Canada›Ontario›Kitchener

Grand River NorthKitchener

TownGrade

B⁺

#660 of 2,556

In Kitchener, this neighbourhood has 3,823 residents. It is one of 37 neighbourhoods of Kitchener.

6 places within 19 kmMap →

Photo: JFVoll · CC BY-SA 4.0

Population

3,823

people, Census 2021

Median age

years · Ontario’s towns: 46.8

Postsecondary

53%

of residents 15 and over hold a postsecondary certificate, diploma or degree · Canadian towns: 56%

Walk, cycle, transit

walk, cycle or take transit to work · Canadian towns: 8%

Is Grand River North a good place to live?

Plenty to like here, at a price. The local economy does well (A). Prices are high against local incomes (C−). Overall, that makes a B+, good for #218 of 858 in Ontario. Nationally, it does better than 71% of Canadian towns. Its remaining grades are unremarkable: C+ for safety and C+ for walkability.

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.

StrongestAJobs & income AHealth A⁻Hazard riskWeakestC⁻Cost of living

How Grand River North grades

Each subject compares Grand River North 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 grading works

Jobs & incomeGraded on incomes, poverty and employmentAOpen →HealthAmong the healthiest places comparedAOpen →Hazard riskAmong the best of the towns comparedA⁻Open →Cost of livingGraded on home prices against local incomesC⁻Open →SchoolsSchools do better than mostA⁻Open →SafetyNear typical for the towns comparedC⁺Open →WalkabilityGraded on how easily people get around without a carC⁺Open →

How TownRatings grades Canadian towns →

What makes Grand River North stand out

The 3 things Grand River North does most differently from other towns.

Picked automatically from the data

Median household income, 2020

Income

$115,600 median household income

The median of Canadian towns: $81,000

Statistics Canada, Census 2021: household income in 2020.

Jobs & income

Better than 91%

of Canadian towns on jobs & income

Its jobs & income grade: A.

Health

Better than 89%

of Canadian towns on health

Its health grade: A.

The data

Data highlights are ordered by what stands out in Grand River North.

Work & commuteJobs & income A

Trips to work from Grand River North are shorter than from Ontario’s towns or Canadian towns: 22 min on average

1%walk, cycle or take transit

Driving is how 97% of commuters got to work at the census.

How working residents got to work · census 2021

Car or van97%

Bicycle1%

Census 2021	Grand River North	Ontario	Canada
Average trip	22 min	29 min	26 min
Car or van	97%	88%	89%

$115,600

median household income, 2020

26%

worked from home, May 2021

44%

of commuters work inside the municipality

Full pageGrand River North’s work & commute pageOpen the full Work & commute page

Unemployment9.4% unemployed · Of the labour force · Canadian towns: 9.9%Getting to work1% walk, cycle or take transit

Statistics Canada, Census 2021 (labour and commuting) · These are May 2021 figures, gathered while COVID-19 kept many people home or out of work.

HealthHealth A

Grand River North gets an A for health

53%very good or excellent healthAHealth Grade

Health survey and life expectancy for the Waterloo Health Unit

In the health survey, 53% of adults in the region rate their health very good or excellent, more than Ontario’s 51%. At 9%, the share of adults who smoke sits under the 11% for Ontario. Across the region, life runs to 82.8 years on average: women 84.9, men 80.7, in 2022/2024. Closer to home, a hospital sits 4.3 km from the average resident of Grand River North, about the norm of 3.7 km.

Very good or excellent health · adults, age-standardised

Grand River North53%

Ontario’s towns51%

Canadian towns52%

Health	Grand River North	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

82.8

years of life expectancy, 2022/2024

of adults smoke, age-standardised

0.7 km

from homes to a pharmacy, on average

Full pageGrand River North’s health pageOpen the full Health page

Health survey53% very good or excellent health · adults, age-standardised Getting care4.3 km to a hospital · A pharmacy 0.7 km away on average The wider areaLife expectancy: women 84.9, men 80.7 Conditions and habits16% with chronic conditions · adults, age-standardised

Statistics Canada, Canadian Community Health Survey 2023/2024 and life expectancy 2022/2024; Open Database of Healthcare Facilities

Natural hazardsHazard risk A⁻

Flood mapping exists for Grand River North: 1 on record, latest by Grand River Conservation Authority

Lowwildfire bandA⁻Hazard risk Grade

Source area for earthquake risk: the city of Kitchener

Radon is lower than usual: 4% of tested homes in the survey area topped the guideline, against 6.6% for the typical town. Seismic risk in Grand River North sits near the middle: $0.022 of expected damage per $1,000 of buildings a year, the typical town $0.030.

Radon tests above the guideline · share of tested homes, 200 Bq/m³

Grand River North4%

Ontario’s towns4%

Canadian towns6.6%

Hazards	Grand River North	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

Low

wildfire band

flood study on the national inventory

Full pageGrand River North’s flood & hazards pageOpen the full Flood & hazards page

FloodOne flood study on record WildfireLow wildfire band · No land burned within 25 km since 1986 Earthquakes$0.022 a year per $1,000 · Canadian towns: $0.030 Radon4% of tests above the guideline Be readyAlerts, FireSmart and radon tests

NRCan seismic risk model and burned areas, Health Canada radon survey, the Flood Hazard Map Inventory

HousingCost of living C⁻

Grand River North is a town of owners: 91% of households own their home, above Ontario’s towns and Canadian towns

$700,000median home value, 2021C⁻Cost of living Grade

Measured across the Kitchener-Cambridge-Waterloo metro area: rent as a share of income and monthly rent for a two-bedroom

Owners put the median home at $700,000, close to Ontario’s towns ($695,000) and above Canadian towns ($406,000). Just over one in ten households spent 30% or more of their income on shelter, lower than both Ontario’s towns (22%) and Canadian towns (18%).

What homes were worth · The median owner’s estimate at the 2021 census

Grand River North$700,000

Ontario$695,000

Canadian towns$406,000

Census 2021	Grand River North	Ontario	Canada
Households spending 30%+ on shelter	12%	22%	18%
Households owning their home	91%	76%	74%
Median home value, 2021	$700,000	$695,000	$406,000
Rent as a share of income	19%	22%	20%

$1,816

monthly rent for a two-bedroom

Full pageGrand River North’s cost of living pageOpen the full Cost of living page

Owners and renters91% own their home Cost of living6.1 times household income · The median owner’s estimate, $700,000, against the median household income Renting$1,816 a month · A two-bedroom apartment, CMHC’s survey

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.

SchoolsSchools A⁻

3 boards run the schools in and around Grand River North

24schools within 3 kmA⁻Schools Grade

Within 3 km of Grand River North are 19 elementary schools, 4 secondary schools and 1 alternative or adult school, teaching 10,435 students. Grand River Collegiate Institute is the biggest, at 1,560 students. Results are mixed: 6 of 16 schools above the middle in Ontario, 7 below it. Schooling in French is on offer at 2 of 24; in Ontario, 10% of schools teach in it.

School	Level	Students	System
Chicopee Hills Public School Middle fifth in OntarioLargest elementary schoolElementary · Grades JK–8	Elementary · Grades JK–8	795	English public
Grand River Collegiate Institute Middle fifth in OntarioLargest secondary schoolSecondary · Grades 9–12	Secondary · Grades 9–12	1,560	English public
École secondaire David Saint-Jacques FrenchTeaches in FrenchSecondary · Grades 9–12	Secondary · Grades 9–12	105	French public

See all 24 schools →

Schools by system · Schools within 3 km

English public15

English Catholic7

French public2

Schools within 3 km	Grand River North	Ontario	Canada
School boards	3	4	3

10,435

students at the schools within 3 km, 2024-25

0.8 km

to the nearest secondary school

Full pageGrand River North’s schools pageOpen the full Schools page

The boards3 school boards · Waterloo Region DSB Every school24 schools within 3 km · 19 elementary schools, 4 secondary schools and 1 alternative or adult school Results6 of 16 in the top two fifths · of the schools with results, placed against every school in Ontario Language2 of 24 teach in French · 10% of schools in Ontario Questions“What schools are there in Grand River North?”

Provincial school lists and results, 2024-25

SafetySafety C⁺

Grand River North gets a C+ for safety

72Crime Severity Index

Area-wide: Crime Severity Index, Violent Crime Severity Index, violent crime and property crime per 1,000, counted over the Waterloo Region (Kitchener) service area

The index for the force that serves it came to 72, above Ontario’s towns (56) and Canadian towns (67) alike. Violent crime in the area its police cover: 14.2 per 1,000 people a year.

Year by year · Crime Severity Index for each year

202376

202473

202567

2023–2025	Grand River North	Ontario	Canada
Violent crime	14.2	10.5	12
Crime Severity Index	72	56	67

non-violent Crime Severity Index

32%

of incidents cleared, 2023–25

Full pageGrand River North’s safety reportOpen the full Safety report

Safety72 Crime Severity Index · The index weighs each crime Grand River North’s police recorded by how serious it is.Questions“Is Grand River North safe?”

Statistics Canada, Uniform Crime Reporting Survey, 2023–2025 average

Climate

January lows in Grand River North: −10.3°C, against −9.1°C in Ontario’s towns and −13.5°C in Canadian towns

26.6°CJuly afternoons

A normal July brings 96 mm of precipitation, more than any other month. The frost-free season runs from 8 May to 5 October, 149 days. Snow totals 115 cm over the year, below Ontario’s towns (146 cm) and Canadian towns (141 cm) alike. Most of the snow comes in January, about 32 cm.

Average high by season · ECCC normals, 1991–2020

Winter−1.0°C

Spring11.6°C

Summer25.4°C

Autumn14.2°C

Normals, 1991–2020	Grand River North	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

115 cm

of snow a year

156

days with frost a year

149

frost-free days, 8 May to 5 Oct

115

days with precipitation a year

Full pageGrand River North’s climate pageOpen the full Climate page

The yearJuly highs 26.6°C, January lows −10.3°C Rain and snow851 mm a year · Canadian towns: 883 mm Snow115 cm of snow a year Weather station4.8 km to the station · Kitchener/Waterloo

Environment and Climate Change Canada, Canadian Climate Normals 1991–2020 (Kitchener/Waterloo)

Who lives here

Who lives in Grand River North: a median age of 44, 1,360 households

44median age

Under 15: 15% of residents. 1.4% of residents have an Indigenous identity, lower than both Ontario’s towns (1.6%) and Canadian towns (2.8%).

Grand River NorthOntarioCanada

OntarioCanada

Ages · Share of residents in each age group, Census 2021

18%

Schooling · Highest qualification, residents 15 and over

No certificate, diploma or degree17%

Postsecondary qualification53%

Women and men · all residents

49.1% of Grand River North’s residents are women

Census 2021 put women at 1,875 and men at 1,945; women are 50.9% of Canada.

Who lives in Grand River North
	Grand River North	Ontario	Canada
Under 15	15%	15%	16%
15 to 64	68%	65%	64%
65+	18%	19%	19%
No certificate, diploma or degree	17%	15%	16%
Postsecondary qualification	53%	56%	56%

Full pageGrand River North’s Who lives here pageOpen the full Who lives here page

Ages44 median age · 18% are 65 or over Households1,360 households English and French5% speak both · 0% speak French but not English

Statistics Canada, Census 2021; Ontario and Canada: medians of towns of 2,500+

Weather

Expect November days around 7°C in Grand River North, nights around −2°C

7°Ca normal November afternoon

Expect about 75 mm of rain and snow over November. November usually brings some 9 cm of snow. A normal December brings highs of 1°C, lows of −6°C. The year peaks in July (27°C) and bottoms out in January (−10°C).

Normal highs, the months ahead · ECCC normals, 1991–2020

November7°C

December1°C

January−2°C

February−1°C

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

−2°C

a normal November night

75 mm

of rain and snow in a normal November

Full pageGrand River North’s weather pageOpen the full Weather page

Next 24 hoursTemperature and chance of rain, hour by hour The week aheadECCC’s days ahead, beside the normals The yearWarmest July, coldest January

ECCC normals, 1991–2020 (Kitchener/Waterloo); the forecast is on the Weather page

Town hall

29,450 residents per council seat in Kitchener, a higher ratio than 98% of Ontario municipalities

Provincially, Grand River North votes in Kitchener Centre; the open record doesn’t name its MPP (Member of Provincial Parliament, at Queen’s Park in Toronto) in the Legislative Assembly of Ontario, so the legislature’s own list is linked below.

Turnout	Grand River North	Ontario	Canada
Municipal election, 2022	20%	31%	31%

Full pageGrand River North’s town hall & politics pageOpen the full Town hall & politics page

Member of ParliamentKelly DeRidder council seats11

Wikidata, MAMH, MMAH, Statistics Canada

Library & civic lifeCivic life grade C⁺

Grand River North has no public library of its own; the nearest is K.P.L. - Grand River Stanley Park Library, 0.7 km away

Grand River North is served by Kitchener public library, the library of all of Kitchener, so the figures here are the city’s, for 292,240 people.

Full pageGrand River North’s library & civic life pageOpen the full Library & civic life page

A year at the library4.2 visits per person served Places to belong1.2 charities per 1,000 residents

Provincial library statistics, OpenStreetMap, the CRA and Statistics Canada

Outdoors

20 public protected areas lie within 10 km of Grand River North

1.8%of the land within 10 km protected

A provincial park, Forks of the Credit Provincial Park, lies 50 km away. Biggest among them: Huron Natural Area, 96 ha, 7.1 km off. For walks, the Grand Valley Trail runs within 2 km. No national park lies within 100 km.

Protected land · of the land within 10 km

Grand River North1.8%

Ontario’s towns2.3%

Canadian towns2.3%

Outdoors	Grand River North	Ontario	Canada
Public protected areas within 10 km	20	4	4
Protected land within 10 km	1.8%	2.3%	2.3%

50 km

to Forks of the Credit Provincial Park

public protected areas within 10 km

Full pageGrand River North’s outdoors pageOpen the full Outdoors page

Protected landof the land within 10 km Protected areas22 protected areas within 10 km · Huron Natural Area National & provincial parks50 km to a provincial park · Forks of the Credit Provincial Park Footpaths & routes1 named route · Grand Valley Trail

Canadian Protected and Conserved Areas Database (CPCAD), OpenStreetMap routes and beaches

Keep exploring

Everything we know about Grand River North

15pages on Grand River North

The big questions

SafetyC⁺Crime Severity Index 72 Housing & costC⁻Homes 6.1 × income Property pricesSchoolsA⁻24 schools within 3 km HealthALife expectancy 82.8 in its region Work & commuteA61% of adults in work Natural hazardsA⁻Wildfire band: low

Out and about

Outdoors1.8% of the land within 10 km protected AttractionsClimateJuly afternoons around 27°C WeatherECCC’s forecast, beside the normals

The story

Who lives hereMedian age 44 HistoryTown hallFamous people

Nearby attractions

THEMUSEUM and 13 more in and around Grand River North

Sights in Grand River North and close by, ordered by how widely each is known.

All attractions →

MuseumTHEMUSEUM4 km outside town, to the southwest

Ski hillChicopee Ski Club2.6 km outside town, to the southeast

MuseumJoseph Schneider Haus4.7 km outside town, to the southwest

MuseumWoodside2.7 km outside town, to the west ZooZooCambridge Butterfly Conservatory4.5 km outside town, to the east Water parkWater parkBingemans Big Splash500 m outside town, to the northwest

Photos: 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
Chicopee Ski Club: Beowulf cam at English Wikipedia, Public domain, 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 Grand River North

Neighbourhood in Kitchener

Where Grand River North begins and ends inside Kitchener 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: 3,823 (people, 2021 estimate)
Province or territory: Ontario
City: Kitchener
Census subdivision: 3530013

Grand River North’s neighbours

The nearest places of 1,000 or more. Statistics Canada

Heritage ParkRosemountIdlewoodStanley ParkGrand River SouthAuditoriumGrand River North

How the neighbours grade

Town	People	km	Overall	Cost	Safety	Health
Grand River North	3,823	—	B⁺	C⁻	C⁺	A
Heritage Park	6,369	0.9	B⁻	D⁻	C⁺	A
Rosemount	6,169	1.7	B	D⁻	C⁺	A
Idlewood	5,005	2	B⁺	C	C⁺	A
Stanley Park	8,721	2.4	B⁻	D⁻	C⁺	A
Grand River South	10,723	2.6	A⁻	C	C⁺	A
Auditorium	3,918	3.4	B	D⁻	C⁺	A

People: Statistics Canada, Census 2021. Distances: centre to centre.

Questions about Grand River North

Is Grand River North a young town or an old one?

At 44, its median age compares with 45.2 across Canadian towns. Children make up 15% of the population and seniors 18%.

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).