Leaside-BenningtonToronto
It is one of 158 neighbourhoods of Toronto. The neighbourhood, home to 16,710 people, lies in Toronto.
Is Leaside-Bennington a good place to live?
Mostly strong, with a single weak spot. Walking, cycling and public transport work well here (A+). Leaside-Bennington’s overall grade, A, puts it better than 91% of Canadian towns. The ranking puts it #46 of 858 in Ontario. Health is a strength (A). Prices are high against local incomes (C).
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 Leaside-Bennington stand out
The 3 things Leaside-Bennington does most differently from other towns.
How Leaside-Bennington grades
Each subject compares Leaside-Bennington 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 →
Evergreen Brick Works and 104 more in and around Leaside-Bennington
A first look at Leaside-Bennington’s museums, historic sites and days out, and a few just outside town.
Big drawAttractionCN Tower4.5 km outside town, to the south · 1.5M visitors a year
Big drawMuseumRoyal Ontario Museum2.6 km outside town, to the south · 281.4M visitors a year (2025)
Big drawArt galleryArt Gallery of Ontario3.6 km outside town, to the south · 873K visitors a year (2016)
Historic houseCasa Loma3 km outside town, to the southwest
Art galleryThe Aga Khan Museum1.8 km outside town, to the northeastPhotos: each place’s Wikidata image, from Wikimedia Commons under the licence below (our copy, resized).
Photo credits (5)
- 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 Aga Khan Museum: JohnOyston, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons
The data
Data highlights are ordered by what stands out in Leaside-Bennington.
Few places match Leaside-Bennington for health: it beats 90% of Canadian towns
The three chronic conditions the survey tracks average 16% of adults, near both Ontario’s towns (17%) and Canadian towns (17%). Lives in the region last 84.7 years on average (2022/2024): 87.2 for women, 82.0 for men. On self-rated health the region tracks the province: 50% very good or excellent, 51% for Ontario. The region has fewer smokers than Ontario, nearly one in ten adults to 11%.
Very good or excellent health · adults, age-standardised
| Health | Leaside-Bennington | 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 · Health survey and life expectancy: one figure for all of the City of Toronto Health Unit
Leaside-Bennington’s schools belong to 4 boards that cover the same streets
Results lean high: 52 of 90 in the top two fifths in Ontario. The Catholic boards run 21 of its 112 schools, below the 34% in Ontario. Northern Secondary School is the biggest, at 2,075 students. 7 of the 112 teach in French, against 10% of schools in Ontario.
| School | Level | Students | System |
|---|---|---|---|
| Thorncliffe Park Public School Bottom fifth in OntarioLargest elementary schoolElementary · Grades 1–5 | Elementary · Grades 1–5 | 1,305 | English public |
| Northern Secondary School Second fifth in OntarioLargest secondary schoolSecondary · Grades 9–12 | Secondary · Grades 9–12 | 2,075 | English public |
| Collège français secondaire FrenchTeaches in FrenchSecondary · Grades 9–12 | Secondary · Grades 9–12 | 155 | French public |
Schools by system · Schools within 3 km
| Schools within 3 km | Leaside-Bennington | Ontario | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| School boards | 4 | 4 | 3 |
Provincial school lists and results, 2024-25
Leaside-Bennington is on Canada’s flood inventory: 1 listed, led by Toronto Regional Conservation Authority
Source area for earthquake risk: the city of Toronto
For earthquakes Leaside-Bennington is middling, $0.043 a year per $1,000 against $0.030 for the typical town. Radon is lower than usual: 2.7% of tested homes in the survey area topped the guideline, against 6.6% for the typical town. No wildfire is mapped within 25 km of the town’s homes since 1986 (0% of the land, 0.001% a year).
Radon tests above the guideline · share of tested homes, 200 Bq/m³
| Hazards | Leaside-Bennington | 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
Leaside-Bennington is graded a B+ for safety
The violent index for its police area came to 93, higher than both Ontario’s towns (76) and Canadian towns (86). Property crime in its police area ran at 34.4 per 1,000 residents a year, higher than both Ontario’s towns (30.5) and Canadian towns (31.2). Nobody publishes Crime Severity Index, Violent Crime Severity Index, violent crime and property crime per 1,000 for Leaside-Bennington alone, so this card uses the figure for the Toronto service area.
Year by year · Crime Severity Index for each year
| 2023–2025 | Leaside-Bennington | 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
Rent takes less of local pay in Leaside-Bennington than in Ontario’s towns or Canadian towns: 15% of household income
Shared with the rest of the Toronto metro area: rent as a share of income and monthly rent for a two-bedroom
Shelter took 30% or more of income for nearly a quarter of households, above both Ontario’s towns (22%) and Canadian towns (18%). Households that own their home make up 73%.
What homes were worth · The median owner’s estimate at the 2021 census
| Census 2021 | Leaside-Bennington | Ontario | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rent as a share of income | 15% | 22% | 20% |
| Households spending 30%+ on shelter | 23% | 22% | 18% |
| Households owning their home | 73% | 76% | 74% |
Statistics Canada, Census 2021; CMHC Rental Market Survey via Statistics Canada · These are 2021 census values, as owners judged them, set against household income in 2020.
Leaside-Bennington has milder winters than Ontario’s towns or Canadian towns: January lows of −6.7°C
Most of the snow comes in January, about 40 cm. Frosty days number 101 in a normal year, below Ontario’s towns (139) and Canadian towns (159) alike. Between the last spring frost, 11 April, and the first in autumn, 6 November, lie 208 days. The warmest afternoons come in July, at around 27.0°C in Leaside-Bennington.
Average high by season · ECCC normals, 1991–2020
| Normals, 1991–2020 | Leaside-Bennington | Ontario | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Days with frost a year | 101 | 139 | 159 |
| January night low | −6.7°C | −9.1°C | −13.5°C |
| July afternoon high | 27.0°C | 26.7°C | 25.5°C |
| Precipitation a year | 823 mm | 902 mm | 883 mm |
Environment and Climate Change Canada, Canadian Climate Normals 1991–2020 (Toronto (City))
Few Canadian towns have household incomes as high as Leaside-Bennington’s
The average trip to work took 28 min, close to Ontario’s towns (29 min) and above Canadian towns (26 min).
How working residents got to work · census 2021
| Census 2021 | Leaside-Bennington | Ontario | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average trip | 28 min | 29 min | 26 min |
Statistics Canada, Census 2021 (labour and commuting) · These are May 2021 figures, gathered while COVID-19 kept many people home or out of work.
A town of families: 17% of people in Leaside-Bennington are under 15, more than in both Ontario’s towns and Canadian towns
21% of residents belong to a visible minority, lower than Ontario’s towns (26%) yet higher than Canadian towns (15%). Over-65s are 17% of the population.
Ages · Share of residents in each age group, Census 2021
Schooling · Highest qualification, residents 15 and over
Women and men · all residents
Women make up 52.1% of Leaside-Bennington
Census 2021 put women at 8,705 and men at 7,990; women are 50.9% of Canada.
| Leaside-Bennington | Ontario | Canada | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 15 | 17% | 15% | 16% |
| 15 to 64 | 65% | 65% | 64% |
| 65+ | 17% | 19% | 19% |
| No certificate, diploma or degree | 8.4% | 15% | 16% |
| Postsecondary qualification | 74% | 56% | 56% |
Statistics Canada, Census 2021; Ontario and Canada: medians of towns of 2,500+
A normal November in Leaside-Bennington runs from 2°C to 8°C
Then December: 3°C by day, −3°C at night. Precipitation in November averages 71 mm. A typical November adds 12 cm of snow. For today and the week ahead, the Weather page carries ECCC’s Toronto forecast.
Normal highs, the months ahead · ECCC normals, 1991–2020
| Season | High | Low | Rain and snow |
|---|---|---|---|
| Winter | 1°C | −5°C | 176 mm |
| Spring | 12°C | 4°C | 207 mm |
| Summer | 26°C | 17°C | 230 mm |
| Autumn | 15°C | 8°C | 209 mm |
ECCC normals, 1991–2020 (Toronto (City)); the forecast is on the Weather page
Council seats in Toronto are spread thin, 125,840 residents each, more than in 99% of Ontario municipalities
Robert Oliphant (Liberal Party of Canada) is the MP for Don Valley West, the riding (a federal electoral district, which elects one MP) that takes in Leaside-Bennington.
| Turnout | Leaside-Bennington | Ontario | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Municipal election, 2022 | 30% | 31% | 31% |
Wikidata, MAMH, MMAH, Statistics Canada
Leaside-Bennington has one public library, Toronto Public Library - Leaside
Leaside-Bennington is served by Toronto Public Library, the library of all of Toronto, so the figures here are the city’s, for 3,110,984 people.
Provincial library statistics, OpenStreetMap, the CRA and Statistics Canada
Rouge National Urban Park is 17 km from Leaside-Bennington
The closest provincial park is Uxbridge Urban Provincial Park, 42 km from the edge of town. 6 mapped walking routes pass within 2 km, among them the Central Ravines, Belt Line & Gardens Discovery Walk and Don Valley Hills and Dales Discovery Walk 2. For a swim, West Landing is the nearest of 8 beaches within 5 km.
Protected land · of the land within 10 km
| Outdoors | Leaside-Bennington | Ontario | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Protected land within 10 km | 2.2% | 2.3% | 2.3% |
| Public protected areas within 10 km | 4 | 4 | 4 |
Canadian Protected and Conserved Areas Database (CPCAD), OpenStreetMap routes and beaches
Older housing stands out in Leaside-Bennington: 67% predates 1961
Inside the town the registers count 1 historic place.
Historic places by designation · inside the town
Among them
| Heritage | Leaside-Bennington | Ontario | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Homes built before 1961 | 67% | 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 Leaside-Bennington
Famous people from around Leaside-Bennington
One notable person was born in Leaside-Bennington; with them, the best known born in the towns around it.
Photo credits
Stephen Harper: World Economic Forum / Remy Steinegger, CC BY-SA 2.0
Leaside-Bennington’s neighbours
The nearest places of 1,000 or more. Statistics Canada
| Town | People | km | Overall | Cost | Safety | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Leaside-Bennington | 16,710 | — | A | C | B+ | A |
| Mount Pleasant East | 16,373 | 1.6 | A | D | A | A |
| Thorncliffe Park | 20,637 | 1.7 | B | D− | B+ | A |
| Broadview North | 11,080 | 2.3 | B+ | D− | A− | A |
| South Eglinton-Davisville | 23,380 | 2.3 | A | D− | A | A |
| North Toronto | 16,007 | 2.4 | A− | D− | A− | A |
| Bridle Path-Sunnybrook-York Mills | 9,909 | 2.5 | A | C+ | C+ | A |
People: Statistics Canada, Census 2021. Distances: centre to centre.
Questions about Leaside-Bennington
Is Leaside-Bennington a young town or an old one?
The typical resident is 44.6 (Canadian towns: 45.2), with seniors at 17% of the population and under-15s at 17%.
About Leaside-Bennington
Neighbourhood in Toronto
The edges of Leaside-Bennington follow census dissemination areas, which TownRatings groups into Toronto’s neighbourhoods; the name comes from the city’s map or OpenStreetMap.
Statistics Canada: population estimates 2025 (17-10-0155), Census of Population 2021, 2021 census boundaries.
- Population
- 16,710 (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).