Ontario · Census Agglomeration
Kawartha Lakes by the numbers
Kawartha Lakes is Canada's 49th largest metro area, home to about 85K people, growing slower than the country since 2021 (+3.7% vs +9.3%). A two-bedroom rents for about $1,591, the median age is 51.6 and January averages -8°C.
People
Population of Kawartha Lakes
The Kawartha Lakes census agglomeration had an estimated 85,223 people on July 1, 2025, up +3.7% since 2021 (Canada grew +9.3%). The 2021 Census counted 79,247 people, +5.1% more than in 2016.
Sources: Statistics Canada, Table 17-10-0148-01, Statistics Canada, Table 17-10-0155-01, Statistics Canada, Table 98-10-0003-01
2021 Census
Who lives in Kawartha Lakes
Age
Median age is 51.6 (Canada: 41.6). 28.2% of residents are 65 or older and 13.3% are under 15.
Languages
4.4% can speak both official languages. At home, 98.0% speak mostly English, 0.2% mostly French and 1.4% mostly another language.
Immigration
— of residents are immigrants (Canada: 23.0%), and — arrived between 2016 and 2021.
Education: 15.7% of 25 to 64 year olds hold a bachelor's degree or higher; 31.6% have a college or CEGEP diploma and 8.2% a trades certificate.
Sources: Statistics Canada, Table 98-10-0030-01, Statistics Canada, Table 98-10-0223-01, Statistics Canada, Table 98-10-0227-01, Statistics Canada, Table 98-10-0302-01, Statistics Canada, Table 98-10-0384-01
Money
Income and jobs in Kawartha Lakes
Half of Kawartha Lakes households made more than $82,000 in 2020 and half made less. Across Canada the median was $84,000.
Housing
Housing in Kawartha Lakes
Average rent (October 2023)
A two-bedroom apartment rented for $1,591 a month on average, +7.1% from a year earlier and +27.1% over five years.
New homes being built
Builders started 393 new homes in the Kawartha Lakes area in the 12 months to September 2026, -1.3% from the year before. That is 4.6 new homes per 1,000 residents. Source: Statistics Canada, Table 34-10-0154-01 (CMHC housing starts)
Cost of living in Kawartha Lakes →
Sources: Statistics Canada, Table 98-10-0258-01, Statistics Canada, Table 98-10-0256-01, Statistics Canada, Table 98-10-0253-01, Statistics Canada, Table 34-10-0133-01, Statistics Canada, Table 34-10-0127-01
Commuting
Getting around Kawartha Lakes
Census day 2021 fell during the COVID-19 pandemic, so transit use is lower than in normal years.
Climate
Kawartha Lakes weather and climate
30-year averages (1981–2010) from the Lindsay Frost weather station, 28.6 km from the city centre.
Source: Environment and Climate Change Canada, Canadian Climate Normals 1981–2010
Out of all Canadian metro areas with data
How Kawartha Lakes ranks
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Cities near Kawartha Lakes
FAQ
Kawartha Lakes questions, answered
What is the population of Kawartha Lakes?
The Kawartha Lakes metro area had an estimated 85,223 people on July 1, 2025 (Statistics Canada).
How much is rent in Kawartha Lakes?
In October 2023 the average rent in Kawartha Lakes was $1,311 for a one-bedroom and $1,591 for a two-bedroom apartment (CMHC Rental Market Survey).
What is the average household income in Kawartha Lakes?
The median household income in Kawartha Lakes was $82,000 before tax in 2020 ($72,500 after tax), according to the 2021 Census. The average was $100,200.
How cold does it get in Kawartha Lakes?
January averages -8.4°C, with average lows of -12.7°C. Kawartha Lakes gets about 168 cm of snow a year, and in July the average daily high is 26.0°C (1981–2010 climate normals).
Is Kawartha Lakes bilingual?
4.4% of people in Kawartha Lakes can speak both English and French; 95.4% speak English only and 0.0% French only (2021 Census).
What is the median age in Kawartha Lakes?
The median age in Kawartha Lakes was 51.6 in the 2021 Census, compared with 41.6 for Canada.
Built October 30, 2026 from the latest published official data.