FairfieldKitchener
3,497 people call this neighbourhood in Kitchener home. It is one of the 37 neighbourhoods that make up Kitchener.
Is Fairfield a good place to live?
Fairfield’s grades pull in different directions. People here tend to be in good health (A). Prices are high against local incomes (D−). Overall, that makes a B−, good for #447 of 858 in Ontario. On that grade it does better than 55% of Canadian towns. Its remaining grades are unremarkable: C+ for safety and B− for jobs & income.
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.
How Fairfield grades
Each subject compares Fairfield 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 →
What makes Fairfield stand out
The 3 things Fairfield does most differently from other towns.
The data
Data highlights are ordered by what stands out in Fairfield.
Rent takes more of local pay in Fairfield than in Ontario’s towns or Canadian towns: 30% of household income
Area-wide: rent as a share of income and monthly rent for a two-bedroom, counted over the Kitchener-Cambridge-Waterloo metro area
The median home value was $600,000, lower than Ontario’s towns ($695,000) yet higher than Canadian towns ($406,000).
What homes were worth · The median owner’s estimate at the 2021 census
| Census 2021 | Fairfield | Ontario | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rent as a share of income | 30% | 22% | 20% |
| Households spending 30%+ on shelter | 29% | 22% | 18% |
| Median home value, 2021 | $600,000 | $695,000 | $406,000 |
Statistics Canada, Census 2021; CMHC Rental Market Survey via Statistics Canada · The 2021 census asked owners what their home was worth; those values, and 2020 incomes, are what this compares.
Fairfield earns an A for health
The health survey and life expectancy numbers here cover the Waterloo Health Unit
At 9%, the share of adults who smoke sits under the 11% for Ontario, and on top of that the three chronic conditions the survey tracks average 16% of adults, lower than both Ontario’s towns (17%) and Canadian towns (17%). Across the region, 53% of adults say their health is very good or excellent; Ontario as a whole manages 51%. Closer to home, a hospital is just 1.7 km from the average resident of Fairfield, nearer than the usual 3.7 km.
Very good or excellent health · adults, age-standardised
| Health | Fairfield | 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
A flood study covers Fairfield: 1 on the national inventory, the newest from Grand River Conservation Authority
In Health Canada’s survey, just 4% of homes tested in the area exceeded 200 Bq/m³ (6.6% typical). Shaking is about as much of a worry in Fairfield 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 | Fairfield | 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: the city of Kitchener
Four parallel systems run Fairfield’s schools through 4 boards: English and French, public and Catholic
The 26 with results split, 8 in the upper two fifths in Ontario and 14 in the lower. Cameron Heights Collegiate Institute is the biggest, at 1,765 students. Counting a 3 km margin, Fairfield has 25 elementary schools, 5 secondary schools and 1 alternative or adult school, for 16,650 students. 2 of the 31 teach in French, against 10% of schools in Ontario.
| School | Level | Students | System |
|---|---|---|---|
| St Anne Catholic Elementary School CatholicLargest elementary schoolElementary · Grades JK–8 | Elementary · Grades JK–8 | 750 | English Catholic |
| Cameron Heights Collegiate Institute Second fifth in OntarioLargest secondary schoolSecondary · Grades 9–12 | Secondary · Grades 9–12 | 1,765 | English public |
| École élémentaire L'Harmonie FrenchTeaches in FrenchElementary · Grades JK–8 | Elementary · Grades JK–8 | 290 | French public |
| St Matthew Catholic Elementary School CatholicResults in the top fifth in OntarioElementary · Grades JK–8 | Elementary · Grades JK–8 | 425 | English Catholic |
Schools by system · Schools within 3 km
| Schools within 3 km | Fairfield | Ontario | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| School boards | 4 | 4 | 3 |
Provincial school lists and results, 2024-25
Fairfield earns a C+ for safety
Source area for Crime Severity Index, Violent Crime Severity Index, violent crime and property crime per 1,000: the Waterloo Region (Kitchener) service area
The force’s area logs 14.2 violent incidents per 1,000 residents a year. Across the area its police cover, the Crime Severity Index averaged 72 over 2023–25, higher than both Ontario’s towns (56) and Canadian towns (67).
Year by year · Crime Severity Index for each year
| 2023–2025 | Fairfield | 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 nights in Fairfield drop to −10.3°C (Ontario towns −9.1°C, Canadian towns −13.5°C)
The warmest stretch brings July afternoons of 26.6°C, about level with Ontario’s towns (26.7°C) and above Canadian towns (25.5°C). Between the last spring frost, 8 May, and the first in autumn, 5 October, lie 149 days. A normal July brings 96 mm of precipitation, more than any other month. Snow peaks in January: 32 cm in a normal year.
Average high by season · ECCC normals, 1991–2020
| Normals, 1991–2020 | Fairfield | 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)
Fewer children live in Fairfield than in Ontario’s towns or Canadian towns: 11% are under 15
One in ten residents belong to a visible minority, lower than both Ontario’s towns (26%) and Canadian towns (15%). Over-65s are nearly a quarter of the population.
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 51.6% of Fairfield
The 2021 census counted 1,805 women and 1,690 men here, where women make up 50.9% of Canada.
| Fairfield | Ontario | Canada | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 15 | 11% | 15% | 16% |
| 15 to 64 | 65% | 65% | 64% |
| 65+ | 24% | 19% | 19% |
| No certificate, diploma or degree | 18% | 15% | 16% |
| Postsecondary qualification | 54% | 56% | 56% |
Statistics Canada, Census 2021; Ontario and Canada: medians of towns of 2,500+
In Fairfield, November normally means 7°C afternoons and −2°C nights
Across the year, normals run from −10°C nights in January to 27°C afternoons in July. Then December: 1°C by day, −6°C at night. Snow is normal by November, about 9 cm over the month. Rain and snow over a typical November come to 75 mm.
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
Kitchener has one council seat for every 29,450 residents, more than 98% of municipalities in Ontario
City council runs Fairfield; in October 2022, Kitchener chose Berry Vrbanovic as mayor.
| Turnout | Fairfield | Ontario | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Municipal election, 2022 | 20% | 31% | 31% |
Wikidata, MAMH, MMAH, Statistics Canada
No public library stands in Fairfield: the closest, Kitchener Public Library - Main, is 1.4 km away
The library figures on this page are Kitchener’s: Kitchener public library serves all 292,240 people of the city, Fairfield among them.
Provincial library statistics, OpenStreetMap, the CRA and Statistics Canada
Commuters in Fairfield have a short way to work, 22 min on average, less than in Ontario’s towns and across Canadian towns
At the census, 90% of commuters went by car.
How working residents got to work · census 2021
| Census 2021 | Fairfield | Ontario | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average trip | 22 min | 29 min | 26 min |
| Car or van | 90% | 88% | 89% |
Statistics Canada, Census 2021 (labour and commuting) · The 2021 census was taken in May 2021, during COVID-19 restrictions: more people than usual worked from home or were off work.
Trillium Woods Provincial Park, 51 km away, is the closest provincial park to Fairfield
Protected areas open to the public, within 10 km of the town: 18, higher than both Ontario’s towns (4) and Canadian towns (4). There is no national park within 100 km of the town. Out to 10 km from the town’s edge, 1.4% of the land is protected; 2.3% is typical for a Canadian town. The largest named area nearby is Huron Natural Area, 96 ha, 6.6 km away.
Protected land · of the land within 10 km
| Outdoors | Fairfield | Ontario | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Public protected areas within 10 km | 18 | 4 | 4 |
| Protected land within 10 km | 1.4% | 2.3% | 2.3% |
Canadian Protected and Conserved Areas Database (CPCAD), OpenStreetMap routes and beaches
Before 1961: 52% of the homes in Fairfield
| Heritage | Fairfield | Ontario | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Homes built before 1961 | 52% | 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 Fairfield
THEMUSEUM and 18 more in and around Fairfield
From museums to parks and historic sites: Fairfield’s places to visit and those just beyond its edge, most famous first.
MuseumTHEMUSEUM1.4 km outside town, to the south
Art galleryCanadian Clay and Glass Gallery1.8 km outside town, to the west
MuseumJoseph Schneider Haus1.8 km outside town, to the south
MuseumWoodside600 m outside town, to the eastGardenGardenWaterloo Park2.4 km outside town, to the westArt galleryArt galleryYoni Mudra Art Gallery800 m outside town, to the southPhotos: each place’s Wikidata image, from Wikimedia Commons under the licence below (our copy, resized).
Photo credits (4)
- THEMUSEUM: Illustratedjc, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Canadian Clay and Glass Gallery: JFVoll, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Joseph Schneider Haus: Yoho2001, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Woodside: Carole Moran from Cambridge, Ontario, Canada, CC BY 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
About Fairfield
Neighbourhood in Kitchener
TownRatings splits Kitchener into neighbourhoods drawn from census dissemination areas; Fairfield is one of them, named from the city’s map or OpenStreetMap.
Statistics Canada: population estimates 2025 (17-10-0155), Census of Population 2021, 2021 census boundaries.
- Population
- 3,497 (people, 2021 estimate)
- Province or territory
- Ontario
- City
- Kitchener
- Census subdivision
- 3530013
Fairfield’s neighbours
The nearest places of 1,000 or more. Statistics Canada
| Town | People | km | Overall | Cost | Safety | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fairfield | 3,497 | — | B− | D− | C+ | A |
| Mt. Hope Huron Park | 5,174 | 0.4 | B | D− | C+ | A |
| Central Frederick | 5,895 | 1.3 | B | D− | C+ | A |
| Bridgeport East | 3,903 | 1.3 | B | D− | C+ | A |
| City Commercial Core | 2,581 | 1.6 | B | D | C+ | A |
| Cherry Hill | 6,304 | 2 | B− | D− | C+ | A |
| Auditorium | 3,918 | 2.1 | B | D− | C+ | A |
People: Statistics Canada, Census 2021. Distances: centre to centre.
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).