FreeltonHamilton
Some 2,724 people live in this neighbourhood, in Hamilton. It is one of 106 neighbourhoods of Hamilton.
Is Freelton a good place to live?
A solid town with one catch. Its strongest is jobs & income (A). Schools do well (A−). The catch is cost of living (C+). All told, that adds up to a B+ overall, better than 66% of Canadian towns. In the ranking it comes #279 of 858 in Ontario. Elsewhere it is close to typical: 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 Freelton stand out
The 3 things Freelton does most differently from other towns.
How Freelton grades
Each subject compares Freelton 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 →
The data
Data highlights are ordered by what stands out in Freelton.
Households in Freelton earn more than those in 98% of Canadian towns
The average trip to work takes 27 min. The car took 90% of commuters, near both Ontario’s towns (88%) and Canadian towns (89%).
How working residents got to work · census 2021
| Census 2021 | Freelton | Ontario | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average trip | 27 min | 29 min | 26 min |
| Car or van | 90% | 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.
The nearest high school to Freelton is 10 km away
3 of 4 schools with results score above the middle in Ontario. Schooling here is split between 2 boards, below Ontario’s towns (4) and Canadian towns (3) alike.
| School | Level | Students | System |
|---|---|---|---|
| Flamborough Centre School Fourth fifth in OntarioLargest elementary schoolElementary · Grades JK–8 | Elementary · Grades JK–8 | 370 | English public |
Schools by system · Schools within 3 km
| Schools within 3 km | Freelton | Ontario | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| School boards | 2 | 4 | 3 |
| Nearest secondary school | 10 km | 1.2 km | 1.2 km |
| Nearest elementary school | 3.4 km | 0.5 km | 0.5 km |
Provincial school lists and results, 2024-25
Flood mapping exists for Freelton: 1 on record, latest by Conservation Halton
Radon around Freelton is ordinary for Canada: 5% of tested homes over the guideline (6.6% typical). For earthquakes Freelton is middling, $0.044 a year per $1,000 against $0.030 for the typical town. Behind earthquake risk sits data gathered across the city of Hamilton, with Freelton one part of it.
Radon tests above the guideline · share of tested homes, 200 Bq/m³
| Hazards | Freelton | 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
Winters are mild in Freelton: January nights hold at −6.3°C, above Ontario’s towns and Canadian towns
July afternoons reach 25.5°C on average, below Ontario’s towns (26.7°C) and close to Canadian towns (25.5°C). Snow peaks in January: 32 cm in a normal year. Rain and snow peak in July, at 98 mm.
Average high by season · ECCC normals, 1991–2020
| Normals, 1991–2020 | Freelton | 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)
Most households in Freelton own their home: 90%, more than in both Ontario’s towns and Canadian towns
Shelter took 30% or more of income for 17% of households, below both Ontario’s towns (22%) and Canadian towns (18%). Rent took 15% of household income, lower than both Ontario’s towns (22%) and Canadian towns (20%). For rent as a share of income and monthly rent for a two-bedroom, the only official count covers all of the Hamilton metro area, Freelton included.
What homes were worth · The median owner’s estimate at the 2021 census
| Census 2021 | Freelton | Ontario | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rent as a share of income | 15% | 22% | 20% |
| Households owning their home | 90% | 76% | 74% |
| Households spending 30%+ on shelter | 17% | 22% | 18% |
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.
Fewer of Freelton’s people belong to a visible minority than in Ontario’s towns or Canadian towns: 9%
Under-15s account for 17% of the population. Those 65 and older account for 19% of residents. First Nations, Métis and Inuit people make up 2% of residents, higher than Ontario’s towns (1.6%) yet lower than 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
Women make up 49.0% of Freelton
By the 2021 count the town had 1,335 women and 1,390 men, while Canada has 50.9% women.
| Freelton | Ontario | Canada | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 15 | 17% | 15% | 16% |
| 15 to 64 | 64% | 65% | 64% |
| 65+ | 19% | 19% | 19% |
| No certificate, diploma or degree | 14% | 15% | 16% |
| Postsecondary qualification | 54% | 56% | 56% |
Statistics Canada, Census 2021; Ontario and Canada: medians of towns of 2,500+
In Freelton, November normally means 8°C afternoons and 3°C nights
Rain and snow over a typical November come to 78 mm. Expect around 9 cm of snow in November. Also worth knowing: the year peaks in July (26°C) and bottoms out in January (−6°C). ECCC’s forecast for Burlington is on the Weather page, hour by hour.
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
Flamborough—Glanbrook—Brant North, which takes in Freelton, is held by Dan Muys (Conservative Party of Canada)
Across Ontario, 71 of the 122 MPs sit with the Liberal Party of Canada.
| Turnout | Freelton | Ontario | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Municipal election, 2022 | 35% | 31% | 31% |
Wikidata, MAMH, MMAH, Statistics Canada
Freelton Branch Library and Hamilton Public Library - Freelton Branch are Freelton’s two public libraries
Freelton 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
Freelton is graded a B− for safety
Area-wide: Crime Severity Index, Violent Crime Severity Index, violent crime and property crime per 1,000, counted over the Hamilton service area
The index for the force that serves it came to 66, about level with Canadian towns (67) and above Ontario’s towns (56). The violent index for its police area came to 86, higher than Ontario’s towns (76) and near Canadian towns (86).
Year by year · Crime Severity Index for each year
| 2023–2025 | Freelton | 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, 15 km away, is the closest provincial park to Freelton
Within 10 km are 30 protected areas. 83 km separate the town from Rouge National Urban Park, its nearest national park. Out to 10 km from the town’s edge, 5.6% of the land is protected; 2.3% is typical for a Canadian town. Biggest among them: Burlington Easement, 27 ha, 7.6 km off.
Protected land · of the land within 10 km
| Outdoors | Freelton | Ontario | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Protected land within 10 km | 5.6% | 2.3% | 2.3% |
| Public protected areas within 10 km | 2 | 4 | 4 |
Canadian Protected and Conserved Areas Database (CPCAD), OpenStreetMap routes and beaches
53% of adults around Freelton rate their health very good or excellent
The health survey and life expectancy numbers here cover the City of Hamilton Health Unit
Smoking is commoner than in the province: 13% of adults, against 11% for Ontario. The region’s 2022/2024 life expectancy is 81.2, with women at 83.5 and men at 79.0. A hospital lies 15 km from the typical home, higher than both Ontario’s towns (3.3 km) and Canadian towns (3.7 km).
Very good or excellent health · adults, age-standardised
| Health | Freelton | 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
An older town: 34% of Freelton’s homes predate 1961
| Heritage | Freelton | Ontario | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Homes built before 1961 | 34% | 22% | 18% |
Canadian Register of Historic Places, Directory of Federal Heritage Designations, Québec’s Répertoire du patrimoine culturel, Wikidata; Census 2021 homes by period
Progreston Falls and 2 more in and around Freelton
A first look at Freelton’s museums, historic sites and days out, and a few just outside town.
Everything we know about Freelton
Famous people from Freelton
4 notable people were born in Freelton.
Photo credits
Adam Crooks: Notman & Fraser, Public domain · Frederick Colcleugh: Cochrane, William, 1831-1898, Public domain
Freelton’s neighbours
The nearest places of 1,000 or more. Statistics Canada
Questions about Freelton
How old are the people of Freelton?
Its median age is 45.7, where Canadian towns sit at 45.2. Under-15s are 17% of residents; over-65s, 19%.
About Freelton
Neighbourhood in Hamilton
Where Freelton begins and ends inside Hamilton is TownRatings’s line, traced along census dissemination areas and named after the city’s map or OpenStreetMap.
Statistics Canada: population estimates 2025 (17-10-0155), Census of Population 2021, 2021 census boundaries.
- Population
- 2,724 (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).