Centretown: living close to downtown
Centretown is a neighbourhood in central Ottawa, about 0.8 km in a straight line from Parliament Hill. In the 2021 census (via the Ottawa Neighbourhood Study), 31,890 people lived in the ONS Centretown area, and 75.3% of households rented. This guide collects schools, parks, shops, transit and housing facts from public sources.
Centretown, Ottawa (20130831-DSC04278). Photo: Matti Blume, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
centretown.homes is an independent guide to Centretown, Ottawa, covering 2 Ottawa Neighbourhood Study areas: Centretown and West Centretown. It lists 28 schools, 37 parks and recreation places and 43 grocery stores, pharmacies and shopping centres, each with its source.
Updated · Facts on this page link to their sources
Two neighbourhood areas
Centretown and West Centretown, as defined by the Ottawa Neighbourhood Study.
For sale now
Each home has its own website; tap through for photos, rooms and the open house.
No homes listed right now
New homes appear here as soon as their websites go live. See recently sold.
Latest guides
Researched from public sources, with every source linked on the page.
- Parks & trails
Parks and recreation
Small parks, community centres and a main library close by.
Updated October 2026 
SchoolsSchools
English and French public and Catholic schools within a short distance.
Updated October 2026- Shops & dining
Shops and errands
Main streets, business improvement areas and nearby grocery stores.
Updated October 2026 - Transit
Transit and commuting
O-Train Line 1 and Line 2 stations and Transitway stations nearby.
Updated October 2026 - Market
The market, honestly
OREB's latest numbers for Ottawa, what they mean, and what they don't.
Updated October 2026
Centretown and West Centretown on the map
This guide covers two Ottawa Neighbourhood Study (ONS) areas: Centretown and West Centretown. Census figures are from the 2021 census, via the Ottawa Neighbourhood Study, and distances are straight-line (as the crow flies).
The market, honestly
Citywide Ottawa figures from OREB's monthly MLS® report. They describe the whole city, not one neighbourhood.
- $705,100Single-family benchmark price (MLS® HPI)Nearly unchanged from Sept 2025; down 3.0% from August
- 4.4Months of inventory, single-familyAll homes: 4.8, up from 4.1 a year earlier
- $685,640Average sale price, all homesDown 1.0% from Sept 2025
- 1,010Homes sold in SeptemberDown 6.6% from Sept 2025
Figures for September 2026, released October 5, 2026 · Source: oreb.ca
Quick answers
Short answers first; each links to the full answer and its sources.
Is Centretown a good place to live?
Whether Centretown suits you depends on what you want from a home, and the facts describe a compact, apartment-heavy area close to downtown. In the 2021 census (via the Ottawa Neighbourhood Study), Centretown had 31,890 residents, 75.3% renter households and an average household size of 1.5. Its ONS average Walk Score is 69 and its Bike Score is 95.
As of 2026-10 · ons-sqo.ca en.wikipedia.org
Where is Centretown in Ottawa?
Centretown is a neighbourhood in Somerset Ward, in central Ottawa, Ontario. The City defines it as the area bounded by Gloucester Street and Lisgar Street on the north, the Rideau Canal on the east, the Queensway on the south and Bronson Avenue on the west.
As of 2026-10 · en.wikipedia.org
How far is Centretown from downtown Ottawa?
Centretown is about 0.8 km from Parliament Hill in a straight line (as the crow flies), which this guide uses as its downtown reference point. West Centretown is about 2.0 km from Parliament Hill by the same measure.
As of 2026-10 · en.wikipedia.org en.wikipedia.org
What schools serve Centretown?
Centretown is near OCDSB, OCSB, CECCE and CÉPEO schools. The nearest elementary schools by straight-line distance are Centennial Public School and Elgin Street Public School (both OCDSB, about 0.6 km), then Cambridge Street Community Public School (OCDSB, about 1.1 km). Which school serves a specific address depends on its catchment, so families must confirm with each board's school locator.
As of 2026-10 · maps.ottawa.ca maps.ottawa.ca
What are homes like in Centretown?
Homes in Centretown are mostly apartments. In the 2021 census (via the Ottawa Neighbourhood Study), 67.1% of dwellings were in buildings of five or more storeys and 23.4% in buildings under five storeys. Row houses were 3.2%, single-detached houses 3.0% and semi-detached houses 1.6%.
As of 2026-10 · ons-sqo.ca ons-sqo.ca
How much do homes cost in Centretown?
This guide has no sale-price figure for Centretown itself. The 2021 census median owner-estimated value of owned dwellings was $500,000 in Centretown and $645,000 in West Centretown. For the whole city, OREB reported a single-family benchmark price of $705,100 and an average sale price of $685,640 for all homes in September 2026.
As of 2026-10 · ons-sqo.ca ons-sqo.ca