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Peterborough
The Electric City on the Otonabee River, with a university, a college and the Kawarthas on its doorstep.
Planning a move to Peterborough.
Free Ontario tools for anyone thinking about a move to Peterborough.
Mortgage calculator
Work out your Ontario mortgage payment with Canadian semi-annual compounding, CMHC insurance and different payment frequencies.
Try the tool →Land transfer tax
Calculate Ontario and Toronto land transfer tax, including first-time buyer rebates, before you buy.
Try the tool →True cost of owning
Mortgage is only part of it. Add property tax, insurance, utilities and maintenance to see what owning really costs.
Try the tool →Moving checklist
A free moving checklist for Ontario. Tick off tasks, drag them into your own order, add your own, and keep it on your phone.
Open the checklist →What is my home worth?
Request a free, no-obligation home value from the Cheryl Devenney Real Estate Team, based on recent nearby sales and your home’s details.
Get my home value →Seller net sheet
An interactive seller net sheet for Ontario home sellers. Estimate your costs and proceeds.
Try the tool →Why people choose Peterborough.
Why people move here
A city on the Otonabee River about 125 km northeast of Toronto, known as The Electric City.
Learning and work
Peterborough is home to Trent University, founded in 1963, and Fleming College. Its manufactures have included electrical appliances, boats and marine equipment.
Room to grow
The city had 83,651 people in 2021, and the wider Peterborough area counted 128,624.
Peterborough keeps growing.
How many people call Peterborough home, and how fast that number is rising.
Census check: Peterborough counted 81,032 people in the 2016 census and 83,651 in 2021. The Peterborough census metropolitan area, which includes the surrounding townships, counted 128,624 people in 2021.
Census counts: Statistics Canada, 2021 Census of Population, as published in The Canadian Encyclopedia: Peterborough. Canada's 2026 census results are not out until 2027.
How Peterborough became Peterborough.
From the first settlers to today, the moments that shaped the town.
Where the name comes from
The settlement was established in 1819 as Scott's Plains. Its motto is Dat natura, elaborant artes, "Nature Provides, Industry Develops."
Town to city
Peterborough was incorporated as a town in 1850 and as a city on July 1, 1905.
The settlement is established as Scott's Plains.
Peterborough is incorporated as a town.
Ashburnham, population about 2,000, is annexed.
Peterborough is incorporated as a city on July 1.
Trent University is founded.
The census counts 83,651 people in the city, up from 81,032 in 2016.
History summarized from The Canadian Encyclopedia: Peterborough, Wikipedia: Peterborough, Ontario and Britannica. Wikipedia text is available under CC BY-SA.
Thinking about Peterborough?
Talk to Cheryl and Charlie for a straight answer on what your budget buys here, or what your home is worth.
Prices and market figures are CLAR averages for January to October 2026 and change monthly. Town details are general. Estimates only. Your lender, lawyer and tax adviser have the final word. Right At Home Realty, Brokerage.