ThornhillVaughan
Population 17,940: a neighbourhood in Vaughan. It is one of the 24 neighbourhoods that make up Vaughan.
Is Thornhill a good place to live?
A well-rated place to live, with prices to match. Overall, Thornhill earns an A−, which places it #126 of 858 in Ontario. Nationally, it does better than 79% of Canadian towns. Schools are where it shines (A). Homes are dear (D).
Rents here are the metro area's average, shared by every town and neighbourhood in it. Safety less sure: this is the whole city's figure, because the city doesn't publish open neighbourhood 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.
How Thornhill grades
Each subject compares Thornhill 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 →
What makes Thornhill stand out
The 3 things Thornhill does most differently from other towns.
The data
Data highlights are ordered by what stands out in Thornhill.
Measured against local pay, Thornhill costs more to live in than nine in ten Canadian towns
85% of households own their home, above Ontario’s towns (76%) and Canadian towns (74%) alike. Shelter took 30% or more of income for 31% of households, above both Ontario’s towns (22%) and Canadian towns (18%). For rent as a share of income and monthly rent for a two-bedroom, the only official count covers all of the Toronto metro area, Thornhill included.
What homes were worth · The median owner’s estimate at the 2021 census
| Census 2021 | Thornhill | Ontario | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Households spending 30%+ on shelter | 31% | 22% | 18% |
| Households owning their home | 85% | 76% | 74% |
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.
Hazard risk in Thornhill is lower than in 90% of Canadian towns
The earthquake risk numbers here cover the city of Vaughan
Toronto Regional Conservation Authority has mapped the flood hazard here: one study on the national inventory. NRCan expects $0.028 of shaking damage a year per $1,000 of buildings in Thornhill, near the typical $0.030.
Radon tests above the guideline · share of tested homes, 200 Bq/m³
| Hazards | Thornhill | Ontario | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Radon tests above the guideline | 0% | 4% | 6.6% |
| Earthquake loss per $1,000 of buildings a year | $0.028 | $0.043 | $0.030 |
NRCan seismic risk model and burned areas, Health Canada radon survey, the Flood Hazard Map Inventory
5 school boards share Thornhill
In French: 2 of the 68 schools, where in Ontario the share is 10%. The largest is Stephen Lewis Secondary School, with 1,730 students. The 62 with results split, 34 in the upper two fifths in Ontario and 11 in the lower. Taken together, Thornhill and its 3 km edge hold 53 elementary schools and 15 secondary schools for 31,750 students.
| School | Level | Students | System |
|---|---|---|---|
| St Paschal Baylon Catholic School CatholicLargest elementary schoolElementary · Grades JK–8 | Elementary · Grades JK–8 | 755 | English Catholic |
| Stephen Lewis Secondary School Top fifth in OntarioLargest secondary schoolSecondary · Grades 9–12 | Secondary · Grades 9–12 | 1,730 | English public |
| ÉSC Monseigneur-de-Charbonnel FrenchTeaches in FrenchSecondary · Grades 9–12 | Secondary · Grades 9–12 | 210 | French Catholic |
| Lester B Pearson Elementary School Top fifth in OntarioResults in the top fifth in OntarioElementary · Grades JK–8 | Elementary · Grades JK–8 | 330 | English public |
Schools by system · Schools within 3 km
| Schools within 3 km | Thornhill | Ontario | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| School boards | 5 | 4 | 3 |
Provincial school lists and results, 2024-25
Lives run long around Thornhill: 86.3 years, 4.8 more than the typical Canadian town’s region
The town’s own part is the trip to care: residents of Thornhill live 2.6 km from a hospital on average, close to the typical town’s 3.7 km. On average 16% of adults live with arthritis, diabetes or high blood pressure, below Ontario’s towns (17%) and Canadian towns (17%) alike. In the health survey, 51% of adults in the region rate their health very good or excellent, close to Ontario’s 51%. Thornhill doesn’t get its own health survey and life expectancy figures; the ones here come from the York Regional Health Unit.
Very good or excellent health · adults, age-standardised
| Health | Thornhill | Ontario | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life expectancy at birth | 86.3 | 82.8 | 81.5 |
| Chronic conditions (average share) | 16% | 17% | 17% |
| Smokers | 10% | 10% | 12% |
Statistics Canada, Canadian Community Health Survey 2023/2024 and life expectancy 2022/2024; Open Database of Healthcare Facilities
Thornhill’s grade for safety: a B+
Area-wide: Crime Severity Index, Violent Crime Severity Index, violent crime and property crime per 1,000, counted over the York Region service area
Across the area its police cover, the Crime Severity Index averaged 53 over 2023–25, lower than both Ontario’s towns (56) and Canadian towns (67). Property crime in the area its police cover: 21.4 per 1,000 people a year. Violence across its police area runs at 9.7 per 1,000 residents a year.
Year by year · Crime Severity Index for each year
| 2023–2025 | Thornhill | Ontario | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Property crime per 1,000 | 21.4 | 30.5 | 31.2 |
| Violent Crime Severity Index | 67 | 76 | 86 |
| Crime Severity Index | 53 | 56 | 67 |
Statistics Canada, Uniform Crime Reporting Survey, 2023–2025 average
Thornhill’s household incomes are higher than in 96% of Canadian towns
Just over four in five commuters took the car to work at the census. The average trip to work took 31 min, higher than both Ontario’s towns (29 min) and Canadian towns (26 min).
How working residents got to work · census 2021
| Census 2021 | Thornhill | Ontario | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average trip | 31 min | 29 min | 26 min |
| Car or van | 81% | 88% | 89% |
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.
Summer runs warm in Thornhill: July highs of 27.3°C, above Ontario’s towns and Canadian towns
The frost-free season runs from 3 May to 13 October, 161 days. Snow peaks in January: 40 cm in a normal year. Winter lows average −10.1°C in January, between Ontario’s towns (−9.1°C) and Canadian towns (−13.5°C). June is the wettest month, with 87 mm of rain and snow on average.
Average high by season · ECCC normals, 1991–2020
| Normals, 1991–2020 | Thornhill | Ontario | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| July afternoon high | 27.3°C | 26.7°C | 25.5°C |
| January night low | −10.1°C | −9.1°C | −13.5°C |
| Days with frost a year | 145 | 139 | 159 |
Environment and Climate Change Canada, Canadian Climate Normals 1991–2020 (Toronto Buttonville (Airport))
Older residents shape Thornhill: 26% are 65 or over, above Ontario’s towns and Canadian towns
37% of residents belong to a visible minority, above Ontario’s towns (26%) and Canadian towns (15%) alike. Under-15s account for 14% 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
52.1% of Thornhill’s residents are women
Here the census found 9,360 women and 8,590 men; across Canada the share of women is 50.9%.
| Thornhill | Ontario | Canada | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 15 | 14% | 15% | 16% |
| 15 to 64 | 61% | 65% | 64% |
| 65+ | 26% | 19% | 19% |
| No certificate, diploma or degree | 9% | 15% | 16% |
| Postsecondary qualification | 70% | 56% | 56% |
Statistics Canada, Census 2021; Ontario and Canada: medians of towns of 2,500+
A normal November in Thornhill runs from −1°C to 7°C
The forecast on the Weather page is ECCC’s for Richmond Hill. Expect around 12 cm of snow in November. A normal December brings highs of 2°C, lows of −6°C. In November, the normal is 77 mm of rain and snow.
Normal highs, the months ahead · ECCC normals, 1991–2020
| Season | High | Low | Rain and snow |
|---|---|---|---|
| Winter | 0°C | −9°C | 177 mm |
| Spring | 12°C | 1°C | 211 mm |
| Summer | 26°C | 14°C | 244 mm |
| Autumn | 15°C | 5°C | 230 mm |
ECCC normals, 1991–2020 (Toronto Buttonville (Airport)); the forecast is on the Weather page
One councillor per 35,850 residents: Vaughan is more thinly represented than 98% of Ontario municipalities
Melissa Lantsman (Conservative Party of Canada) is MP for Thornhill, a riding (a federal electoral district, which elects one MP) named after the town.
| Turnout | Thornhill | Ontario | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Municipal election, 2022 | 27% | 31% | 31% |
Wikidata, MAMH, MMAH, Statistics Canada
Vaughan public library logs 5.7 visits per person served, more than 87% of Ontario’s town libraries
Vaughan public library serves the whole of Vaughan, so the library figures on this page are the city’s: 344,930 people, Thornhill among them.
Provincial library statistics, OpenStreetMap, the CRA and Statistics Canada
Rouge National Urban Park lies 18 km beyond Thornhill’s edge
7.6 km out lies the largest, Elgin West Channel Lands, at 89 ha. Public parks and reserves within 10 km: 22, above Ontario’s towns (4) and Canadian towns (4) alike.
Protected land · of the land within 10 km
| Outdoors | Thornhill | Ontario | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Public protected areas within 10 km | 22 | 4 | 4 |
| Protected land within 10 km | 2.1% | 2.3% | 2.3% |
Canadian Protected and Conserved Areas Database (CPCAD), OpenStreetMap routes and beaches
Everything we know about Thornhill
Uplands Golf & Ski Club and 10 more in and around Thornhill
The best-known places to visit in and around Thornhill come first; the full list is on the Attractions page.
Ski hillUplands Golf & Ski Clubin townMuseumMuseumCanadian Museum of Indian Civilization Inc.in townArt galleryArt galleryIrena Art Gallery100 m outside town, to the eastMuseumMuseumGibson House3.2 km outside town, to the southeastMuseumMuseumHistoric Zion Schoolhouse4.8 km outside town, to the eastMuseumMuseumRichmond Hill Heritage Centre4.8 km outside town, to the northPhotos: each place’s Wikidata image, from Wikimedia Commons under the licence below (our copy, resized).
Photo credits (1)
- Uplands Golf & Ski Club: Silver Dovelet, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons
Famous people from Thornhill
24 notable people were born in Thornhill.
Photo credits
Lauren Collins: Canadian Film Centre from Toronto, Canada, CC BY 2.0 · Adrian Cann: Djuradj Vujcic, CC BY 2.0 · Craig Kielburger: Siavash Ghazvinian, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Stuart Stone: Spc. Abel Trevino, Public domain · Marc Kielburger: Jith12, CC BY-SA 4.0 · Hayden: Scott Penner, CC BY-SA 2.0
About Thornhill
Neighbourhood in Vaughan
Statistics Canada counts Vaughan as one municipality, so TownRatings builds Thornhill 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
- 17,940 (people, 2021 estimate)
- Province or territory
- Ontario
- City
- Vaughan
- Census subdivision
- 3519028
Thornhill’s neighbours
The nearest places of 1,000 or more. Statistics Canada
| Town | People | km | Overall | Cost | Safety | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Thornhill | 17,940 | — | A− | D | B+ | A |
| Steeles Corners | 9,468 | 1.5 | B+ | D− | B+ | A |
| Beverley Glen | 38,720 | 1.8 | A− | D | B+ | A |
| Newtonbrook West | 23,978 | 2.3 | B− | D− | C | A |
| Langstaff | 8,147 | 2.4 | B+ | D− | B+ | A |
| Newtonbrook East | 15,996 | 2.5 | B | D− | B | A |
| Westminster-Branson | 26,027 | 2.9 | B+ | D− | A | A |
People: Statistics Canada, Census 2021. Distances: centre to centre.
Questions about Thornhill
Is Thornhill a young town or an old one?
Its median age is 47.9, where Canadian towns sit at 45.2. Under-15s are 14% of residents; over-65s, 26%.
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).