ButlerHamilton
Population 2,922: a neighbourhood in Hamilton. Of Hamilton’s 106 neighbourhoods, this is one.
Is Butler a good place to live?
The weak point is cost of living (D). It is easy to get around without a car (A). All told, that adds up to a C overall, better than 35% of Canadian towns. In the ranking it comes #654 of 858 in Ontario. Its other grades sit near the middle: B− for safety, C+ 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.
How Butler grades
Each subject compares Butler 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 →
What makes Butler stand out
The 3 things Butler does most differently from other towns.
The data
Data highlights are ordered by what stands out in Butler.
Measured against local pay, Butler costs more to live in than 88% of Canadian towns
15% of households spent 30% or more of their income on shelter, below Ontario’s towns (22%) and Canadian towns (18%) alike. Households that own their home make up 72%. Butler doesn’t get its own rent as a share of income and monthly rent for a two-bedroom figures; the ones here come from the Hamilton metro area.
What homes were worth · The median owner’s estimate at the 2021 census
| Census 2021 | Butler | Ontario | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Households spending 30%+ on shelter | 15% | 22% | 18% |
| Households owning their home | 72% | 76% | 74% |
Statistics Canada, Census 2021; CMHC Rental Market Survey via Statistics Canada · These are 2021 census values, as owners judged them, set against household income in 2020.
A flood study covers Butler: 1 on the national inventory, the newest from Hamilton Conservation Authority
Source area for earthquake risk: the city of Hamilton
Shaking is about as much of a worry in Butler as in most places, at $0.044 a year per $1,000 of building value ($0.030 typical). The town’s survey area, 5% over the radon guideline, is close to the typical town’s 6.6%.
Radon tests above the guideline · share of tested homes, 200 Bq/m³
| Hazards | Butler | 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
Butler has a smaller share of its working-age people in jobs than 85% of Canadian towns
Commutes averaged 26 min, about level with Canadian towns (26 min) and below Ontario’s towns (29 min). By car: that was how 87% of commuters travelled at the census.
How working residents got to work · census 2021
| Census 2021 | Butler | Ontario | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average trip | 26 min | 29 min | 26 min |
| Car or van | 87% | 88% | 89% |
Statistics Canada, Census 2021 (labour and commuting) · These are May 2021 figures, gathered while COVID-19 kept many people home or out of work.
Schools in Butler: 3 boards, side by side
St. Jean de Brebeuf Catholic Secondary School is the biggest, at 1,615 students. Over three years, results rose at 19 of its 25 tested schools. Also worth knowing: on the tests, 4 of 25 schools land above the middle in Ontario, 13 under it. Schooling in French is on offer at 2 of 28; in Ontario, 10% of schools teach in it.
| School | Level | Students | System |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lawfield Elementary School Fourth fifth in OntarioLargest elementary schoolElementary · Grades JK–8 | Elementary · Grades JK–8 | 685 | English public |
| St. Jean de Brebeuf Catholic Secondary School CatholicLargest secondary schoolSecondary · Grades 9–12 | Secondary · Grades 9–12 | 1,615 | English Catholic |
| ÉSAC Mère-Teresa FrenchTeaches in FrenchSecondary · Grades 9–12 | Secondary · Grades 9–12 | 300 | French Catholic |
| Corpus Christi Catholic Elementary School CatholicResults in the top fifth in OntarioElementary · Grades JK–8 | Elementary · Grades JK–8 | 415 | English Catholic |
Schools by system · Schools within 3 km
| Schools within 3 km | Butler | Ontario | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| School boards | 3 | 4 | 3 |
Provincial school lists and results, 2024-25
Around Butler, 53% of adults call their health very good or excellent
Health survey and life expectancy for the City of Hamilton Health Unit
The town’s own part is the trip to care: residents of Butler live 4.5 km from a hospital on average, close to the typical town’s 3.7 km. At 13%, the share of adults who smoke tops the 11% for Ontario. A baby born in the region can expect 81.2 years, 83.5 for a girl and 79.0 for a boy (2022/2024).
Very good or excellent health · adults, age-standardised
| Health | Butler | 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
Ice rarely forms: Butler sees fewer frosts than 73% of Canadian towns
A normal July brings 98 mm of precipitation, more than any other month. January nights fall to −9.1°C on average, near Ontario’s towns (−9.1°C) and higher than Canadian towns (−13.5°C). Frost usually lifts by 1 May and returns around 12 October: 164 days without it. Most of the snow comes in January, about 44 cm.
Average high by season · ECCC normals, 1991–2020
| Normals, 1991–2020 | Butler | Ontario | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| 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)
More of Butler belongs to a visible minority than Ontario’s towns or Canadian towns: 44%
First Nations, Métis and Inuit people make up 1.7% of residents, above Ontario’s towns (1.6%) but below Canadian towns (2.8%).
Ages · Share of residents in each age group, Census 2021
Schooling · Highest qualification, residents 15 and over
Women and men · all residents
54.4% of Butler’s residents are women
Of the 2021 count, 1,590 were women and 1,335 men (women across Canada: 50.9%).
| Butler | Ontario | Canada | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 15 | 17% | 15% | 16% |
| 15 to 64 | 70% | 65% | 64% |
| 65+ | 13% | 19% | 19% |
| No certificate, diploma or degree | 19% | 15% | 16% |
| Postsecondary qualification | 51% | 56% | 56% |
Statistics Canada, Census 2021; Ontario and Canada: medians of towns of 2,500+
What November brings in Butler: freezing at night, 8°C by day
Across the year, normals run from −9°C nights in February to 27°C afternoons in July. Looking ahead to December, expect highs near 2°C and lows near −5°C. Rain and snow over a typical November come to 78 mm. Hour-by-hour figures come from ECCC’s Hamilton forecast, on the Weather page.
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
One councillor per 40,030 residents: Hamilton is more thinly represented than 99% of Ontario municipalities
In the Legislative Assembly of Ontario, Butler belongs to Hamilton Mountain; who holds it as MPP (Member of Provincial Parliament, at Queen’s Park in Toronto) isn’t on an open record, so no one is named.
| Turnout | Butler | Ontario | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Municipal election, 2022 | 35% | 31% | 31% |
Wikidata, MAMH, MMAH, Statistics Canada
Butler has no public library of its own; the nearest is Hamilton Public Library - Turner Park Branch, 0.7 km away
Butler 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
Butler gets 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, about level with Canadian towns (67) and above Ontario’s towns (56). For violence alone, its police area’s index was 86, about level with Canadian towns (86) and above Ontario’s towns (76).
Year by year · Crime Severity Index for each year
| 2023–2025 | Butler | Ontario | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Crime Severity Index | 66 | 56 | 67 |
| Violent Crime Severity Index | 86 | 76 | 86 |
Statistics Canada, Uniform Crime Reporting Survey, 2023–2025 average
The nearest provincial park to Butler is Bronte Creek Provincial Park, 24 km away
The largest named area nearby is Windermere Basin Park, 39 ha, 9.3 km away. CPCAD lists 14 protected areas within 10 km. Of the country within 10 km, 3.7% lies in protected areas; the median Canadian town has 2.3%.
Protected land · of the land within 10 km
| Outdoors | Butler | Ontario | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Protected land within 10 km | 3.7% | 2.3% | 2.3% |
| Public protected areas within 10 km | 2 | 4 | 4 |
Canadian Protected and Conserved Areas Database (CPCAD), OpenStreetMap routes and beaches
Everything we know about Butler
Albion Falls and 7 more in and around Butler
Sights in Butler and close by, ordered by how widely each is known.
WaterfallChedoke Falls4.8 km outside town, to the northwest
WaterfallButtermilk Falls3.3 km outside town, to the east
National historic siteAuchmar3.9 km outside town, to the northwestWaterfallWaterfallGlendale Falls4.2 km outside town, to the eastWaterfallWaterfallLower Beckett Falls4.6 km outside town, to the northwestPhotos: each place’s Wikidata image, from Wikimedia Commons under the licence below (our copy, resized).
Photo credits (3)
- Chedoke Falls: Nhl4hamilton | Chit-Chat, Public domain, Wikimedia Commons
- Buttermilk Falls: Nhl4hamilton | Chit-Chat, Public domain, Wikimedia Commons
- Auchmar: JFVoll, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons
About Butler
Neighbourhood in Hamilton
Butler is one of Hamilton’s neighbourhoods, which TownRatings draws from census dissemination areas and names from the city’s own map or OpenStreetMap.
Statistics Canada: population estimates 2025 (17-10-0155), Census of Population 2021, 2021 census boundaries.
- Population
- 2,922 (people, 2021 estimate)
- Province or territory
- Ontario
- City
- Hamilton
- Census subdivision
- 3525005
Butler’s neighbours
The nearest places of 1,000 or more. Statistics Canada
Questions about Butler
Is Butler a young town or an old one?
The typical resident is 39.1 (Canadian towns: 45.2), with seniors at 13% of the population and under-15s at 17%.
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).