Fisher HeightsOttawa
This neighbourhood in Ottawa has a population of 6,451. Ottawa is split into 103 neighbourhoods, and this is one.
Is Fisher Heights a good place to live?
A town of contrasts. Its lowest grade is for cost of living (D−). Health is a strength (A). Overall, that makes a C+, good for #574 of 858 in Ontario. Set against the rest, it does better than 44% of Canadian towns. Its other grades sit near the middle: B for schools and C+ for jobs & income.
Rents here are the metro area's average, shared by every town and neighbourhood in it. Safety uses the city's Crime Severity Index, scaled by this neighbourhood's own violent and property 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 Fisher Heights stand out
The 3 things Fisher Heights does most differently from other towns.
How Fisher Heights grades
Each subject compares Fisher Heights 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 →
Carleton University and 22 more in and around Fisher Heights
The best-known places to visit in and around Fisher Heights come first; the full list is on the Attractions page.
MuseumCarleton University2.5 km outside town, to the north
ZooCanada Agriculture and Food Museum2 km outside town, to the north
WaterfallHog's Back Falls1.5 km outside town, to the northeast
GardenCommissioners Park3.3 km outside town, to the north
National historic siteDominion Observatory2.5 km outside town, to the northCathedralCathedralSt. Elias Antiochian Orthodox Cathedral1.9 km outside town, to the northeastPhotos: each place’s Wikidata image, from Wikimedia Commons under the licence below (our copy, resized).
Photo credits (5)
- Carleton University: Harleyd613, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Canada Agriculture and Food Museum: P199, Public domain, Wikimedia Commons
- Hog's Back Falls: D. Gordon E. Robertson, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Commissioners Park: P199, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Dominion Observatory: Lezumbalaberenjena, Public domain, Wikimedia Commons
The data
Data highlights are ordered by what stands out in Fisher Heights.
Rent takes more of local pay in Fisher Heights than in Ontario’s towns or Canadian towns: 27% of household income
Owners put the median home at $700,000, about level with Ontario’s towns ($695,000) and above Canadian towns ($406,000).
What homes were worth · The median owner’s estimate at the 2021 census
| Census 2021 | Fisher Heights | Ontario | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rent as a share of income | 27% | 22% | 20% |
| Households spending 30%+ on shelter | 27% | 22% | 18% |
| Median home value, 2021 | $700,000 | $695,000 | $406,000 |
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. · Not measured by town: rent as a share of income and monthly rent for a two-bedroom (the Ottawa-Gatineau metro area)
Few places match Fisher Heights for health: it beats 95% of Canadian towns
Life expectancy in the region is 83.7 years (85.7 for women, 81.6 for men, 2022/2024). At 8.6%, the share of adults who smoke sits under the 11% for Ontario. In the health survey, 56% of adults in the region rated their health very good or excellent, higher than both Ontario’s towns (51%) and Canadian towns (52%). The town’s own part is the trip to care: residents of Fisher Heights live 3.1 km from a hospital on average, close to the typical town’s 3.7 km. Figures for health survey and life expectancy are published for the City of Ottawa Health Unit as a whole, not for Fisher Heights alone.
Very good or excellent health · adults, age-standardised
| Health | Fisher Heights | Ontario | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Very good or excellent health | 56% | 51% | 52% |
| Life expectancy at birth | 83.7 | 82.8 | 81.5 |
| Smokers | 8.6% | 10% | 12% |
| Chronic conditions (average share) | 16% | 17% | 17% |
Statistics Canada, Canadian Community Health Survey 2023/2024 and life expectancy 2022/2024; Open Database of Healthcare Facilities
Fisher Heights’s grade for safety: a C
Violence across its police area runs at 8 per 1,000 residents a year. The index for the force that serves it came to 55, near Ontario’s towns (56) and lower than Canadian towns (67). For Crime Severity Index, Violent Crime Severity Index, violent crime and property crime per 1,000, the only official count covers all of the Ottawa service area, Fisher Heights included.
Year by year · Crime Severity Index for each year
| 2023–2025 | Fisher Heights | Ontario | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Violent crime | 8 | 10.5 | 12 |
| Violent Crime Severity Index | 66 | 76 | 86 |
| Crime Severity Index | 55 | 56 | 67 |
Statistics Canada, Uniform Crime Reporting Survey, 2023–2025 average
Wildfire low, radon 6.2%: how Fisher Heights stands on hazards
Averaged over the years, quake damage costs $0.15 per $1,000 of buildings, above Ontario’s towns ($0.043) and Canadian towns ($0.030) alike. Flood mapping: none on the national inventory for Fisher Heights. Fisher Heights doesn’t get its own earthquake risk figures; the ones here come from the city of Ottawa.
Radon tests above the guideline · share of tested homes, 200 Bq/m³
| Hazards | Fisher Heights | Ontario | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Earthquake loss per $1,000 of buildings a year | $0.15 | $0.043 | $0.030 |
| Radon tests above the guideline | 6.2% | 4% | 6.6% |
NRCan seismic risk model and burned areas, Health Canada radon survey, the Flood Hazard Map Inventory
January nights in Fisher Heights drop to −14.0°C (Ontario towns −9.1°C, Canadian towns −13.5°C)
A normal July day peaks at 26.7°C, close to Ontario’s towns (26.7°C) and above Canadian towns (25.5°C). Frost usually lifts by 30 April and returns around 6 October: 158 days without it. The most precipitation falls in June: 95 mm in a normal year. Snow peaks in January: 45 cm in a normal year.
Average high by season · ECCC normals, 1991–2020
| Normals, 1991–2020 | Fisher Heights | Ontario | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Snowfall a year | 185 cm | 146 cm | 141 cm |
| January night low | −14.0°C | −9.1°C | −13.5°C |
| July afternoon high | 26.7°C | 26.7°C | 25.5°C |
| Days with frost a year | 147 | 139 | 159 |
Environment and Climate Change Canada, Canadian Climate Normals 1991–2020 (Ottawa (City))
Fisher Heights has a smaller share of its working-age people in jobs than 74% of Canadian towns
The average trip to work took 25 min, below both Ontario’s towns (29 min) and Canadian towns (26 min).
How working residents got to work · census 2021
| Census 2021 | Fisher Heights | Ontario | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average trip | 25 min | 29 min | 26 min |
Statistics Canada, Census 2021 (labour and commuting) · These are May 2021 figures, gathered while COVID-19 kept many people home or out of work.
More of the land around Fisher Heights is protected than around nearly 9 in 10 Canadian towns
Count 31 protected areas within 10 km of town. Rideau Canal National Historic Site (19,972 ha) is the biggest, 0.9 km from town. 33 km from town is Rideau River Provincial Park, the nearest provincial park. The nearest national park is Thousand Islands National Park, 88 km away.
Protected land · of the land within 10 km
| Outdoors | Fisher Heights | Ontario | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Protected land within 10 km | 11% | 2.3% | 2.3% |
| Public protected areas within 10 km | 13 | 4 | 4 |
Canadian Protected and Conserved Areas Database (CPCAD), OpenStreetMap routes and beaches
Four parallel systems run Fisher Heights’s schools through 4 boards: English and French, public and Catholic
Within 3 km of Fisher Heights are 23 elementary schools, 9 secondary schools and 1 alternative or adult school, teaching 14,785 students. Results have climbed at 12 of 25 schools over three years. The largest is Merivale High School, with 1,440 students. Also worth knowing: the 25 with results split, 10 in the upper two fifths in Ontario and 8 in the lower.
| School | Level | Students | System |
|---|---|---|---|
| Broadview Public School Second fifth in OntarioLargest elementary schoolElementary · Grades JK–8 | Elementary · Grades JK–8 | 865 | English public |
| Merivale High School Top fifth in OntarioLargest secondary schoolSecondary · Grades 9–12 | Secondary · Grades 9–12 | 1,440 | English public |
| École élémentaire catholique Laurier-Carrière FrenchTeaches in FrenchElementary · Grades JK–6 | Elementary · Grades JK–6 | 430 | French Catholic |
Schools by system · Schools within 3 km
| Schools within 3 km | Fisher Heights | Ontario | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| School boards | 4 | 4 | 3 |
Provincial school lists and results, 2024-25
Visible minorities make up more of Fisher Heights than of Ontario’s towns or Canadian towns: 47%
Children under 15 make up 18%, above both Ontario’s towns (15%) and Canadian towns (16%). People 65 and over make up 15% 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
49.9% of Fisher Heights’ residents are women
Census 2021 put women at 3,220 and men at 3,235; women are 50.9% of Canada.
| Fisher Heights | Ontario | Canada | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 15 | 18% | 15% | 16% |
| 15 to 64 | 67% | 65% | 64% |
| 65+ | 15% | 19% | 19% |
| No certificate, diploma or degree | 15% | 15% | 16% |
| Postsecondary qualification | 60% | 56% | 56% |
Statistics Canada, Census 2021; Ontario and Canada: medians of towns of 2,500+
What November brings in Fisher Heights: −2°C at night, 6°C by day
About 16 cm of snow falls in a normal November. Into December, the normals move to −2°C and −9°C. Precipitation in November averages 72 mm. Hour-by-hour figures come from ECCC’s Ottawa (Kanata - Orléans) forecast, on the Weather page.
Normal highs, the months ahead · ECCC normals, 1991–2020
| Season | High | Low | Rain and snow |
|---|---|---|---|
| Winter | −3°C | −12°C | 191 mm |
| Spring | 11°C | 1°C | 223 mm |
| Summer | 26°C | 15°C | 275 mm |
| Autumn | 13°C | 4°C | 249 mm |
ECCC normals, 1991–2020 (Ottawa (City)); the forecast is on the Weather page
Each person Ottawa Public Library serves borrows 7.6 items, more than at 91% of Ontario’s town libraries
The library figures on this page are Ottawa’s: Ottawa Public Library serves all 1,083,550 people of the city, Fisher Heights among them.
Provincial library statistics, OpenStreetMap, the CRA and Statistics Canada
Everything we know about Fisher Heights
Fisher Heights’ neighbours
The nearest places of 1,000 or more. Statistics Canada
| Town | People | km | Overall | Cost | Safety | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fisher Heights | 6,451 | — | C+ | D− | C | A |
| Borden Farm - Fisher Glen | 11,100 | 1 | B+ | D− | A | A |
| Carleton Heights-Courtland Park | 8,621 | 1.6 | B− | D− | C+ | A |
| Carlington | 16,354 | 1.8 | B− | D− | B− | A+ |
| Braemar Park-Belair Heights-Copeland Park | 9,248 | 2.2 | B | D | C | A |
| City View | 6,468 | 2.3 | B− | D− | C | A |
| Crestview-Tanglewood | 8,302 | 2.8 | B+ | D | B+ | A |
People: Statistics Canada, Census 2021. Distances: centre to centre.
Questions about Fisher Heights
Do people in Fisher Heights speak French?
Many do: 25% are bilingual in English and French (Canadian towns’ median: 8%), and 0.9% speak French only.
About Fisher Heights
Neighbourhood in Ottawa
Where Fisher Heights begins and ends inside Ottawa 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
- 6,451 (people, 2021 estimate)
- Province or territory
- Ontario
- City
- Ottawa
- Census subdivision
- 3506008
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).