Thornhill WoodsVaughan
Vaughan is split into 24 neighbourhoods, and this is one. The neighbourhood has 13,237 residents and lies in Vaughan.
Is Thornhill Woods a good place to live?
The everyday basics are strong; the price of a home is the catch. Where it does best is schools (A). Health outcomes beat most towns (A). Prices are high against local incomes (C). Put together, the subjects come to an A− overall, ranking #85 of 858 in Ontario. That leaves it better than 84% of Canadian towns.
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 Woods grades
Each subject compares Thornhill Woods 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 Woods stand out
The 3 things Thornhill Woods does most differently from other towns.
The data
Data highlights are ordered by what stands out in Thornhill Woods.
Most of the schools around Thornhill Woods score above the middle in Ontario: 18 of 29
Its schools answer to 3 boards. The largest is Stephen Lewis Secondary School, with 1,730 students. Of the 30, one teaches in French (10% of schools in Ontario). The 3 km around Thornhill Woods counts 25 elementary schools and 5 secondary schools, 16,860 students between them.
| School | Level | Students | System |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dr Roberta Bondar Public School Second fifth in OntarioLargest elementary schoolElementary · Grades JK–8 | Elementary · Grades JK–8 | 725 | English public |
| Stephen Lewis Secondary School Top fifth in OntarioLargest secondary schoolSecondary · Grades 9–12 | Secondary · Grades 9–12 | 1,730 | English public |
| ÉIC Renaissance FrenchTeaches in FrenchElementary · Grades 7–8 | Elementary · Grades 7–8 | 185 | French Catholic |
Schools by system · Schools within 3 km
| Schools within 3 km | Thornhill Woods | Ontario | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| School boards | 3 | 4 | 3 |
Provincial school lists and results, 2024-25
Few places are as safe from hazards as Thornhill Woods: it beats 90% of Canadian towns
Earthquake risk in Thornhill Woods is ordinary: NRCan’s model puts building losses at $0.028 a year per $1,000 of value, close to the typical town’s $0.030. Toronto Regional Conservation Authority has mapped the flood hazard here: one study on the national inventory. Thornhill Woods shares its earthquake risk numbers with the rest of the city of Vaughan.
Radon tests above the guideline · share of tested homes, 200 Bq/m³
| Hazards | Thornhill Woods | 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
Lives run long around Thornhill Woods: 86.3 years, 4.8 more than the typical Canadian town’s region
Self-rated health is ordinary for Ontario: 51% of the region’s adults say very good or excellent, the province 51%. Chronic conditions run at 16% of adults, age-standardised, lower than both Ontario’s towns (17%) and Canadian towns (17%). What sets Thornhill Woods apart within its region is distance, and at 3.9 km to a hospital it is ordinary (3.7 km typical).
Very good or excellent health · adults, age-standardised
| Health | Thornhill Woods | 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 · Health survey and life expectancy published for the York Regional Health Unit, not by town
Renting in Thornhill Woods costs 16% of household income, less than in both Ontario’s towns and Canadian towns
Area-wide: rent as a share of income and monthly rent for a two-bedroom, counted over the Toronto metro area
89% of households own their home, above Ontario’s towns (76%) and Canadian towns (74%) alike. Shelter took 30% or more of income for 29% of households, above both Ontario’s towns (22%) and Canadian towns (18%).
What homes were worth · The median owner’s estimate at the 2021 census
| Census 2021 | Thornhill Woods | Ontario | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Households spending 30%+ on shelter | 29% | 22% | 18% |
| Households owning their home | 89% | 76% | 74% |
| Rent as a share of income | 16% | 22% | 20% |
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.
Thornhill Woods is graded a B+ for safety
Source area for Crime Severity Index, Violent Crime Severity Index, violent crime and property crime per 1,000: the York Region service area
Across its police area, there are 21.4 property incidents per 1,000 residents a year. Violent incidents in its police area came to 9.7 per 1,000 residents a year, below both Ontario’s towns (10.5) and Canadian towns (12).
Year by year · Crime Severity Index for each year
| 2023–2025 | Thornhill Woods | 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
Commuters in Thornhill Woods travel further than in Ontario’s towns or Canadian towns, 33 min on average
88% of commuters drove, near both Ontario’s towns (88%) and Canadian towns (89%).
How working residents got to work · census 2021
| Census 2021 | Thornhill Woods | Ontario | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average trip | 33 min | 29 min | 26 min |
| Car or van | 88% | 88% | 89% |
Statistics Canada, Census 2021 (labour and commuting) · These are May 2021 figures, gathered while COVID-19 kept many people home or out of work.
Thornhill Woods has warmer summers than Ontario’s towns or Canadian towns: July afternoons reach 27.3°C
January nights fall to −10.1°C on average, below Ontario’s towns (−9.1°C) but above Canadian towns (−13.5°C). Between the last spring frost, 3 May, and the first in autumn, 13 October, lie 161 days. Rain and snow peak in June, at 87 mm. Snow peaks in January: 40 cm in a normal year.
Average high by season · ECCC normals, 1991–2020
| Normals, 1991–2020 | Thornhill Woods | 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))
More of Thornhill Woods belongs to a visible minority than Ontario’s towns or Canadian towns: 41%
Ages · Share of residents in each age group, Census 2021
Schooling · Highest qualification, residents 15 and over
Women and men · all residents
50.9% of Thornhill Woods’ residents are women
In 2021 there were 6,725 women to 6,500 men; Canada as a whole is 50.9% women.
| Thornhill Woods | Ontario | Canada | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 15 | 22% | 15% | 16% |
| 15 to 64 | 69% | 65% | 64% |
| 65+ | 9.5% | 19% | 19% |
| No certificate, diploma or degree | 10% | 15% | 16% |
| Postsecondary qualification | 71% | 56% | 56% |
Statistics Canada, Census 2021; Ontario and Canada: medians of towns of 2,500+
Thornhill Woods in November: highs near 7°C, lows near −1°C
For today and the week ahead, the Weather page carries ECCC’s Richmond Hill forecast. By December, a normal day reaches 2°C and a night falls to −6°C. Expect about 77 mm of rain and snow over November. About 12 cm of snow falls in a normal November.
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
35,850 residents per council seat in Vaughan, a higher ratio than 98% of Ontario municipalities
City council runs Thornhill Woods; in October 2022, Vaughan chose Steven Del Duca as mayor.
| Turnout | Thornhill Woods | Ontario | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Municipal election, 2022 | 27% | 31% | 31% |
Wikidata, MAMH, MMAH, Statistics Canada
Vaughan public library draws 5.7 visits per person served, ahead of 87% of Ontario’s town libraries
The library figures on this page are Vaughan’s: Vaughan public library serves all 344,930 people of the city, Thornhill Woods among them.
Provincial library statistics, OpenStreetMap, the CRA and Statistics Canada
Thornhill Woods is 19 km from Rouge National Urban Park
29 protected areas lie within 10 km. The largest named area nearby is Elgin West Channel Lands, 89 ha, 6.0 km away. A provincial park, Holland Landing Prairie Provincial Park, lies 31 km away.
Protected land · of the land within 10 km
| Outdoors | Thornhill Woods | Ontario | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Public protected areas within 10 km | 22 | 4 | 4 |
| Protected land within 10 km | 3.5% | 2.3% | 2.3% |
Canadian Protected and Conserved Areas Database (CPCAD), OpenStreetMap routes and beaches
Everything we know about Thornhill Woods
Canada's Wonderland and 33 more in and around Thornhill Woods
The best-known places to visit in and around Thornhill Woods come first; the full list is on the Attractions page.
Big drawTheme parkCanada's Wonderland4.9 km outside town, to the west · 3.2M visitors a year (2025)
AttractionLeviathan4.7 km outside town, to the west
AttractionBehemoth4.8 km outside town, to the west
AttractionYukon Striker4.9 km outside town, to the west
AttractionMighty Canadian Minebuster4.9 km outside town, to the west
AttractionDareDeviler4.7 km outside town, to the westPhotos: each place’s Wikidata image, from Wikimedia Commons under the licence below (our copy, resized).
Photo credits (6)
- Canada's Wonderland: Mathew Ingram, CC BY 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Leviathan: Chris!!!!!, CC BY 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Behemoth: Mindme, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Yukon Striker: Jason Zhang, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Mighty Canadian Minebuster: Mike chernucha, CC BY-SA 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
- DareDeviler: Mike chernucha, CC BY-SA 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
About Thornhill Woods
Neighbourhood in Vaughan
Where Thornhill Woods begins and ends inside Vaughan is TownRatings’s line, traced along census dissemination areas and named after the city’s map or OpenStreetMap.
Statistics Canada: population estimates 2025 (17-10-0155), Census of Population 2021, 2021 census boundaries.
- Population
- 13,237 (people, 2021 estimate)
- Province or territory
- Ontario
- City
- Vaughan
- Census subdivision
- 3519028
Thornhill Woods’ neighbours
The nearest places of 1,000 or more. Statistics Canada
| Town | People | km | Overall | Cost | Safety | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Thornhill Woods | 13,237 | — | A− | C | B+ | A |
| Crossroads | 4,525 | 1.2 | A− | C− | B+ | A |
| Dufferin Hill | 7,910 | 1.7 | A− | C− | B+ | A |
| The Valleys of Thornhill | 9,979 | 1.9 | A− | C− | B+ | A |
| Carrville Corners | 13,004 | 2.7 | A− | C | B+ | A |
| Beverley Glen | 38,720 | 3.6 | A− | D | B+ | A |
| Langstaff | 8,147 | 3.9 | B+ | D− | B+ | A |
People: Statistics Canada, Census 2021. Distances: centre to centre.
Questions about Thornhill Woods
Is Thornhill Woods a young town or an old one?
The typical resident is 38.6 (Canadian towns: 45.2), with seniors at 10% of the population and under-15s at 22%.
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).