Three RiversPrince Edward Island
Population 9,322: a town on Prince Edward Island. It lies in Kings.
Is Three Rivers a good place to live?
Some subjects shine; others lag. Work and incomes lag (D). Homes are dear (C). Its best grade is for hazard risk (A). The overall grade comes out at C, better than 28% of Canadian towns. In the ranking it comes #9 of 10 on Prince Edward Island. Elsewhere it is close to typical: B− for safety and B for health.
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 is the police detachment's figure, shared with the towns and countryside around it. No School Grade: this province doesn't publish comparable results school by school. 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 Three Rivers grades
Each subject compares Three Rivers 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 Three Rivers stand out
The 3 things Three Rivers does most differently from other towns.
The data
Data highlights are ordered by what stands out in Three Rivers.
Three Rivers’s teenagers travel 64 km to the nearest high school
From the middle of town, the first elementary school is 56 km off, about level with Prince Edward Island’s towns (56 km) and above Canadian towns (0.5 km).
| School | Level | Students | System |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cardigan Consolidated SchoolIn Three RiversElementary | Elementary | – | English public |
| Schools within 3 km | Three Rivers | Prince Edward Island | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nearest elementary school | 56 km | 56 km | 0.5 km |
| Nearest secondary school | 64 km | 76 km | 1.2 km |
Statistics Canada’s Open Database of Educational Facilities · Why no schools grade on Prince Edward Island? The province publishes no results school by school.
Households in Three Rivers earn less than those in 81% of Canadian towns
Workers spend 25 min getting to work, on average.
How working residents got to work · census 2021
| Census 2021 | Three Rivers | Prince Edward Island | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average trip | 25 min | 23 min | 26 min |
Statistics Canada, Census 2021 (labour and commuting) · The 2021 census was taken in May 2021, during COVID-19 restrictions: more people than usual worked from home or were off work.
Hazard risk in Three Rivers is lower than in 85% of Canadian towns
Area-wide: radon tests, counted over the Prince Edward Island Health Region
In Health Canada’s survey, just 3.5% of homes tested in the area exceeded 200 Bq/m³ (6.6% typical). Department of Environment, Energy and Climate Action - Government of Prince Edward Island has mapped the flood hazard here, one of 2 studies on the national inventory. Earthquake risk in Three Rivers is ordinary: NRCan’s model puts building losses at $0.022 a year per $1,000 of value, close to the typical town’s $0.030.
Radon tests above the guideline · share of tested homes, 200 Bq/m³
| Hazards | Three Rivers | Prince Edward Island | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Radon tests above the guideline | 3.5% | 3.5% | 6.6% |
| Earthquake loss per $1,000 of buildings a year | $0.022 | $0.020 | $0.030 |
NRCan seismic risk model and burned areas, Health Canada radon survey, the Flood Hazard Map Inventory
Three Rivers households put 35% of their income into housing and transport, more than the 29% typical across Canada
14% of households spent 30% or more of their income on shelter, higher than Prince Edward Island’s towns (11%) yet lower than Canadian towns (18%). Households that own their home make up 73%.
What homes were worth · The median owner’s estimate at the 2021 census
| Census 2021 | Three Rivers | Prince Edward Island | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Households owning their home | 73% | 86% | 74% |
| Households spending 30%+ on shelter | 14% | 11% | 18% |
| Median home value, 2021 | $250,000 | $288,000 | $406,000 |
Statistics Canada, Census 2021; CMHC Rental Market Survey via Statistics Canada · The 2021 census asked owners what their home was worth; those values, and 2020 incomes, are what this compares.
Three Rivers is 15 km from Prince Edward Island National Park
OpenStreetMap shows 12 walking routes nearby, including the The Island Walk and Confederation Trail (all spurs). Within 10 km, 31% of the land is protected, higher than both Prince Edward Island’s towns (4%) and Canadian towns (2.3%). 64 protected areas lie within 10 km.
Protected land · of the land within 10 km
| Outdoors | Three Rivers | Prince Edward Island | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Protected land within 10 km | 31% | 4% | 2.3% |
| Public protected areas within 10 km | 33 | 7 | 4 |
Canadian Protected and Conserved Areas Database (CPCAD), OpenStreetMap routes and beaches
Precipitation in Three Rivers tops that of 92% of Canadian towns: 1,263 mm a year
October is the wettest month, with 134 mm of rain and snow on average. Snowfall adds up to 248 cm a year, between Prince Edward Island’s towns (285 cm) and Canadian towns (141 cm). July afternoons in Three Rivers average 24.3°C. Gardeners get 173 frost-free days, from 9 May to 30 October.
Average high by season · ECCC normals, 1991–2020
| Normals, 1991–2020 | Three Rivers | Prince Edward Island | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Snowfall a year | 248 cm | 285 cm | 141 cm |
| Precipitation a year | 1,263 mm | 1,136 mm | 883 mm |
| January night low | −9.7°C | −11.4°C | −13.5°C |
| July afternoon high | 24.3°C | 23.7°C | 25.5°C |
Environment and Climate Change Canada, Canadian Climate Normals 1991–2020 (Alliston)
51% of adults around Three Rivers rate their health very good or excellent
For 2022/2024, the region’s figure is 81.2 years at birth, 83.3 for women and 79.1 for men. Measured from where Three Rivers’ residents live, the nearest hospital is 5.6 km away, beyond the typical 3.7 km. A pharmacy is nearer: 5.5 km on average, with 0.5 within 3 km of the typical home. Three Rivers doesn’t get its own health survey and life expectancy figures; the ones here come from the Prince Edward Island health region.
Very good or excellent health · adults, age-standardised
| Health | Three Rivers | Prince Edward Island | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Very good or excellent health | 51% | 51% | 52% |
| Life expectancy at birth | 81.2 | 81.2 | 81.5 |
Statistics Canada, Canadian Community Health Survey 2023/2024 and life expectancy 2022/2024; Open Database of Healthcare Facilities
In Three Rivers, November normally means 7°C afternoons and 1°C nights
November usually brings some 14 cm of snow. Expect about 124 mm of rain and snow over November. The month after, December, normally sees 2°C afternoons and −5°C nights. July brings the warmest days, 24°C; February the coldest nights, −10°C.
Normal highs, the months ahead · ECCC normals, 1991–2020
| Season | High | Low | Rain and snow |
|---|---|---|---|
| Winter | −1°C | −8°C | 323 mm |
| Spring | 8°C | 0°C | 267 mm |
| Summer | 23°C | 14°C | 286 mm |
| Autumn | 14°C | 6°C | 388 mm |
ECCC normals, 1991–2020 (Alliston); the forecast is on the Weather page
Kent MacDonald (Liberal Party of Canada) holds Cardigan, the riding that includes Three Rivers
4 of the 4 MPs from Prince Edward Island belong to the Liberal Party of Canada.
Wikidata, MAMH, MMAH, Statistics Canada
Canada's Smallest Library is Three Rivers’s public library
It sits 5.3 km from the centre of Three Rivers.
Provincial library statistics, OpenStreetMap, the CRA and Statistics Canada
For safety, Three Rivers gets a B−
Its police area recorded 14.4 violent incidents per 1,000 residents a year, above Prince Edward Island’s towns (10.1) and Canadian towns (12) alike. For every 1,000 residents of its police area, 28 property crimes are reported each year. Behind Crime Severity Index, Violent Crime Severity Index, violent crime and property crime per 1,000 sits data gathered across the Three Rivers detachment area, with Three Rivers one part of it.
Year by year · Crime Severity Index for each year
| 2023–2025 | Three Rivers | Prince Edward Island | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Violent crime | 14.4 | 10.1 | 12 |
| Property crime per 1,000 | 28 | 19.4 | 31.2 |
| Violent Crime Severity Index | 82 | 54 | 86 |
| Crime Severity Index | 62 | 47 | 67 |
Statistics Canada, Uniform Crime Reporting Survey, 2023–2025 average
Three Rivers skews older, with 23% of residents 65 or over, more than Prince Edward Island’s towns or Canadian towns
15% of residents are children under 15. Visible minorities make up 4.1% of the population, above Prince Edward Island’s towns (3.4%) but below Canadian towns (15%).
Ages · Share of residents in each age group, Census 2021
Schooling · Highest qualification, residents 15 and over
Women and men · all residents
51.4% of Three Rivers’ residents are women
In 2021 there were 4,050 women to 3,830 men; Canada as a whole is 50.9% women.
| Three Rivers | Prince Edward Island | Canada | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 15 | 15% | 17% | 16% |
| 15 to 64 | 63% | 63% | 64% |
| 65+ | 23% | 19% | 19% |
| No certificate, diploma or degree | 20% | 14% | 16% |
| Postsecondary qualification | 50% | 61% | 56% |
Statistics Canada, Census 2021; Prince Edward Island and Canada: medians of towns of 2,500+
Three Rivers keeps a building from 1732: “Jean-Pierre Roma at Three Rivers, P. E. I.”
Inside the town the registers count 2 historic places; one is a top designation. The list takes in a heritage lighthouse. Older housing, built before 1961, accounts for just over a quarter of homes, above both Prince Edward Island’s towns (21%) and Canadian towns (18%).
Historic places by designation · inside the town
Among them
| Heritage | Three Rivers | Prince Edward Island | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Homes built before 1961 | 26% | 21% | 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 Three Rivers
Garden of the Gulf and 4 more in and around Three Rivers
The best-known places to visit in and around Three Rivers come first; the full list is on the Attractions page.
Famous people from Three Rivers
16 notable people were born in Three Rivers.
Photo credits
Andrew Archibald Macdonald: William James Topley, Public domain · Augustine Colin Macdonald: William James Topley, Public domain · James David Stewart: Unknown author, Public domain · Steven Myers: Vinegarymass911, CC BY-SA 4.0
About Three Rivers
Town in Prince Edward Island
Every figure TownRatings gives for Three Rivers covers the municipality as Statistics Canada maps it, one census subdivision on Prince Edward Island.
Statistics Canada: population estimates 2025 (17-10-0155), Census of Population 2021, 2021 census boundaries.
- Population
- 9,322 (people, 2025 estimate)
- Province or territory
- Prince Edward Island
- Census division
- Kings
- Census subdivision
- 1101045
Three Rivers’ neighbours
The nearest places of 1,000 or more. Statistics Canada
| Town | People | km | Overall | Cost | Safety | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Three Rivers | 9,322 | — | C | C | B− | B |
| Murray River, Part 1 | 1,638 | 16 | — | A− | B− | B− |
People: Statistics Canada, Census 2021. Distances: centre to centre.
Questions about Three Rivers
Has Three Rivers grown?
Yes: the census counted 7,169 in 2016 and 7,883 in 2021, a rise of 10%, against 4.1% for the median of Canadian towns. The 2025 estimate is 9,322.
Who are the people of Three Rivers?
At the 2021 census, 5% were immigrants and 4% belonged to a visible minority (Canadian towns’ median: 15%). 2% identify as First Nations, Métis or Inuit.
What kind of homes are in Three Rivers?
Mostly 74% single-detached houses (the median of Canadian towns: 64%), with 0% of homes in buildings of five or more storeys. Households hold 2.2 people on average, and 33% have just one.
Is Three Rivers a young town or an old one?
At 44.8, its median age compares with 45.2 across Canadian towns. Children make up 15% of the population and seniors 23%.
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).