WainfleetOntario

TownGrade

C⁺

#1,649 of 2,556

The town, home to 7,329 people, lies in Ontario. It sits within the St. Catharines - Niagara census metropolitan area.

3 places within 19 kmMap →

Photo: JFVoll · CC BY-SA 4.0

Population

7,329

people, 2025 estimate

Median age

47.2

years · Ontario’s towns: 46.8

Postsecondary

51%

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 Wainfleet a good place to live?

Buying in is costly (C−). Overall, Wainfleet earns a C+, better than two fifths of Canadian towns. In the ranking it comes #610 of 858 in Ontario. Walkability is weaker too (D). Its strongest subject is schools (A). The rest of its grades are middling: B for safety and B− for jobs & income.

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.

StrongestASchoolsWeakestDWalkability C⁻Cost of living

How Wainfleet grades

Each subject compares Wainfleet 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

WalkabilityAmong the hardest places to get around without a carDOpen →SchoolsAmong the best of the towns comparedAOpen →Cost of livingGraded on home prices against local incomesC⁻Open →Hazard riskLess exposed to natural hazards than mostB⁺Open →HealthBelow the middle of the towns comparedC⁺Open →SafetyBased on crimes reported per residentBOpen →Jobs & incomeAbout average among the towns comparedB⁻Open →

How TownRatings grades Canadian towns →

What makes Wainfleet stand out

The 3 things Wainfleet does most differently from other towns.

Picked automatically from the data

Walk, cycle or transit to work

Getting around

2% walk, cycle or take transit

Against 8% in the median of Canadian towns

Statistics Canada, Census 2021

Walkability

Behind 92%

of Canadian towns on walkability

Its walkability grade: D.

Home value ÷ household income

Housing

6.8 times household income

The middle of Canadian towns: 4.7 times

Median owner’s estimate $650,000, Census 2021; income for 2020.

The data

Data highlights are ordered by what stands out in Wainfleet.

SchoolsSchools A

Catholic schools are a larger share around Wainfleet: 7 of 12, against 34% in Ontario

12schools within 3 kmASchools Grade

3 boards run its schools. Over three years, results rose at 7 of its 11 tested schools. 2 of the 12 teach in French, against 10% of schools in Ontario. 3,240 students attend the 11 elementary schools and 1 secondary school in or within 3 km of Wainfleet.

School	Level	Students	System
McKay Public School Second fifth in OntarioLargest elementary schoolElementary · Grades JK–8	Elementary · Grades JK–8	570	English public
Port Colborne High School Second fifth in OntarioLargest secondary schoolSecondary · Grades 9–12	Secondary · Grades 9–12	420	English public
ÉIC Saint-Jean-de-Brébeuf FrenchTeaches in FrenchElementary · Grades 7–8	Elementary · Grades 7–8	60	French Catholic
Oakwood Public School Top fifth in OntarioResults in the top fifth in OntarioElementary · Grades JK–8	Elementary · Grades JK–8	245	English public

See all 12 schools →

Schools by system · Schools within 3 km

English public5

English Catholic5

French Catholic2

Schools within 3 km	Wainfleet	Ontario	Canada
Nearest secondary school	12 km	1.2 km	1.2 km
School boards	3	4	3
Nearest elementary school	2.2 km	0.5 km	0.5 km

3,240

students at the schools within 3 km, 2024-25

12 km

to the nearest secondary school

2.2 km

to the nearest elementary school

Full pageWainfleet’s schools pageOpen the full Schools page

Every school12 schools within 3 km · 11 elementary schools and 1 secondary school Results6 of 11 in the top two fifths · of the schools with results, placed against every school in Ontario Language2 of 12 teach in French · 10% of schools in Ontario The boards3 school boards · DSB Niagara Questions“What schools are there in Wainfleet?”

Provincial school lists and results, 2024-25

HousingCost of living C⁻

Most households in Wainfleet own their home: 95%, more than in Ontario’s towns or across Canadian towns

$650,000median home value, 2021C⁻Cost of living Grade

Shelter took 30% or more of income for 13% of households, lower than both Ontario’s towns (22%) and Canadian towns (18%). Rent took 19% of household income, lower than Ontario’s towns (22%) and near Canadian towns (20%). Wainfleet shares its rent as a share of income and monthly rent for a two-bedroom numbers with the rest of the St. Catharines-Niagara metro area.

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

Wainfleet$650,000

Ontario$695,000

Canadian towns$406,000

Census 2021	Wainfleet	Ontario	Canada
Households owning their home	95%	76%	74%
Households spending 30%+ on shelter	13%	22%	18%
Rent as a share of income	19%	22%	20%

$1,527

monthly rent for a two-bedroom

$1,170

median monthly shelter cost for owners, 2021

Full pageWainfleet’s cost of living pageOpen the full Cost of living page

Owners and renters95% own their home Cost of living6.8 times household income · The median owner’s estimate, $650,000, against the median household income Renting$1,527 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.

Natural hazardsHazard risk B⁺

Wainfleet is on Canada’s flood inventory: 8 listed, led by Niagara Peninsula Conservation Authority

Lowwildfire bandB⁺Hazard risk Grade

In Health Canada’s survey, just 2% of homes tested in the area exceeded 200 Bq/m³ (6.6% typical). Shaking is a bigger worry than in most places, at $0.060 a year per $1,000 of building value ($0.030 typical).

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

Wainfleet2%

Ontario’s towns4%

Canadian towns6.6%

Hazards	Wainfleet	Ontario	Canada
Radon tests above the guideline	2%	4%	6.6%
Earthquake loss per $1,000 of buildings a year	$0.060	$0.043	$0.030

$0.060

expected earthquake loss a year per $1,000 of buildings

Low

wildfire band

flood studies on the national inventory

Full pageWainfleet’s flood & hazards pageOpen the full Flood & hazards page

Flood8 flood studies on record WildfireLow wildfire band · No land burned within 25 km since 1986 Earthquakes$0.060 a year per $1,000 · Canadian towns: $0.030 Radon2% 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

HealthHealth C⁺

Very good or excellent health for 49% of adults in Wainfleet’s health region

49%very good or excellent healthC⁺Health Grade

Shared with the rest of the Niagara Regional Area Health Unit: health survey and life expectancy

Statistics Canada puts life expectancy at 81.2, about level with Canadian towns (81.5) and below Ontario’s towns (82.8). At 15%, the share of adults who smoke tops the 11% for Ontario. The town’s own part is the trip to care, and Wainfleet’s is long: 10 km to a hospital on average, against 3.7 km typical.

Very good or excellent health · adults, age-standardised

Wainfleet49%

Ontario’s towns51%

Canadian towns52%

Health	Wainfleet	Ontario	Canada
Smokers	15%	10%	12%
Chronic conditions (average share)	19%	17%	17%
Very good or excellent health	49%	51%	52%
Life expectancy at birth	81.2	82.8	81.5

81.2

years of life expectancy, 2022/2024

10 km

from homes to a hospital, on average

15%

of adults smoke, age-standardised

10 km

from homes to a pharmacy, on average

Full pageWainfleet’s health pageOpen the full Health page

Health survey49% very good or excellent health · adults, age-standardised Getting careA pharmacy 10 km away on average The wider areaLife expectancy: women 83.6, men 78.8 Conditions and habits19% with chronic conditions · adults, age-standardised

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

SafetySafety B

Wainfleet gets a B for safety

56Crime Severity Index

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

Its police area recorded 9.4 violent incidents per 1,000 residents a year, lower than both Ontario’s towns (10.5) and Canadian towns (12). For every 1,000 residents of its police area, 25.1 property crimes are reported each year.

Year by year · Crime Severity Index for each year

202355

202459

202554

2023–2025	Wainfleet	Ontario	Canada
Property crime per 1,000	25.1	30.5	31.2
Violent crime	9.4	10.5	12

non-violent Crime Severity Index

37%

of incidents cleared, 2023–25

Full pageWainfleet’s safety reportOpen the full Safety report

Safety56 Crime Severity Index · The index weighs each crime Wainfleet’s police recorded by how serious it is.Questions“Is Wainfleet safe?”

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

Climate

Winters are mild in Wainfleet: January nights hold at −8.0°C, above Ontario’s towns and Canadian towns

26.8°CJuly afternoons

The warmest stretch brings July afternoons of 26.8°C, near Ontario’s towns (26.7°C) and higher than Canadian towns (25.5°C). The frost-free season runs from 6 May to 14 October, 160 days. A normal January brings 44 cm of snow, the most of any month. Rain and snow peak in September, at 96 mm.

Average high by season · ECCC normals, 1991–2020

Winter1.2°C

Spring12.5°C

Summer25.8°C

Autumn15.5°C

Normals, 1991–2020	Wainfleet	Ontario	Canada
January night low	−8.0°C	−9.1°C	−13.5°C
July afternoon high	26.8°C	26.7°C	25.5°C
Days with frost a year	134	139	159
Precipitation a year	967 mm	902 mm	883 mm

134

days with frost a year

160

frost-free days, 6 May to 14 Oct

128

days with precipitation a year

Full pageWainfleet’s climate pageOpen the full Climate page

The yearJuly highs 26.8°C, January lows −8.0°C Rain and snow967 mm a year · Canadian towns: 883 mm Snow141 cm of snow a year Weather station14 km to the station · Welland-Pelham

Environment and Climate Change Canada, Canadian Climate Normals 1991–2020 (Welland-Pelham)

Weather

What November brings in Wainfleet: freezing at night, 9°C by day

9°Ca normal November afternoon

Rain and snow over a typical November come to 84 mm. A normal December brings highs of 3°C, lows of −4°C. The forecast on the Weather page is ECCC’s for Port Colborne.

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

November9°C

December3°C

January0°C

February1°C

Season	High	Low	Rain and snow
Winter	1°C	−7°C	216 mm
Spring	13°C	2°C	234 mm
Summer	26°C	15°C	248 mm
Autumn	15°C	6°C	268 mm

0°C

a normal November night

84 mm

of rain and snow in a normal November

Full pageWainfleet’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 February

ECCC normals, 1991–2020 (Welland-Pelham); the forecast is on the Weather page

Town hall

Niagara West turned out at 72% in 2021, higher than 97% of Canada’s ridings

In October 2022, Wainfleet elected Brian Grant as mayor, with a council of 5.

Turnout	Wainfleet	Ontario	Canada
Municipal election, 2022	41%	31%	31%

Full pageWainfleet’s town hall & politics pageOpen the full Town hall & politics page

Who runs itTownship Member of ParliamentDean Allison

Wikidata, MAMH, MMAH, Statistics Canada

Library & civic lifeCivic life grade C

More loans per person served than 85% of Ontario’s town libraries: Wainfleet Public Library lends 6.6

Wainfleet Public Library serves 6,887 people from a single building.

Full pageWainfleet’s library & civic life pageOpen the full Library & civic life page

A year at the library3 visits per person served The libraries1 Libraries Places to belong1.2 charities per 1,000 residents

Provincial library statistics, OpenStreetMap, the CRA and Statistics Canada

Work & commuteJobs & income B⁻

Most of Wainfleet works elsewhere: the town has 0.3 jobs for each resident in work

2%walk, cycle or take transit

The commute to work averages 30 min.

How working residents got to work · census 2021

Car or van97%

Walk2%

Census 2021	Wainfleet	Ontario	Canada
Average trip	30 min	29 min	26 min

$96,000

median household income, 2020

22%

worked from home, May 2021

14%

of commuters work inside the municipality

Full pageWainfleet’s work & commute pageOpen the full Work & commute page

Unemployment9.2% unemployed · Of the labour force · Canadian towns: 9.9%Getting to work2% walk, cycle or take transit Where people commute to310 commuters · The biggest flow out: to Port Colborne

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

Who lives here

Fewer of Wainfleet’s people belong to a visible minority than in Ontario’s towns or Canadian towns: 1.8%

47.2median age

Just over a fifth of residents are 65 or over, above both Ontario’s towns (19%) and Canadian towns (19%). Immigrants make up nearly one in ten residents, above both Ontario’s towns (7.6%) and Canadian towns (6.4%).

WainfleetOntarioCanada

OntarioCanada

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

21%

Schooling · Highest qualification, residents 15 and over

No certificate, diploma or degree14%

Postsecondary qualification51%

Women and men · all residents

48.9% of Wainfleet’s residents are women

The 2021 census counted 3,370 women and 3,515 men here, where women make up 50.9% of Canada.

Who lives in Wainfleet
	Wainfleet	Ontario	Canada
Under 15	16%	15%	16%
15 to 64	63%	65%	64%
65+	21%	19%	19%
No certificate, diploma or degree	14%	15%	16%
Postsecondary qualification	51%	56%	56%

Full pageWainfleet’s Who lives here pageOpen the full Who lives here page

Immigrants8% are immigrants · 2% belong to a visible minority Ages47.2 median age · 21% are 65 or over Households2,615 households · 2.6 people per household English and French6% speak both · 0% speak French but not English

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

Outdoors

Beaches near Wainfleet: 8 within 5 km

1.4%of the land within 10 km protected

For a national park, Rouge National Urban Park is 93 km away. 9.0 km from town is Rock Point Provincial Park, the nearest provincial park. 16 areas within 10 km are protected for nature. Out to 10 km from the town’s edge, 1.4% of the land is protected; 2.3% is typical for a Canadian town.

Protected land · of the land within 10 km

Wainfleet1.4%

Ontario’s towns2.3%

Canadian towns2.3%

Outdoors	Wainfleet	Ontario	Canada
Protected land within 10 km	1.4%	2.3%	2.3%
Public protected areas within 10 km	3	4	4

93 km

to Rouge National Urban Park

9.0 km

to Rock Point Provincial Park

beaches within 5 km

Full pageWainfleet’s outdoors pageOpen the full Outdoors page

Protected landof the land within 10 km Protected areas16 protected areas within 10 km · Wainfleet Bog Conservation Reserve National & provincial parks93 km to a national park · Rouge National Urban Park

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

History

An older town: 37% of Wainfleet’s homes predate 1961

37%built before 1961

37%

of homes built before 1961 · Canadian towns 18%

Heritage	Wainfleet	Ontario	Canada
Homes built before 1961	37%	22%	18%

Full pageWainfleet’s history pageOpen the full History page

Older homes37% built before 1961 · Canadian towns: 18%Questions“How many historic places does Wainfleet have?”

Canadian Register of Historic Places, Directory of Federal Heritage Designations, Québec’s Répertoire du patrimoine culturel, Wikidata; Census 2021 homes by period

Keep exploring

Everything we know about Wainfleet

15pages on Wainfleet

The big questions

SafetyBCrime Severity Index 56 Housing & costC⁻Homes 6.8 × income Property pricesSchoolsA12 schools within 3 km HealthC⁺Life expectancy 81.2 in its region Work & commuteB⁻56% of adults in work Natural hazardsB⁺Wildfire band: low

Out and about

Outdoors1.4% of the land within 10 km protected AttractionsClimateJuly afternoons around 27°C WeatherECCC’s forecast, beside the normals

The story

Who lives hereMedian age 47.2 HistoryTown hallFamous people

Nearby attractions

Arts Place Gallery and 5 more in and around Wainfleet

Museums, historic sites, parks, gardens and days out in and near Wainfleet, the best known first.

All attractions →

Art galleryArt galleryArts Place Gallery2.4 km outside town, to the east MuseumMuseumPort Colborne Historical and Marine Museum2.4 km outside town, to the east MuseumMuseumWelland Historical Museum3.3 km outside town, to the northeast MuseumMuseumCentral Fire Station3.7 km outside town, to the northeast Historic siteHistoric siteTown Bell3.6 km outside town, to the northeast AttractionAttractionWelland Farmers Market3.5 km outside town, to the northeast

Famous people from Wainfleet

5 notable people were born in Wainfleet.

See all 5 →

David ThompsonCanadian businessman and political figure · 1836–1886

Glen ShirtonCanadian ice hockey player · born 1947

Tanya MemmeCanadian actress · born 1971

Mary Elizabeth KinnearCanadian politician · 1898–1991

David ShoaltsCanadian sports reporter and columnist · born 1955

Photo credits

David Thompson: William James Topley, Public domain

About Wainfleet

Town in Ontario

For Wainfleet, TownRatings uses Statistics Canada’s census-subdivision boundary in Ontario, and every figure on its pages covers that whole area.

Statistics Canada: population estimates 2025 (17-10-0155), Census of Population 2021, 2021 census boundaries.

Population: 7,329 (people, 2025 estimate)
Province or territory: Ontario
Census division: Niagara
Metro area: St. Catharines - Niagara
Census subdivision: 3526014

Wainfleet’s neighbours

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

Port ColborneWellandPelhamWainfleet

How the neighbours grade

Town	People	km	Overall	Cost	Safety	Health
Wainfleet	7,329	—	C⁺	C⁻	B	C⁺
Port Colborne	21,921	14	C⁺	D	B	C⁺
Welland	66,480	14	C⁺	D⁻	B	C⁺
Pelham	19,980	15	B⁺	C	B	C⁺

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

Questions about Wainfleet

Is Wainfleet growing?

Between the 2016 and 2021 censuses it went from 6,372 to 6,887 residents (up 8.1%; Canadian towns’ median: 4.1%), and Statistics Canada now estimates 7,329.

Who are the people of Wainfleet?

Visible minorities are 2% of the population, where the middle of Canadian towns is 15%. Immigrants make up 8%, and Indigenous people 3%.

What kind of homes are in Wainfleet?

96% of homes are single-detached houses, against 64% for the median of Canadian towns, and 0% are in apartment buildings of five storeys or more. A household averages 2.6 people; 20% are one person living alone.

Is Wainfleet a young town or an old one?

Its median age is 47.2, where Canadian towns sit at 45.2. Under-15s are 16% of residents; over-65s, 21%.

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).