Barrie, Ontario is the safest city in Canada by police-reported crime: its metro area had a Crime Severity Index (CSI) of 46.9 in 2025, the lowest of Canada’s 41 census metropolitan areas and about 37% below the national 75.0. Its crime rate was 3,777 incidents per 100,000 people, against 5,585 nationally. Saguenay (49.3), Sherbrooke (50.3) and Ottawa (50.6) follow, and Saguenay has the lowest crime rate of all, 2,973.
Data: Statistics Canada, police-reported crime statistics for 2025 (released 22 July 2026), Crime Severity Index tables for census metropolitan areas and for police services in Ontario. Figures are for the whole census metropolitan area unless stated. Ratios and percentages not in the release are our own arithmetic. Updated 5 October 2026.
What are the 10 safest cities in Canada?
The table ranks the 10 metro areas with the lowest Crime Severity Index in 2025. The CSI weights each offence by seriousness, so it reflects how serious crime is, not just how much of it is reported.
| Rank | Metro area (CMA) | Province | CSI 2025 | CSI change vs 2024 | Crime rate per 100k | Crime rate change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Barrie | Ontario | 46.9 | -3% | 3,777 | -4% |
| 2 | Saguenay | Quebec | 49.3 | -13% | 2,973 | -13% |
| 3 | Sherbrooke | Quebec | 50.3 | -7% | 3,134 | -5% |
| 4 | Ottawa (Ont. part) | Ontario | 50.6 | -6% | 4,212 | -2% |
| 5 | St. Catharines–Niagara | Ontario | 53.8 | -9% | 4,139 | -2% |
| 6 | Hamilton | Ontario | 54.8 | -7% | 4,076 | -4% |
| 7= | Toronto | Ontario | 55.0 | -7% | 3,950 | -5% |
| 7= | Québec | Quebec | 55.0 | -1% | 3,493 | -3% |
| 9 | Windsor | Ontario | 55.4 | -12% | 4,203 | -10% |
| 10 | Trois-Rivières | Quebec | 56.0 | -10% | 3,417 | -3% |
| – | Canada | – | 75.0 | -5% | 5,585 | -2% |
Every metro on the list is in Ontario or Quebec, the two provinces with the lowest provincial CSI: Ontario at 57.2 and Quebec at 61.6. All 10 recorded a lower CSI in 2025 than in 2024.
Toronto and Québec City tie on the rounded figure of 55.0. On unrounded values Toronto (54.99) is fractionally above Québec (54.97), but the difference is meaningless in practice.
Barrie’s low score shows up in individual crime types too. Its break-and-enter rate was 103.78 per 100,000 in 2025, about 40% of the national rate of 262.29 and down from 151.15 a year earlier. Its violent crime rate, 811.92 per 100,000, was well below the national 1,443.
Which city has the lowest crime rate in Canada?
Saguenay, Quebec, with 2,973 police-reported incidents per 100,000 people, followed by Sherbrooke (3,134), Trois-Rivières (3,417) and Québec City (3,493). Montréal (3,641) and Gatineau (3,700) also sit below Barrie on this measure.
This is why the two measures give slightly different lists. Barrie has the lowest severity score but not the lowest volume of crime. Quebec metros tend to record fewer incidents overall, but some have relatively high violent crime rates: Saguenay’s violent crime rate was 1,327 per 100,000, close to the national 1,443.
Which large police service has the lowest crime severity?
Statistics Canada also publishes the CSI for individual police services. Among the large Ontario services in our data, Halton Regional Police, which covers Oakville, Burlington, Milton and Halton Hills, had the lowest score: 30.61 in 2025.
| Police service (Ontario) | CSI 2024 | CSI 2025 | Violent CSI 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Halton Region | 31.20 | 30.61 | 26.26 |
| Durham Region | 47.19 | 43.18 | 59.20 |
| York Region | 53.57 | 50.28 | 63.17 |
| Ottawa Police | 55.97 | 52.23 | 62.63 |
| Peel Region | 57.01 | 59.41 | 76.90 |
| Toronto Police | 68.62 | 59.98 | 81.11 |
Halton’s CSI is about 59% below the national figure and roughly half of Toronto Police’s 59.98 (our arithmetic). It has not been flat, though: Halton’s index rose from 22.76 in 2020 to 30.61 in 2025.
A police-service CSI is not directly comparable with a CMA figure, because the boundaries differ. Halton’s communities are part of the Toronto and Hamilton metro areas rather than forming their own CMA.
Are Canada’s biggest cities safe?
Two of the six largest metros are in the 10 safest: Ottawa (50.6) and Toronto (55.0). Montréal (61.3) and Calgary (61.7) are also well below the national average. Vancouver (83.5) and Edmonton (95.6) are above it.
Big-city figures hide big internal differences. The Toronto CMA includes the suburbs; the City of Toronto’s own police service had a CSI of 59.98, higher than the CMA’s 55.0 but still below the national 75.0. Our guide to the safest big cities in Canada compares them in detail.
Is “safest” the same as risk-free?
No. A low CSI means fewer and less serious crimes were reported to police per head of population, averaged over a whole metro area. It does not mean an individual street is safe at every hour.
- Under-reporting. In 2019 only about 29% of victimizations were reported to police, and just 6% of sexual assaults.
- Uneven spread. Within any city, crime tends to cluster around busy downtown, nightlife, shopping and transit areas.
- Small-city swings. Smaller metros can move several places in a single year. Saguenay’s CSI fell 13% in 2025 after rising the year before.
- Trends still matter. Barrie’s CSI of 46.93 is low, but it is about 9% above its 2015 level of 42.89.
How do I check crime near a specific address?
- Use the official police map or open data for the area, for example Ottawa Police open data (data.ottawapolice.ca), Halton Police (haltonpolice.ca) or Hamilton Police (hamiltonpolice.on.ca).
- Check our Canada crime map for city-level figures as they are added.
- Compare like with like: the same crime types over the same period for both areas.
- Read the limits. Map points are usually generalized, and unreported crime is invisible in any dataset.
Moving to a new city?
Safety App Canada puts official crime data on a live map, plans walking routes that avoid high-risk areas and sends one-tap SOS alerts to the people you trust. Coming soon to Android and iPhone.
Safest cities in Canada FAQ
What is the safest city in Canada?
By the 2025 Crime Severity Index, Barrie, Ontario, at 46.9. Saguenay (49.3), Sherbrooke (50.3) and Ottawa (50.6) are next.
What is the safest big city in Canada?
Ottawa, whose Ontario part of the metro area had a CSI of 50.6 in 2025, down 6%. Toronto is next among the largest metros at 55.0.
Where in Canada has the least crime?
Saguenay has the lowest crime rate of any metro area, 2,973 incidents per 100,000 people, about 47% below the national rate of 5,585.
What is the safest place in the GTA?
Among the region’s police services, Halton (Oakville, Burlington, Milton, Halton Hills) had the lowest CSI, 30.61 in 2025. See our guide to the safest places to live in the GTA.
Which province is safest?
Ontario has the lowest provincial CSI, 57.2, followed by Quebec at 61.6. Quebec has the lowest crime rate, 3,673 per 100,000.
Related: most dangerous cities in Canada, crime rate in Canada by city, safest cities in Ontario, safest cities in Quebec, safest cities for newcomers. In an emergency call 911.