ThessalonOntario
The town, home to 1,363 people, lies in Ontario. Its census division is Algoma.
Is Thessalon a good place to live?
Fewer journeys need a car (A−). Where it falls short is schools (D). A median home here was worth $200,000 at the census, or 3.4 times what the middle household earns in a year. Health is weaker too (C−).
Figures: home values and income: Statistics Canada, Census 2021. Thessalon is graded subject by subject, but Canadian towns need 2,500 residents for an overall grade.
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.
How Thessalon grades
Each subject compares Thessalon with Canadian towns of 2,500 or more, ordered by how far it is from the middle. Towns in other countries are graded separately.
Thessalon is graded subject by subject, but Canadian towns need 2,500 residents for an overall grade.
How TownRatings grades Canadian towns →
What makes Thessalon stand out
The 3 things Thessalon does most differently from other towns.
The data
Data highlights are ordered by what stands out in Thessalon.
Thessalon’s teenagers travel 31 km to the nearest high school
| School | Level | Students | System |
|---|---|---|---|
| Thessalon Public School Bottom fifth in OntarioLargest elementary schoolElementary · Grades JK–6 | Elementary · Grades JK–6 | 155 | English public |
| Schools within 3 km | Thessalon | Ontario | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nearest secondary school | 31 km | 1.2 km | 1.2 km |
Provincial school lists and results, 2024-25
Few places are as safe from hazards as Thessalon: it beats 86% of Canadian towns
Of the homes tested for radon, 8.6% were over 200 Bq/m³, above Ontario’s towns (4%) and Canadian towns (6.6%) alike. The national inventory holds one flood map for it, from The Corporation of the Municipality of Huron Shores. Seismic risk runs low: $0.005 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 | Thessalon | Ontario | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Radon tests above the guideline | 8.6% | 4% | 6.6% |
| Earthquake loss per $1,000 of buildings a year | $0.005 | $0.043 | $0.030 |
NRCan seismic risk model and burned areas, Health Canada radon survey, the Flood Hazard Map Inventory
Thessalon’s region trails the typical Canadian town by 3.6 years: life expectancy 77.9
Measured across the The District of Algoma Health Unit: health survey and life expectancy
Adults here are less upbeat about their health than the province: 46% very good or excellent, against 51% in Ontario. On average 20% of adults live with arthritis, diabetes or high blood pressure, above Ontario’s towns (17%) and Canadian towns (17%) alike. At 17%, the share of adults who smoke tops the 11% for Ontario. Measured from where Thessalon’s residents live, the nearest hospital is 0.5 km away, under the typical 3.7 km.
Very good or excellent health · adults, age-standardised
| Health | Thessalon | 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 Thessalon have a short way to work, 14 min on average, less than in Ontario’s towns and Canadian towns
87% of commuters took the car to work at the census.
How working residents got to work · census 2021
| Census 2021 | Thessalon | Ontario | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average trip | 14 min | 29 min | 26 min |
| Car or van | 87% | 88% | 89% |
Statistics Canada, Census 2021 (labour and commuting) · Census day was in May 2021, mid-pandemic, so commuting and work figures carry the lockdowns’ mark.
Summers stay cool in Thessalon: July afternoons reach 24.2°C, below Ontario’s towns and Canadian towns
The coldest nights come in January, when Thessalon averages a low of −14.5°C. A normal winter brings 325 cm of snow, higher than both Ontario’s towns (146 cm) and Canadian towns (141 cm). Most of the snow comes in January, about 84 cm. The frost-free season runs from 28 May to 29 September, 123 days.
Average high by season · ECCC normals, 1991–2020
| Normals, 1991–2020 | Thessalon | 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 Thessalon’s residents have an Indigenous identity than in Ontario’s towns or Canadian towns: 12%
2.1% of residents belong to a visible minority, lower than both Ontario’s towns (26%) and Canadian towns (15%). Immigrants make up 3% of residents, below 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
51.6% of Thessalon’s residents are women
650 women and 610 men at the 2021 census; across Canada, women are 50.9%.
| Thessalon | Ontario | Canada | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 15 | 12% | 15% | 16% |
| 15 to 64 | 52% | 65% | 64% |
| 65+ | 36% | 19% | 19% |
| No certificate, diploma or degree | 27% | 15% | 16% |
| Postsecondary qualification | 39% | 56% | 56% |
Statistics Canada, Census 2021; Ontario and Canada: medians of towns of 2,500+
Thessalon is graded a B for safety
Violent crime is recorded at 18.2 per 1,000 residents a year. Its violent severity index came to 97, higher than both Ontario’s towns (76) and Canadian towns (86). Property crime runs at 21.1 per 1,000 people a year.
Year by year · Crime Severity Index for each year
| 2023–2025 | Thessalon | Ontario | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Violent crime | 18.2 | 10.5 | 12 |
| Property crime per 1,000 | 21.1 | 30.5 | 31.2 |
| Violent Crime Severity Index | 97 | 76 | 86 |
Statistics Canada, Uniform Crime Reporting Survey, 2023–2025 average
What November brings in Thessalon: −3°C at night, 5°C by day
November usually brings some 44 cm of snow. Next comes December, with normal highs of −1°C and lows of −9°C. In November, the normal is 89 mm of rain and snow. 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
Each seat on Thessalon’s council speaks for just 190 residents, fewer than in 99% of Ontario municipalities
Thessalon sends one MP to Ottawa from Sault Ste.
| Turnout | Thessalon | Ontario | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Municipal election, 2022 | 9% | 31% | 31% |
Wikidata, MAMH, MMAH, Statistics Canada
Fewer visits per person served than 85% of Ontario’s town libraries: Thessalon public library counts 1.8
The population Thessalon public library serves is 1,268.
Provincial library statistics, OpenStreetMap, the CRA and Statistics Canada
Renting in Thessalon costs 18% of household income, less than in Ontario’s towns or Canadian towns
14% of households spent 30% or more of their income on shelter, below both Ontario’s towns (22%) and Canadian towns (18%). The owner-occupied share of households is 71%.
What homes were worth · The median owner’s estimate at the 2021 census
| Census 2021 | Thessalon | Ontario | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home value, 2021 | $200,000 | $695,000 | $406,000 |
| Households spending 30%+ on shelter | 14% | 22% | 18% |
| Rent as a share of income | 18% | 22% | 20% |
| Households owning their home | 71% | 76% | 74% |
Statistics Canada, Census 2021; CMHC Rental Market Survey via Statistics Canada · Home values are owners’ own estimates at the May 2021 census, and incomes are for 2020.
More of the land around Thessalon is protected than around 9 in 10 Canadian towns
Within 100 km there is no national park. North Channel Islands - la Cloche Provincial Park Addition is the closest provincial park, at 4.1 km. 2 beaches are mapped within 5 km, none with a name.
Protected land · of the land within 10 km
| Outdoors | Thessalon | Ontario | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Protected land within 10 km | 13% | 2.3% | 2.3% |
| Public protected areas within 10 km | 2 | 4 | 4 |
Canadian Protected and Conserved Areas Database (CPCAD), OpenStreetMap routes and beaches
Before 1961: 41% of the homes in Thessalon
| Heritage | Thessalon | Ontario | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Homes built before 1961 | 41% | 22% | 18% |
Canadian Register of Historic Places, Directory of Federal Heritage Designations, Québec’s Répertoire du patrimoine culturel, Wikidata; Census 2021 homes by period
Everything we know about Thessalon
About Thessalon
Town in Ontario
TownRatings counts Thessalon as Statistics Canada does, as one municipality in Ontario; the census, crime and housing figures all follow that boundary.
Statistics Canada: population estimates 2025 (17-10-0155), Census of Population 2021, 2021 census boundaries.
- Population
- 1,363 (people, 2025 estimate)
- Province or territory
- Ontario
- Census division
- Algoma
- Census subdivision
- 3557028
Thessalon’s neighbours
The nearest places of 1,000 or more. Statistics Canada
| Town | People | km | Overall | Cost | Safety | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Thessalon | 1,363 | — | — | B− | B | C− |
| Huron Shores | 2,030 | 16 | — | B | A− | D |
People: Statistics Canada, Census 2021. Distances: centre to centre.
Questions about Thessalon
Who are the people of Thessalon?
2% of residents belong to a visible minority, against 15% for the median of Canadian towns; 12% have an Indigenous identity and 3% are immigrants.
Is Thessalon a young town or an old one?
At 58.8, its median age compares with 45.2 across Canadian towns.
What kind of homes are in Thessalon?
Mostly 81% single-detached houses (the median of Canadian towns: 64%), with 0% of homes in buildings of five or more storeys. Households hold 2.1 people on average, and 37% have just one.
Has Thessalon grown?
No: the census counted 1,286 in 2016 and 1,260 in 2021, 2% fewer, against growth of 4.1% for the median of Canadian towns. The 2025 estimate is 1,363.
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).