Thunder BayOntario

117,671 people live in this town in Ontario.

2 places within 19 kmMap →

Photo: Derek Hatfield from Peterborough, Canada · CC BY 2.0

Population

117,671

people, 2025 estimate

Median age

years · Ontario’s towns: 46.8

Postsecondary

55%

of residents 15 and over hold a postsecondary certificate, diploma or degree · Canadian towns: 56%

Walk, cycle, transit

10%

walk, cycle or take transit to work · Canadian towns: 8%

TownGrade

C⁻

#2,136 of 2,556

Is Thunder Bay a good place to live?

Thunder Bay’s grades pull in different directions. Safety lags (C−). Buying in is costly (C−). Walkability is its strong suit (A−). The overall grade lands at C−, #755 of 858 in Ontario. It comes out better than just over a fifth of Canadian towns. Elsewhere it is close to typical: B for schools and B− for jobs & income.

Rents here are the metro area's average, shared by every town and neighbourhood in it. 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⁻Walkability A⁻Hazard riskWeakestC⁻Safety C⁻Cost of living

How Thunder Bay grades

Each subject compares Thunder Bay 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

SafetyGraded on crime per residentC⁻Open →Cost of livingHomes are among the least affordable for local incomesC⁻Open →WalkabilityAhead of most towns comparedA⁻Open →Hazard riskGraded on two hazards, earthquakes and radon, with nearby wildfire counted only against itA⁻Open →HealthResidents’ health trails most townsC⁻Open →SchoolsAbove the middle of the towns comparedBOpen →Jobs & incomeAbout average among the towns comparedB⁻Open →

How TownRatings grades Canadian towns →

Nearby attractions

St. Patrick's Cathedral and 12 more in and around Thunder Bay

Sights in Thunder Bay and close by, ordered by how widely each is known.

All attractions →

CathedralSt. Patrick's Cathedralin town

FortFort William Historical Parkin town

MuseumThunder Bay Historical Museumin town Art galleryArt galleryThunder Bay Art Galleryin town Ski hillSki hillKamview Nordic Centrein town MuseumMuseumNorthwestern Ontario Aviation Heritage Centrein town

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 (3)

St. Patrick's Cathedral: Vidioman, CC BY 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
Fort William Historical Park: Doug Coldwell, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
Thunder Bay Historical Museum: Vidioman, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons

The data

Data highlights are ordered by what stands out in Thunder Bay.

SafetySafety C⁻

Thunder Bay’s Violent Crime Severity Index, 210, runs above Ontario’s towns and Canadian towns

Per 1,000 residents, 24.1 violent crimes are recorded each year. Property crime accounts for 41.9 incidents per 1,000 residents a year.

114Crime Severity Index

Year by year · Crime Severity Index for each year

2023105

2024117

2025119

2023–2025	Thunder Bay	Ontario	Canada
Violent Crime Severity Index	210	76	86
Violent crime	24.1	10.5	12
Property crime per 1,000	41.9	30.5	31.2

non-violent Crime Severity Index

48%

of incidents cleared, 2023–25

Full pageThunder Bay’s safety reportOpen the full Safety report

Safety114 Crime Severity Index · The index weighs each crime Thunder Bay’s police recorded by how serious it is.Questions“Is Thunder Bay safe?”

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

HousingCost of living C⁻

Housing and transport take only 20% of household income in Thunder Bay, against 29% in the typical Canadian town

Owners make up 68% of households, lower than both Ontario’s towns (76%) and Canadian towns (74%). The median home value was $300,000, below both Ontario’s towns ($695,000) and Canadian towns ($406,000). For rent as a share of income and monthly rent for a two-bedroom, the only official count covers all of the Thunder Bay metro area, Thunder Bay included.

$300,000median home value, 2021C⁻Cost of living Grade

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

Thunder Bay$300,000

Ontario$695,000

Canadian towns$406,000

Census 2021	Thunder Bay	Ontario	Canada
Median home value, 2021	$300,000	$695,000	$406,000
Households spending 30%+ on shelter	16%	22%	18%
Households owning their home	68%	76%	74%
Rent as a share of income	23%	22%	20%

$1,493

monthly rent for a two-bedroom

$950

median monthly shelter cost for owners, 2021

Full pageThunder Bay’s cost of living pageOpen the full Cost of living page

Cost of living3.9 times household income · The median owner’s estimate, $300,000, against the median household income Renting$1,493 a month · A two-bedroom apartment, CMHC’s survey Owners and renters68% own their home

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.

Climate

Thunder Bay has colder winters than Ontario’s towns or Canadian towns: January lows of −19.2°C

The thermometer drops below freezing on 206 days a year, higher than both Ontario’s towns (139) and Canadian towns (159). Expect July highs of around 24.9°C in Thunder Bay. A normal July brings 117 mm of precipitation, more than any other month.

24.9°CJuly afternoons

Average high by season · ECCC normals, 1991–2020

Winter−5.8°C

Spring8.6°C

Summer23.6°C

Autumn10.9°C

Normals, 1991–2020	Thunder Bay	Ontario	Canada
January night low	−19.2°C	−9.1°C	−13.5°C
Days with frost a year	206	139	159
July afternoon high	24.9°C	26.7°C	25.5°C
Precipitation a year	790 mm	902 mm	883 mm

206

days with frost a year

110

days with precipitation a year

Full pageThunder Bay’s climate pageOpen the full Climate page

The yearJuly highs 24.9°C, January lows −19.2°C Rain and snow790 mm a year · Canadian towns: 883 mm Weather station7.2 km to the station · Thunder Bay

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

Natural hazardsHazard risk A⁻

Flood mapping exists for Thunder Bay: 8 on record, latest by Lakehead Region Conservation Authority

Fire seldom reaches Thunder Bay: since 1986, 0.1% of the land within 25 km has burned (0.003% a year). Radon topped the guideline in 12% of tested homes, higher than both Ontario’s towns (4%) and Canadian towns (6.6%).

Lowwildfire bandA⁻Hazard risk Grade

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

Thunder Bay12%

Ontario’s towns4%

Canadian towns6.6%

Hazards	Thunder Bay	Ontario	Canada
Radon tests above the guideline	12%	4%	6.6%
Earthquake loss per $1,000 of buildings a year	$0.005	$0.043	$0.030

$0.005

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

Low

wildfire band

12 km

to the nearest land burned since 1986

flood studies on the national inventory

Full pageThunder Bay’s flood & hazards pageOpen the full Flood & hazards page

Flood8 flood studies on record WildfireLow wildfire band · 0.1% of the land within 25 km burned since 1986 Earthquakes$0.005 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

HealthHealth C⁻

People in Thunder Bay’s health region live to 76.5 on average, 5.0 years short of the typical Canadian town

In the health survey, nearly half of adults in the region rate their health very good or excellent, fewer than Ontario’s 51%. The survey counts 17% of adults as smokers, higher than both Ontario’s towns (10%) and Canadian towns (12%). For Thunder Bay itself the measure is access: 3.2 km to the nearest hospital, much like the typical 3.7 km. Figures for health survey and life expectancy are published for the Thunder Bay District Health Unit as a whole, not for Thunder Bay alone.

49%very good or excellent healthC⁻Health Grade

Very good or excellent health · adults, age-standardised

Thunder Bay49%

Ontario’s towns51%

Canadian towns52%

Health	Thunder Bay	Ontario	Canada
Life expectancy at birth	76.5	82.8	81.5
Smokers	17%	10%	12%
Very good or excellent health	49%	51%	52%
Chronic conditions (average share)	18%	17%	17%

76.5

years of life expectancy, 2022/2024

17%

of adults smoke, age-standardised

2.1 km

from homes to a pharmacy, on average

Full pageThunder Bay’s health pageOpen the full Health page

Health survey49% very good or excellent health · adults, age-standardised Getting care3.2 km to a hospital · A pharmacy 2.1 km away on average The wider areaLife expectancy: women 79.0, men 74.1 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

SchoolsSchools B

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

Taken together, Thunder Bay and its 3 km edge hold 36 elementary schools, 6 secondary schools and 2 alternative or adult schools for 15,300 students. 24 of the 44 are Catholic, more than the 34% in Ontario. The 37 with results split, 10 in the upper two fifths in Ontario and 13 in the lower.

44schools within 3 kmBSchools Grade

School	Level	Students	System
Ecole Elsie MacGill PS (Elementary) Second fifth in OntarioLargest elementary schoolElementary · Grades JK–8	Elementary · Grades JK–8	800	English public
Westgate Collegiate and Vocational Institute VocationalLargest secondary schoolSecondary · Grades 9–12	Secondary · Grades 9–12	1,075	English public
École catholique Franco-Supérieur FrenchTeaches in FrenchElementary · Grades JK–6	Elementary · Grades JK–6	310	French Catholic
Claude E Garton Public School Top fifth in OntarioResults in the top fifth in OntarioElementary · Grades JK–8	Elementary · Grades JK–8	430	English public

See all 44 schools →

Schools by system · Schools within 3 km

English Catholic21

English public19

French Catholic3

French public1

Schools within 3 km	Thunder Bay	Ontario	Canada
School boards	4	4	3
Nearest secondary school	3 km	1.2 km	1.2 km

15,300

students at the schools within 3 km, 2024-25

3 km

to the nearest secondary school

Full pageThunder Bay’s schools pageOpen the full Schools page

The boards4 school boards · Thunder Bay CDSB Every school44 schools within 3 km · 36 elementary schools, 6 secondary schools and 2 alternative or adult schools Results10 of 37 in the top two fifths · of the schools with results, placed against every school in Ontario Language4 of 44 teach in French · 10% of schools in Ontario Questions“What schools are there in Thunder Bay?”

Provincial school lists and results, 2024-25

Weather

What November brings in Thunder Bay: −7°C at night, 3°C by day

Hour-by-hour figures come from ECCC’s Thunder Bay forecast, on the Weather page. Into December, the normals move to −5°C and −15°C. A normal November brings 40 mm of rain and snow.

3°Ca normal November afternoon

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

November3°C

December−5°C

January−8°C

February−5°C

Season	High	Low	Rain and snow
Winter	−6°C	−17°C	96 mm
Spring	9°C	−5°C	166 mm
Summer	24°C	10°C	311 mm
Autumn	11°C	−1°C	216 mm

−7°C

a normal November night

40 mm

of rain and snow in a normal November

Full pageThunder Bay’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 (Thunder Bay); the forecast is on the Weather page

Town hall

Per resident, Thunder Bay spends more than 95% of Ontario’s single-tier municipalities

Kenneth Boshcoff was elected mayor of Thunder Bay in October 2022, on a council of 13 seats.

Turnout	Thunder Bay	Ontario	Canada
Municipal election, 2022	43%	31%	31%

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

Who runs itCity Member of ParliamentPatty Hajdu

Wikidata, MAMH, MMAH, Statistics Canada

Library & civic lifeCivic life grade C⁺

At 2.9 loans per person served, Thunder Bay Public Library lends less than 75% of Ontario’s town libraries

Thunder Bay Public Library serves 108,843 people from 3 branches.

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

A year at the library2.6 visits per person served Places to belong2.1 charities per 1,000 residents

Provincial library statistics, OpenStreetMap, the CRA and Statistics Canada

Work & commuteJobs & income B⁻

Commuters in Thunder Bay have a short way to work, 17 min on average, less than in Ontario’s towns and Canadian towns

The car took 89% of commuters, close to both Ontario’s towns (88%) and Canadian towns (89%).

10%walk, cycle or take transit

How working residents got to work · census 2021

Car or van89%

Walk5%

Public transit4%

Bicycle1%

Census 2021	Thunder Bay	Ontario	Canada
Average trip	17 min	29 min	26 min
Car or van	89%	88%	89%

$77,500

median household income, 2020

17%

worked from home, May 2021

95%

of commuters work inside the municipality

Full pageThunder Bay’s work & commute pageOpen the full Work & commute page

Unemployment11% unemployed · Of the labour force · Canadian towns: 9.9%Getting to work10% walk, cycle or take transit Where people commute to505 commuters · The biggest flow out: to Oliver Paipoonge

Statistics Canada, Census 2021 (labour and commuting) · Census day was in May 2021, mid-pandemic, so commuting and work figures carry the lockdowns’ mark.

Outdoors

Lake Superior National Marine Conservation Area is 15 km from Thunder Bay

A provincial park, Kakabeka Falls Provincial Park, lies 14 km away. Of the country within 10 km, 0.1% lies in protected areas; the median Canadian town has 2.3%. CPCAD lists 3 protected areas within 10 km. 4 beaches are mapped within 5 km, the nearest Sand Trap.

0.1%of the land within 10 km protected

Protected land · of the land within 10 km

Thunder Bay0.1%

Ontario’s towns2.3%

Canadian towns2.3%

Outdoors	Thunder Bay	Ontario	Canada
Protected land within 10 km	0.1%	2.3%	2.3%
Public protected areas within 10 km	0	4	4

15 km

to Lake Superior National Marine Conservation Area

14 km

to Kakabeka Falls Provincial Park

beaches within 5 km

Full pageThunder Bay’s outdoors pageOpen the full Outdoors page

Protected landof the land within 10 km Protected areas3 protected areas within 10 km National & provincial parks15 km to a national park · Lake Superior National Marine Conservation Area

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

Who lives here

More of Thunder Bay’s residents have an Indigenous identity than in Ontario’s towns or Canadian towns: 14%

Visible minorities make up 7.5% of the population, below both Ontario’s towns (26%) and Canadian towns (15%). Those 65 and older account for 22% of residents.

44median age

Thunder BayOntarioCanada

OntarioCanada

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

22%

Schooling · Highest qualification, residents 15 and over

No certificate, diploma or degree17%

Postsecondary qualification55%

Women and men · all residents

50.8% of Thunder Bay’s residents are women

55,330 women and 53,505 men at the 2021 census; across Canada, women are 50.9%.

Who lives in Thunder Bay
	Thunder Bay	Ontario	Canada
Under 15	14%	15%	16%
15 to 64	64%	65%	64%
65+	22%	19%	19%
No certificate, diploma or degree	17%	15%	16%
Postsecondary qualification	55%	56%	56%

Full pageThunder Bay’s Who lives here pageOpen the full Who lives here page

Immigrants9% are immigrants · 8% belong to a visible minority Ages44 median age · 22% are 65 or over Households48,405 households · 2.2 people per household English and French8% speak both · 0.1% speak French but not English

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

History

Before 1961: 39% of the homes in Thunder Bay

Inside the town the registers count 11 historic places; 5 are top designations. The oldest dated place, Thunder Bay Tourist Pagoda, goes back to 1909. The list takes in 4 Recognized Federal Heritage Buildings, a provincial or municipal listing and a heritage railway station.

11historic places

Historic places by designation · inside the town

Highest designations5

Other federal designations5

Provincial and local listings1

Among them

1909

oldest construction date on the record

39%

of homes built before 1961 · Canadian towns 18%

Heritage	Thunder Bay	Ontario	Canada
Homes built before 1961	39%	22%	18%

Full pageThunder Bay’s history pageOpen the full History page

Older homes39% built before 1961 · Canadian towns: 18%On the registers11 historic places inside the town Highest designations5 top designations · Thunder Bay Tourist Pagoda Questions“How many historic places does Thunder Bay 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 Thunder Bay

15pages on Thunder Bay

The big questions

SafetyC⁻Crime Severity Index 114 Housing & costC⁻Homes 3.9 × income Property pricesSchoolsB44 schools within 3 km HealthC⁻Life expectancy 76.5 in its region Work & commuteB⁻52% of adults in work Natural hazardsA⁻Wildfire band: low

Out and about

Outdoors0.1% of the land within 10 km protected AttractionsClimateJuly afternoons around 25°C WeatherECCC’s forecast, beside the normals

The story

Who lives hereMedian age 44 History11 places on the heritage registers Town hallFamous people

Famous people from Thunder Bay

272 notable people were born in Thunder Bay.

See all 272 →

Marie AvgeropoulosCanadian actress · born 1986

Kevin DurandCanadian actor · born 1974

Eric StaalCanadian ice hockey player · born 1984

Jordan StaalCanadian ice hockey player · born 1988

Alex DelvecchioCanadian ice hockey player · 1931–2025

Matt MurrayCanadian ice hockey player · born 1994

Photo credits

Marie Avgeropoulos: vagueonthehow from Tadcaster, York, England, CC BY 2.0 · Kevin Durand: Gage Skidmore, CC BY-SA 2.0 · Eric Staal: Benjamin Reed, CC BY-SA 2.0 · Jordan Staal: Benjamin Reed, CC BY-SA 2.0 · Alex Delvecchio: TGC-Topps Gum Cards, Public domain · Matt Murray: Michael Miller, CC BY-SA 4.0

Thunder Bay’s neighbours

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

Fort William 52Oliver PaipoongeThunder Bay

How the neighbours grade

Town	People	km	Overall	Cost	Safety	Health
Thunder Bay	117,671	—	C⁻	C⁻	C⁻	C⁻
Fort William 52	1,038	9.6	—	—	—	C⁻
Oliver Paipoonge	6,524	16	B⁻	B⁻	B⁻	D

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

Questions about Thunder Bay

Who are the people of Thunder Bay?

8% of residents belong to a visible minority, against 15% for the median of Canadian towns; 14% have an Indigenous identity and 9% are immigrants.

Has Thunder Bay grown?

Between the 2016 and 2021 censuses it went from 107,909 to 108,843 residents (up 0.9%; Canadian towns’ median: 4.1%), and Statistics Canada now estimates 117,671.

What kind of homes are in Thunder Bay?

Mostly 66% single-detached houses (the median of Canadian towns: 64%), with 5% of homes in buildings of five or more storeys. Households hold 2.2 people on average, and 35% have just one.

About Thunder Bay

Town in Ontario

Thunder Bay is a municipality in Ontario, read by TownRatings as Statistics Canada draws it: one census subdivision, so its figures cover the whole municipality.

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

Population: 117,671 (people, 2025 estimate)
Province or territory: Ontario
Census subdivision: 3558004

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).