Westdale SouthHamilton

Home ownership in Westdale South, 38%, runs below Ontario’s towns and Canadian towns

Just over a third of households spent 30% or more of their income on shelter, above Ontario’s towns (22%) and Canadian towns (18%) alike. A year’s rent came to 28% of the median household income, higher than both Ontario’s towns (22%) and Canadian towns (20%).

Working-age people in Westdale South have jobs less often than in 91% of Canadian towns

Commutes averaged 26 min, about level with Canadian towns (26 min) and below Ontario’s towns (29 min).

English or French, public or Catholic: Westdale South’s schools come under 4 boards

Over three years, results rose at 21 of its 29 tested schools. On the tests, 9 of 29 schools land above the middle in Ontario, 10 under it. Westdale Secondary School is the biggest, at 1,525 students. Of the 32, 3 teach in French (10% of schools in Ontario).

A flood study covers Westdale South: 1 on the national inventory, the newest from Conservation Halton

About as many homes carry radon around Westdale South as elsewhere, 5% over the guideline where the typical town has 6.6%. NRCan expects $0.044 of shaking damage a year per $1,000 of buildings here, near the typical $0.030. Nobody publishes earthquake risk for Westdale South alone, so this card uses the figure for the city of Hamilton.

Winters are mild in Westdale South: January nights hold at −6.3°C, above Ontario’s towns and Canadian towns

A normal July brings 98 mm of precipitation, more than any other month. Snowfall adds up to 115 cm a year, below both Ontario’s towns (146 cm) and Canadian towns (141 cm). January is the snowiest month, with 32 cm on average.

53% of adults around Westdale South rate their health very good or excellent

Lives here run to 81.2 years on average, lower than Ontario’s towns (82.8) and near Canadian towns (81.5). At 13%, the share of adults who smoke tops the 11% for Ontario. Closer to home, a hospital is just 0.5 km from the average resident of Westdale South, nearer than the usual 3.7 km. Behind health survey and life expectancy sits data gathered across the City of Hamilton Health Unit, with Westdale South one part of it.

More of Westdale South belongs to a visible minority than Ontario’s towns or Canadian towns: 43%

The share of residents under 15 is 13%. 13% of residents have reached 65. First Nations, Métis and Inuit people make up 0.5% of residents, below both Ontario’s towns (1.6%) and Canadian towns (2.8%).

A normal November in Westdale South runs from 3°C to 8°C

Precipitation in November averages 78 mm. November usually brings some 9 cm of snow. At the extremes, July afternoons reach 26°C and January nights −6°C. The forecast on the Weather page is ECCC’s for Hamilton.

John-Paul Danko (Liberal Party of Canada) holds Hamilton West—Ancaster—Dundas, the riding that includes Westdale South

Across Ontario, 71 of the 122 MPs sit with the Liberal Party of Canada.

Hamilton Public Library - Westdale Branch is Westdale South’s public library

The library figures on this page are Hamilton’s: Hamilton Public Library serves all 592,000 people of the city, Westdale South among them.

Westdale South gets a B− for safety

Across the area its police cover, the Crime Severity Index averaged 66 over 2023–25, higher than Ontario’s towns (56) and near Canadian towns (67). The violent index for its police area came to 86, about level with Canadian towns (86) and above Ontario’s towns (76).

28% of the ground inside Westdale South is protected

The largest is Windermere Basin Park: 39 ha, 9.0 km from the edge of town. For a provincial park, Bronte Creek Provincial Park lies 18 km off. The protected share of the 10 km around the town is 7.1%, above both Ontario’s towns (2.3%) and Canadian towns (2.3%). 85 km separate the town from Rouge National Urban Park, its nearest national park.

Westdale South keeps its older homes: 55% from before 1961