WhitbyOntario
The town, home to 162,413 people, lies in Ontario. It grew by 8% between the 2016 and 2021 censuses.
Is Whitby a good place to live?
Plenty to like here, at a price. Walking, cycling and public transport work well here (A). What counts against it is cost of living (C). It lags on jobs & income as well (C+). The overall grade comes out at B+, #197 of 858 in Ontario. On that grade it does better than nearly three quarters of Canadian towns.
Rents here are the metro area's average, shared by every town and neighbourhood in it. Safety is the regional police service's figure, shared with its other towns. 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 Whitby stand out
The 3 things Whitby does most differently from other towns.
How Whitby grades
Each subject compares Whitby 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 →
Reptilia and 12 more in and around Whitby
The best-known places to visit in and around Whitby come first; the full list is on the Attractions page.
MuseumOntario Regiment Museum1.1 km outside town, to the northeast
Art galleryThe Robert McLaughlin Gallery2.7 km outside town, to the east
MuseumOshawa Military and Industrial Museum1.3 km outside town, to the northeast
MuseumParkwood2.8 km outside town, to the eastMuseumMuseumStation Galleryin townPhotos: each place’s Wikidata image, from Wikimedia Commons under the licence below (our copy, resized).
Photo credits (4)
- Ontario Regiment Museum: Public domain, Wikimedia Commons
- The Robert McLaughlin Gallery: Hyfen, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Oshawa Military and Industrial Museum: Public domain, Wikimedia Commons
- Parkwood: Robert AD Scott, Public domain, Wikimedia Commons
The data
Data highlights are ordered by what stands out in Whitby.
Few places are as safe from hazards as Whitby: it beats 88% of Canadian towns
Flood mapping exists: 5 studies, most recently by Central Lake Ontario Conservation Authority. Seismic risk in Whitby sits near the middle: $0.036 of expected damage per $1,000 of buildings a year, the typical town $0.030.
Radon tests above the guideline · share of tested homes, 200 Bq/m³
| Hazards | Whitby | Ontario | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Radon tests above the guideline | 0% | 4% | 6.6% |
| Earthquake loss per $1,000 of buildings a year | $0.036 | $0.043 | $0.030 |
NRCan seismic risk model and burned areas, Health Canada radon survey, the Flood Hazard Map Inventory
English or French, public or Catholic: Whitby’s schools come under 4 boards
Results are mixed: 32 of 74 schools above the middle in Ontario, 23 below it. The largest is J Clarke Richardson Collegiate Institute, with 2,010 students. Of the 82, 5 teach in French (10% of schools in Ontario). In or within 3 km of Whitby: 67 elementary schools, 13 secondary schools and 2 alternative or adult schools, with 47,640 students.
| School | Level | Students | System |
|---|---|---|---|
| Viola Desmond Public School Fourth fifth in OntarioLargest elementary schoolElementary · Grades JK–8 | Elementary · Grades JK–8 | 880 | English public |
| J Clarke Richardson Collegiate Institute Middle fifth in OntarioLargest secondary schoolSecondary · Grades 9–12 | Secondary · Grades 9–12 | 2,010 | English public |
| ÉSC Saint-Charles-Garnier FrenchTeaches in FrenchSecondary · Grades 9–12 | Secondary · Grades 9–12 | 470 | French Catholic |
| Donald A Wilson Secondary School Top fifth in OntarioResults in the top fifth in OntarioSecondary · Grades 9–12 | Secondary · Grades 9–12 | 1,275 | English public |
Schools by system · Schools within 3 km
| Schools within 3 km | Whitby | Ontario | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| School boards | 4 | 4 | 3 |
Provincial school lists and results, 2024-25
Whitby is graded an A− for safety
Across the area its police cover, the Crime Severity Index averaged 46 over 2023–25, lower than both Ontario’s towns (56) and Canadian towns (67). For every 1,000 residents of its police area, 7.9 violent incidents are reported each year. Property crime in the area its police cover: 20.4 per 1,000 people a year.
Year by year · Crime Severity Index for each year
| 2023–2025 | Whitby | Ontario | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Property crime per 1,000 | 20.4 | 30.5 | 31.2 |
| Crime Severity Index | 46 | 56 | 67 |
| Violent crime | 7.9 | 10.5 | 12 |
| Violent Crime Severity Index | 61 | 76 | 86 |
Statistics Canada, Uniform Crime Reporting Survey, 2023–2025 average · Area behind the Crime Severity Index, Violent Crime Severity Index, violent crime and property crime per 1,000 figures: the Durham Region (Oshawa/Whitby/Ajax) service area
Rent takes less of local pay in Whitby than in Ontario’s towns or Canadian towns: 17% of household income
Households that own their home make up 82%. Shelter took 30% or more of income for just over a fifth of households, about level with Ontario’s towns (22%) and above Canadian towns (18%). Whitby doesn’t get its own rent as a share of income and monthly rent for a two-bedroom figures; the ones here come from the Oshawa metro area.
What homes were worth · The median owner’s estimate at the 2021 census
| Census 2021 | Whitby | Ontario | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rent as a share of income | 17% | 22% | 20% |
| Households owning their home | 82% | 76% | 74% |
| Households spending 30%+ on shelter | 21% | 22% | 18% |
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.
Trips to work from Whitby take longer than from Ontario’s towns or Canadian towns: 33 min on average
88% of commuters drove, about level with both Ontario’s towns (88%) and Canadian towns (89%).
How working residents got to work · census 2021
| Census 2021 | Whitby | Ontario | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average trip | 33 min | 29 min | 26 min |
| Car or van | 88% | 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.
Around Whitby, 50% of adults call their health very good or excellent
Area-wide: health survey and life expectancy, counted over the Durham Regional Health Unit
Women in the region live to 84.7 and men to 80.5, 82.6 years taken together (2022/2024). On average 19% of adults live with arthritis, diabetes or high blood pressure, above both Ontario’s towns (17%) and Canadian towns (17%). The town’s own part is the trip to care, and Whitby’s is long: 5.1 km to a hospital on average, against 3.7 km typical.
Very good or excellent health · adults, age-standardised
| Health | Whitby | Ontario | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chronic conditions (average share) | 19% | 17% | 17% |
| Very good or excellent health | 50% | 51% | 52% |
| Life expectancy at birth | 82.6 | 82.8 | 81.5 |
| Smokers | 11% | 10% | 12% |
Statistics Canada, Canadian Community Health Survey 2023/2024 and life expectancy 2022/2024; Open Database of Healthcare Facilities
Whitby gets fewer frosts than four in five Canadian towns
June is the wettest month, with 94 mm of rain and snow on average. January nights fall to −8.9°C on average, close to Ontario’s towns (−9.1°C) and above Canadian towns (−13.5°C). The frost-free season runs from 30 April to 15 October, 167 days. Most of the snow comes in January, about 34 cm.
Average high by season · ECCC normals, 1991–2020
| Normals, 1991–2020 | Whitby | Ontario | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Snowfall a year | 102 cm | 146 cm | 141 cm |
| Days with frost a year | 130 | 139 | 159 |
| January night low | −8.9°C | −9.1°C | −13.5°C |
| July afternoon high | 25.7°C | 26.7°C | 25.5°C |
Environment and Climate Change Canada, Canadian Climate Normals 1991–2020 (Oshawa)
Children make up 19% of Whitby, above Ontario’s towns and Canadian towns
Visible minorities make up 35% of the population, above both Ontario’s towns (26%) and Canadian towns (15%). Retirement age and beyond: 15% of residents are 65 or older.
Ages · Share of residents in each age group, Census 2021
Schooling · Highest qualification, residents 15 and over
Women and men · all residents
51.3% of Whitby’s residents are women
Here the census found 67,400 men and 71,100 women; the figure for women across Canada is 50.9%.
| Whitby | Ontario | Canada | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 15 | 19% | 15% | 16% |
| 15 to 64 | 66% | 65% | 64% |
| 65+ | 15% | 19% | 19% |
| No certificate, diploma or degree | 13% | 15% | 16% |
| Postsecondary qualification | 60% | 56% | 56% |
Statistics Canada, Census 2021; Ontario and Canada: medians of towns of 2,500+
What November brings in Whitby: freezing at night, 8°C by day
Next comes December, with normal highs of 2°C and lows of −5°C. Precipitation in November averages 73 mm. Also worth knowing: the year peaks in July (26°C) and bottoms out in January (−9°C). The forecast on the Weather page is ECCC’s for Whitby.
Normal highs, the months ahead · ECCC normals, 1991–2020
| Season | High | Low | Rain and snow |
|---|---|---|---|
| Winter | 0°C | −7°C | 196 mm |
| Spring | 11°C | 2°C | 226 mm |
| Summer | 24°C | 15°C | 254 mm |
| Autumn | 14°C | 6°C | 231 mm |
ECCC normals, 1991–2020 (Oshawa); the forecast is on the Weather page
Whitby has one council seat for every 18,050 residents, more than 95% of municipalities in Ontario
The riding of the same name is the riding Whitby votes in for the Legislative Assembly of Ontario, and its MPP (Member of Provincial Parliament, at Queen’s Park in Toronto) isn’t named here because no open list records the members.
| Turnout | Whitby | Ontario | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Municipal election, 2022 | 23% | 31% | 31% |
Wikidata, MAMH, MMAH, Statistics Canada
At 5.4 loans per person served, Whitby Public Library lends more than three in four Ontario’s town libraries
From 3 branches, Whitby Public Library serves 150,700 people.
Provincial library statistics, OpenStreetMap, the CRA and Statistics Canada
Rouge National Urban Park lies 9.0 km beyond Whitby’s edge
A provincial park, Uxbridge Urban Provincial Park, lies 6.0 km away. Within 10 km are 37 protected areas. The protected share within 10 km is 3.9%, where a typical Canadian town has 2.3%. Swimmers have 3 beaches within 5 km, Paradise Beach the nearest.
Protected land · of the land within 10 km
| Outdoors | Whitby | Ontario | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Public protected areas within 10 km | 15 | 4 | 4 |
| Protected land within 10 km | 3.9% | 2.3% | 2.3% |
Canadian Protected and Conserved Areas Database (CPCAD), OpenStreetMap routes and beaches
Everything we know about Whitby
Famous people from Whitby
51 notable people were born in Whitby.
Photo credits
Pierce Lepage: filip bossuyt, CC BY 2.5 · Andrew Martin: Greg, CC BY-SA 2.0 · Jessica Klimkait: Rodolfo Vilela/rededoesporte.gov.br, CC BY 3.0 · May Irwin: Joseph Hall, Public domain · Cole Perfetti: Jenn G, CC BY-SA 2.0 · Dyshawn Pierre: Vyacheslav Bukharov, CC BY-SA 4.0
Whitby’s neighbours
The nearest places of 1,000 or more. Statistics Canada
Questions about Whitby
What kind of homes are in Whitby?
Single-detached houses make up 70% of the homes here, where Canadian towns sit at 64%; 7% are in high-rise apartments.
Has Whitby grown?
Yes: the census counted 128,377 in 2016 and 138,501 in 2021, a rise of 7.9%, against 4.1% for the median of Canadian towns. The 2025 estimate is 162,413.
Is Whitby a young town or an old one?
The median resident is 40 years old, against 45.2 for the median of Canadian towns. 19% are under 15 and 15% are 65 or over.
About Whitby
Town in Ontario
TownRatings counts Whitby as Statistics Canada does, as one municipality in Ontario; the census, crime and housing figures all follow that boundary.
Statistics Canada: population estimates 2025 (17-10-0155), Census of Population 2021, 2021 census boundaries.
- Population
- 162,413 (people, 2025 estimate)
- Province or territory
- Ontario
- Census division
- Durham
- Metro area
- Oshawa
- Census subdivision
- 3518009
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).