BalfourHamilton
With 4,171 residents, it is a neighbourhood in Hamilton. Hamilton is split into 106 neighbourhoods, and this is one.
Is Balfour a good place to live?
A town of contrasts. Its weakest is cost of living (D−). At C overall, Balfour is better than 32% of Canadian towns and ranks #674 of 858 in Ontario. Work and incomes lag (C−). It is easy to get around without a car (A+). Its other grades sit near the middle: B− for safety, B− for schools and B for health.
Rents here are the metro area's average, shared by every town and neighbourhood in it. Safety less sure: this is the whole city's figure, because the city doesn't publish open neighbourhood crime rates. Health is graded on the health region's survey figures and life expectancy, with the distance to hospital giving the town its own spread.
What makes Balfour stand out
The 3 things Balfour does most differently from other towns.
How Balfour grades
Each subject compares Balfour with Canadian towns of 2,500 or more, ordered by how far it is from the middle. Towns in other countries are graded separately.
How TownRatings grades Canadian towns →
HMCS Haida and 36 more in and around Balfour
From museums to parks and historic sites: Balfour’s places to visit and those just beyond its edge, most famous first.
Historic ship · Parks CanadaHMCS Haida4.7 km outside town, to the north
MuseumDundurn Castle3.5 km outside town, to the north
CathedralCathedral Basilica of Christ the King2.9 km outside town, to the northwest
WaterfallChedoke Falls1.5 km outside town, to the west
Art galleryArt Gallery of Hamilton2.2 km outside town, to the northWaterfallWaterfallLower Beckett Falls700 m outside town, to the northwestPhotos: each place’s Wikidata image, from Wikimedia Commons under the licence below (our copy, resized).
Photo credits (5)
- HMCS Haida: Balcer~commonswiki, CC BY 2.5, Wikimedia Commons
- Dundurn Castle: Nhl4hamilton (Rick Cordeiro), Public domain, Wikimedia Commons
- Cathedral Basilica of Christ the King: Jfvoll, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Chedoke Falls: Nhl4hamilton | Chit-Chat, Public domain, Wikimedia Commons
- Art Gallery of Hamilton: MeganAGH, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons
The data
Data highlights are ordered by what stands out in Balfour.
Home ownership in Balfour, 62%, runs below Ontario’s towns and Canadian towns
The median home value was $645,000, lower than Ontario’s towns ($695,000) yet higher than Canadian towns ($406,000). Shelter took 30% or more of income for just over a quarter of households, higher than both Ontario’s towns (22%) and Canadian towns (18%). Figures for rent as a share of income and monthly rent for a two-bedroom are published for the Hamilton metro area as a whole, not for Balfour alone.
What homes were worth · The median owner’s estimate at the 2021 census
| Census 2021 | Balfour | Ontario | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Households owning their home | 62% | 76% | 74% |
| Households spending 30%+ on shelter | 26% | 22% | 18% |
| Rent as a share of income | 25% | 22% | 20% |
| Median home value, 2021 | $645,000 | $695,000 | $406,000 |
Statistics Canada, Census 2021; CMHC Rental Market Survey via Statistics Canada · Values come from owners at the 2021 census and incomes from 2020, so they predate the later rise in rates.
Fewer of Balfour’s 15-to-64s are in work than in 84% of Canadian towns
Commutes averaged 28 min, near Ontario’s towns (29 min) and higher than Canadian towns (26 min).
How working residents got to work · census 2021
| Census 2021 | Balfour | Ontario | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average trip | 28 min | 29 min | 26 min |
Statistics Canada, Census 2021 (labour and commuting) · Counted in May 2021, under pandemic rules: fewer commutes and more people between jobs than in a normal year.
Wildfire low, radon 5%: how Balfour stands on hazards
Shared with the rest of the city of Hamilton: earthquake risk
For earthquakes Balfour is middling, $0.044 a year per $1,000 against $0.030 for the typical town. No flood study for Balfour is on the national inventory.
Radon tests above the guideline · share of tested homes, 200 Bq/m³
| Hazards | Balfour | Ontario | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Radon tests above the guideline | 5% | 4% | 6.6% |
| Earthquake loss per $1,000 of buildings a year | $0.044 | $0.043 | $0.030 |
NRCan seismic risk model and burned areas, Health Canada radon survey, the Flood Hazard Map Inventory
53% of adults around Balfour rate their health very good or excellent
Homes here are 1.0 km from a hospital on average, below Ontario’s towns (3.3 km) and Canadian towns (3.7 km) alike. The region has more smokers than Ontario, 13% of adults to 11%. Women in the region live to 83.5 and men to 79.0, 81.2 years taken together (2022/2024). Balfour shares its health survey and life expectancy numbers with the rest of the City of Hamilton Health Unit.
Very good or excellent health · adults, age-standardised
| Health | Balfour | Ontario | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Smokers | 13% | 10% | 12% |
| Very good or excellent health | 53% | 51% | 52% |
| Life expectancy at birth | 81.2 | 82.8 | 81.5 |
| Chronic conditions (average share) | 17% | 17% | 17% |
Statistics Canada, Canadian Community Health Survey 2023/2024 and life expectancy 2022/2024; Open Database of Healthcare Facilities
Less snow falls on Balfour than on 81% of Canadian towns: about 115 cm a year
A normal July day peaks at 26.6°C, about level with Ontario’s towns (26.7°C) and above Canadian towns (25.5°C). January is the snowiest month, with 32 cm on average. Frost usually lifts by 1 May and returns around 12 October: 164 days without it. July is the wettest month, with 98 mm of rain and snow on average.
Average high by season · ECCC normals, 1991–2020
| Normals, 1991–2020 | Balfour | Ontario | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Snowfall a year | 115 cm | 146 cm | 141 cm |
| January night low | −9.1°C | −9.1°C | −13.5°C |
| July afternoon high | 26.6°C | 26.7°C | 25.5°C |
| Days with frost a year | 139 | 139 | 159 |
Environment and Climate Change Canada, Canadian Climate Normals 1991–2020 (Hamilton)
Fewer children live in Balfour than in Ontario’s towns or Canadian towns: 11% are under 15
Visible minorities make up nearly two fifths of the population, above Ontario’s towns (26%) and Canadian towns (15%) alike. 16% of residents have reached 65.
Ages · Share of residents in each age group, Census 2021
Schooling · Highest qualification, residents 15 and over
Women and men · all residents
Women make up 49.3% of Balfour
Here the census found 2,110 men and 2,055 women; the figure for women across Canada is 50.9%.
| Balfour | Ontario | Canada | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 15 | 11% | 15% | 16% |
| 15 to 64 | 73% | 65% | 64% |
| 65+ | 16% | 19% | 19% |
| No certificate, diploma or degree | 14% | 15% | 16% |
| Postsecondary qualification | 55% | 56% | 56% |
Statistics Canada, Census 2021; Ontario and Canada: medians of towns of 2,500+
A normal November in Balfour runs from freezing to 8°C
In November, the normal is 78 mm of rain and snow. A typical November adds 9 cm of snow. Into December, the normals move to 2°C and −5°C. Over the year, July is warmest at 27°C by day and February coldest at −9°C by night.
Normal highs, the months ahead · ECCC normals, 1991–2020
| Season | High | Low | Rain and snow |
|---|---|---|---|
| Winter | 0°C | −8°C | 194 mm |
| Spring | 12°C | 1°C | 231 mm |
| Summer | 25°C | 14°C | 242 mm |
| Autumn | 15°C | 5°C | 236 mm |
ECCC normals, 1991–2020 (Hamilton); the forecast is on the Weather page
The nearest public library to Balfour is Hamilton Public Library - Terryberry Branch, 0.7 km away
Balfour is served by Hamilton public library, the library of all of Hamilton, so the figures here are the city’s, for 592,000 people.
Provincial library statistics, OpenStreetMap, the CRA and Statistics Canada
Balfour is graded a B− for safety
Measured across the Hamilton service area: Crime Severity Index, Violent Crime Severity Index, violent crime and property crime per 1,000
Across the area its police cover, the Crime Severity Index averaged 66 over 2023–25, above Ontario’s towns (56) and close to Canadian towns (67). For violence alone, its police area’s index was 86, above Ontario’s towns (76) and close to Canadian towns (86).
Year by year · Crime Severity Index for each year
| 2023–2025 | Balfour | Ontario | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Crime Severity Index | 66 | 56 | 67 |
| Violent Crime Severity Index | 86 | 76 | 86 |
Statistics Canada, Uniform Crime Reporting Survey, 2023–2025 average
Balfour’s schools come under 3 different boards
Counting a 3 km margin, Balfour has 40 elementary schools, 5 secondary schools and 2 alternative or adult schools, for 22,565 students. Results have climbed at 34 of 43 schools over three years. The largest is Cathedral High School, with 1,650 students. Also worth knowing: of the 47, 2 teach in French (10% of schools in Ontario).
| School | Level | Students | System |
|---|---|---|---|
| R A Riddell Public School Middle fifth in OntarioLargest elementary schoolElementary · Grades JK–8 | Elementary · Grades JK–8 | 735 | English public |
| Cathedral High School CatholicLargest secondary schoolSecondary · Grades 9–12 | Secondary · Grades 9–12 | 1,650 | English Catholic |
| ÉÉC Monseigneur-de-Laval FrenchTeaches in FrenchElementary · Grades JK–8 | Elementary · Grades JK–8 | 435 | French Catholic |
| Norwood Park Elementary School Top fifth in OntarioResults in the top fifth in OntarioElementary · Grades JK–8 | Elementary · Grades JK–8 | 500 | English public |
Schools by system · Schools within 3 km
| Schools within 3 km | Balfour | Ontario | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| School boards | 3 | 4 | 3 |
Provincial school lists and results, 2024-25
Bronte Creek Provincial Park, 21 km away, is the closest provincial park to Balfour
Protected areas cover 5.7% of the land within 10 km; for the typical Canadian town it is 2.3%. 86 km separate the town from Rouge National Urban Park, its nearest national park. Within 5 km lie 3 beaches, unnamed on the map. The Bruce Trail - Iroquoia section is the one mapped walking route close by.
Protected land · of the land within 10 km
| Outdoors | Balfour | Ontario | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Protected land within 10 km | 5.7% | 2.3% | 2.3% |
| Public protected areas within 10 km | 4 | 4 | 4 |
Canadian Protected and Conserved Areas Database (CPCAD), OpenStreetMap routes and beaches
60% of Balfour’s homes were built before 1961
| Heritage | Balfour | Ontario | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Homes built before 1961 | 60% | 22% | 18% |
Canadian Register of Historic Places, Directory of Federal Heritage Designations, Québec’s Répertoire du patrimoine culturel, Wikidata; Census 2021 homes by period
Everything we know about Balfour
Balfour’s neighbours
The nearest places of 1,000 or more. Statistics Canada
| Town | People | km | Overall | Cost | Safety | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Balfour | 4,171 | — | C | D− | B− | B |
| Greeningdon | 3,296 | 0.7 | C− | D− | B− | B |
| Hill Park | 3,262 | 0.8 | C− | D− | B− | B |
| Centremount | 4,053 | 1.3 | C+ | D− | B− | B |
| Buchanan | 3,006 | 1.4 | B− | C− | B− | B |
| Bruleville | 4,310 | 1.5 | C | D− | B− | B |
| Rolston | 6,124 | 1.5 | C | D− | B− | B |
People: Statistics Canada, Census 2021. Distances: centre to centre.
About Balfour
Neighbourhood in Hamilton
TownRatings splits Hamilton into neighbourhoods drawn from census dissemination areas; Balfour is one of them, named from the city’s map or OpenStreetMap.
Statistics Canada: population estimates 2025 (17-10-0155), Census of Population 2021, 2021 census boundaries.
- Population
- 4,171 (people, 2021 estimate)
- Province or territory
- Ontario
- City
- Hamilton
- Census subdivision
- 3525005
Sources: Statistics Canada, Census of Population 2021 · population estimates 2025 (17-10-0155) and 2021 census boundaries · Uniform Crime Reporting Survey 2023–25 (35-10-0026, 35-10-0183 to 35-10-0190) · CMHC rents as published by Statistics Canada (34-10-0133) · grades by TownRatings. Under the Statistics Canada Open Licence.
Adapted from Statistics Canada (Census of Population 2021, population estimates 2025, 2021 census boundaries) under the Statistics Canada Open Licence; this does not constitute an endorsement by Statistics Canada. Neighbourhood names in some cities © OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL).