Upper Thornhill EstatesVaughan
It is a neighbourhood of 10,435 residents in Vaughan. Vaughan is split into 24 neighbourhoods, and this is one.
Is Upper Thornhill Estates a good place to live?
School results are strong (A+). Residents are healthier than most (A). The drawback is cost of living (C). Jobs & income is weaker too (C+). All told, that adds up to an A− overall and a rank of #86 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 Upper Thornhill Estates grades
Each subject compares Upper Thornhill Estates 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 Upper Thornhill Estates stand out
The 3 things Upper Thornhill Estates does most differently from other towns.
The data
Data highlights are ordered by what stands out in Upper Thornhill Estates.
4 school boards overlap in Upper Thornhill Estates, covering Ontario’s four systems
3 of the 35 teach in French, against 10% of schools in Ontario. Results lean high: 22 of 33 in the top two fifths in Ontario. Richmond Hill High School is the biggest, at 1,635 students. Within 3 km of Upper Thornhill Estates are 30 elementary schools and 5 secondary schools, teaching 17,340 students.
| 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 |
| Richmond Hill High School Top fifth in OntarioLargest secondary schoolSecondary · Grades 9–12 | Secondary · Grades 9–12 | 1,635 | English public |
| École élémentaire Norval-Morrisseau FrenchTeaches in FrenchElementary · Grades 7–8 | Elementary · Grades 7–8 | 65 | French public |
| Beynon Fields Public School Top fifth in OntarioResults in the top fifth in OntarioElementary · Grades JK–8 | Elementary · Grades JK–8 | 570 | English public |
Schools by system · Schools within 3 km
| Schools within 3 km | Upper Thornhill Estates | Ontario | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| School boards | 4 | 4 | 3 |
| Nearest secondary school | 2.4 km | 1.2 km | 1.2 km |
Provincial school lists and results, 2024-25
Upper Thornhill Estates faces fewer hazards than 90% of Canadian towns
Source area for earthquake risk: the city of Vaughan
Earthquake risk in Upper Thornhill Estates 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.
Radon tests above the guideline · share of tested homes, 200 Bq/m³
| Hazards | Upper Thornhill Estates | 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
Life expectancy around Upper Thornhill Estates is 86.3 years, 4.8 more than for the typical Canadian town
Arthritis, diabetes and high blood pressure affect 16% of the region’s adults on average, lower than both Ontario’s towns (17%) and Canadian towns (17%). In the health survey, 51% of adults in the region rate their health very good or excellent, close to Ontario’s 51%. Measured from where Upper Thornhill Estates’ residents live, the nearest hospital is 2.0 km away, under the typical 3.7 km. Figures for health survey and life expectancy are published for the York Regional Health Unit as a whole, not for Upper Thornhill Estates alone.
Very good or excellent health · adults, age-standardised
| Health | Upper Thornhill Estates | 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
More households own their home in Upper Thornhill Estates than in Ontario’s towns or across Canadian towns: 93%
Measured across the Toronto metro area: rent as a share of income and monthly rent for a two-bedroom
A year’s rent came to 16% of the median household income, below Ontario’s towns (22%) and Canadian towns (20%) alike. 42% of households spent 30% or more of their income on shelter, 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 | Upper Thornhill Estates | Ontario | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Households spending 30%+ on shelter | 42% | 22% | 18% |
| Households owning their home | 93% | 76% | 74% |
| Rent as a share of income | 16% | 22% | 20% |
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.
Upper Thornhill Estates is graded a B+ for safety
Property crime in the area its police cover: 21.4 per 1,000 people a year. Across the area its police cover, the Crime Severity Index averaged 53 over 2023–25, below both Ontario’s towns (56) and Canadian towns (67). The force’s area logs 9.7 violent incidents per 1,000 residents a year.
Year by year · Crime Severity Index for each year
| 2023–2025 | Upper Thornhill Estates | 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 · Crime Severity Index, Violent Crime Severity Index, violent crime and property crime per 1,000 published for the York Region service area, not by town
Commuters in Upper Thornhill Estates travel further than in Ontario’s towns or Canadian towns, 34 min on average
90% of commuters took the car to work at the census.
How working residents got to work · census 2021
| Census 2021 | Upper Thornhill Estates | Ontario | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average trip | 34 min | 29 min | 26 min |
| Car or van | 90% | 88% | 89% |
Statistics Canada, Census 2021 (labour and commuting) · Census day was in May 2021, mid-pandemic, so commuting and work figures carry the lockdowns’ mark.
Summer runs warm in Upper Thornhill Estates: July highs of 27.3°C, above Ontario’s towns and Canadian towns
June is the wettest month, with 87 mm of rain and snow on average. Gardeners get 161 frost-free days, from 3 May to 13 October. January nights fall to −10.1°C on average, between Ontario’s towns (−9.1°C) and Canadian towns (−13.5°C). Snow peaks in January: 40 cm in a normal year.
Average high by season · ECCC normals, 1991–2020
| Normals, 1991–2020 | Upper Thornhill Estates | 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 Upper Thornhill Estates belongs to a visible minority than Ontario’s towns or Canadian towns: 56%
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 51.2% of Upper Thornhill Estates
Here the census found 5,345 women and 5,090 men; across Canada the share of women is 50.9%.
| Upper Thornhill Estates | Ontario | Canada | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 15 | 23% | 15% | 16% |
| 15 to 64 | 67% | 65% | 64% |
| 65+ | 9.5% | 19% | 19% |
| No certificate, diploma or degree | 9.4% | 15% | 16% |
| Postsecondary qualification | 71% | 56% | 56% |
Statistics Canada, Census 2021; Ontario and Canada: medians of towns of 2,500+
Upper Thornhill Estates in November: highs near 7°C, lows near −1°C
Expect about 77 mm of rain and snow over November. The month after, December, normally sees 2°C afternoons and −6°C nights. November usually brings some 12 cm of snow. July brings the warmest days, 27°C; January the coldest nights, −10°C.
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
Council seats in Vaughan are spread thin, 35,850 residents each, more than in 98% of Ontario municipalities
Upper Thornhill Estates sends one MPP (Member of Provincial Parliament, at Queen’s Park in Toronto) to the Legislative Assembly of Ontario from King—Vaughan, though no open record we can reuse gives the name.
| Turnout | Upper Thornhill Estates | 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
Upper Thornhill Estates is served by Vaughan public library, the library of all of Vaughan, so the figures here are the city’s, for 344,930 people.
Provincial library statistics, OpenStreetMap, the CRA and Statistics Canada
Within 18 km of Upper Thornhill Estates: Rouge National Urban Park
39 protected areas lie within 10 km. The largest named area nearby is Elgin West Channel Lands, 89 ha, 0.8 km away. The closest provincial park is Holland Landing Prairie Provincial Park, 25 km from the edge of town. Inside the neighbourhood itself, 12% of the land is protected.
Protected land · of the land within 10 km
| Outdoors | Upper Thornhill Estates | Ontario | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Public protected areas within 10 km | 29 | 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 Upper Thornhill Estates
Leviathan and 14 more in and around Upper Thornhill Estates
A first look at Upper Thornhill Estates’s museums, historic sites and days out, and a few just outside town.
AttractionLeviathan4.7 km outside town, to the southwest
AttractionDareDeviler4.9 km outside town, to the southwest
AttractionTime Warp4.9 km outside town, to the southwest
AttractionThunder Run5 km outside town, to the southwest
AttractionPsyclone5 km outside town, to the southwestZooZooReptilia4.1 km outside town, to the southwestPhotos: each place’s Wikidata image, from Wikimedia Commons under the licence below (our copy, resized).
Photo credits (5)
- Leviathan: Chris!!!!!, CC BY 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
- DareDeviler: Mike chernucha, CC BY-SA 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Time Warp: https://www.flickr.com/photos/jmbone/, CC BY-SA 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Thunder Run: Nicholas Moreau, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Psyclone: GTD Aquitaine, Public domain, Wikimedia Commons
Famous people from around Upper Thornhill Estates
No notable person born in Upper Thornhill Estates is on our list; these were born in the towns around it.
Photo credits
Connor McDavid: Connor Mah, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Italia Ricci: Heroes & Villains, CC BY-SA 2.0 · Jordan Binnington: TheAHL, CC BY 2.0 · Michael Cammalleri: Resolute, CC BY-SA 3.0
About Upper Thornhill Estates
Neighbourhood in Vaughan
TownRatings splits Vaughan into neighbourhoods drawn from census dissemination areas; Upper Thornhill Estates is one of them, named from the city’s map or OpenStreetMap.
Statistics Canada: population estimates 2025 (17-10-0155), Census of Population 2021, 2021 census boundaries.
- Population
- 10,435 (people, 2021 estimate)
- Province or territory
- Ontario
- City
- Vaughan
- Census subdivision
- 3519028
Upper Thornhill Estates’ neighbours
The nearest places of 1,000 or more. Statistics Canada
| Town | People | km | Overall | Cost | Safety | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Upper Thornhill Estates | 10,435 | — | A− | C | B+ | A |
| The Valleys of Thornhill | 9,979 | 2.1 | A− | C− | B+ | A |
| Hope | 6,997 | 2.9 | A− | C− | B+ | A |
| Carrville Corners | 13,004 | 2.9 | A− | C | B+ | A |
| Richmond Hill | 222,031 | 3.5 | B+ | D− | B+ | A |
| Thornhill Woods | 13,237 | 4 | A− | C | B+ | A |
| Dufferin Hill | 7,910 | 4.1 | A− | C− | B+ | A |
People: Statistics Canada, Census 2021. Distances: centre to centre.
Questions about Upper Thornhill Estates
How old are the people of Upper Thornhill Estates?
Its median age is 38.6, where Canadian towns sit at 45.2. Under-15s are 23% of residents; over-65s, 10%.
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).