Orillia, Severn, Oro-Medonte or Ramara: which fits?

When people say they're moving to Orillia, about half of them end up in one of the three townships that wrap around the city: Severn to the north and west, Oro-Medonte to the south and west, and Ramara to the east across the Atherley Narrows. Each has a different tax rate, different services and a different daily routine. This page helps you decide which one to search in. For depth on each, rossmanteam.com has full area pages for Orillia, Severn, Oro-Medonte and Ramara.

How do the four compare at a glance?

	City of Orillia	Severn	Oro-Medonte	Ramara
Where	The city on the Narrows	North and west, to Georgian Bay	South and west, toward Barrie	East, across the Narrows
Communities movers ask about	Downtown, North and South Wards, West Ridge	Washago, Coldwater, Port Severn	Horseshoe Valley, Shanty Bay, Craighurst	Atherley, Brechin, Lagoon City
Population (2021)	33,411	14,576	23,017	10,377
2026 residential tax rate	1.531692%	1.016389%	1.056733%	1.126271%
Water and sewer	Municipal almost everywhere	Sewer in Coldwater, Washago, Westshore; otherwise well and septic	About 2,500 serviced properties; most on well and septic	Sewer in Brechin, Lagoon City, Bayshore Village; otherwise septic and well
Transit	Orillia Transit, six routes	None local	LINX Route 3 along Hwy 11	None local
Toward the GTA	Hwy 11 from the west end	Farther north; add time	Closest to Barrie and Hwy 400	Hwy 12 back through Orillia, or south

Who does the City of Orillia suit?

Orillia suits you if you want to walk or bus to things, don't want to think about wells and septic systems, and like being close to the hospital, downtown and the waterfront parks. Almost every home is on municipal water and sewer, and the City bills water quarterly.

The trade-off is the highest tax rate of the four, and smaller lots than you'll find in the townships. About 31% of homes were built in 1960 or earlier, so inspections matter. Newer homes are mostly in West Ridge, close to Highway 11 for commuters.

Who does Severn suit?

Severn suits people who want waterfront or a village north of the city: Washago at the top of Lake Couchiching and on the Trent-Severn, Coldwater to the west near Highway 12 and Highway 400, and Port Severn toward Georgian Bay. About 90% of homes are single-detached.

Services vary by village. Severn runs wastewater systems in Coldwater, Washago and Westshore and water in several communities; elsewhere you're on a private well and septic. Some waterfront areas have a mandatory septic inspection program.

For commuting, Severn's northern communities add distance compared with Orillia. Washago does have an Ontario Northland coach stop: on the November 2026 timetable, southbound coaches stop there at 9:23 a.m. and 7:28 p.m. Severn residents get free Orillia Public Library membership.

Who does Oro-Medonte suit?

Oro-Medonte is the commuter's township. It sits between Orillia and Barrie along Highway 11, and the west side is close to Highway 400. It suits people who want acreage or a hobby farm, Lake Simcoe frontage around Shanty Bay and Hawkestone, or a home near the ski hills and trails in Horseshoe Valley.

Most homes are on private wells and septic; the township serves about 2,500 properties with municipal water or wastewater. Horseshoe Valley and Craighurst are where growth is directed. LINX Route 3 runs between Orillia and Barrie through the township, and Oro-Medonte residents also get free Orillia library membership.

Internet varies more than in the city. The township says rural service is mainly wireless, with fibre expanding in places like Craighurst, Coulson, Sugarbush, Horseshoe Valley, Edgar and Moonstone. rossmanteam.com's Horseshoe Valley guide and buying acreage go deeper.

Who does Ramara suit?

Ramara suits people who want to be close to Orillia but on the water or in a quieter village. Atherley and Uptergrove are just across the Narrows. Brechin and Lagoon City, with its canals, are farther south on the Lake Simcoe shore. The township's median age in 2021 was 54.4, so it's a common choice for retirees.

Brechin, Lagoon City and Bayshore Village have municipal sewer; most other homes use septic and wells, and properties near the Lake Simcoe shore are in a mandatory five-year septic re-inspection program. For internet, the township partnered with Rogers on fibre and wireless in several gap areas, and Muskoka WiFi serves the north-east.

Ramara isn't listed among the municipalities that get free Orillia Public Library membership, so ask the library before you count on it.

How should you choose?

Work through these in order:

1. Commute direction. South to Barrie and the 400 points to west Orillia or Oro-Medonte. Mostly remote opens up everything.
2. Water and septic comfort. If the idea of a well and septic system makes you nervous, stay in the city or a serviced village. If you're open to it, read rossmanteam.com's septic inspections and wells and water testing.
3. Internet at the address. Non-negotiable for remote workers. See working remotely.
4. Driving tolerance. In the townships, every errand is a drive. A home that's perfect at 45 can be harder at 80. See retiring to Orillia.
5. Running costs. A lower tax rate doesn't always mean a lower total. Add well, septic, propane or oil, and plowing. The cost of moving up walks through it.

How Jordan can help

Jordan can show you homes in the city and all three townships, and explain for each address what changes: water and septic, internet, road maintenance and the drive. Call 705-345-0797.