Westcliffe EastHamilton
The neighbourhood, home to 2,832 people, lies in Hamilton. It is one of 106 neighbourhoods of Hamilton.
Is Westcliffe East a good place to live?
Plenty in its favour, and one clear drawback. It is easy to get around without a car (A−). Prices are high against local incomes (C−). All told, that adds up to a B overall, better than 62% of Canadian towns. In the ranking it comes #344 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 Westcliffe East stand out
The 2 things Westcliffe East does most differently from other towns.
How Westcliffe East grades
Each subject compares Westcliffe East 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 36 more in and around Westcliffe East
Sights in Westcliffe East and close by, ordered by how widely each is known.
WaterfallChedoke Fallsin town
Historic ship · Parks CanadaHMCS Haida4.8 km outside town, to the northeast
MuseumDundurn Castle3 km outside town, to the north
CathedralCathedral Basilica of Christ the King2.1 km outside town, to the north
MuseumMcMaster Museum of Art2.2 km outside town, to the northwestWaterfallWaterfallCliffview Fallsin townPhotos: each place’s Wikidata image, from Wikimedia Commons under the licence below (our copy, resized).
Photo credits (5)
- Chedoke Falls: Nhl4hamilton | Chit-Chat, Public domain, Wikimedia Commons
- 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
- McMaster Museum of Art: Rap77, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
The data
Data highlights are ordered by what stands out in Westcliffe East.
Measured against local pay, Westcliffe East costs more to live in than four in five Canadian towns
Measured across the Hamilton metro area: rent as a share of income and monthly rent for a two-bedroom
Rent took 18% of household income, below both Ontario’s towns (22%) and Canadian towns (20%). Owners make up 85% of households.
What homes were worth · The median owner’s estimate at the 2021 census
| Census 2021 | Westcliffe East | Ontario | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Households spending 30%+ on shelter | 15% | 22% | 18% |
| Households owning their home | 85% | 76% | 74% |
| Rent as a share of income | 18% | 22% | 20% |
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.
Household incomes in Westcliffe East top those of 92% of Canadian towns
Commutes averaged 25 min, below Ontario’s towns (29 min) and close to Canadian towns (26 min). Driving is how 87% of commuters got to work at the census.
How working residents got to work · census 2021
| Census 2021 | Westcliffe East | Ontario | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average trip | 25 min | 29 min | 26 min |
| Car or van | 87% | 88% | 89% |
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.
Westcliffe East’s hazards at a glance: a low wildfire record and 5% of area homes over the radon guideline
For earthquakes Westcliffe East is middling, $0.044 a year per $1,000 against $0.030 for the typical town. No flood study for Westcliffe East is on the national inventory. Westcliffe East doesn’t get its own earthquake risk figures; the ones here come from the city of Hamilton.
Radon tests above the guideline · share of tested homes, 200 Bq/m³
| Hazards | Westcliffe East | 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
4 school boards overlap in Westcliffe East, covering Ontario’s four systems
The largest is St. Thomas More Catholic Secondary School, with 1,810 students. Results have climbed at 29 of 36 schools over three years. Of the 40, 3 teach in French (10% of schools in Ontario). 18,560 students attend the 32 elementary schools, 6 secondary schools and 2 alternative or adult schools in or within 3 km of Westcliffe East.
| 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 |
| École secondaire Georges-P-Vanier FrenchResults in the top fifth in OntarioSecondary · Grades 9–12 | Secondary · Grades 9–12 | 85 | French public |
Schools by system · Schools within 3 km
| Schools within 3 km | Westcliffe East | Ontario | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| School boards | 4 | 4 | 3 |
Provincial school lists and results, 2024-25
Around Westcliffe East, 53% of adults call their health very good or excellent
The region’s 2022/2024 life expectancy is 81.2, with women at 83.5 and men at 79.0. At 13%, the share of adults who smoke tops the 11% for Ontario. The town’s own part is the trip to care, and Westcliffe East is well placed: 1.5 km to a hospital on average, against 3.7 km typical.
Very good or excellent health · adults, age-standardised
| Health | Westcliffe East | 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 · Health survey and life expectancy: one figure for all of the City of Hamilton Health Unit
Less snow falls on Westcliffe East than on 81% of Canadian towns: about 115 cm a year
Most of the snow comes in January, about 32 cm. Midwinter nights in Westcliffe East bottom out at −9.1°C on average. Frost usually lifts by 1 May and returns around 12 October: 164 days without it. July afternoons reach 26.6°C on average, near Ontario’s towns (26.7°C) and higher than Canadian towns (25.5°C).
Average high by season · ECCC normals, 1991–2020
| Normals, 1991–2020 | Westcliffe East | 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)
Westcliffe East skews older, with 21% of residents 65 or over, more than Ontario’s towns or Canadian towns
Visible minorities make up 20% of the population, below Ontario’s towns (26%) but above Canadian towns (15%). First Nations, Métis and Inuit people make up 1.6% of residents, close to Ontario’s towns (1.6%) and 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
50.0% of Westcliffe East’s residents are women
Here the census found 1,420 men and 1,420 women; the figure for women across Canada is 50.9%.
| Westcliffe East | Ontario | Canada | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 15 | 15% | 15% | 16% |
| 15 to 64 | 64% | 65% | 64% |
| 65+ | 21% | 19% | 19% |
| No certificate, diploma or degree | 13% | 15% | 16% |
| Postsecondary qualification | 62% | 56% | 56% |
Statistics Canada, Census 2021; Ontario and Canada: medians of towns of 2,500+
A normal November in Westcliffe East runs from freezing to 8°C
Into December, the normals move to 2°C and −5°C. Snow is normal by November, about 9 cm over the month. In November, the normal is 78 mm of rain and snow. Across the year, normals run from −9°C nights in February to 27°C afternoons in July.
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
John-Paul Danko (Liberal Party of Canada) represents Westcliffe East in Ottawa as MP for Hamilton West—Ancaster—Dundas
From Ontario come 122 MPs, 71 of them with the Liberal Party of Canada.
| Turnout | Westcliffe East | Ontario | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Municipal election, 2022 | 35% | 31% | 31% |
Wikidata, MAMH, MMAH, Statistics Canada
No public library stands in Westcliffe East: the closest, Hamilton Public Library - Terryberry Branch, is 1.6 km away
Westcliffe East 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
Westcliffe East gets a B− for safety
The index for the force that serves it came to 66, about level with Canadian towns (67) and above Ontario’s towns (56). For violence alone, its police area’s index was 86, higher than Ontario’s towns (76) and near Canadian towns (86). Nobody publishes Crime Severity Index, Violent Crime Severity Index, violent crime and property crime per 1,000 for Westcliffe East alone, so this card uses the figure for the Hamilton service area.
Year by year · Crime Severity Index for each year
| 2023–2025 | Westcliffe East | 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, 21 km away, is the closest provincial park to Westcliffe East
The Bruce Trail - Iroquoia section is the one mapped walking route close by. Biggest among them: Windermere Basin Park, 39 ha, 9.4 km off. 7.1% of the land and water within 10 km is protected (the typical Canadian town: 2.3%). The nearest national park is Rouge National Urban Park, 87 km away.
Protected land · of the land within 10 km
| Outdoors | Westcliffe East | Ontario | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Protected land within 10 km | 7.1% | 2.3% | 2.3% |
| Public protected areas within 10 km | 4 | 4 | 4 |
Canadian Protected and Conserved Areas Database (CPCAD), OpenStreetMap routes and beaches
Older housing stands out in Westcliffe East: 51% predates 1961
| Heritage | Westcliffe East | Ontario | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Homes built before 1961 | 51% | 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 Westcliffe East
Westcliffe East’s neighbours
The nearest places of 1,000 or more. Statistics Canada
| Town | People | km | Overall | Cost | Safety | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Westcliffe East | 2,832 | — | B | C− | B− | B |
| Buchanan | 3,006 | 0.9 | B− | C− | B− | B |
| Gilbert | 3,181 | 1 | C+ | D | B− | B |
| Mountview | 7,752 | 1.2 | B− | D | B− | B |
| Fessenden | 3,551 | 1.3 | B− | D | B− | B |
| Kirkendall South | 3,033 | 1.5 | A− | C+ | B− | B |
| Rolston | 6,124 | 1.6 | C | D− | B− | B |
People: Statistics Canada, Census 2021. Distances: centre to centre.
Questions about Westcliffe East
Is Westcliffe East a young town or an old one?
The typical resident is 43.4 (Canadian towns: 45.2), with seniors at 21% of the population and under-15s at 15%.
About Westcliffe East
Neighbourhood in Hamilton
Westcliffe East 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
- 2,832 (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).