WhitestoneOntario

The population grew 17% between 2016 and 2021. Population 1,160: a town in Ontario.

Photo: P199 · CC BY-SA 3.0

Population

1,160

people, 2025 estimate

Median age

61.6

years · Ontario’s towns: 46.8

Postsecondary

47%

of residents 15 and over hold a postsecondary certificate, diploma or degree · Canadian towns: 56%

Walk, cycle, transit

walk, cycle or take transit to work · Canadian towns: 8%

Is Whitestone a good place to live?

Floods and other hazards weigh less here (A). Where it falls short is schools (D−). A median home here was worth $500,000 at the census, or 8.3 times what the middle household earns in a year. Work and incomes lag (D−). It lags on health as well (D). Few people walk, cycle or take the bus to work (D−).

Figures: home values and income: Statistics Canada, Census 2021. Whitestone has subject grades but no overall grade: Canadian towns get one from 2,500 residents.

No Safety Grade: no police service publishes a crime rate for this place on its own. Crime here is counted against the people who live here, but many visitors or second-home owners add to it, so the rate per resident runs higher than residents' own risk. Health is graded on the health region's survey figures and life expectancy, with the distance to hospital giving the town its own spread.

StrongestAHazard riskWeakestD⁻Schools D⁻Walkability

How Whitestone grades

Each subject compares Whitestone 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 grading works

Whitestone has subject grades but no overall grade: Canadian towns get one from 2,500 residents.

SchoolsBased on how pupils do in exams and testsD⁻Open →WalkabilityAmong the hardest places to get around without a carD⁻Open →Jobs & incomeAmong the weakest of the towns comparedD⁻Open →HealthBased on how healthy residents are for their agesDOpen →Hazard riskNatural hazards pose little risk hereAOpen →

Cost of livingNot graded: not enough data–

SafetyNot graded: not enough data–

How TownRatings grades Canadian towns →

What makes Whitestone stand out

The 3 things Whitestone does most differently from other towns.

Picked automatically from the data

Residents 65 and over

Who lives here

38% are 65 or over

Midway across Canadian towns: 19%

Statistics Canada, Census 2021

Schools

Behind 99%

of Canadian towns on schools

Its schools grade: D−.

Walkability

Behind 98%

of Canadian towns on walkability

Its walkability grade: D−.

The data

Data highlights are ordered by what stands out in Whitestone.

SchoolsSchools D⁻

The nearest high school to Whitestone is 36 km away

1school within 3 kmD⁻Schools Grade

School	Level	Students	System
Whitestone Lake Central School Bottom fifth in OntarioLargest elementary schoolElementary · Grades JK–8	Elementary · Grades JK–8	55	English public

Schools within 3 km	Whitestone	Ontario	Canada
Nearest secondary school	36 km	1.2 km	1.2 km

students at the schools within 3 km, 2024-25

36 km

to the nearest secondary school

Full pageWhitestone’s schools pageOpen the full Schools page

Every school1 elementary school Results0 of 1 in the top two fifths · of the schools with results, placed against every school in Ontario Language0 of 1 teach in French · 10% of schools in Ontario Questions“What schools are there in Whitestone?”

Provincial school lists and results, 2024-25

Work & commuteJobs & income D⁻

Whitestone’s household incomes are lower than in 88% of Canadian towns

0%walk, cycle or take transit

The average trip to work took 31 min, above Ontario’s towns (29 min) and Canadian towns (26 min) alike. 95% of commuters drove to work at the census.

How working residents got to work · census 2021

Car or van95%

Census 2021	Whitestone	Ontario	Canada
Average trip	31 min	29 min	26 min
Car or van	95%	88%	89%

$62,800

median household income, 2020

18%

worked from home, May 2021

32%

of commuters work inside the municipality

Full pageWhitestone’s work & commute pageOpen the full Work & commute page

Unemployment8.4% unemployed · Of the labour force · Canadian towns: 9.9%Getting to work0% walk, cycle or take transit Where people commute to90 commuters · The biggest flow out: to Parry Sound

Statistics Canada, Census 2021 (labour and commuting) · Census day was in May 2021, mid-pandemic, so commuting and work figures carry the lockdowns’ mark.

HealthHealth D

Health in Whitestone trails 93% of Canadian towns

47%very good or excellent healthDHealth Grade

Lives in the region last 80.0 years on average (2022/2024): 82.6 for women, 77.6 for men. Smoking is commoner than in the province: 18% of adults, against 11% for Ontario. In the health survey, 47% of adults in the region rated their health very good or excellent, lower than both Ontario’s towns (51%) and Canadian towns (52%). What sets Whitestone apart within its region is distance: 36 km to a hospital on average, over 30 km for 100% of residents.

Very good or excellent health · adults, age-standardised

Whitestone47%

Ontario’s towns51%

Canadian towns52%

Health	Whitestone	Ontario	Canada
Smokers	18%	10%	12%
Life expectancy at birth	80.0	82.8	81.5
Very good or excellent health	47%	51%	52%
Chronic conditions (average share)	19%	17%	17%

80.0

years of life expectancy, 2022/2024

36 km

from homes to a hospital, on average

18%

of adults smoke, age-standardised

35 km

from homes to a pharmacy, on average

Full pageWhitestone’s health pageOpen the full Health page

Health survey47% very good or excellent health · adults, age-standardised Getting care36 km to a hospital · A pharmacy 35 km away on average The wider areaLife expectancy: women 82.6, men 77.6 Conditions and habits19% with chronic conditions · adults, age-standardised

Statistics Canada, Canadian Community Health Survey 2023/2024 and life expectancy 2022/2024; Open Database of Healthcare Facilities · Not measured by town: health survey and life expectancy (the North Bay Parry Sound District Health Unit)

Natural hazardsHazard risk A

Hazard risk in Whitestone is lower than in 86% of Canadian towns

Lowwildfire bandAHazard risk Grade

Radon is lower than usual: 1.9% of tested homes in the survey area topped the guideline, against 6.6% for the typical town. Shaking is about as much of a worry in Whitestone as in most places, at $0.026 a year per $1,000 of building value ($0.030 typical). The national flood inventory has no study of the town.

Radon tests above the guideline · share of tested homes, 200 Bq/m³

Whitestone1.9%

Ontario’s towns4%

Canadian towns6.6%

Hazards	Whitestone	Ontario	Canada
Radon tests above the guideline	1.9%	4%	6.6%
Earthquake loss per $1,000 of buildings a year	$0.026	$0.043	$0.030

Low

wildfire band

Full pageWhitestone’s flood & hazards pageOpen the full Flood & hazards page

WildfireLow wildfire band · No land burned within 25 km since 1986 FloodNo flood study on record Earthquakes$0.026 a year per $1,000 · Canadian towns: $0.030 Radon1.9% of tests above the guideline Be readyAlerts, FireSmart and radon tests

NRCan seismic risk model and burned areas, Health Canada radon survey, the Flood Hazard Map Inventory

Housing

Whitestone is a town of owners: 97% of households own their home, above Ontario’s towns and Canadian towns

$500,000median home value, 2021

18% of households spent 30% or more of their income on shelter, lower than Ontario’s towns (22%) and near Canadian towns (18%).

What homes were worth · The median owner’s estimate at the 2021 census

Whitestone$500,000

Ontario$695,000

Canadian towns$406,000

Census 2021	Whitestone	Ontario	Canada
Households owning their home	97%	76%	74%
Median home value, 2021	$500,000	$695,000	$406,000
Households spending 30%+ on shelter	18%	22%	18%

$560

median monthly shelter cost for owners, 2021

Full pageWhitestone’s cost of living pageOpen the full Cost of living page

Owners and renters97% own their home Cost of living8.3 times household income · The median owner’s estimate, $500,000, against the median household income

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.

Climate

Winter nights bite in Whitestone: January lows of −17.3°C, colder than Ontario’s towns or Canadian towns

24.3°CJuly afternoons

A normal December brings 71 cm of snow, the most of any month. There are 176 days of frost in a typical year, above Ontario’s towns (139) and Canadian towns (159) alike. Between the last spring frost, 15 May, and the first in autumn, 29 September, lie 135 days. A July afternoon in Whitestone typically reaches 24.3°C.

Average high by season · ECCC normals, 1991–2020

Winter−5.6°C

Spring8.8°C

Summer23.1°C

Autumn10.7°C

Normals, 1991–2020	Whitestone	Ontario	Canada
Snowfall a year	312 cm	146 cm	141 cm
January night low	−17.3°C	−9.1°C	−13.5°C
July afternoon high	24.3°C	26.7°C	25.5°C
Days with frost a year	176	139	159

312 cm

of snow a year

176

days with frost a year

135

frost-free days, 15 May to 29 Sep

133

days with precipitation a year

Full pageWhitestone’s climate pageOpen the full Climate page

The yearJuly highs 24.3°C, January lows −17.3°C Rain and snow1,020 mm a year · Canadian towns: 883 mm Snow312 cm of snow a year Weather station85 km to the station · North Bay

Environment and Climate Change Canada, Canadian Climate Normals 1991–2020 (North Bay)

Who lives here

Visible minorities make up less of Whitestone than of Ontario’s towns or Canadian towns: 2.9%

61.6median age

Nearly one in ten residents came to Canada as immigrants, above both Ontario’s towns (7.6%) and Canadian towns (6.4%). First Nations, Métis and Inuit people make up 2.4% of residents, between Ontario’s towns (1.6%) and Canadian towns (2.8%).

WhitestoneOntarioCanada

OntarioCanada

Ages · Share of residents in each age group, Census 2021

38%

Schooling · Highest qualification, residents 15 and over

No certificate, diploma or degree21%

Postsecondary qualification47%

Women and men · all residents

Women make up 47.2% of Whitestone

Here the census found 510 women and 570 men; across Canada the share of women is 50.9%.

Who lives in Whitestone
	Whitestone	Ontario	Canada
Under 15	7.9%	15%	16%
15 to 64	54%	65%	64%
65+	38%	19%	19%
No certificate, diploma or degree	21%	15%	16%
Postsecondary qualification	47%	56%	56%

Full pageWhitestone’s Who lives here pageOpen the full Who lives here page

Immigrants8% are immigrants · 3% belong to a visible minority Ages61.6 median age · 38% are 65 or over Households545 households · 2 people per household English and French4% speak both · 0% speak French but not English

Statistics Canada, Census 2021; Ontario and Canada: medians of towns of 2,500+

Outdoors

More of the land around Whitestone is protected than around 9 in 10 Canadian towns

14%of the land within 10 km protected

Some protected land is inside the town: 18% of its area. 45 km separate the town from Georgian Bay Islands National Park, its nearest national park. The tally of protected areas open to the public within 10 km is 15, above both Ontario’s towns (4) and Canadian towns (4). Also worth knowing: for a swim, Ketchums Beach is the nearest of 5 beaches within 5 km.

Protected land · of the land within 10 km

Whitestone14%

Ontario’s towns2.3%

Canadian towns2.3%

Outdoors	Whitestone	Ontario	Canada
Protected land within 10 km	14%	2.3%	2.3%
Public protected areas within 10 km	15	4	4

45 km

to Georgian Bay Islands National Park

At the edge

to Round Lake Provincial Park

beaches within 5 km

public protected areas within 10 km

Full pageWhitestone’s outdoors pageOpen the full Outdoors page

Protected landof the land within 10 km Protected areas18 protected areas within 10 km · Island Lake Forest and Barrens Conservation Reserve National & provincial parks45 km to a national park · Georgian Bay Islands National Park

Canadian Protected and Conserved Areas Database (CPCAD), OpenStreetMap routes and beaches

Weather

Whitestone in November: highs near 3°C, lows near −4°C

3°Ca normal November afternoon

For today and the week ahead, the Weather page carries ECCC’s Dunchurch forecast. Snow is normal by November, about 38 cm over the month. Expect about 97 mm of rain and snow over November. Across the year, normals run from −17°C nights in January to 24°C afternoons in July.

Normal highs, the months ahead · ECCC normals, 1991–2020

November3°C

December−4°C

January−7°C

February−6°C

Season	High	Low	Rain and snow
Winter	−6°C	−15°C	197 mm
Spring	9°C	−2°C	221 mm
Summer	23°C	13°C	282 mm
Autumn	11°C	2°C	320 mm

−4°C

a normal November night

97 mm

of rain and snow in a normal November

Full pageWhitestone’s weather pageOpen the full Weather page

Next 24 hoursTemperature and chance of rain, hour by hour The week aheadECCC’s days ahead, beside the normals The yearWarmest July, coldest January

ECCC normals, 1991–2020 (North Bay); the forecast is on the Weather page

Town hall

Whitestone has a council seat for every 230 residents, fewer than 96% of municipalities in Ontario

The riding (a federal electoral district, which elects one MP) covering Whitestone is Parry Sound—Muskoka, and Scott Aitchison (Conservative Party of Canada) represents it in the House of Commons.

Turnout	Whitestone	Ontario	Canada
Municipal election, 2022	41%	31%	31%

Full pageWhitestone’s town hall & politics pageOpen the full Town hall & politics page

Who runs itMunicipality council seats5

Wikidata, MAMH, MMAH, Statistics Canada

Library & civic lifeCivic life grade B

The nearest public library to Whitestone is Parry Sound Public Library, 37 km away

After it comes Rosseau Library (Seguin), 47 km away.

Full pageWhitestone’s library & civic life pageOpen the full Library & civic life page

Places to belong0 charities per 1,000 residents

Provincial library statistics, OpenStreetMap, the CRA and Statistics Canada

Keep exploring

Everything we know about Whitestone

15pages on Whitestone

The big questions

SafetyHousing & costHomes 8.3 × income Property pricesSchoolsD⁻One school within 3 km HealthDLife expectancy 80 in its region Work & commuteD⁻39% of adults in work Natural hazardsAWildfire band: low

Out and about

Outdoors14% of the land within 10 km protected AttractionsClimateJuly afternoons around 24°C WeatherECCC’s forecast, beside the normals

The story

Who lives hereMedian age 61.6 HistoryTown hallFamous people

About Whitestone

Town in Ontario

TownRatings follows Statistics Canada’s map: Whitestone is one municipality in Ontario, figures and all.

Statistics Canada: population estimates 2025 (17-10-0155), Census of Population 2021, 2021 census boundaries.

Population: 1,160 (people, 2025 estimate)
Province or territory: Ontario
Census division: Parry Sound
Census subdivision: 3549039

Questions about Whitestone

Has Whitestone grown?

Between the 2016 and 2021 censuses it went from 916 to 1,075 residents (up 17.4%; Canadian towns’ median: 4.1%), and Statistics Canada now estimates 1,160.

Who are the people of Whitestone?

At the 2021 census, 8% were immigrants and 3% belonged to a visible minority (Canadian towns’ median: 15%). 2% identify as First Nations, Métis or Inuit.

What kind of homes are in Whitestone?

Households hold 2 people on average, and 33% have just one.

Is Whitestone a young town or an old one?

Half its people are older than 61.6 (the middle of Canadian towns: 45.2); children under 15 make up 8%, people 65 and over 38%.

Sources: Statistics Canada, Census of Population 2021 · population estimates 2025 (17-10-0155) and 2021 census boundaries · 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).