Densely populated neighbourhoods in Ottawa
Bronson Place is Ottawa's densest neighbourhood by far, packing in 70,114 people per square kilometre against a citywide average of 3,401. Chinatown and Centretown follow at 62,589 and 59,259.
These dense pockets are not necessarily the priciest. Bronson Place's median income is $73,500, while Chinatown's is higher at $106,000. Carlington, the eighth-densest at 27,994 people per square kilometre, has the lowest income on this list at $47,600.
Citywide, only 14.1% of homes are high-rise apartments and 46.2% are single-detached, so this level of density is concentrated in a small core rather than spread across the city.
Ottawa on this axis
The first bar is the headline ranking metric; the rest are related axes for context. Bars are the Ottawaaggregate's percentile rank vs Ontario's 20,000+ census areas.
Top neighbourhoods in Ottawa by population density
| Neighbourhood | population density | Median income |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Bronson Place · Ottawa | 70,114 /km² | $73,500 |
| 2. Downtown · Ottawa | 62,589 /km² | $106,000 |
| 3. Centretown West · Ottawa | 47,453 /km² | $68,500 |
| 4. Centretown · Ottawa | 36,410 /km² | $58,400 |
| 5. Byward Market - Parliament Hill · Ottawa | 33,118 /km² | $84,000 |
| 6. Orléans West-Innes · Ottawa | 31,548 /km² | $65,000 |
| 7. Mechanicsville · Ottawa | 29,423 /km² | $99,000 |
| 8. Carlington · Ottawa | 27,994 /km² | $47,600 |
| 9. Lower Town · Ottawa | 26,467 /km² | $62,400 |
| 10. Alta Vista · Ottawa | 25,931 /km² | $42,800 |
| 11. Navaho Apartments · Ottawa | 25,522 /km² | $58,800 |
| 12. Iris · Ottawa | 24,433 /km² | — |
| 13. Ledbury - Heron Gate - Ridgemont - Ellwood · Ottawa | 22,468 /km² | $60,800 |
| 14. Norberry Residences · Ottawa | 22,254 /km² | $56,800 |
| 15. Somerset · Ottawa | 21,850 /km² | $71,000 |
| 16. Emerald Woods - Sawmill Creek · Ottawa | 21,613 /km² | $63,200 |
| 17. Beacon Hill South · Ottawa | 20,870 /km² | $79,500 |
| 18. College · Ottawa | 19,364 /km² | $48,800 |
| 19. Queensway Terrace South · Ottawa | 19,347 /km² | $70,500 |
| 20. Ambleside · Ottawa | 18,932 /km² | $75,500 |
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Common questions
What is the most densely populated neighbourhood in Ottawa?
Bronson Place, at 70,114 people per square kilometre. Chinatown and Centretown follow at 62,589 and 59,259.
How dense is Ottawa overall compared to its densest neighbourhoods?
Ottawa's citywide density is 3,401 people per square kilometre. Bronson Place, the densest neighbourhood, runs far higher at 70,114.
Are Ottawa's densest neighbourhoods expensive?
It varies. Chinatown has a median income of $106,000, but Carlington, also among the densest, has the lowest income on the list at $47,600.
Does Ottawa have a lot of high-rise apartments?
Not citywide. Only 14.1% of homes are in high-rise apartments, with the rest split between single-detached houses at 46.2% and other housing types.