Whitewater RegionOntario
With 7,899 residents, it is a town in Ontario. Statistics Canada places it in the Renfrew census division.
Is Whitewater Region a good place to live?
Whitewater Region ranks #522 of 858 in Ontario, with a B− overall. That leaves it better than nearly half of Canadian towns. Its lowest grade is for health (C). Crime is low (A+). A median home here was worth $302,000 at the census, or 3.7 times what the middle household earns in a year. The rest of its grades are middling: B− for schools and B for walkability.
Figures: home values and income: Statistics Canada, Census 2021.
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. Safety less sure: no police service names this town, so its crime figure is the nearest police detachment's, shared with a wider area. 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 Whitewater Region stand out
The 2 things Whitewater Region does most differently from other towns.
How Whitewater Region grades
Each subject compares Whitewater Region 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 →
The data
Data highlights are ordered by what stands out in Whitewater Region.
For the force that serves Whitewater Region, the Crime Severity Index is 29, below Ontario’s towns and Canadian towns
These figures come from the closest detachment: none reports for Whitewater Region itself
Its police area recorded 6.8 violent incidents per 1,000 residents a year, below both Ontario’s towns (10.5) and Canadian towns (12). For every 1,000 residents of its police area, 10.1 property crimes are reported each year. Whitewater Region shares its Crime Severity Index, Violent Crime Severity Index, violent crime and property crime per 1,000 numbers with the rest of the Renfrew detachment area.
Year by year · Crime Severity Index for each year
| 2023–2025 | Whitewater Region | Ontario | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Property crime per 1,000 | 10.1 | 30.5 | 31.2 |
| Crime Severity Index | 29 | 56 | 67 |
| Violent Crime Severity Index | 37 | 76 | 86 |
| Violent crime | 6.8 | 10.5 | 12 |
Statistics Canada, Uniform Crime Reporting Survey, 2023–2025 average
More smokers around Whitewater Region: 16% of adults, where the typical Canadian town has 12%
Area-wide: health survey and life expectancy, counted over the Renfrew County and District Health Unit
Life expectancy at birth in the region is 81.0 years, about level with Canadian towns (81.5) and below Ontario’s towns (82.8). On self-rated health the region tracks the province: 50% very good or excellent, 51% for Ontario. The town’s own part is the trip to care, and Whitewater Region’s is long: 17 km to a hospital on average, against 3.7 km typical.
Very good or excellent health · adults, age-standardised
| Health | Whitewater Region | Ontario | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Smokers | 16% | 10% | 12% |
| Chronic conditions (average share) | 19% | 17% | 17% |
| Life expectancy at birth | 81.0 | 82.8 | 81.5 |
| Very good or excellent health | 50% | 51% | 52% |
Statistics Canada, Canadian Community Health Survey 2023/2024 and life expectancy 2022/2024; Open Database of Healthcare Facilities
More commuters in Whitewater Region drive than in Ontario’s towns or Canadian towns: 93%
A trip to work takes 29 min on average.
How working residents got to work · census 2021
| Census 2021 | Whitewater Region | Ontario | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Car or van | 93% | 88% | 89% |
| Average trip | 29 min | 29 min | 26 min |
Statistics Canada, Census 2021 (labour and commuting) · These are May 2021 figures, gathered while COVID-19 kept many people home or out of work.
Winter nights bite in Whitewater Region: January lows of −16.9°C, colder than Ontario’s towns or Canadian towns
Between the last spring frost, 23 May, and the first in autumn, 19 September, lie 118 days. There are 178 days of frost in a typical year, higher than both Ontario’s towns (139) and Canadian towns (159). A normal January brings 49 cm of snow, the most of any month. Rain and snow peak in June, at 96 mm.
Average high by season · ECCC normals, 1991–2020
| Normals, 1991–2020 | Whitewater Region | Ontario | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| January night low | −16.9°C | −9.1°C | −13.5°C |
| Snowfall a year | 199 cm | 146 cm | 141 cm |
| Days with frost a year | 178 | 139 | 159 |
| July afternoon high | 26.4°C | 26.7°C | 25.5°C |
Environment and Climate Change Canada, Canadian Climate Normals 1991–2020 (Charteris)
More households own their home in Whitewater Region than in Ontario’s towns or across Canadian towns: 87%
Rent took nearly a fifth of household income, below both Ontario’s towns (22%) and Canadian towns (20%). Shelter took 30% or more of income for 13% of households, below Ontario’s towns (22%) and Canadian towns (18%) alike.
What homes were worth · The median owner’s estimate at the 2021 census
| Census 2021 | Whitewater Region | Ontario | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Households spending 30%+ on shelter | 13% | 22% | 18% |
| Median home value, 2021 | $302,000 | $695,000 | $406,000 |
| Households owning their home | 87% | 76% | 74% |
| Rent as a share of income | 19% | 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.
Whitewater Region is on Canada’s flood inventory: 1 listed, led by MRC de Pontiac
8% of radon tests in the survey area came in above the guideline, higher than both Ontario’s towns (4%) and Canadian towns (6.6%). Earthquakes add more: NRCan’s model puts building losses at $0.11 a year per $1,000 of value, against $0.030 for the typical town.
Radon tests above the guideline · share of tested homes, 200 Bq/m³
| Hazards | Whitewater Region | Ontario | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Earthquake loss per $1,000 of buildings a year | $0.11 | $0.043 | $0.030 |
| Radon tests above the guideline | 8% | 4% | 6.6% |
NRCan seismic risk model and burned areas, Health Canada radon survey, the Flood Hazard Map Inventory
Whitewater Region in November: highs near 5°C, lows near −4°C
A typical November adds 25 cm of snow. In November, the normal is 77 mm of rain and snow. By December, a normal day reaches −3°C and a night falls to −11°C. For today and the week ahead, the Weather page carries ECCC’s Pembroke forecast.
Normal highs, the months ahead · ECCC normals, 1991–2020
| Season | High | Low | Rain and snow |
|---|---|---|---|
| Winter | −4°C | −15°C | 191 mm |
| Spring | 11°C | −2°C | 222 mm |
| Summer | 25°C | 12°C | 276 mm |
| Autumn | 13°C | 2°C | 244 mm |
ECCC normals, 1991–2020 (Charteris); the forecast is on the Weather page
Whitewater Region’s MP is Cheryl Gallant (Conservative Party of Canada), for Algonquin—Renfrew—Pembroke
The Liberal Party of Canada has 71 of the 122 MPs elected in Ontario.
| Turnout | Whitewater Region | Ontario | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Municipal election, 2022 | 41% | 31% | 31% |
Wikidata, MAMH, MMAH, Statistics Canada
At 1.6 visits per person served, Whitewater Region Public Library is quieter than 89% of Ontario’s town libraries
The 5,894 people Whitewater Region Public Library serves have 3 branches to choose from.
Provincial library statistics, OpenStreetMap, the CRA and Statistics Canada
Visible minorities make up less of Whitewater Region than of Ontario’s towns or Canadian towns: 1.6%
5% of residents came to Canada as immigrants, below both Ontario’s towns (7.6%) and Canadian towns (6.4%). First Nations, Métis and Inuit people make up 8.4% of residents, above 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
49.8% of Whitewater Region’s residents are women
By the 2021 count the town had 3,600 women and 3,625 men, while Canada has 50.9% women.
| Whitewater Region | Ontario | Canada | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 15 | 17% | 15% | 16% |
| 15 to 64 | 60% | 65% | 64% |
| 65+ | 23% | 19% | 19% |
| No certificate, diploma or degree | 15% | 15% | 16% |
| Postsecondary qualification | 53% | 56% | 56% |
Statistics Canada, Census 2021; Ontario and Canada: medians of towns of 2,500+
Whitewater Region’s teenagers travel 18 km to the nearest high school
Its schools answer to 3 boards. 2 of the 5 teach in French, against 10% of schools in Ontario.
| School | Level | Students | System |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cobden District Public School Fourth fifth in OntarioLargest elementary schoolElementary · Grades JK–8 | Elementary · Grades JK–8 | 395 | English public |
| École des Petits-Ponts (Poupore) FrenchTeaches in FrenchElementary | Elementary | – | French public |
Schools by system · Schools within 3 km
| Schools within 3 km | Whitewater Region | Ontario | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nearest secondary school | 18 km | 1.2 km | 1.2 km |
| School boards | 3 | 4 | 3 |
Provincial school lists and results, 2024-25
Ottawa River Provincial Park reaches the edge of Whitewater Region
There is no national park within 100 km of the town. 44 areas within 10 km are protected for nature. The largest named area nearby is Davidson White-Tailed Deer Yard, 1,258 ha, 0.8 km away. For a swim, Logos Land Beach is the nearest of 12 beaches within 5 km.
Protected land · of the land within 10 km
| Outdoors | Whitewater Region | Ontario | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Public protected areas within 10 km | 22 | 4 | 4 |
| Protected land within 10 km | 2.5% | 2.3% | 2.3% |
Canadian Protected and Conserved Areas Database (CPCAD), OpenStreetMap routes and beaches
An older town: 35% of Whitewater Region’s homes predate 1961
| Heritage | Whitewater Region | Ontario | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Homes built before 1961 | 35% | 22% | 18% |
Canadian Register of Historic Places, Directory of Federal Heritage Designations, Québec’s Répertoire du patrimoine culturel, Wikidata; Census 2021 homes by period
Logos Land Water Park and 4 more in and around Whitewater Region
Sights in Whitewater Region and close by, ordered by how widely each is known.
WaterfallCoulonge Chutes1.5 km outside town, to the north
MuseumGeorge Bryson House2.4 km outside town, to the northAttractionAttractionOWL Raftingin townMuseumMuseumRoss Museumin townPhotos: each place’s Wikidata image, from Wikimedia Commons under the licence below (our copy, resized).
Photo credits (2)
- Coulonge Chutes: jljmt, Public domain, Wikimedia Commons
- George Bryson House: P199, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
Everything we know about Whitewater Region
Famous people from Whitewater Region
5 notable people were born in Whitewater Region.
Photo credits
Jack Quinn: HickoryOughtShirt?4, CC BY-SA 4.0 · David Allan Bromley: D. Allen Bromley, Eugen Merzbacher, Donal Robson, Frans Saris, Public domain · Percy Wright: Unknown author, Public domain
Whitewater Region’s neighbours
The nearest places of 1,000 or more. Statistics Canada
| Town | People | km | Overall | Cost | Safety | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Whitewater Region | 7,899 | — | B− | C+ | A+ | C |
| Fort-Coulonge Quebec | 1,293 | 15 | — | A− | B | B+ |
| Mansfield-et-Pontefract Quebec | 2,332 | 17 | — | A | B | B |
People: Statistics Canada, Census 2021. Distances: centre to centre.
Questions about Whitewater Region
Who are the people of Whitewater Region?
At the 2021 census, 5% were immigrants and 2% belonged to a visible minority (Canadian towns’ median: 15%). 8% identify as First Nations, Métis or Inuit.
What kind of homes are in Whitewater Region?
Single-detached houses make up 92% of the homes here, where Canadian towns sit at 64%; 0% are in high-rise apartments. 25% of households are one person, and the average is 2.4.
Is Whitewater Region a young town or an old one?
47.6 is the median age, 45.2 the median among Canadian towns; 23% of residents are 65 or over and 17% under 15.
Is Whitewater Region growing?
It added people: 7,009 in 2016, 7,225 in 2021, 3.1% more, where the middle of Canadian towns grew 4.1%. Statistics Canada’s 2025 estimate is 7,899.
About Whitewater Region
Town in Ontario
Whitewater Region is a municipality in Ontario, read by TownRatings as Statistics Canada draws it: one census subdivision, so its figures cover the whole municipality.
Statistics Canada: population estimates 2025 (17-10-0155), Census of Population 2021, 2021 census boundaries.
- Population
- 7,899 (people, 2025 estimate)
- Province or territory
- Ontario
- Census division
- Renfrew
- Census subdivision
- 3547056
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).