High Park-SwanseaToronto
Of Toronto’s 158 neighbourhoods, this is one. 22,970 residents make their home in this neighbourhood in Toronto.
Is High Park-Swansea a good place to live?
The everyday basics are strong; the price of a home is the catch. Health is where it shines (A). At A− overall, High Park-Swansea is better than 84% of Canadian towns and ranks #77 of 858 in Ontario. Walking, cycling and public transport work well here (A+). What holds it back is cost of living (D−).
Rents here are the metro area's average, shared by every town and neighbourhood in it. Safety uses the city's Crime Severity Index, scaled by this neighbourhood's own violent and property crime rates. 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 High Park-Swansea stand out
The 3 things High Park-Swansea does most differently from other towns.
How High Park-Swansea grades
Each subject compares High Park-Swansea 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 →
High Park and 81 more in and around High Park-Swansea
Museums, historic sites, parks, gardens and days out in and near High Park-Swansea, the best known first.
GardenHigh Parkin town
ZooHigh Park Zooin town
Big drawAttractionCN Tower4.9 km outside town, to the east · 1.5M visitors a year
Big drawMuseumRoyal Ontario Museum4.9 km outside town, to the northeast · 281.4M visitors a year (2025)
Big drawArt galleryArt Gallery of Ontario4.7 km outside town, to the east · 873K visitors a year (2016)
Historic houseCasa Loma4.3 km outside town, to the northeastPhotos: each place’s Wikidata image, from Wikimedia Commons under the licence below (our copy, resized).
Photo credits (6)
- High Park: Chensiyuan at English Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
- High Park Zoo: Michael from Calgary, AB, Canada, CC BY 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
- CN Tower: Chris Woodrich, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Royal Ontario Museum: Staka, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Art Gallery of Ontario: Owen Byrne from Ottawa, Canada, CC BY 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Casa Loma: Evelyncyuzu, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons
The data
Data highlights are ordered by what stands out in High Park-Swansea.
Home ownership in High Park-Swansea, 60%, runs below Ontario’s towns and Canadian towns
28% of households spent 30% or more of their income on shelter, higher than both Ontario’s towns (22%) and Canadian towns (18%). A year’s rent came to nearly a quarter of the median household income, higher than both Ontario’s towns (22%) and Canadian towns (20%). Behind rent as a share of income and monthly rent for a two-bedroom sits data gathered across the Toronto metro area, with High Park-Swansea one part of it.
What homes were worth · The median owner’s estimate at the 2021 census
| Census 2021 | High Park-Swansea | Ontario | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Households spending 30%+ on shelter | 28% | 22% | 18% |
| Households owning their home | 60% | 76% | 74% |
| Rent as a share of income | 24% | 22% | 20% |
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.
For health, High Park-Swansea is ahead of 90% of Canadian towns
Across the region, half of adults say their health is very good or excellent, much as in Ontario (51%). A child born in the region can expect 84.7 years, higher than both Ontario’s towns (82.8) and Canadian towns (81.5). Smoking is rarer than in the province: 9.2% of adults, against 11% for Ontario. Closer to home, a hospital is just 1.0 km from the average resident of High Park-Swansea, nearer than the usual 3.7 km. Figures for health survey and life expectancy are published for the City of Toronto Health Unit as a whole, not for High Park-Swansea alone.
Very good or excellent health · adults, age-standardised
| Health | High Park-Swansea | Ontario | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life expectancy at birth | 84.7 | 82.8 | 81.5 |
| Smokers | 9.2% | 10% | 12% |
| Chronic conditions (average share) | 16% | 17% | 17% |
| Very good or excellent health | 50% | 51% | 52% |
Statistics Canada, Canadian Community Health Survey 2023/2024 and life expectancy 2022/2024; Open Database of Healthcare Facilities
In High Park-Swansea, families choose among 4 boards: English and French, public and Catholic
The largest is Humberside Collegiate Institute, with 1,460 students. Of its 86 tested schools, 44 sit in the top two fifths in Ontario and 20 in the bottom two. 39,920 students attend the 80 elementary schools, 19 secondary schools and 1 alternative or adult school in or within 3 km of High Park-Swansea. In French: 8 of the 100 schools, where in Ontario the share is 10%.
| School | Level | Students | System |
|---|---|---|---|
| Runnymede Junior and Senior Public School Top fifth in OntarioLargest elementary schoolElementary · Grades JK–8 | Elementary · Grades JK–8 | 975 | English public |
| Humberside Collegiate Institute Top fifth in OntarioLargest secondary schoolSecondary · Grades 9–12 | Secondary · Grades 9–12 | 1,460 | English public |
| ÉSC Saint-Frère-André FrenchTeaches in FrenchSecondary · Grades 9–12 | Secondary · Grades 9–12 | 350 | French Catholic |
| Bishop Allen Academy Catholic Secondary School CatholicResults in the top fifth in OntarioSecondary · Grades 9–12 | Secondary · Grades 9–12 | 1,460 | English Catholic |
Schools by system · Schools within 3 km
| Schools within 3 km | High Park-Swansea | Ontario | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| School boards | 4 | 4 | 3 |
Provincial school lists and results, 2024-25
High Park-Swansea’s grade for safety: an A−
Measured across the Toronto service area: Crime Severity Index, Violent Crime Severity Index, violent crime and property crime per 1,000
For violence alone, its police area’s index was 93, above both Ontario’s towns (76) and Canadian towns (86). Where it is policed, thefts, break-ins and damage came to 34.4 per 1,000 a year, higher than both Ontario’s towns (30.5) and Canadian towns (31.2).
Year by year · Crime Severity Index for each year
| 2023–2025 | High Park-Swansea | Ontario | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Violent Crime Severity Index | 93 | 76 | 86 |
| Property crime per 1,000 | 34.4 | 30.5 | 31.2 |
Statistics Canada, Uniform Crime Reporting Survey, 2023–2025 average
A flood study covers High Park-Swansea: 1 on the national inventory, the newest from Toronto Regional Conservation Authority
For earthquakes High Park-Swansea is middling, $0.043 a year per $1,000 against $0.030 for the typical town. In Health Canada’s survey, just 2.7% of homes tested in the area exceeded 200 Bq/m³ (6.6% typical). High Park-Swansea doesn’t get its own earthquake risk figures; the ones here come from the city of Toronto.
Radon tests above the guideline · share of tested homes, 200 Bq/m³
| Hazards | High Park-Swansea | Ontario | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Radon tests above the guideline | 2.7% | 4% | 6.6% |
| Earthquake loss per $1,000 of buildings a year | $0.043 | $0.043 | $0.030 |
NRCan seismic risk model and burned areas, Health Canada radon survey, the Flood Hazard Map Inventory
High Park-Swansea has milder winters than Ontario’s towns or Canadian towns: January lows of −7.1°C
The warmest stretch brings July afternoons of 25.3°C, about level with Canadian towns (25.5°C) and below Ontario’s towns (26.7°C). June is the wettest month, with 82 mm of rain and snow on average. A normal January brings 32 cm of snow, the most of any month.
Average high by season · ECCC normals, 1991–2020
| Normals, 1991–2020 | High Park-Swansea | Ontario | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Days with frost a year | 110 | 139 | 159 |
| January night low | −7.1°C | −9.1°C | −13.5°C |
| July afternoon high | 25.3°C | 26.7°C | 25.5°C |
| Snowfall a year | 115 cm | 146 cm | 141 cm |
Environment and Climate Change Canada, Canadian Climate Normals 1991–2020 (Toronto (Island))
Apartment towers house 33% of High Park-Swansea’s households
17% speak both English and French, above both Ontario’s towns (6.7%) and Canadian towns (7.5%). Children under 15 make up 15% of residents. People 65 and over make up 17% of the town.
Ages · Share of residents in each age group, Census 2021
Schooling · Highest qualification, residents 15 and over
Women and men · all residents
53.1% of High Park-Swansea’s residents are women
12,195 women and 10,790 men at the 2021 census; across Canada, women are 50.9%.
| High Park-Swansea | Ontario | Canada | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 15 | 15% | 15% | 16% |
| 15 to 64 | 68% | 65% | 64% |
| 65+ | 17% | 19% | 19% |
| No certificate, diploma or degree | 7.6% | 15% | 16% |
| Postsecondary qualification | 75% | 56% | 56% |
Statistics Canada, Census 2021; Ontario and Canada: medians of towns of 2,500+
A normal November in High Park-Swansea runs from 2°C to 8°C
Over the year, July is warmest at 25°C by day and January coldest at −7°C by night. Into December, the normals move to 3°C and −3°C. Expect about 71 mm of rain and snow over November. A typical November adds 9 cm of snow.
Normal highs, the months ahead · ECCC normals, 1991–2020
| Season | High | Low | Rain and snow |
|---|---|---|---|
| Winter | 1°C | −6°C | 176 mm |
| Spring | 10°C | 3°C | 207 mm |
| Summer | 24°C | 16°C | 230 mm |
| Autumn | 14°C | 7°C | 209 mm |
ECCC normals, 1991–2020 (Toronto (Island)); the forecast is on the Weather page
High Park-Swansea has two public libraries, Toronto Public Library - High Park and Toronto Public Library - Swansea Memorial
Toronto Public Library serves the whole of Toronto, so the library figures on this page are the city’s: 3,110,984 people, High Park-Swansea among them.
Provincial library statistics, OpenStreetMap, the CRA and Statistics Canada
Commuters in High Park-Swansea travel further than in Ontario’s towns or Canadian towns, 32 min on average
How working residents got to work · census 2021
| Census 2021 | High Park-Swansea | Ontario | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average trip | 32 min | 29 min | 26 min |
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.
High Park-Swansea is 28 km from Rouge National Urban Park
17 beaches are mapped within 5 km, the nearest Sunnyside Beach. Biggest among them: E.T. Seton Park, 130 ha, 9.8 km off. 0.9% of the land and water within 10 km is protected (the typical Canadian town: 2.3%). 33 km from town is Bronte Creek Provincial Park, the nearest provincial park.
Protected land · of the land within 10 km
| Outdoors | High Park-Swansea | Ontario | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Protected land within 10 km | 0.9% | 2.3% | 2.3% |
| Public protected areas within 10 km | 4 | 4 | 4 |
Canadian Protected and Conserved Areas Database (CPCAD), OpenStreetMap routes and beaches
In High Park-Swansea, 54% of homes go back before 1961
| Heritage | High Park-Swansea | Ontario | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Homes built before 1961 | 54% | 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 High Park-Swansea
Famous people from High Park-Swansea
3 notable people were born in High Park-Swansea.
Photo credits
Elmer Brandon: Archives of the Law Society of Ontario, Public domain
High Park-Swansea’s neighbours
The nearest places of 1,000 or more. Statistics Canada
| Town | People | km | Overall | Cost | Safety | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| High Park-Swansea | 22,970 | — | A− | D− | A− | A |
| High Park North | 22,162 | 1.8 | B+ | D− | B+ | A |
| Runnymede-Bloor West Village | 10,129 | 2 | A− | C− | B | A |
| Humber Bay Shores | 22,633 | 2.2 | A− | D− | A− | A |
| Stonegate-Queensway | 25,745 | 2.3 | B+ | D− | B | A |
| Roncesvalles | 14,725 | 2.6 | B | D− | B− | A |
| Junction Area | 14,205 | 2.7 | B− | D− | C | A |
People: Statistics Canada, Census 2021. Distances: centre to centre.
Questions about High Park-Swansea
Do people in High Park-Swansea speak French?
17% of residents can hold a conversation in both English and French, against 8% for the median of Canadian towns; 0% speak French but not English.
About High Park-Swansea
Neighbourhood in Toronto
Statistics Canada counts Toronto as one municipality, so TownRatings builds High Park-Swansea and its other neighbourhoods from census dissemination areas, named from the city’s map or OpenStreetMap.
Statistics Canada: population estimates 2025 (17-10-0155), Census of Population 2021, 2021 census boundaries.
- Population
- 22,970 (people, 2021 estimate)
- Province or territory
- Ontario
- City
- Toronto
- Census subdivision
- 3520005
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).