New Hamburgin Wilmot, Ontario
It is part of the Kitchener - Cambridge - Waterloo metro area. It is a town of 22,890 residents in Ontario.
Is New Hamburg a good place to live?
Work and incomes are strong (A). The catch is cost of living (C−). All told, that adds up to an A− overall and a rank of #163 of 858 in Ontario. Set against the rest, it does better than just over three quarters of Canadian towns. The rest of its grades are middling: C+ for safety and B for walkability.
Rents here are the metro area's average, shared by every town and neighbourhood in it. Safety is the regional police service's figure, shared with its other towns. 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 New Hamburg stand out
The 3 things New Hamburg does most differently from other towns.
How New Hamburg grades
Each subject compares New Hamburg 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 →
The data
Data highlights are ordered by what stands out in New Hamburg.
Trips to work from New Hamburg are shorter than from Ontario’s towns or Canadian towns: 24 min on average
94% of commuters drove, above Ontario’s towns (88%) and Canadian towns (89%) alike.
How working residents got to work · census 2021
| Census 2021 | New Hamburg | Ontario | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average trip | 24 min | 29 min | 26 min |
| Car or van | 94% | 88% | 89% |
Statistics Canada, Census 2021 (labour and commuting) · Census day was in May 2021, mid-pandemic, so commuting and work figures carry the lockdowns’ mark.
New Hamburg’s schools come under 3 different boards
The largest is Resurrection Catholic Secondary School, with 1,920 students. None of them teaches in French, though one in ten schools in Ontario do. Results are mixed: 13 of 32 schools above the middle in Ontario, 4 below it. In or within 3 km of New Hamburg: 30 elementary schools and 4 secondary schools, with 21,145 students.
| School | Level | Students | System |
|---|---|---|---|
| St Josephine Bakhita Catholic Elementary School CatholicLargest elementary schoolElementary · Grades JK–8 | Elementary · Grades JK–8 | 815 | English Catholic |
| Resurrection Catholic Secondary School CatholicLargest secondary schoolSecondary · Grades 9–12 | Secondary · Grades 9–12 | 1,920 | English Catholic |
| Laurelwood Public School Top fifth in OntarioResults in the top fifth in OntarioElementary · Grades JK–8 | Elementary · Grades JK–8 | 705 | English public |
Schools by system · Schools within 3 km
| Schools within 3 km | New Hamburg | Ontario | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| School boards | 3 | 4 | 3 |
| Nearest secondary school | 2.3 km | 1.2 km | 1.2 km |
Provincial school lists and results, 2024-25
New Hamburg faces fewer hazards than 86% of Canadian towns
Fewer homes than usual carry radon here, 4% over the guideline where the typical town has 6.6%. Flood mapping exists: a study by Grand River Conservation Authority. Shaking is about as much of a worry in New Hamburg as in most places, at $0.018 a year per $1,000 of building value ($0.030 typical).
Radon tests above the guideline · share of tested homes, 200 Bq/m³
| Hazards | New Hamburg | Ontario | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Radon tests above the guideline | 4% | 4% | 6.6% |
| Earthquake loss per $1,000 of buildings a year | $0.018 | $0.043 | $0.030 |
NRCan seismic risk model and burned areas, Health Canada radon survey, the Flood Hazard Map Inventory
More households own their home in New Hamburg than in Ontario’s towns or across Canadian towns: 86%
Shelter took 30% or more of income for just over one in ten households, below both Ontario’s towns (22%) and Canadian towns (18%). Rent took nearly a fifth of household income, lower than both Ontario’s towns (22%) and Canadian towns (20%).
What homes were worth · The median owner’s estimate at the 2021 census
| Census 2021 | New Hamburg | Ontario | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Households spending 30%+ on shelter | 12% | 22% | 18% |
| Households owning their home | 86% | 76% | 74% |
| Rent as a share of income | 19% | 22% | 20% |
Statistics Canada, Census 2021; CMHC Rental Market Survey via Statistics Canada · Home values are owners’ own estimates at the May 2021 census, and incomes are for 2020. · Data for rent as a share of income and monthly rent for a two-bedroom covers the Kitchener-Cambridge-Waterloo metro area
Very good or excellent health for 53% of adults in New Hamburg’s health region
Smokers make up nearly a tenth of the region’s adults, below Ontario’s towns (10%) and Canadian towns (12%) alike. Across the region, life runs to 82.8 years on average: women 84.9, men 80.7, in 2022/2024. What sets New Hamburg apart within its region is a longer trip to hospital, 15 km for the average resident (3.7 km typical).
Very good or excellent health · adults, age-standardised
| Health | New Hamburg | 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
New Hamburg’s grade for safety: a C+
Crime Severity Index, Violent Crime Severity Index, violent crime and property crime per 1,000 for the Waterloo Region (Kitchener) service area
Its police area recorded 14.2 violent incidents per 1,000 residents a year, above Ontario’s towns (10.5) and Canadian towns (12) alike. Across the area its police cover, the Crime Severity Index averaged 72 over 2023–25, above both Ontario’s towns (56) and Canadian towns (67).
Year by year · Crime Severity Index for each year
| 2023–2025 | New Hamburg | 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 New Hamburg: −10.3°C, against −9.1°C in Ontario’s towns and −13.5°C in Canadian towns
Most of the snow comes in January, about 32 cm. The frost-free season runs from 8 May to 5 October, 149 days. The warmest stretch brings July afternoons of 26.6°C, close to Ontario’s towns (26.7°C) and above Canadian towns (25.5°C). July is the wettest month, with 96 mm of rain and snow on average.
Average high by season · ECCC normals, 1991–2020
| Normals, 1991–2020 | New Hamburg | 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)
Walk from New Hamburg: 3 mapped routes
18 areas within 10 km are protected for nature. OpenStreetMap shows one beach within 5 km, without a name. The protected share within 10 km is 0.4%, where a typical Canadian town has 2.3%. The largest named area nearby is Huron Natural Area, 96 ha, 2.9 km away.
Protected land · of the land within 10 km
| Outdoors | New Hamburg | Ontario | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Public protected areas within 10 km | 13 | 4 | 4 |
| Protected land within 10 km | 0.4% | 2.3% | 2.3% |
Canadian Protected and Conserved Areas Database (CPCAD), OpenStreetMap routes and beaches
New Hamburg in November: highs near 7°C, lows near −2°C
Snowfall in a normal November: 9 cm. Next comes December, with normal highs of 1°C and lows of −6°C. In November, the normal is 75 mm of rain and snow. July brings the warmest days, 27°C; January the coldest nights, −10°C.
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
In 2021, Kitchener—Conestoga went by only 577 votes, narrower than in 97% of ridings
New Hamburg is in Kitchener—Conestoga, its riding (a federal electoral district, which elects one MP), and the seat belongs to Tim Louis of the Liberal Party of Canada.
| Turnout | New Hamburg | Ontario | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Municipal election, 2022 | 40% | 31% | 31% |
Wikidata, MAMH, MMAH, Statistics Canada
5 public library branches serve New Hamburg
By name: Mini Library, New Dundee Branch Library, Region Of Waterloo Library - Baden Branch and 2 more.
Provincial library statistics, OpenStreetMap, the CRA and Statistics Canada
Visible minorities make up less of New Hamburg than of Ontario’s towns or Canadian towns: 4.3%
Under-15s account for 19% of the population. 10% of residents came to Canada as immigrants, above both Ontario’s towns (7.6%) and Canadian towns (6.4%). People 65 and over make up just over a fifth of the town.
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 50.6% of New Hamburg
10,590 men and 10,840 women lived here in 2021, against a share of women of 50.9% for Canada.
| New Hamburg | Ontario | Canada | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 15 | 19% | 15% | 16% |
| 15 to 64 | 60% | 65% | 64% |
| 65+ | 21% | 19% | 19% |
| No certificate, diploma or degree | 16% | 15% | 16% |
| Postsecondary qualification | 57% | 56% | 56% |
Statistics Canada, Census 2021; Ontario and Canada: medians of towns of 2,500+
New Hamburg: 1 historic place, with the highest designation
Before 1961 is when 22% of the homes went up, about level with Ontario’s towns (22%) and above Canadian towns (18%).
Historic places by designation · inside the town
Among them
- Castle Kilbride 1877
| Heritage | New Hamburg | Ontario | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Homes built before 1961 | 22% | 22% | 18% |
Canadian Register of Historic Places, Directory of Federal Heritage Designations, Québec’s Répertoire du patrimoine culturel, Wikidata; Census 2021 homes by period
Castle Kilbride and 8 more in and around New Hamburg
What there is to see in New Hamburg and within a short drive, starting with the places most people have heard of.
MuseumCastle Kilbridein town
MuseumBrubacher House4.5 km outside town, to the northeastMuseumMuseumWilmot Heritage Fire Brigades Museumin townArt galleryArt galleryChrysalides House, School of Fine Art and Gallery1.4 km outside town, to the northeastMuseumMuseumEarth Sciences Museum4.9 km outside town, to the northeastTheme parkTheme parkFear Farm3 km outside town, to the southeastPhotos: each place’s Wikidata image, from Wikimedia Commons under the licence below (our copy, resized).
Photo credits (2)
- Castle Kilbride: Tudor Costache, CC BY 2.5, Wikimedia Commons
- Brubacher House: Julius177, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons
Everything we know about New Hamburg
Famous people from New Hamburg
13 notable people were born in New Hamburg.
Photo credits
Adam Beck: Alexandra Studio, Public domain · Ted Honderich: Isillitoe at English Wikipedia, Public domain · Carl Zehr: Leigh.Sellner from Kitchener, Ontario, Canada, Canada, CC BY-SA 2.0 · Beniah Bowman: Washington George Rounds, Public domain
New Hamburg’s neighbours
The nearest places of 1,000 or more. Statistics Canada
| Town | People | km | Overall | Cost | Safety | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| New Hamburg | 22,890 | — | A− | C− | C+ | A− |
| Highland West | 12,476 | 10 | B+ | C− | C+ | A |
| Forest Heights | 14,369 | 10 | B+ | C− | C+ | A |
| Laurentian West | 16,857 | 12 | B | C− | C+ | A |
| Victoria Hills | 10,760 | 12 | B− | D− | C+ | A |
| Westmount | 5,048 | 12 | B+ | D− | C+ | A |
| Forest Hill | 5,760 | 12 | B− | D− | C+ | A |
People: Statistics Canada, Census 2021. Distances: centre to centre.
Questions about New Hamburg
Who are the people of New Hamburg?
Visible minorities are 4% of the population, where the middle of Canadian towns is 15%. Immigrants make up 10%, and Indigenous people 2%.
What kind of homes are in New Hamburg?
Single-detached houses make up 79% of the homes here, where Canadian towns sit at 64%; 0% are in high-rise apartments. 17% of households are one person, and the average is 2.7.
Is New Hamburg growing?
It added people: 20,545 in 2016, 21,429 in 2021, 4.3% more, where the middle of Canadian towns grew 4.1%. Statistics Canada’s 2025 estimate is 22,890.
How old are the people of New Hamburg?
At 42.8, its median age compares with 45.2 across Canadian towns. Children make up 19% of the population and seniors 21%.
About New Hamburg
Town in Ontario
Statistics Canada treats New Hamburg as a single census subdivision in Ontario, and TownRatings keeps to that line.
Statistics Canada: population estimates 2025 (17-10-0155), Census of Population 2021, 2021 census boundaries.
- Population
- 22,890 (people, 2025 estimate)
- Province or territory
- Ontario
- Census division
- Waterloo
- Metro area
- Kitchener - Cambridge - Waterloo
- Census subdivision
- 3530020
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).