Country Hills WestKitchener
It is one of 37 neighbourhoods of Kitchener. With 5,936 residents, it is a neighbourhood in Kitchener.
Is Country Hills West a good place to live?
A well-rated place to live, with prices to match. Its best grade is for health (A). Country Hills West’s overall B+ puts it #268 of 858 in Ontario. Nationally, it does better than two thirds of Canadian towns. Households here earn well (A−). Housing is expensive (D). Its remaining grades are unremarkable: C+ for safety and B for schools.
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 Country Hills West stand out
The 3 things Country Hills West does most differently from other towns.
How Country Hills West grades
Each subject compares Country Hills West 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 →
Doon Heritage Village and 16 more in and around Country Hills West
From museums to parks and historic sites: Country Hills West’s places to visit and those just beyond its edge, most famous first.
MuseumDoon Heritage Village3.2 km outside town, to the east · 80K visitors a year
MuseumTHEMUSEUM4 km outside town, to the north
National historic site · Parks CanadaWaterloo Pioneer Memorial Tower4.9 km outside town, to the east
MuseumJoseph Schneider Haus3.5 km outside town, to the north
MuseumHomer Watson House4.9 km outside town, to the eastArt galleryArt galleryInterarts Matrix3 km outside town, to the northPhotos: each place’s Wikidata image, from Wikimedia Commons under the licence below (our copy, resized).
Photo credits (5)
- Doon Heritage Village: Pcorb, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
- THEMUSEUM: Illustratedjc, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Waterloo Pioneer Memorial Tower: Original photograph: Sarah Pidcock; derivative work: Mindmatrix, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Joseph Schneider Haus: Yoho2001, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Homer Watson House: Matt Deres, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
The data
Data highlights are ordered by what stands out in Country Hills West.
Country Hills West earns an A for health
Across the region, life runs to 82.8 years on average: women 84.9, men 80.7, in 2022/2024. Smoking is rarer than in the province: 9% of adults, against 11% for Ontario. Add to that, the three chronic conditions the survey tracks average 16% of adults, below Ontario’s towns (17%) and Canadian towns (17%) alike. In the health survey, 53% of adults in the region rate their health very good or excellent, more than Ontario’s 51%.
Very good or excellent health · adults, age-standardised
| Health | Country Hills West | Ontario | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chronic conditions (average share) | 16% | 17% | 17% |
| Smokers | 9% | 10% | 12% |
| Very good or excellent health | 53% | 51% | 52% |
| Life expectancy at birth | 82.8 | 82.8 | 81.5 |
Statistics Canada, Canadian Community Health Survey 2023/2024 and life expectancy 2022/2024; Open Database of Healthcare Facilities · Area behind the health survey and life expectancy figures: the Waterloo Health Unit
Country Hills West earns a D for cost of living
Households that own their home make up 80%. Shelter took 30% or more of income for 14% of households, below both Ontario’s towns (22%) and Canadian towns (18%).
What homes were worth · The median owner’s estimate at the 2021 census
| Census 2021 | Country Hills West | Ontario | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Households spending 30%+ on shelter | 14% | 22% | 18% |
| Median home value, 2021 | $650,000 | $695,000 | $406,000 |
| Households owning their home | 80% | 76% | 74% |
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. · Data for rent as a share of income and monthly rent for a two-bedroom covers the Kitchener-Cambridge-Waterloo metro area
Flood mapping exists for Country Hills West: 1 on record, latest by Grand River Conservation Authority
Radon is lower than usual: 4% of tested homes in the survey area topped the guideline, against 6.6% for the typical town. Shaking is about as much of a worry in Country Hills West as in most places, at $0.022 a year per $1,000 of building value ($0.030 typical).
Radon tests above the guideline · share of tested homes, 200 Bq/m³
| Hazards | Country Hills West | Ontario | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Radon tests above the guideline | 4% | 4% | 6.6% |
| Earthquake loss per $1,000 of buildings a year | $0.022 | $0.043 | $0.030 |
NRCan seismic risk model and burned areas, Health Canada radon survey, the Flood Hazard Map Inventory · Earthquake risk published for the city of Kitchener, not by town
Households in Country Hills West earn more than those in 89% of Canadian towns
The commute to work averages 24 min. The car took 92% of commuters, higher than both Ontario’s towns (88%) and Canadian towns (89%).
How working residents got to work · census 2021
| Census 2021 | Country Hills West | Ontario | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average trip | 24 min | 29 min | 26 min |
| Car or van | 92% | 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.
3 boards run the schools in and around Country Hills West
On the tests, 3 of 29 schools land above the middle in Ontario, 14 under it. St Mary's High School is the biggest, at 2,240 students. The 3 km around Country Hills West counts 29 elementary schools and 3 secondary schools, 17,595 students between them. Schooling in French is on offer at one of the 32; in Ontario, 10% of schools teach in it.
| School | Level | Students | System |
|---|---|---|---|
| St Josephine Bakhita Catholic Elementary School CatholicLargest elementary schoolElementary · Grades JK–8 | Elementary · Grades JK–8 | 815 | English Catholic |
| St Mary's High School CatholicLargest secondary schoolSecondary · Grades 9–12 | Secondary · Grades 9–12 | 2,240 | English Catholic |
| ÉÉC Cardinal-Léger FrenchTeaches in FrenchElementary · Grades JK–6 | Elementary · Grades JK–6 | 250 | French Catholic |
Schools by system · Schools within 3 km
| Schools within 3 km | Country Hills West | Ontario | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| School boards | 3 | 4 | 3 |
Provincial school lists and results, 2024-25
Country Hills West earns a C+ for safety
Measured across the Waterloo Region (Kitchener) service area: Crime Severity Index, Violent Crime Severity Index, violent crime and property crime per 1,000
Violent incidents in its police area came to 14.2 per 1,000 residents a year, higher than both Ontario’s towns (10.5) and Canadian towns (12). The index for the force that serves it came to 72, higher than both Ontario’s towns (56) and Canadian towns (67).
Year by year · Crime Severity Index for each year
| 2023–2025 | Country Hills West | Ontario | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Violent crime | 14.2 | 10.5 | 12 |
| Crime Severity Index | 72 | 56 | 67 |
Statistics Canada, Uniform Crime Reporting Survey, 2023–2025 average
January lows in Country Hills West: −10.3°C, against −9.1°C in Ontario’s towns and −13.5°C in Canadian towns
Some 115 cm of snow falls in a typical year, below both Ontario’s towns (146 cm) and Canadian towns (141 cm). Frost usually lifts by 8 May and returns around 5 October: 149 days without it. January is the snowiest month, with 32 cm on average. A normal July brings 96 mm of precipitation, more than any other month.
Average high by season · ECCC normals, 1991–2020
| Normals, 1991–2020 | Country Hills West | Ontario | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Snowfall a year | 115 cm | 146 cm | 141 cm |
| January night low | −10.3°C | −9.1°C | −13.5°C |
| July afternoon high | 26.6°C | 26.7°C | 25.5°C |
| Days with frost a year | 156 | 139 | 159 |
Environment and Climate Change Canada, Canadian Climate Normals 1991–2020 (Kitchener/Waterloo)
Who lives in Country Hills West: a median age of 41.8, 2,045 households
25% of residents belong to a visible minority, about level with Ontario’s towns (26%) and above Canadian towns (15%). First Nations, Métis and Inuit people make up 1.7% 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 50.0% of Country Hills West
Here the census found 2,970 women and 2,965 men; across Canada the share of women is 50.9%.
| Country Hills West | Ontario | Canada | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 15 | 16% | 15% | 16% |
| 15 to 64 | 66% | 65% | 64% |
| 65+ | 19% | 19% | 19% |
| No certificate, diploma or degree | 18% | 15% | 16% |
| Postsecondary qualification | 52% | 56% | 56% |
Statistics Canada, Census 2021; Ontario and Canada: medians of towns of 2,500+
Expect November days around 7°C in Country Hills West, nights around −2°C
Snow is normal by November, about 9 cm over the month. Rain and snow over a typical November come to 75 mm. Into December, the normals move to 1°C and −6°C. Over the year, July is warmest at 27°C by day and January coldest at −10°C by night.
Normal highs, the months ahead · ECCC normals, 1991–2020
| Season | High | Low | Rain and snow |
|---|---|---|---|
| Winter | −1°C | −9°C | 167 mm |
| Spring | 12°C | 0°C | 218 mm |
| Summer | 25°C | 13°C | 244 mm |
| Autumn | 14°C | 4°C | 221 mm |
ECCC normals, 1991–2020 (Kitchener/Waterloo); the forecast is on the Weather page
Council seats in Kitchener are spread thin, 29,450 residents each, more than in 98% of Ontario municipalities
For federal votes, Country Hills West belongs to Kitchener South—Hespeler, its riding (a federal electoral district, which elects one MP); Matt Strauss (Conservative Party of Canada) holds it.
| Turnout | Country Hills West | Ontario | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Municipal election, 2022 | 20% | 31% | 31% |
Wikidata, MAMH, MMAH, Statistics Canada
No public library stands in Country Hills West: the closest, Southwest Community Library, is 1.6 km away
The library figures on this page are Kitchener’s: Kitchener public library serves all 292,240 people of the city, Country Hills West among them.
Provincial library statistics, OpenStreetMap, the CRA and Statistics Canada
Country Hills West has 20 public protected areas within 10 km
0.1 km out lies the largest, Huron Natural Area, at 96 ha. The nearest provincial park, Trillium Woods Provincial Park, is 45 km away.
Protected land · of the land within 10 km
| Outdoors | Country Hills West | Ontario | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Public protected areas within 10 km | 20 | 4 | 4 |
| Protected land within 10 km | 2.1% | 2.3% | 2.3% |
Canadian Protected and Conserved Areas Database (CPCAD), OpenStreetMap routes and beaches
Everything we know about Country Hills West
Country Hills West’s neighbours
The nearest places of 1,000 or more. Statistics Canada
| Town | People | km | Overall | Cost | Safety | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Country Hills West | 5,936 | — | B+ | D | C+ | A |
| Country Hills | 4,561 | 1.5 | B− | D− | C+ | A |
| Alpine | 3,055 | 1.5 | B− | D− | C+ | A |
| Laurentian Hills | 10,026 | 1.6 | B− | D− | C+ | A |
| Laurentian West | 16,857 | 2.1 | B | C− | C+ | A |
| Rosenberg | 9,831 | 2.3 | B | C− | C+ | A |
| Trillium Industrial Park | 3,420 | 2.6 | B− | D− | C+ | A |
People: Statistics Canada, Census 2021. Distances: centre to centre.
About Country Hills West
Neighbourhood in Kitchener
Country Hills West is a neighbourhood of Kitchener, 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
- 5,936 (people, 2021 estimate)
- Province or territory
- Ontario
- City
- Kitchener
- Census subdivision
- 3530013
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).