Walkertonin Brockton, Ontario
Statistics Canada places it in the Bruce census division. 10,811 residents make their home in this town in Ontario.
Is Walkerton a good place to live?
Real strengths, and real weak spots. Prices are high against local incomes (C−). Its strongest subject is jobs & income (A−). Crime is low (B+). Overall, that makes a B−, good for #531 of 858 in Ontario. That leaves it better than 48% of Canadian towns.
This town's rent is the 2021 census rent scaled to 2025 by its province's ratio of surveyed to census rents: no rental survey covers it, so its Cost Grade is less sure. 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 Walkerton grades
Each subject compares Walkerton 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 Walkerton stand out
The 2 things Walkerton does most differently from other towns.
The data
Data highlights are ordered by what stands out in Walkerton.
Commuters in Walkerton have a short way to work, 23 min on average, less than in Ontario’s towns and across Canadian towns
How working residents got to work · census 2021
| Census 2021 | Walkerton | Ontario | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average trip | 23 min | 29 min | 26 min |
Statistics Canada, Census 2021 (labour and commuting) · Census day was in May 2021, mid-pandemic, so commuting and work figures carry the lockdowns’ mark.
Renting in Walkerton costs 18% of household income, less than in Ontario’s towns and across Canadian towns
14% of households spent 30% or more of their income on shelter, lower than both Ontario’s towns (22%) and Canadian towns (18%). Home ownership covers 79% of households.
What homes were worth · The median owner’s estimate at the 2021 census
| Census 2021 | Walkerton | Ontario | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Households spending 30%+ on shelter | 14% | 22% | 18% |
| Rent as a share of income | 18% | 22% | 20% |
| Median home value, 2021 | $436,000 | $695,000 | $406,000 |
| Households owning their home | 79% | 76% | 74% |
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.
For safety, Walkerton gets a B+
Its violent severity index came to 57, below Ontario’s towns (76) and Canadian towns (86) alike. Thefts, break-ins and damage add up to 17 per 1,000 residents a year. Each year, 9.5 violent crimes are recorded per 1,000 residents.
Year by year · Crime Severity Index for each year
| 2023–2025 | Walkerton | Ontario | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Property crime per 1,000 | 17 | 30.5 | 31.2 |
| Violent Crime Severity Index | 57 | 76 | 86 |
Statistics Canada, Uniform Crime Reporting Survey, 2023–2025 average
Wildfire low, radon 11%: how Walkerton stands on hazards
Seismic risk runs low: $0.012 of expected damage per $1,000 of buildings a year, the typical town $0.030. No flood study for Walkerton is on the national inventory.
Radon tests above the guideline · share of tested homes, 200 Bq/m³
| Hazards | Walkerton | Ontario | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Radon tests above the guideline | 11% | 4% | 6.6% |
| Earthquake loss per $1,000 of buildings a year | $0.012 | $0.043 | $0.030 |
NRCan seismic risk model and burned areas, Health Canada radon survey, the Flood Hazard Map Inventory
Most schools around Walkerton score below the middle in Ontario: 7 of 11
No French-language school is among them; in Ontario, 10% of schools are. Schooling here is split between 2 boards, below both Ontario’s towns (4) and Canadian towns (3). The 3 km around Walkerton counts 9 elementary schools, 3 secondary schools and 1 alternative or adult school, 4,305 students between them.
| School | Level | Students | System |
|---|---|---|---|
| Walkerton District Community School Bottom fifth in OntarioLargest elementary schoolElementary · Grades JK–8 | Elementary · Grades JK–8 | 400 | English public |
| Sacred Heart High School CatholicLargest secondary schoolSecondary · Grades 9–12 | Secondary · Grades 9–12 | 765 | English Catholic |
Schools by system · Schools within 3 km
| Schools within 3 km | Walkerton | Ontario | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| School boards | 2 | 4 | 3 |
| Nearest elementary school | 3.4 km | 0.5 km | 0.5 km |
Provincial school lists and results, 2024-25
July highs in Walkerton: 25.1°C, against 26.7°C in Ontario’s towns and 25.5°C in Canadian towns
Winter lows average −10.9°C in January, lower than Ontario’s towns (−9.1°C) yet higher than Canadian towns (−13.5°C). Snow peaks in January: 111 cm in a normal year. A normal June brings 100 mm of precipitation, more than any other month.
Average high by season · ECCC normals, 1991–2020
| Normals, 1991–2020 | Walkerton | Ontario | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Snowfall a year | 385 cm | 146 cm | 141 cm |
| July afternoon high | 25.1°C | 26.7°C | 25.5°C |
| Precipitation a year | 1,035 mm | 902 mm | 883 mm |
| January night low | −10.9°C | −9.1°C | −13.5°C |
Environment and Climate Change Canada, Canadian Climate Normals 1991–2020 (Mount Forest)
More smokers around Walkerton: 17% of adults, where the typical Canadian town has 12%
A baby born in the region can expect 81.3 years, 83.6 for a girl and 78.9 for a boy (2022/2024). By their own account, 48% of adults here are in very good or excellent health, below Ontario’s towns (51%) and Canadian towns (52%) alike. Closer to home, a hospital sits 4.0 km from the average resident of Walkerton, about the norm of 3.7 km.
Very good or excellent health · adults, age-standardised
| Health | Walkerton | Ontario | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Smokers | 17% | 10% | 12% |
| Very good or excellent health | 48% | 51% | 52% |
| Life expectancy at birth | 81.3 | 82.8 | 81.5 |
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 Grey Bruce Health Unit
Expect November days around 6°C in Walkerton, nights around −2°C
ECCC’s forecast for Walkerton is on the Weather page, hour by hour. November usually brings some 48 cm of snow. December follows at −1°C by day and −7°C by night. Precipitation in November averages 92 mm.
Normal highs, the months ahead · ECCC normals, 1991–2020
| Season | High | Low | Rain and snow |
|---|---|---|---|
| Winter | −2°C | −10°C | 255 mm |
| Spring | 10°C | 0°C | 240 mm |
| Summer | 24°C | 13°C | 281 mm |
| Autumn | 13°C | 4°C | 258 mm |
ECCC normals, 1991–2020 (Mount Forest); the forecast is on the Weather page
Turnout in Huron—Bruce reached 70% in 2021, above 93% of ridings
Walkerton is part of Brockton, a municipality by Statistics Canada’s count.
| Turnout | Walkerton | Ontario | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Municipal election, 2022 | 35% | 31% | 31% |
Wikidata, MAMH, MMAH, Statistics Canada
Walkerton has two public libraries, Bruce County Public Library - Cargill Branch and Bruce County Public Library - Walkerton Branch
Its libraries report as part of a wider system, so there are no figures for Walkerton in particular.
Provincial library statistics, OpenStreetMap, the CRA and Statistics Canada
15 km from Walkerton to MacGregor Point Provincial Park
Protected areas cover 0.1% of the land within 10 km; for the typical Canadian town it is 2.3%. The nearest national park is Bruce Peninsula National Park, 87 km away. The 10 km around town hold 6 protected areas. One unnamed beach is mapped within 5 km.
Protected land · of the land within 10 km
| Outdoors | Walkerton | Ontario | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Protected land within 10 km | 0.1% | 2.3% | 2.3% |
| Public protected areas within 10 km | 0 | 4 | 4 |
Canadian Protected and Conserved Areas Database (CPCAD), OpenStreetMap routes and beaches
Fewer of Walkerton’s people belong to a visible minority than in Ontario’s towns or Canadian towns: 2%
Immigrants make up 4.1% of residents, lower than both Ontario’s towns (7.6%) and Canadian towns (6.4%). 1.4% of residents have an Indigenous identity, below Ontario’s towns (1.6%) and Canadian towns (2.8%) alike.
Ages · Share of residents in each age group, Census 2021
Schooling · Highest qualification, residents 15 and over
Women and men · all residents
50.2% of Walkerton’s residents are women
Here the census found 4,870 men and 4,915 women; the figure for women across Canada is 50.9%.
| Walkerton | Ontario | Canada | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 15 | 18% | 15% | 16% |
| 15 to 64 | 59% | 65% | 64% |
| 65+ | 23% | 19% | 19% |
| No certificate, diploma or degree | 21% | 15% | 16% |
| Postsecondary qualification | 47% | 56% | 56% |
Statistics Canada, Census 2021; Ontario and Canada: medians of towns of 2,500+
In Walkerton, 40% of homes go back before 1961
| Heritage | Walkerton | Ontario | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Homes built before 1961 | 40% | 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 Walkerton
Famous people from Walkerton
12 notable people were born in Walkerton.
Photo credits
William Bertram: uncredited, Public domain · Leighton McCarthy: Unknown author , Published by Montreal Perrault Print. Co, Public domain · Jeannette Durno: No photographer credited., Public domain · Gerald O'Connor: Archives of the Law Society of Ontario, Public domain
About Walkerton
Town in Ontario
TownRatings follows Statistics Canada’s map: Walkerton is one municipality in Ontario, figures and all.
Statistics Canada: population estimates 2025 (17-10-0155), Census of Population 2021, 2021 census boundaries.
- Population
- 10,811 (people, 2025 estimate)
- Province or territory
- Ontario
- Census division
- Bruce
- Census subdivision
- 3541032
Walkerton’s neighbours
The nearest places of 1,000 or more. Statistics Canada
Questions about Walkerton
Who are the people of Walkerton?
2% of residents belong to a visible minority, against 15% for the median of Canadian towns; 1% have an Indigenous identity and 4% are immigrants.
How old are the people of Walkerton?
Its median age is 44.8, where Canadian towns sit at 45.2. Under-15s are 18% of residents; over-65s, 23%.
What kind of homes are in Walkerton?
Single-detached houses make up 77% of the homes here, where Canadian towns sit at 64%; 0% are in high-rise apartments. 29% of households are one person, and the average is 2.4.
Is Walkerton growing?
It grew from 9,461 people in 2016 to 9,784 in 2021, up 3.4%; the median of Canadian towns grew 4.1%. StatCan’s 2025 estimate is 10,811.
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).