Danforth-East York vs Old East York: A Family Data Comparison
Key takeaways
- Danforth-East York has 36.3 licensed childcare spaces per 100 kids under 15; Old East York has 6.3, nearly a six-fold gap (Ontario Licensed Child Care Database).
- Both neighbourhoods have exactly 4 TDSB schools, but Old East York's smaller child population gives it 2.82 schools per 1,000 kids versus 1.3.
- Danforth-East York leads on child share (18.0% vs 15.5%), median income ($101,000 vs $96,000) and transit commuting (28% vs 21%).
- The two are otherwise close twins: 32% immigrant share, 2.5-person average households, and roughly two-thirds owner-occupied in both (2021 Census).
Danforth-East York and Old East York sit side by side in Toronto's east end, both within the former borough of East York. On most census measures they look like siblings: identical average household sizes, identical immigrant shares, near-identical ownership rates. The family math splits hard on two things, childcare and schools. Every number below comes from the 2021 Census via the City of Toronto Neighbourhood Profiles, the Ontario Licensed Child Care Database and the TDSB school directory. This comparison is part of our data guide to choosing a Toronto neighbourhood for your family.
The verdict: which East York neighbourhood wins for families?
Danforth-East York leads on most family metrics: 18.0% of residents are under 15 versus 15.5% in Old East York, and it offers 36.3 licensed childcare spaces per 100 kids versus 6.3 (2021 Census; Ontario Licensed Child Care Database). Old East York's one clear win is school coverage, with 2.82 TDSB schools per 1,000 kids versus 1.3.
Put plainly: if you'll need licensed daycare, the data points to Danforth-East York. If your kids are already school-aged and daycare is behind you, Old East York's school-to-child ratio is one of the better ones in the city. Each neighbourhood makes a citywide top-ten list in our ranking of the best Toronto neighbourhoods for families, just not the same list. Danforth-East York ranks among the ten best family-heavy neighbourhoods for licensed childcare coverage, while Old East York places fourth for TDSB schools per 1,000 kids.
Danforth-East York vs Old East York: the full numbers
The table below puts every metric in our dataset side by side. Danforth-East York is the larger neighbourhood at 17,065 residents to Old East York's 9,160, and it holds more than twice as many children: 3,072 kids under 15 against 1,420 (2021 Census). Scale explains some gaps below, but not the childcare one.
| Metric | Danforth-East York | Old East York |
|---|---|---|
| Population | 17,065 | 9,160 |
| Kids under 15 | 3,072 | 1,420 |
| Children as share of population | 18.0% | 15.5% |
| Median household income | $101,000 | $96,000 |
| Owner households | 69% | 66% |
| Renter households | 31% | 34% |
| Transit commuters | 28% | 21% |
| Population growth, 2016-21 | n/a* | -0.8% |
| Average household size | 2.5 | 2.5 |
| Immigrant share | 32% | 32% |
| Unemployment rate | 11.1% | 12.2% |
| Licensed childcare centres | 8 | 3 |
| Licensed childcare spaces | 1,114 | 90 |
| Spaces per 100 kids under 15 | 36.3 | 6.3 |
| TDSB schools | 4 | 4 |
| TDSB schools per 1,000 kids | 1.3 | 2.82 |
| Top languages at home | English 66%, Greek 7%, Yue (Cantonese) 5%, French 2%, Italian 2%, Spanish 2% | English 67%, Greek 10%, Tagalog 3%, Yue (Cantonese) 2%, Italian 2%, Serbo-Croatian 2% |
*No comparable 2016 population figure exists for Danforth-East York under the City's current 158-neighbourhood boundaries, so 5-year growth can't be calculated for it.
Which neighbourhood has better childcare coverage?
Danforth-East York has 8 licensed childcare centres with 1,114 spaces, or 36.3 spaces per 100 kids under 15. Old East York has 3 centres with just 90 spaces, or 6.3 per 100 (Ontario Licensed Child Care Database). That is nearly a six-fold gap and the single largest difference between these two neighbourhoods.
For context, the citywide average is 20.8 licensed spaces per 100 kids. Danforth-East York sits well above it; Old East York sits at less than a third of it, in the territory we map in our guide to Toronto's childcare deserts and best-served neighbourhoods. In raw terms, Danforth-East York has more than twelve times the licensed spaces despite having only about twice the children.
One honest caveat: these figures count licensed centres only. Licensed home daycares and informal care don't appear in the database, and licensed capacity spans infant through school age, with most spaces serving kids under 6. Coverage ratios are a supply signal, not a guarantee of an open spot.
Which has more schools per child?
Both neighbourhoods have exactly 4 TDSB schools (TDSB school directory). The difference is how many children share them. Old East York's 1,420 kids under 15 work out to 2.82 schools per 1,000 kids, while Danforth-East York's 3,072 kids mean 1.3 per 1,000, less than half the coverage (2021 Census).
That 2.82 figure places Old East York fourth among all 158 Toronto neighbourhoods on schools per child in our dataset. It's a genuine structural advantage: the same school count serving half the kids usually means less enrolment pressure. The usual limits apply, though. We count TDSB schools only, not Catholic, French-board or private schools, and a count says nothing about program quality or catchment lines. Check actual boundaries with the board before deciding.
Compare Danforth-East York and Old East York side by side in HomeTurf →
How do incomes, housing and transit compare?
Median household income is $101,000 in Danforth-East York and $96,000 in Old East York (2021 Census), both comfortably above the citywide median of $84,500. Housing profiles are nearly identical: 69% versus 66% owner-occupied, with an average household size of 2.5 in both. Transit is the wider gap, at 28% versus 21% of commuters.
The rest of the economic picture stays close. Unemployment was 11.1% in Danforth-East York and 12.2% in Old East York at the 2021 Census, and both neighbourhoods report a 32% immigrant share. Old East York's population shrank 0.8% between 2016 and 2021; a comparable figure isn't available for Danforth-East York because of the City's 2021 boundary update.
The seven-point transit spread matters most for one-car or no-car families. Roughly 1 in 3.6 Danforth-East York commuters takes transit versus about 1 in 5 in Old East York. Neither cracks the citywide top tier on this measure, where leaders like Taylor Massey reach 46%.
What languages are spoken at home?
Both neighbourhoods are majority English-speaking at home: 66% in Danforth-East York and 67% in Old East York, with Greek second in each at 7% and 10% respectively (2021 Census). The third-ranked languages differ: Yue (Cantonese) at 5% in Danforth-East York, Tagalog at 3% in Old East York.
The shared Greek presence is the most distinctive overlap; Old East York's 10% Greek share is the higher of the two. After that, both lists thin out quickly, with French, Italian, Spanish and Serbo-Croatian all at around 2%. For the full citywide picture, see our breakdown of languages spoken at home by Toronto neighbourhood. And if you want the west-end version of this exact matchup, two adjacent look-alikes with one decisive gap, read Roncesvalles vs High Park North.
Frequently asked questions
Is East York good for families?
On the data, yes. Both Danforth-East York and Old East York beat the citywide median child share of 14.55%, at 18.0% and 15.5% respectively, and both are about two-thirds owner-occupied (2021 Census). The big caveat is childcare: licensed coverage ranges from 36.3 spaces per 100 kids to just 6.3.
Which neighbourhood has better childcare, Danforth-East York or Old East York?
Danforth-East York, by a wide margin. It has 8 licensed centres with 1,114 spaces, or 36.3 per 100 kids under 15, well above the citywide average of 20.8. Old East York has 3 centres with 90 spaces, or 6.3 per 100 (Ontario Licensed Child Care Database).
Which East York neighbourhood has more schools per child?
Old East York. Both neighbourhoods have 4 TDSB schools, but Old East York has 1,420 kids under 15 against Danforth-East York's 3,072. That works out to 2.82 schools per 1,000 kids versus 1.3, one of the highest ratios among Toronto's 158 neighbourhoods (TDSB directory, 2021 Census).
Is Danforth-East York wealthier than Old East York?
Slightly. Median household income is $101,000 in Danforth-East York versus $96,000 in Old East York, and unemployment is lower at 11.1% versus 12.2% (2021 Census). Both sit above the citywide median income of $84,500, and both have an identical average household size of 2.5 people.