in the towns around it.
Photo credits
Billy Smith: Horge, CC BY 3.0 · John Robson: User Digging.holes on fr.wikipedia, Public domain · Alexander Morris: William James Topley, Public domain
About Tay Valley
Town in Ontario
Every figure TownRatings gives for Tay Valley 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
- 6,171 (people, 2025 estimate)
- Province or territory
- Ontario
- Census division
- Lanark
- Census subdivision
- 3509015
Tay Valley’s neighbours
The nearest places of 1,000 or more. Statistics Canada
| Town | People | km | Overall | Cost | Safety | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tay Valley | 6,171 | — | C+ | C | A | B− |
| Perth | 6,972 | 10 | C− | D | C+ | B |
| Drummond/North Elmsley | 8,817 | 17 | C+ | C | A+ | B− |
People: Statistics Canada, Census 2021. Distances: centre to centre.
Questions about Tay Valley
Who are the people of Tay Valley?
At the 2021 census, 6% were immigrants and 1% belonged to a visible minority (Canadian towns’ median: 15%). 3% identify as First Nations, Métis or Inuit.
What kind of homes are in Tay Valley?
Single-detached houses make up 97% of the homes here, where Canadian towns sit at 64%; 0% are in high-rise apartments. 21% of households are one person, and the average is 2.3.
Is Tay Valley a young town or an old one?
The typical resident is 57.2 (Canadian towns: 45.2), with seniors at 32% of the population and under-15s at 12%.
Is Tay Valley growing?
Yes: the census counted 5,665 in 2016 and 5,925 in 2021, a rise of 4.6%, against 4.1% for the median of Canadian towns. The 2025 estimate is 6,171.
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).