The safest towns in Ontario by police-reported crime in 2025 were Tiny Township (Crime Severity Index 18.4), Selwyn (20.4), Beckwith (21.6) and LaSalle (22.2), according to Statistics Canada. All four are under 40% of Ontario’s provincial CSI of 57.2 and far below Canada’s 75.0. LaSalle has the lowest score of any town with its own municipal police force.
Data: Statistics Canada, Crime Severity Index and weighted clearance rates, police services in Ontario (Table 35-10-0188-01) and incident-based crime statistics, police services in Ontario (Table 35-10-0180-01), 2025 data released 22 July 2026 and checked on 23 October 2026. Populations, rankings and percentages are our own calculations from Statistics Canada data. Updated 23 October 2026.
This ranking is different from our list of the safest cities in Ontario, which compares whole metro areas. Here we compare the smaller areas that Statistics Canada reports one by one: towns and townships with their own police force, and municipalities that pay the Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) for local policing.
Key facts
- Tiny Township (Southern Georgian Bay OPP) had the lowest Crime Severity Index in Ontario in 2025, 18.44, among police areas with at least 10,000 residents (Statistics Canada, Table 35-10-0188-01).
- Tiny’s score is about 68% below Ontario’s CSI of 57.17 and about 75% below Canada’s 75.0 (our calculation from Statistics Canada data).
- LaSalle Police Service had a CSI of 22.23 in 2025, the lowest of any stand-alone municipal police force in Ontario.
- Halton Regional Police (Oakville, Burlington, Milton, Halton Hills) had a CSI of 30.61, the lowest of any police service covering more than 500,000 people.
- 73 of 112 Ontario police areas with 10,000+ residents were below the provincial CSI in 2025, and 82 of 112 saw their CSI fall from 2024 (our calculation).
- Ontario’s provincial CSI fell from 60.95 in 2024 to 57.17 in 2025, the lowest of any province.
What is the safest town in Ontario?
Tiny Township was the safest town in Ontario in 2025 by the Crime Severity Index, with a score of 18.44 for the OPP-policed municipality of about 14,200 people. Its crime rate was 1,451 Criminal Code incidents per 100,000 residents, about a third of Ontario’s rate of 4,296.
Selwyn in Peterborough County (20.42) and Beckwith in Lanark County (21.59) followed. All three are rural or lakeside townships policed by the OPP under a municipal contract. The first community in the list with its own police force is LaSalle, a town of about 36,000 people next to Windsor, at 22.23. For the city next door, see our Windsor crime map guide.
What is the Crime Severity Index?
The Crime Severity Index (CSI) is a Statistics Canada measure that counts police-reported crimes and weights each one by how serious it is, based on average court sentences. A homicide adds far more to the index than a shoplifting. Canada’s index is set to 100 for 2006, and Canada scored 75.0 in 2025.
A lower CSI means less crime and less serious crime per person. Our guide Crime Severity Index explained covers how it is built and why it can move differently from the plain crime rate.
Which Ontario towns had the lowest crime in 2025?
The 15 Ontario police areas with the lowest Crime Severity Index in 2025, among those serving at least 10,000 people, are listed below. Names are the ones Statistics Canada uses: the OPP detachment comes first and the municipality in brackets.
| Rank | Police area (Statistics Canada name) | Policed by | CSI (2025) | CSI (2024) | Est. population (2025) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Southern Georgian Bay (Tiny) | OPP contract | 18.44 | 32.51 | 14,195 |
| 2 | Peterborough County (Selwyn) | OPP contract | 20.42 | 22.12 | 17,747 |
| 3 | Lanark County (Beckwith) | OPP contract | 21.59 | 21.64 | 10,073 |
| 4 | LaSalle | LaSalle Police Service | 22.23 | 21.35 | 36,452 |
| 5 | Essex County (Essex) | OPP contract | 22.79 | 57.30 | 23,872 |
| 6 | Huronia West (Springwater) | OPP contract | 23.31 | 22.22 | 24,144 |
| 7 | Middlesex | OPP contract | 23.45 | 25.08 | 41,848 |
| 8 | Lanark County (Mississippi Mills) | OPP contract | 24.09 | 30.31 | 16,073 |
| 9 | Essex County (Lakeshore) | OPP contract | 24.44 | 26.83 | 45,954 |
| 10 | Northumberland (Hamilton Township) | OPP contract | 24.84 | 27.64 | 11,810 |
| 11 | Dufferin (Mono) | OPP contract | 26.03 | 52.11 | 10,036 |
| 12 | Grey Bruce (Georgian Bluffs) | OPP contract | 26.21 | 31.14 | 12,061 |
| 13 | Upper Ottawa Valley (Petawawa) | OPP contract | 26.44 | 31.13 | 17,253 |
| 14 | Middlesex (Thames Centre) | OPP contract | 27.27 | 27.88 | 15,475 |
| 15 | Essex County (Kingsville) | OPP contract | 27.28 | 32.28 | 25,302 |
Source: Statistics Canada, Table 35-10-0188-01. Estimated population is our calculation (incidents ÷ rate per 100,000, Table 35-10-0180-01). One entry with an unclear area name was left out.
Every town in the top 15 has a CSI below 28, less than half of Ontario’s 57.17. Two of them, Essex and Mono, roughly halved their score in a single year, which shows how much small-town figures can move.
Which Ontario towns with their own police force are safest?
LaSalle was the safest Ontario town with its own municipal police force in 2025, with a CSI of 22.23, followed by Halton Region (30.61), Port Hope (31.39) and South Simcoe (31.59). These services are run by the municipality or region rather than by the OPP.
| Municipal police service | CSI (2025) | CSI (2024) | Est. population (2025) |
|---|---|---|---|
| LaSalle | 22.23 | 21.35 | 36,452 |
| Halton Region (Oakville/Burlington) | 30.61 | 31.20 | 666,454 |
| Port Hope | 31.39 | 36.45 | 14,394 |
| South Simcoe (Innisfil) | 31.59 | 33.95 | 102,032 |
| Strathroy-Caradoc | 37.34 | 39.99 | 26,497 |
| Durham Region (Oshawa/Whitby/Ajax) | 43.18 | 47.19 | 810,075 |
| Saugeen Shores | 45.84 | 48.24 | 18,167 |
| York Region | 50.28 | 53.57 | 1,298,923 |
| Ottawa | 52.23 | 55.97 | 1,188,115 |
| Niagara Region (St. Catharines) | 53.84 | 58.94 | 551,128 |
Source: Statistics Canada, Table 35-10-0188-01; populations are our calculation from Table 35-10-0180-01.
Nine of these ten services lowered their CSI in 2025; only LaSalle rose slightly, from 21.35 to 22.23. Halton is covered in more detail in our Halton crime map and is Oakville safe? guides, and York Region in the York Region crime map.
What is the safest large community in Ontario?
Wellington County (OPP) had the lowest CSI of any Ontario police area serving more than 100,000 people in 2025, at 28.18, followed by Halton Region at 30.61 and South Simcoe at 31.59. Among services above 500,000 people, Halton was lowest, about 46% below the provincial CSI (our calculation).
By comparison, the Toronto Police Service scored 59.98 and Barrie Police 59.18. Barrie’s whole metro area is still the lowest in Canada at 46.9, as explained in is Barrie safe?, because the metro figure also includes surrounding townships.
How safe are small towns in Ontario overall?
Most small and mid-sized Ontario communities are below the provincial average: 73 of the 112 police areas with at least 10,000 residents had a 2025 CSI under Ontario’s 57.17, and 22 were under 30 (our calculation from Statistics Canada data). Crime also fell in most of them, with 82 of the 112 posting a lower CSI than in 2024.
Violent crime is low in the top towns too. Tiny recorded 444 violent incidents per 100,000 people and LaSalle 431, against an Ontario rate of 1,078. For the other end of the scale, see most dangerous cities in Ontario, and for province-wide figures our crime rate by province comparison.
How should I read these small-town numbers?
Small-town CSI values are less stable than city values because a few serious incidents can move the score a lot. Essex fell from 57.30 to 22.79 in one year and Tiny from 32.51 to 18.44, so it is wise to look at more than one year before choosing a place to live.
- Compare at least two or three years of the CSI, not one.
- Check the crime rate per 100,000 alongside the CSI.
- Remember that OPP-contract figures cover the municipality only, not the whole county.
- Look at the street level with a local police map; our Ontario crime map lists the official ones.
- Follow the steps in how to check crime in your neighbourhood.
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Safest towns in Ontario FAQ
What is the safest town in Ontario to live in?
By the 2025 Crime Severity Index, Tiny Township was the safest Ontario town with at least 10,000 residents, at 18.44, followed by Selwyn (20.42) and Beckwith (21.59).
What is the safest town in Ontario with its own police?
LaSalle, next to Windsor, with a CSI of 22.23 in 2025, the lowest of any stand-alone municipal police force in Ontario.
What is the safest city in Ontario?
Among metro areas, Barrie had the lowest CSI in Canada in 2025 at 46.9. Among large police services, Halton Region was lowest at 30.61. See safest cities in Ontario.
Is crime going down in Ontario towns?
Mostly yes: 82 of 112 Ontario police areas with 10,000+ residents had a lower CSI in 2025 than in 2024, and the provincial CSI fell about 6% to 57.17.
Where does this data come from?
From Statistics Canada Table 35-10-0188-01 (CSI by police service in Ontario), 2025 data released 22 July 2026. Population estimates and rankings are our own calculations.
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