Safety Rankings · 2025

🔒 Safest Cities in Canada 2025

Safety is a top priority for families, retirees, and newcomers choosing a Canadian city. We ranked cities using Statistics Canada crime severity index data, violent crime rates, and property crime rates.

Updated 2025 Data-driven 8 cities ranked
How We Ranked

Rankings based on Statistics Canada's Crime Severity Index (CSI) and Violent Crime Severity Index (VCSI). Lower scores indicate safer cities. We used the most recent available Statistics Canada data and adjusted for population size to ensure fair comparisons between large and small cities.

The Rankings
🥇
🏰 Québec City, QuebecSafest Major City

Consistently Canada's safest major city — its Crime Severity Index is dramatically lower than any other large Canadian city. The historic walled city environment, strong community ties, and French-language cultural cohesion contribute to exceptional safety.

Very LowCrime Index
#1 Major CityCSI Rank
Exceptionally LowViolent Crime
839KPop
🥈
🌿 Milton, Ontario

Milton's low crime rate is a major draw for families. As a newer, predominantly suburban community with high household incomes, it consistently reports among Ontario's lowest crime rates for a municipality its size.

Very LowCrime Index
OntarioProvince
132KPop
SuburbanType
🥉
🍁 Ottawa, Ontario

Canada's capital city benefits from a highly educated population, strong public institutions, and significant security infrastructure. Low violent crime and property crime make it one of Canada's safest large cities.

LowCrime Index
1MPop
Below National AvgCSI
Major CityType
#4
🏛️ Burlington, Ontario

Halton Region consistently produces Canada's safest communities. Burlington has one of Ontario's lowest crime rates, benefiting from high household incomes, excellent policing, and strong community investment.

Very LowCrime Index
Halton, ONRegion
183KPop
Top-ratedSchools
#5
🌊 Oakville, Ontario

Another Halton Region gem — Oakville's affluence, community investment, and suburban character keep crime exceptionally low. Consistently ranks among Canada's top 5 safest municipalities.

Very LowCrime Index
Halton, ONRegion
193KPop
High HHIWealth
#6
⚡ Calgary (SW Suburbs), Alberta

While Calgary overall has moderate crime, its southwestern suburbs (Evergreen, Signal Hill, Aspen Woods) consistently report very low crime rates — on par with the safest Ontario municipalities.

Low (suburbs)Crime Index
AlbertaProvince
Varies by areaNote
ModerateOverall
#7
🐟 St. John's, Newfoundland

Newfoundland has a deeply community-oriented culture that contributes to very low violent crime. St. John's property crime is moderate but violent crime is exceptionally rare.

Very LowViolent Crime
NewfoundlandProvince
ExceptionalCommunity
114KPop
#8
🏝️ Charlottetown, PEI

Island life contributes to exceptional safety — everyone knows everyone. Charlottetown consistently reports among the lowest crime rates of any Canadian city its size or larger.

Very LowCrime Index
36KPop
Small CityType
Tight-knitCommunity
FAQ

Canadian City Safety — FAQ

Québec City is consistently ranked as Canada's safest major city based on Statistics Canada's Crime Severity Index. For smaller cities, communities in Halton Region (Milton, Burlington, Oakville) and PEI (Charlottetown) rank among the safest in the country. Canada as a whole is very safe by international standards.
Based on Statistics Canada's Crime Severity Index, northern communities and some Prairie cities historically record higher crime rates. Among major cities, Winnipeg has a higher Crime Severity Index than most other large Canadian metros, particularly for property crime and violent crime in certain areas. However, all Canadian major cities are safe compared to most international urban areas.
Yes — Canada is one of the world's safest countries. Newcomers are welcomed and violent crime against immigrants is rare. Like any country, exercising normal urban awareness (particularly in specific neighbourhoods of large cities) is sensible, but Canada does not have the systemic urban safety concerns of many other countries.