CentralHamilton
Hamilton is split into 106 neighbourhoods, and this is one. 3,698 residents make their home in this neighbourhood in Hamilton.
Is Central a good place to live?
The picture is mixed. Homes are dear (D−). Central ranks #732 of 858 in Ontario, with a C− overall. That leaves it better than 24% of Canadian towns. Its strongest subject is walkability (A+). Work and incomes lag (D−). 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.
How Central grades
Each subject compares Central 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 Central stand out
The 3 things Central does most differently from other towns.
The data
Data highlights are ordered by what stands out in Central.
Rent takes more of local pay in Central than in Ontario’s towns or Canadian towns: 35% of household income
Shelter took 30% or more of income for 37% of households, above both Ontario’s towns (22%) and Canadian towns (18%). Owners put the median home at $580,000, lower than Ontario’s towns ($695,000) yet higher than Canadian towns ($406,000).
What homes were worth · The median owner’s estimate at the 2021 census
| Census 2021 | Central | Ontario | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rent as a share of income | 35% | 22% | 20% |
| Households spending 30%+ on shelter | 37% | 22% | 18% |
| Median home value, 2021 | $580,000 | $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. · Area behind the rent as a share of income and monthly rent for a two-bedroom figures: the Hamilton metro area
Central’s household incomes are lower than in 94% of Canadian towns
A trip to work takes 27 min on average.
How working residents got to work · census 2021
| Census 2021 | Central | Ontario | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average trip | 27 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.
Central’s hazards at a glance: a low wildfire record and 5% of area homes over the radon guideline
Measured across the city of Hamilton: earthquake risk
Earthquake risk in Central is ordinary: NRCan’s model puts building losses at $0.044 a year per $1,000 of value, close to the typical town’s $0.030. The national flood inventory has no study of the town.
Radon tests above the guideline · share of tested homes, 200 Bq/m³
| Hazards | Central | 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
Central has milder winters than Ontario’s towns or Canadian towns: January lows of −6.3°C
Some 115 cm of snow falls in a typical year, below Ontario’s towns (146 cm) and Canadian towns (141 cm) alike. A normal January brings 32 cm of snow, the most of any month. The most precipitation falls in July: 98 mm in a normal year.
Average high by season · ECCC normals, 1991–2020
| Normals, 1991–2020 | Central | Ontario | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Days with frost a year | 98 | 139 | 159 |
| January night low | −6.3°C | −9.1°C | −13.5°C |
| Snowfall a year | 115 cm | 146 cm | 141 cm |
| July afternoon high | 25.5°C | 26.7°C | 25.5°C |
Environment and Climate Change Canada, Canadian Climate Normals 1991–2020 (Burlington Piers)
53% of adults around Central rate their health very good or excellent
Expected years of life at birth: 81.2, below Ontario’s towns (82.8) and close to Canadian towns (81.5). Smoking is commoner than in the province: 13% of adults, against 11% for Ontario. What sets Central apart within its region is a short trip to hospital, 0.9 km for the average resident (3.7 km typical). Behind health survey and life expectancy sits data gathered across the City of Hamilton Health Unit, with Central one part of it.
Very good or excellent health · adults, age-standardised
| Health | Central | 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
Children make up only 10% of Central, fewer than in Ontario’s towns and across Canadian towns
32% of residents belong to a visible minority, higher than both Ontario’s towns (26%) and Canadian towns (15%). Retirement age and beyond: 18% of residents are 65 or older.
Ages · Share of residents in each age group, Census 2021
Schooling · Highest qualification, residents 15 and over
Women and men · all residents
49.9% of Central’s residents are women
1,845 women and 1,850 men at the 2021 census; across Canada, women are 50.9%.
| Central | Ontario | Canada | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 15 | 10% | 15% | 16% |
| 15 to 64 | 72% | 65% | 64% |
| 65+ | 18% | 19% | 19% |
| No certificate, diploma or degree | 20% | 15% | 16% |
| Postsecondary qualification | 53% | 56% | 56% |
Statistics Canada, Census 2021; Ontario and Canada: medians of towns of 2,500+
What November brings in Central: 3°C at night, 8°C by day
Expect about 78 mm of rain and snow over November. About 9 cm of snow falls in a normal November. Normal highs peak at 26°C in July; nights bottom out at −6°C in January. For today and the week ahead, the Weather page carries ECCC’s Hamilton forecast.
Normal highs, the months ahead · ECCC normals, 1991–2020
| Season | High | Low | Rain and snow |
|---|---|---|---|
| Winter | 1°C | −5°C | 194 mm |
| Spring | 11°C | 3°C | 231 mm |
| Summer | 24°C | 17°C | 242 mm |
| Autumn | 15°C | 9°C | 236 mm |
ECCC normals, 1991–2020 (Burlington Piers); the forecast is on the Weather page
Central’s MP is Aslam Rana (Liberal Party of Canada), for Hamilton Centre
Central is part of Hamilton, which elected Andrea Horwath as mayor in October 2022.
| Turnout | Central | Ontario | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Municipal election, 2022 | 35% | 31% | 31% |
Wikidata, MAMH, MMAH, Statistics Canada
Central has one public library, Hamilton Public Library - Central Branch
Hamilton Public Library serves the whole of Hamilton, so the library figures on this page are the city’s: 592,000 people, Central among them.
Provincial library statistics, OpenStreetMap, the CRA and Statistics Canada
Central is graded a B− for safety
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). The violent index for its police area came to 86, about level with Canadian towns (86) and above Ontario’s towns (76).
Year by year · Crime Severity Index for each year
| 2023–2025 | Central | Ontario | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Crime Severity Index | 66 | 56 | 67 |
| Violent Crime Severity Index | 86 | 76 | 86 |
Statistics Canada, Uniform Crime Reporting Survey, 2023–2025 average · Crime Severity Index, Violent Crime Severity Index, violent crime and property crime per 1,000: one figure for all of the Hamilton service area
From Central, Bronte Creek Provincial Park is the nearest provincial park (17 km)
Within 5 km lie 3 beaches, unnamed on the map. The closest of Canada’s national parks is Rouge National Urban Park, at 83 km. Parks and reserves take up 5.6% of the ground within 10 km, higher than both Ontario’s towns (2.3%) and Canadian towns (2.3%). The largest is Windermere Basin Park: 39 ha, 6.6 km from the edge of town.
Protected land · of the land within 10 km
| Outdoors | Central | Ontario | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Protected land within 10 km | 5.6% | 2.3% | 2.3% |
| Public protected areas within 10 km | 5 | 4 | 4 |
Canadian Protected and Conserved Areas Database (CPCAD), OpenStreetMap routes and beaches
Central’s schools mostly sit under the middle in Ontario, 14 of the 24 with results
The largest is Cathedral High School, with 1,650 students. Results have climbed at 19 of 24 schools over three years. Its schools answer to 3 boards. Also worth knowing: of the 27, 2 teach in French (10% of schools in Ontario).
| School | Level | Students | System |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dr. J. Edgar Davey Elementary Public School Bottom fifth in OntarioLargest elementary schoolElementary · Grades JK–8 | Elementary · Grades JK–8 | 585 | English public |
| Cathedral High School CatholicLargest secondary schoolSecondary · Grades 9–12 | Secondary · Grades 9–12 | 1,650 | English Catholic |
| École secondaire Georges-P-Vanier FrenchTeaches in FrenchSecondary · Grades 9–12 | Secondary · Grades 9–12 | 85 | French public |
Schools by system · Schools within 3 km
| Schools within 3 km | Central | Ontario | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| School boards | 3 | 4 | 3 |
Provincial school lists and results, 2024-25
Before 1961: 43% of the homes in Central
Its 1 historic place is of the highest rank.
Historic places by designation · inside the town
Among them
| Heritage | Central | Ontario | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Homes built before 1961 | 43% | 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 Central
Art Gallery and 39 more in and around Central
Sights in Central and close by, ordered by how widely each is known.
Historic ship · Parks CanadaHMCS Haida1.3 km outside town, to the northeast
MuseumDundurn Castle800 m outside town, to the northwest
CathedralCathedral Basilica of Christ the King1.1 km outside town, to the west
GardenRoyal Botanical Gardens2.6 km outside town, to the north
Art galleryArt Gallery of Hamilton100 m outside town, to the southPhotos: 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
- Royal Botanical Gardens: Nhl4hamilton | Chit-Chat, Public domain, Wikimedia Commons
- Art Gallery of Hamilton: MeganAGH, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons
About Central
Neighbourhood in Hamilton
Central 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
- 3,698 (people, 2021 estimate)
- Province or territory
- Ontario
- City
- Hamilton
- Census subdivision
- 3525005
Central’s neighbours
The nearest places of 1,000 or more. Statistics Canada
| Town | People | km | Overall | Cost | Safety | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Central | 3,698 | — | C− | D− | B− | B |
| Strathcona | 9,348 | 1 | C | D− | B− | B |
| North End East | 4,816 | 1.2 | C− | D− | B− | B+ |
| Durand | 13,338 | 1.2 | C | D− | B− | B+ |
| Beasley | 6,338 | 1.2 | C− | D− | B− | B+ |
| Corktown | 8,952 | 1.6 | C− | D− | B− | B+ |
| Kirkendall North | 5,864 | 1.7 | C+ | D− | B− | B |
People: Statistics Canada, Census 2021. Distances: centre to centre.
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).