Thunder Bay, UnorganizedOntario
A town of 6,831 in Ontario. It lies in Thunder Bay.
Is Thunder Bay, Unorganized a good place to live?
Health outcomes fall short of most towns (D). With a D overall, Thunder Bay, Unorganized sits #827 of 858 in Ontario. It comes out better than just over a tenth of Canadian towns. Its strongest subject is cost of living (A−). Schools lag (D). Jobs & income is weaker too (D). Few people walk, cycle or take the bus to work (D).
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. Safety less sure: no police service names this town, so its crime figure is the nearest police detachment's, shared with a wider area. 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.
What makes Thunder Bay, Unorganized stand out
The 3 things Thunder Bay, Unorganized does most differently from other towns.
How Thunder Bay, Unorganized grades
Each subject compares Thunder Bay, Unorganized 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 →
Pukaskwa National Park and 6 more in and around Thunder Bay, Unorganized
The best-known places to visit in and around Thunder Bay, Unorganized come first; the full list is on the Attractions page.
National park · Parks CanadaPukaskwa National Parkin townSki hillSki hillLappe Nordic Centrein townAttractionAttractionAmethyst Mine Panorama4 km outside town, to the eastMuseumMuseumNipigon Historical Museum2 km outside town, to the northeastMuseumMuseumDiscover Geraldton Interretive Centre1.7 km outside town, to the northeastMuseumMuseumMarathon And District Historical Society2.8 km outside town, to the eastPhotos: each place’s Wikidata image, from Wikimedia Commons under the licence below (our copy, resized).
Photo credits (1)
- Pukaskwa National Park: Hans-Jürgen Hübner, CC BY 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
The data
Data highlights are ordered by what stands out in Thunder Bay, Unorganized.
Thunder Bay, Unorganized earns a D for health
Health survey and life expectancy for the Thunder Bay District Health Unit
Across the region, nearly half of adults say their health is very good or excellent; Ontario as a whole reaches 51%. Measured from where people live, the nearest hospital is 37 km away, higher than both Ontario’s towns (3.3 km) and Canadian towns (3.7 km). For 2022/2024, the region’s figure is 76.5 years at birth, 79.0 for women and 74.1 for men. At 17%, the share of adults who smoke tops the 11% for Ontario.
Very good or excellent health · adults, age-standardised
| Health | Thunder Bay, Unorganized | 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% |
Statistics Canada, Canadian Community Health Survey 2023/2024 and life expectancy 2022/2024; Open Database of Healthcare Facilities
English or French, public or Catholic: Thunder Bay, Unorganized’s schools come under 6 boards
Taken together, Thunder Bay, Unorganized and its 3 km edge hold 18 elementary schools and 4 secondary schools for 1,610 students. Secondary school means a trip of 22 km at the nearest, above Ontario’s towns (1.2 km) and Canadian towns (1.2 km) alike. Teaching in French runs high: 5 of 22 schools, against 10% in Ontario. The 11 with results split, 1 in the upper two fifths in Ontario and 6 in the lower.
| School | Level | Students | System |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gorham and Ware Community Public School Middle fifth in OntarioLargest elementary schoolElementary · Grades JK–8 | Elementary · Grades JK–8 | 215 | English public |
| Nipigon Red Rock District High School Bottom fifth in OntarioLargest secondary schoolSecondary · Grades 9–12 | Secondary · Grades 9–12 | 185 | English public |
| École Notre-Dame-de-Fatima FrenchTeaches in FrenchElementary · Grades JK–8 | Elementary · Grades JK–8 | 90 | French Catholic |
Schools by system · Schools within 3 km
| Schools within 3 km | Thunder Bay, Unorganized | Ontario | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nearest secondary school | 22 km | 1.2 km | 1.2 km |
| School boards | 6 | 4 | 3 |
| Nearest elementary school | 6.5 km | 0.5 km | 0.5 km |
Provincial school lists and results, 2024-25
Lake Superior National Marine Conservation Area begins at the edge of Thunder Bay, Unorganized
Protected areas take in 18% of the town itself. Within 10 km, the count of public protected areas is 109, above both Ontario’s towns (4) and Canadian towns (4). OpenStreetMap shows 6 walking routes nearby, including the Pukaskwa Coastal Hiking Trail and Kabeyun Trail. For a swim, East Beach is the nearest of 347 beaches within 5 km.
Protected land · of the land within 10 km
| Outdoors | Thunder Bay, Unorganized | Ontario | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Protected land within 10 km | 18% | 2.3% | 2.3% |
| Public protected areas within 10 km | 109 | 4 | 4 |
Canadian Protected and Conserved Areas Database (CPCAD), OpenStreetMap routes and beaches
Commuters in Thunder Bay, Unorganized travel further than in Ontario’s towns or Canadian towns, 36 min on average
How working residents got to work · census 2021
| Census 2021 | Thunder Bay, Unorganized | Ontario | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average trip | 36 min | 29 min | 26 min |
Statistics Canada, Census 2021 (labour and commuting) · Census day was in May 2021, mid-pandemic, so commuting and work figures carry the lockdowns’ mark.
Renting in Thunder Bay, Unorganized costs 11% of household income, less than in Ontario’s towns or Canadian towns
Nearly one in ten households spent 30% or more of their income on shelter, below Ontario’s towns (22%) and Canadian towns (18%) alike. The owner-occupied share of households is 91%.
What homes were worth · The median owner’s estimate at the 2021 census
| Census 2021 | Thunder Bay, Unorganized | Ontario | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rent as a share of income | 11% | 22% | 20% |
| Households spending 30%+ on shelter | 9% | 22% | 18% |
| Households owning their home | 91% | 76% | 74% |
| Median home value, 2021 | $280,000 | $695,000 | $406,000 |
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.
Flood mapping exists for Thunder Bay, Unorganized: 3 on record, latest by Lakehead Region Conservation Authority
Radon is higher than usual: just over a tenth of tested homes in the survey area topped the guideline, against 6.6% for the typical town. Shaking is less of a worry than in most places, at $0.004 a year per $1,000 of building value ($0.030 typical). Little of the land around Thunder Bay, Unorganized has burned: 1% within 25 km since 1986, or 0.03% a year.
Radon tests above the guideline · share of tested homes, 200 Bq/m³
| Hazards | Thunder Bay, Unorganized | Ontario | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Radon tests above the guideline | 12% | 4% | 6.6% |
| Earthquake loss per $1,000 of buildings a year | $0.004 | $0.043 | $0.030 |
NRCan seismic risk model and burned areas, Health Canada radon survey, the Flood Hazard Map Inventory
Winter nights bite in Thunder Bay, Unorganized: January lows of −19.2°C, colder than Ontario’s towns or Canadian towns
Frost comes on 206 days a year, above Ontario’s towns (139) and Canadian towns (159) alike. Expect July highs of around 24.9°C in Thunder Bay, Unorganized. These figures are measured at Thunder Bay, 28 km from the town.
Average high by season · ECCC normals, 1991–2020
| Normals, 1991–2020 | Thunder Bay, Unorganized | 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 |
Environment and Climate Change Canada, Canadian Climate Normals 1991–2020 (Thunder Bay)
More of Thunder Bay, Unorganized’s residents have an Indigenous identity than in Ontario’s towns or Canadian towns: 13%
Over-65s are a quarter of the population. 0.9% of residents belong to a visible minority, below both Ontario’s towns (26%) and Canadian towns (15%).
Ages · Share of residents in each age group, Census 2021
Schooling · Highest qualification, residents 15 and over
Women and men · all residents
47.3% of Thunder Bay, Unorganized’s residents are women
Here the census found 3,280 men and 2,940 women; the figure for women across Canada is 50.9%.
| Thunder Bay, Unorganized | Ontario | Canada | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 15 | 15% | 15% | 16% |
| 15 to 64 | 60% | 65% | 64% |
| 65+ | 25% | 19% | 19% |
| No certificate, diploma or degree | 19% | 15% | 16% |
| Postsecondary qualification | 55% | 56% | 56% |
Statistics Canada, Census 2021; Ontario and Canada: medians of towns of 2,500+
In Thunder Bay, Unorganized, November normally means 3°C afternoons and −7°C nights
Expect about 40 mm of rain and snow over November. By December, a normal day reaches −5°C and a night falls to −15°C. Also worth knowing: for today and the week ahead, the Weather page carries ECCC’s Thunder Bay forecast.
Normal highs, the months ahead · ECCC normals, 1991–2020
| 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 |
ECCC normals, 1991–2020 (Thunder Bay); the forecast is on the Weather page
Federally, Thunder Bay, Unorganized is divided between 2 ridings, among them Thunder Bay—Superior North and Thunder Bay—Rainy River
Thunder Bay, Unorganized is an unorganized by Statistics Canada’s count of municipalities.
Wikidata, MAMH, MMAH, Statistics Canada
Thunder Bay, Unorganized has one public library, Red Rock Public Library
It sits 90 km from the centre of Thunder Bay, Unorganized.
Provincial library statistics, OpenStreetMap, the CRA and Statistics Canada
Violent crime weighs more where Thunder Bay, Unorganized is policed than in Ontario’s towns or Canadian towns: a violent severity index of 108
A best guess: the nearest detachment’s figures, since none is filed under Thunder Bay, Unorganized
Property crime in the area its police cover: 12.2 per 1,000 people a year. Its police area recorded 13.5 violent incidents per 1,000 residents a year, higher than both Ontario’s towns (10.5) and Canadian towns (12).
Year by year · Crime Severity Index for each year
| 2023–2025 | Thunder Bay, Unorganized | Ontario | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Property crime per 1,000 | 12.2 | 30.5 | 31.2 |
| Violent Crime Severity Index | 108 | 76 | 86 |
| Violent crime | 13.5 | 10.5 | 12 |
Statistics Canada, Uniform Crime Reporting Survey, 2023–2025 average · Crime Severity Index, Violent Crime Severity Index, violent crime and property crime per 1,000 published for the Thunder Bay detachment area, not by town
Everything we know about Thunder Bay, Unorganized
Questions about Thunder Bay, Unorganized
Who are the people of Thunder Bay, Unorganized?
Visible minorities are 1% of the population, where the middle of Canadian towns is 15%. Immigrants make up 7%, and Indigenous people 13%.
What kind of homes are in Thunder Bay, Unorganized?
Single-detached houses make up 94% of the homes here, where Canadian towns sit at 64%; 0% are in high-rise apartments. 30% of households are one person, and the average is 2.2.
Has Thunder Bay, Unorganized grown?
Between the 2016 and 2021 censuses it went from 5,867 to 6,221 residents (up 6%; Canadian towns’ median: 4.1%), and Statistics Canada now estimates 6,831.
How old are the people of Thunder Bay, Unorganized?
The typical resident is 51.6 (Canadian towns: 45.2), with seniors at 25% of the population and under-15s at 15%.
About Thunder Bay, Unorganized
Town in Ontario
TownRatings follows Statistics Canada’s map: Thunder Bay, Unorganized is one municipality in Ontario, figures and all.
Statistics Canada: population estimates 2025 (17-10-0155), Census of Population 2021, 2021 census boundaries.
- Population
- 6,831 (people, 2025 estimate)
- Province or territory
- Ontario
- Census division
- Thunder Bay
- Census subdivision
- 3558090
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).