FessendenHamilton
The neighbourhood has 3,551 residents and lies in Hamilton. It is one of the 106 neighbourhoods that make up Hamilton.
Is Fessenden a good place to live?
Real strengths, and real weak spots. Prices are high against local incomes (D). Taken together, its subjects give Fessenden a B− overall, better than 48% of Canadian towns. In the ranking it comes #532 of 858 in Ontario. Walkability is its strong suit (A). Schools do well (B+). The rest of its grades are middling: B− for safety 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 Fessenden stand out
The 3 things Fessenden does most differently from other towns.
How Fessenden grades
Each subject compares Fessenden 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 →
Chedoke Falls and 37 more in and around Fessenden
Sights in Fessenden and close by, ordered by how widely each is known.
WaterfallChedoke Falls1.3 km outside town, to the northeast
MuseumDundurn Castle4.7 km outside town, to the north
CathedralCathedral Basilica of Christ the King3.9 km outside town, to the north
WaterfallSherman Falls3.7 km outside town, to the westWaterfallWaterfallPrincess Falls1.4 km outside town, to the northwestWaterfallWaterfallMountview Falls1.3 km outside town, to the northPhotos: each place’s Wikidata image, from Wikimedia Commons under the licence below (our copy, resized).
Photo credits (4)
- Chedoke Falls: Nhl4hamilton | Chit-Chat, Public domain, 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
- Sherman Falls: Nhl4hamilton | Chit-Chat, Public domain, Wikimedia Commons
The data
Data highlights are ordered by what stands out in Fessenden.
Fewer households own their home in Fessenden than in Ontario’s towns or across Canadian towns: 65%
The rent as a share of income and monthly rent for a two-bedroom numbers here cover the Hamilton metro area
Owners put the median home at $552,000, lower than Ontario’s towns ($695,000) yet higher than Canadian towns ($406,000). Rent took 23% of household income, higher than both Ontario’s towns (22%) and Canadian towns (20%).
What homes were worth · The median owner’s estimate at the 2021 census
| Census 2021 | Fessenden | Ontario | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Households owning their home | 65% | 76% | 74% |
| Median home value, 2021 | $552,000 | $695,000 | $406,000 |
| Rent as a share of income | 23% | 22% | 20% |
| Households spending 30%+ on shelter | 19% | 22% | 18% |
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.
Fessenden’s schools come under 3 different boards
Over three years, results rose at 18 of its 29 tested schools. On the tests, 10 of 29 schools land above the middle in Ontario, 9 under it. St. Thomas More Catholic Secondary School is the biggest, at 1,810 students. Counting a 3 km margin, Fessenden has 26 elementary schools, 4 secondary schools and 1 alternative or adult school, for 14,805 students.
| 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 |
| St. Thomas More Catholic Secondary School CatholicLargest secondary schoolSecondary · Grades 9–12 | Secondary · Grades 9–12 | 1,810 | 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 | Fessenden | Ontario | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| School boards | 3 | 4 | 3 |
Provincial school lists and results, 2024-25
Hazards in Fessenden: wildfire low, radon over the guideline in 5% of tested homes
Earthquake risk for the city of Hamilton
For earthquakes Fessenden is middling, $0.044 a year per $1,000 against $0.030 for the typical town. Flood mapping: none on the national inventory of the town.
Radon tests above the guideline · share of tested homes, 200 Bq/m³
| Hazards | Fessenden | 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
A smaller share of people aged 15 to 64 are in work in Fessenden than in 74% of Canadian towns
The car took 85% of commuters, near Ontario’s towns (88%) and lower than Canadian towns (89%). The commute to work averages 26 min.
How working residents got to work · census 2021
| Census 2021 | Fessenden | Ontario | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Car or van | 85% | 88% | 89% |
| Average trip | 26 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.
Very good or excellent health for 53% of adults in Fessenden’s health region
Source area for health survey and life expectancy: the City of Hamilton Health Unit
At 13%, the share of adults who smoke tops the 11% for Ontario. The region’s 2022/2024 life expectancy is 81.2, with women at 83.5 and men at 79.0. The town’s own part is the trip to care: residents of Fessenden live 2.9 km from a hospital on average, close to the typical town’s 3.7 km.
Very good or excellent health · adults, age-standardised
| Health | Fessenden | 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
Snowfall in Fessenden trails that of 81% of Canadian towns: about 115 cm a year
January nights fall to −9.1°C on average, near Ontario’s towns (−9.1°C) and higher than Canadian towns (−13.5°C). 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. The frost-free season runs from 1 May to 12 October, 164 days.
Average high by season · ECCC normals, 1991–2020
| Normals, 1991–2020 | Fessenden | 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)
Visible minorities make up more of Fessenden than of Ontario’s towns or Canadian towns: 33%
2.2% of residents have an Indigenous identity, between Ontario’s towns (1.6%) and 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
54.9% of Fessenden’s residents are women
1,950 women and 1,600 men at the 2021 census; across Canada, women are 50.9%.
| Fessenden | Ontario | Canada | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 15 | 14% | 15% | 16% |
| 15 to 64 | 57% | 65% | 64% |
| 65+ | 29% | 19% | 19% |
| No certificate, diploma or degree | 15% | 15% | 16% |
| Postsecondary qualification | 55% | 56% | 56% |
Statistics Canada, Census 2021; Ontario and Canada: medians of towns of 2,500+
Expect November days around 8°C in Fessenden, nights around freezing
July brings the warmest days, 27°C; February the coldest nights, −9°C. Next comes December, with normal highs of 2°C and lows of −5°C. A normal November brings 78 mm of rain and snow. The forecast on the Weather page is ECCC’s for Hamilton.
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
Fessenden sends John-Paul Danko (Liberal Party of Canada) to the Commons from Hamilton West—Ancaster—Dundas
The Liberal Party of Canada has 71 of the 122 MPs elected in Ontario.
| Turnout | Fessenden | Ontario | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Municipal election, 2022 | 35% | 31% | 31% |
Wikidata, MAMH, MMAH, Statistics Canada
Fessenden has no public library of its own; the nearest is Hamilton Public Library - Terryberry Branch, 2.6 km away
Hamilton public library serves the whole of Hamilton, so the library figures on this page are the city’s: 592,000 people, Fessenden among them.
Provincial library statistics, OpenStreetMap, the CRA and Statistics Canada
Fessenden is graded a B− for safety
The index for the force that serves it came to 66, above Ontario’s towns (56) and close to Canadian towns (67). The violent index for its police area came to 86, above Ontario’s towns (76) and close to Canadian towns (86). Fessenden doesn’t get its own Crime Severity Index, Violent Crime Severity Index, violent crime and property crime per 1,000 figures; the ones here come from the Hamilton service area.
Year by year · Crime Severity Index for each year
| 2023–2025 | Fessenden | Ontario | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Crime Severity Index | 66 | 56 | 67 |
| Violent Crime Severity Index | 86 | 76 | 86 |
Statistics Canada, Uniform Crime Reporting Survey, 2023–2025 average
Bronte Creek Provincial Park, 22 km away, is the closest provincial park to Fessenden
Within 10 km, 7.3% of the land is protected, higher than both Ontario’s towns (2.3%) and Canadian towns (2.3%). The nearest national park is Rouge National Urban Park, 89 km away. CPCAD lists 16 protected areas within 10 km.
Protected land · of the land within 10 km
| Outdoors | Fessenden | Ontario | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Protected land within 10 km | 7.3% | 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 Fessenden
Fessenden’s neighbours
The nearest places of 1,000 or more. Statistics Canada
| Town | People | km | Overall | Cost | Safety | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fessenden | 3,551 | — | B− | D | B− | B |
| Mountview | 7,752 | 0.8 | B− | D | B− | B |
| Gurnett | 4,582 | 0.9 | B− | C− | B− | B |
| Gilbert | 3,181 | 0.9 | C+ | D | B− | B |
| Gilkson | 2,963 | 1.2 | B− | D | B− | B |
| Westcliffe East | 2,832 | 1.3 | B | C− | B− | B |
| Falkirk East | 4,961 | 1.9 | B | C | B− | B |
People: Statistics Canada, Census 2021. Distances: centre to centre.
Questions about Fessenden
How old are the people of Fessenden?
Its median age is 46.7, where Canadian towns sit at 45.2. Under-15s are 14% of residents; over-65s, 29%.
About Fessenden
Neighbourhood in Hamilton
Fessenden is a neighbourhood of Hamilton, built by TownRatings from Statistics Canada’s smallest census areas and named from the city’s map or OpenStreetMap.
Statistics Canada: population estimates 2025 (17-10-0155), Census of Population 2021, 2021 census boundaries.
- Population
- 3,551 (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).