ThoroldOntario

In Ontario, this town has 33,844 residents. Statistics Canada counts it in the St. Catharines - Niagara metro area.

6 places within 19 kmMap →

Photo: Gogerr · CC BY-SA 4.0

Population

33,844

people, 2025 estimate

Median age

37.2

years · Ontario’s towns: 46.8

Postsecondary

50%

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%

TownGrade

B⁻

#1,439 of 2,556

Is Thorold a good place to live?

A town of contrasts. Where it falls short is cost of living (D). Thorold ranks #542 of 858 in Ontario, with a B− overall. That leaves it better than 47% of Canadian towns. School results are strong (A). Its other grades sit near the middle: B for safety, C+ for health and B for walkability.

Rents here are the metro area's average, shared by every town and neighbourhood in it. Safety is the regional police service's figure, shared with its other towns. Health is graded on the health region's survey figures and life expectancy, with the distance to hospital giving the town its own spread.

StrongestASchoolsWeakestDCost of living

What makes Thorold stand out

The 3 things Thorold does most differently from other towns.

Picked automatically from the data

Population growth, 2016 to 2021

Growth

+27% more people than in 2016

The median of Canadian towns: 4%

Statistics Canada, Census 2016 and 2021

Immigrants

Who lives here

17% are immigrants

Against 6% in the median of Canadian towns

Statistics Canada, Census 2021

Schools

Better than 94%

of Canadian towns on schools

Its schools grade: A.

How Thorold grades

Each subject compares Thorold 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

SchoolsBased on how pupils do in exams and testsAOpen →Cost of livingHomes are among the least affordable for local incomesDOpen →Hazard riskAhead of most towns comparedB⁺Open →Jobs & incomeGraded on incomes, poverty and employmentCOpen →WalkabilityEasier than most to get around on footBOpen →SafetyBased on crimes reported per residentBOpen →HealthAbout average among the towns comparedC⁺Open →

How TownRatings grades Canadian towns →

Nearby attractions

Howells Pumpkin Farm and 13 more in and around Thorold

Museums, historic sites, parks, gardens and days out in and near Thorold, the best known first.

All attractions →

AttractionAttractionHowells Pumpkin Farmin town

CathedralCathedral of St. Catherine of Alexandria4.6 km outside town, to the northwest MuseumMuseumThorold And Beaverdams Historical Society Museumin town MuseumMuseumMorningstar Mill200 m outside town, to the west MuseumMuseumSt. Catharines Museum & Welland Canals Centre2.1 km outside town, to the north Art galleryArt galleryNiagara Artists Centre4.3 km outside town, to the northwest

Places: © OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL) · Wikidata · ODCAF · federal and Québec heritage registers · CPCAD

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

Photo credits (1)

Cathedral of St. Catherine of Alexandria: Jfvoll, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons

The data

Data highlights are ordered by what stands out in Thorold.

SchoolsSchools A

Thorold’s schools belong to 4 boards that cover the same streets

In French: 3 of the 42 schools, where in Ontario the share is 10%. On results, 25 of its 34 tested schools sit in the top two fifths in Ontario. From the town centre, high school starts 2.3 km away, higher than both Ontario’s towns (1.2 km) and Canadian towns (1.2 km).

42schools within 3 kmASchools Grade

School	Level	Students	System
Our Lady of the Holy Rosary Catholic Elementary School CatholicLargest elementary schoolElementary · Grades JK–8	Elementary · Grades JK–8	815	English Catholic
Saint Michael Catholic High School CatholicLargest secondary schoolSecondary · Grades 9–12	Secondary · Grades 9–12	1,190	English Catholic
ÉÉC Sainte-Marguerite-Bourgeoys-St.Cath FrenchTeaches in FrenchElementary · Grades JK–8	Elementary · Grades JK–8	115	French Catholic
Burleigh Hill Public School Top fifth in OntarioResults in the top fifth in OntarioElementary · Grades JK–8	Elementary · Grades JK–8	195	English public

See all 42 schools →

Schools by system · Schools within 3 km

English public23

English Catholic16

French Catholic2

French public1

Schools within 3 km	Thorold	Ontario	Canada
School boards	4	4	3
Nearest secondary school	2.3 km	1.2 km	1.2 km

15,445

students at the schools within 3 km, 2024-25

2.3 km

to the nearest secondary school

Full pageThorold’s schools pageOpen the full Schools page

The boards4 school boards · DSB Niagara Every school42 schools within 3 km · 31 elementary schools, 7 secondary schools and 4 alternative or adult schools Results25 of 34 in the top two fifths · of the schools with results, placed against every school in Ontario Language3 of 42 teach in French · 10% of schools in Ontario Questions“What schools are there in Thorold?”

Provincial school lists and results, 2024-25

HousingCost of living D

Measured against local pay, Thorold costs more to live in than 90% of Canadian towns

Area-wide: rent as a share of income and monthly rent for a two-bedroom, counted over the St. Catharines-Niagara metro area

Nearly a quarter of households spent 30% or more of their income on shelter, about level with Ontario’s towns (22%) and above Canadian towns (18%). The owner-occupied share of households is 69%.

$552,000median home value, 2021DCost of living Grade

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

Thorold$552,000

Ontario$695,000

Canadian towns$406,000

Census 2021	Thorold	Ontario	Canada
Households owning their home	69%	76%	74%
Median home value, 2021	$552,000	$695,000	$406,000
Households spending 30%+ on shelter	23%	22%	18%
Rent as a share of income	22%	22%	20%

$1,527

monthly rent for a two-bedroom

$1,310

median monthly shelter cost for owners, 2021

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

Cost of living6.7 times household income · The median owner’s estimate, $552,000, against the median household income Renting$1,527 a month · A two-bedroom apartment, CMHC’s survey Owners and renters69% own their home

Statistics Canada, Census 2021; CMHC Rental Market Survey via Statistics Canada · Values come from owners at the 2021 census and incomes from 2020, so they predate the later rise in rates.

Natural hazardsHazard risk B⁺

Thorold is on Canada’s flood inventory: 9 listed, led by Niagara Peninsula Conservation Authority

In Health Canada’s survey, just 2% of homes tested in the area exceeded 200 Bq/m³ (6.6% typical). Earthquakes add more: NRCan’s model puts building losses at $0.061 a year per $1,000 of value, against $0.030 for the typical town.

Lowwildfire bandB⁺Hazard risk Grade

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

Thorold2%

Ontario’s towns4%

Canadian towns6.6%

Hazards	Thorold	Ontario	Canada
Radon tests above the guideline	2%	4%	6.6%
Earthquake loss per $1,000 of buildings a year	$0.061	$0.043	$0.030

$0.061

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

Low

wildfire band

flood studies on the national inventory

Full pageThorold’s flood & hazards pageOpen the full Flood & hazards page

Flood9 flood studies on record WildfireLow wildfire band · No land burned within 25 km since 1986 Earthquakes$0.061 a year per $1,000 · Canadian towns: $0.030 Radon2% 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

Work & commuteJobs & income C

Thorold has a smaller share of its working-age people in jobs than 88% of Canadian towns

The average trip to work took 26 min, about level with Canadian towns (26 min) and below Ontario’s towns (29 min). 93% of commuters drove to work at the census.

5%walk, cycle or take transit

How working residents got to work · census 2021

Car or van93%

Walk2%

Public transit2%

Bicycle0%

Census 2021	Thorold	Ontario	Canada
Car or van	93%	88%	89%
Average trip	26 min	29 min	26 min

$82,000

median household income, 2020

19%

worked from home, May 2021

18%

of commuters work inside the municipality

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

Unemployment15% unemployed · Of the labour force · Canadian towns: 9.9%Getting to work5% walk, cycle or take transit Where people commute to2,305 commuters · The biggest flow out: to St. Catharines

Statistics Canada, Census 2021 (labour and commuting) · Counted in May 2021, under pandemic rules: fewer commutes and more people between jobs than in a normal year.

Who lives here

Few people in Thorold are 65 or over: 16%, below Ontario’s towns and Canadian towns

17% are under 15, higher than both Ontario’s towns (15%) and Canadian towns (16%). Visible minorities make up 19% of the population, below Ontario’s towns (26%) but above Canadian towns (15%).

37.2median age

ThoroldOntarioCanada

OntarioCanada

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

17%

Schooling · Highest qualification, residents 15 and over

No certificate, diploma or degree16%

Postsecondary qualification50%

Women and men · all residents

49.7% of Thorold’s residents are women

11,970 men and 11,850 women lived here in 2021, against a share of women of 50.9% for Canada.

Who lives in Thorold
	Thorold	Ontario	Canada
Under 15	17%	15%	16%
15 to 64	67%	65%	64%
65+	16%	19%	19%
No certificate, diploma or degree	16%	15%	16%
Postsecondary qualification	50%	56%	56%

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

Ages37.2 median age · 16% are 65 or over Households9,095 households · 2.6 people per household Immigrants17% are immigrants · 19% belong to a visible minority English and French6% speak both · 0% speak French but not English

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

SafetySafety B

For safety, Thorold gets a B

Measured across the Niagara Region (St. Catharines) service area: Crime Severity Index, Violent Crime Severity Index, violent crime and property crime per 1,000

Violent incidents in its police area came to 9.4 per 1,000 residents a year, lower than both Ontario’s towns (10.5) and Canadian towns (12). Thefts, break-ins and damage add up to 25.1 per 1,000 residents a year where it is policed.

56Crime Severity Index

Year by year · Crime Severity Index for each year

202355

202459

202554

2023–2025	Thorold	Ontario	Canada
Property crime per 1,000	25.1	30.5	31.2
Violent crime	9.4	10.5	12

non-violent Crime Severity Index

37%

of incidents cleared, 2023–25

Full pageThorold’s safety reportOpen the full Safety report

Safety56 Crime Severity Index · The index weighs each crime Thorold’s police recorded by how serious it is.Questions“Is Thorold safe?”

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

HealthHealth C⁺

Around Thorold, 49% of adults call their health very good or excellent

Source area for health survey and life expectancy: the Niagara Regional Area Health Unit

The three chronic conditions the survey tracks average 19% of adults, above both Ontario’s towns (17%) and Canadian towns (17%). At 15%, the share of adults who smoke tops the 11% for Ontario. Life expectancy in the region is 81.2 years (83.6 for women, 78.8 for men, 2022/2024). Closer to home, a hospital sits 3.5 km from the average resident of Thorold, about the norm of 3.7 km.

49%very good or excellent healthC⁺Health Grade

Very good or excellent health · adults, age-standardised

Thorold49%

Ontario’s towns51%

Canadian towns52%

Health	Thorold	Ontario	Canada
Smokers	15%	10%	12%
Chronic conditions (average share)	19%	17%	17%
Very good or excellent health	49%	51%	52%
Life expectancy at birth	81.2	82.8	81.5

81.2

years of life expectancy, 2022/2024

15%

of adults smoke, age-standardised

1.7 km

from homes to a pharmacy, on average

Full pageThorold’s health pageOpen the full Health page

Health survey49% very good or excellent health · adults, age-standardised Getting care3.5 km to a hospital · A pharmacy 1.7 km away on average The wider areaLife expectancy: women 83.6, men 78.8 Conditions and habits19% 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

Thorold has milder winters than Ontario’s towns or Canadian towns: January lows of −8.0°C

A normal January brings 44 cm of snow, the most of any month. There are 134 days of frost in a typical year, near Ontario’s towns (139) and lower than Canadian towns (159). Frost usually lifts by 6 May and returns around 14 October: 160 days without it. A July afternoon in Thorold typically reaches 26.8°C.

26.8°CJuly afternoons

Average high by season · ECCC normals, 1991–2020

Winter1.2°C

Spring12.5°C

Summer25.8°C

Autumn15.5°C

Normals, 1991–2020	Thorold	Ontario	Canada
January night low	−8.0°C	−9.1°C	−13.5°C
July afternoon high	26.8°C	26.7°C	25.5°C
Days with frost a year	134	139	159
Precipitation a year	967 mm	902 mm	883 mm

134

days with frost a year

160

frost-free days, 6 May to 14 Oct

128

days with precipitation a year

Full pageThorold’s climate pageOpen the full Climate page

The yearJuly highs 26.8°C, January lows −8.0°C Rain and snow967 mm a year · Canadian towns: 883 mm Snow141 cm of snow a year Weather station13 km to the station · Welland-Pelham

Environment and Climate Change Canada, Canadian Climate Normals 1991–2020 (Welland-Pelham)

Weather

In Thorold, November normally means 9°C afternoons and freezing nights

Rain and snow over a typical November come to 84 mm. Into December, the normals move to 3°C and −4°C. Hour-by-hour figures come from ECCC’s St. Catharines forecast, on the Weather page.

9°Ca normal November afternoon

Normal highs, the months ahead · ECCC normals, 1991–2020

November9°C

December3°C

January0°C

February1°C

Season	High	Low	Rain and snow
Winter	1°C	−7°C	216 mm
Spring	13°C	2°C	234 mm
Summer	26°C	15°C	248 mm
Autumn	15°C	6°C	268 mm

0°C

a normal November night

84 mm

of rain and snow in a normal November

Full pageThorold’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 February

ECCC normals, 1991–2020 (Welland-Pelham); the forecast is on the Weather page

Town hall

Only 25% of Thorold voters cast a ballot in 2022, fewer than in 85% of Ontario municipalities

Provincially, Thorold votes in Niagara Centre; the open record doesn’t name its MPP (Member of Provincial Parliament, at Queen’s Park in Toronto) in the Legislative Assembly of Ontario, so the legislature’s own list is linked below.

Turnout	Thorold	Ontario	Canada
Municipal election, 2022	25%	31%	31%

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

Member of ParliamentFred Davies council seats9

Wikidata, MAMH, MMAH, Statistics Canada

Library & civic lifeCivic life grade C

At 2.7 loans per person served, Thorold Public Library lends less than 81% of Ontario’s town libraries

Thorold Public Library has one location for the 23,816 people it serves.

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

A year at the library3 visits per person served The libraries1 Libraries Places to belong1.1 charities per 1,000 residents

Provincial library statistics, OpenStreetMap, the CRA and Statistics Canada

Outdoors

7 mapped walking routes pass Thorold

OpenStreetMap shows one beach within 5 km, without a name. The nearest national park is Rouge National Urban Park, 75 km away. Out to 10 km from the town’s edge, 1.6% of the land is protected; 2.3% is typical for a Canadian town.

1.6%of the land within 10 km protected

Protected land · of the land within 10 km

Thorold1.6%

Ontario’s towns2.3%

Canadian towns2.3%

Outdoors	Thorold	Ontario	Canada
Protected land within 10 km	1.6%	2.3%	2.3%
Public protected areas within 10 km	6	4	4

75 km

to Rouge National Urban Park

At the edge

to Short Hills Provincial Park

beach within 5 km

Full pageThorold’s outdoors pageOpen the full Outdoors page

Footpaths & routes7 named routes · Bruce Trail - Niagara section Protected landof the land within 10 km Protected areas16 protected areas within 10 km · Short Hills Provincial Park National & provincial parks75 km to a national park · Rouge National Urban Park

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

History

One place in Thorold, at the top of the registers

At the 2021 census, 32% of homes dated from before 1961, above both Ontario’s towns (22%) and Canadian towns (18%).

1historic place

Historic places by designation · inside the town

Highest designations1

Other federal designations0

Provincial and local listings0

Among them

Battle of Beaver Dams 1813

1813

oldest construction date on the record

32%

of homes built before 1961 · Canadian towns 18%

Heritage	Thorold	Ontario	Canada
Homes built before 1961	32%	22%	18%

Full pageThorold’s history pageOpen the full History page

On the registersOne historic place inside the town Highest designations1 top designation · Battle of Beaver Dams Older homes32% built before 1961 · Canadian towns: 18%Questions“How many historic places does Thorold 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 Thorold

15pages on Thorold

The big questions

SafetyBCrime Severity Index 56 Housing & costDHomes 6.7 × income Property pricesSchoolsA42 schools within 3 km HealthC⁺Life expectancy 81.2 in its region Work & commuteC52% of adults in work Natural hazardsB⁺Wildfire band: low

Out and about

Outdoors1.6% of the land within 10 km protected AttractionsClimateJuly afternoons around 27°C WeatherECCC’s forecast, beside the normals

The story

Who lives hereMedian age 37.2 HistoryOne place on the heritage registers Town hallFamous people

Famous people from Thorold

18 notable people were born in Thorold.

See all 18 →

Edward Wentworth BeattyCanadian transportation executive, philanthropist · 1877–1943

Sean BentivoglioCanadian-born Italian ice hockey player · born 1985

Joey MartinCanadian ice hockey player · born 1988

Martha CartmellCanadian missionary who founded a school in Japan · 1845–1945

Randy GazzolaCanadian-Italian ice hockey defenceman · born 1993

Richard John GreccoCanadian Catholic bishop · born 1946

Photo credits

Edward Wentworth Beatty: The original uploader was YUL89YYZ at English Wikipedia ., Public domain · Sean Bentivoglio: TheAHL, CC BY 2.0 · Joey Martin: Mathis Benguigui, CC BY-SA 4.0 · Martha Cartmell: Unknown author, Public domain · Randy Gazzola: Mathis Benguigui, CC BY-SA 4.0

Thorold’s neighbours

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

St. CatharinesNiagara FallsPelhamWellandNiagara-on-the-LakeBeamsvilleThorold

How the neighbours grade

Town	People	km	Overall	Cost	Safety	Health
Thorold	33,844	—	B⁻	D	B	C⁺
St. Catharines	153,865	7.3	B⁻	D⁻	B	C⁺
Niagara Falls	113,983	9.5	B⁻	D⁻	B	C⁺
Pelham	19,980	10	B⁺	C	B	C⁺
Welland	66,480	13	C⁺	D⁻	B	C⁺
Niagara-on-the-Lake	20,080	15	B	D	B	C⁺
Beamsville	28,356	18	B⁺	C⁻	B	C⁺

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

Questions about Thorold

Has Thorold grown?

It added people: 18,801 in 2016, 23,816 in 2021, 26.7% more, where the middle of Canadian towns grew 4.1%. Statistics Canada’s 2025 estimate is 33,844.

What kind of homes are in Thorold?

A household averages 2.6 people; 26% are one person living alone.

How old are the people of Thorold?

Half its people are older than 37.2 (the middle of Canadian towns: 45.2); children under 15 make up 17%, people 65 and over 16%.

About Thorold

Town in Ontario

TownRatings counts Thorold 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: 33,844 (people, 2025 estimate)
Province or territory: Ontario
Census division: Niagara
Metro area: St. Catharines - Niagara
Census subdivision: 3526037

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).