WellesleyOntario
With 12,413 residents, it is a town in Ontario. Statistics Canada places it in the Waterloo census division.
Is Wellesley a good place to live?
Jobs and pay hold up well (A+). A median home here was worth $800,000 at the census, or 6.7 times what the middle household earns in a year. Pupils here do better than most (A−). The overall grade comes out at A, #56 of 858 in Ontario. Set against the rest, it does better than 89% of Canadian towns.
Figures: home values and income: Statistics Canada, Census 2021.
This town's rent is the 2021 census rent scaled to 2025 by its province's ratio of surveyed to census rents: no rental survey covers it, so its Cost Grade is less sure. 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.
How Wellesley grades
Each subject compares Wellesley 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 Wellesley stand out
The 3 things Wellesley does most differently from other towns.
The data
Data highlights are ordered by what stands out in Wellesley.
Wellesley has higher household incomes than 96% of Canadian towns
84% of commuters drove to work at the census. The average trip to work took 24 min, lower than both Ontario’s towns (29 min) and Canadian towns (26 min).
How working residents got to work · census 2021
| Census 2021 | Wellesley | Ontario | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average trip | 24 min | 29 min | 26 min |
| Car or van | 84% | 88% | 89% |
Statistics Canada, Census 2021 (labour and commuting) · Counted in May 2021, under pandemic rules: fewer commutes and more people between jobs than in a normal year.
Hazard risk in Wellesley is lower than in 88% of Canadian towns
Shaking is about as much of a worry in Wellesley as in most places, at $0.016 a year per $1,000 of building value ($0.030 typical). Radon is lower than usual: 4% of tested homes in the survey area topped the guideline, against 6.6% for the typical town. Also worth knowing: the national inventory holds one flood map for it, from Grand River Conservation Authority.
Radon tests above the guideline · share of tested homes, 200 Bq/m³
| Hazards | Wellesley | Ontario | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Earthquake loss per $1,000 of buildings a year | $0.016 | $0.043 | $0.030 |
| Radon tests above the guideline | 4% | 4% | 6.6% |
NRCan seismic risk model and burned areas, Health Canada radon survey, the Flood Hazard Map Inventory
Results around Wellesley lean high: 3 of 5 schools in the top two fifths in Ontario
The 3 km around Wellesley counts 4 elementary schools and 1 secondary school, 3,400 students between them. Within 3 km, 2 boards share the schools, below both Ontario’s towns (4) and Canadian towns (3). The largest is Laurel Heights Secondary School, with 1,765 students.
| School | Level | Students | System |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wellesley Public School Middle fifth in OntarioLargest elementary schoolElementary · Grades JK–8 | Elementary · Grades JK–8 | 630 | English public |
| Laurel Heights Secondary School Second fifth in OntarioLargest secondary schoolSecondary · Grades 9–12 | Secondary · Grades 9–12 | 1,765 | English public |
| Abraham Erb Public School Top fifth in OntarioResults in the top fifth in OntarioElementary · Grades JK–6 | Elementary · Grades JK–6 | 395 | English public |
Schools by system · Schools within 3 km
| Schools within 3 km | Wellesley | Ontario | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| School boards | 2 | 4 | 3 |
| Nearest secondary school | 13 km | 1.2 km | 1.2 km |
| Nearest elementary school | 5.3 km | 0.5 km | 0.5 km |
Provincial school lists and results, 2024-25
Around Wellesley, 53% of adults call their health very good or excellent
Smoking is rarer than in the province: 9% of adults, against 11% for Ontario. Chronic conditions run at 16% of adults, age-standardised, below both Ontario’s towns (17%) and Canadian towns (17%). The region’s 2022/2024 life expectancy is 82.8, with women at 84.9 and men at 80.7. For Wellesley itself the measure is access, and it lags: 19 km to the nearest hospital, where 3.7 km is typical.
Very good or excellent health · adults, age-standardised
| Health | Wellesley | 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 · Health survey and life expectancy: the Waterloo Health Unit
A town of families: 25% of people in Wellesley are under 15, more than in Ontario’s towns or Canadian towns
14% of residents are 65 or over. Visible minorities make up 2.2% of the population, below both Ontario’s towns (26%) and Canadian towns (15%).
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 49.8% of Wellesley
Here the census found 5,675 men and 5,640 women; the figure for women across Canada is 50.9%.
| Wellesley | Ontario | Canada | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 15 | 25% | 15% | 16% |
| 15 to 64 | 62% | 65% | 64% |
| 65+ | 14% | 19% | 19% |
| No certificate, diploma or degree | 39% | 15% | 16% |
| Postsecondary qualification | 40% | 56% | 56% |
Statistics Canada, Census 2021; Ontario and Canada: medians of towns of 2,500+
For safety, Wellesley gets a C+
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
Across the area its police cover, the Crime Severity Index averaged 72 over 2023–25, above Ontario’s towns (56) and Canadian towns (67) alike. Its police area records 14.2 violent incidents per 1,000 residents a year.
Year by year · Crime Severity Index for each year
| 2023–2025 | Wellesley | Ontario | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Violent crime | 14.2 | 10.5 | 12 |
| Crime Severity Index | 72 | 56 | 67 |
Statistics Canada, Uniform Crime Reporting Survey, 2023–2025 average
July highs in Wellesley: 25.4°C, against 26.7°C in Ontario’s towns and 25.5°C in Canadian towns
In January the thermometer sinks to −10.7°C overnight, below Ontario’s towns (−9.1°C) but above Canadian towns (−13.5°C). Rain and snow peak in July, at 96 mm. A normal January brings 32 cm of snow, the most of any month.
Average high by season · ECCC normals, 1991–2020
| Normals, 1991–2020 | Wellesley | Ontario | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Snowfall a year | 115 cm | 146 cm | 141 cm |
| July afternoon high | 25.4°C | 26.7°C | 25.5°C |
| January night low | −10.7°C | −9.1°C | −13.5°C |
| Days with frost a year | 156 | 139 | 159 |
Environment and Climate Change Canada, Canadian Climate Normals 1991–2020 (Elora)
Expect November days around 6°C in Wellesley, nights around −2°C
In November, the normal is 75 mm of rain and snow. About 9 cm of snow falls in a normal November. Across the year, normals run from −11°C nights in February to 25°C afternoons in July. Hour-by-hour figures come from ECCC’s Cambridge forecast, on the Weather page.
Normal highs, the months ahead · ECCC normals, 1991–2020
| Season | High | Low | Rain and snow |
|---|---|---|---|
| Winter | −2°C | −9°C | 167 mm |
| Spring | 11°C | 0°C | 218 mm |
| Summer | 24°C | 13°C | 244 mm |
| Autumn | 14°C | 4°C | 221 mm |
ECCC normals, 1991–2020 (Elora); the forecast is on the Weather page
Just 577 votes decided Kitchener—Conestoga in 2021, closer than 97% of Canada’s ridings
Federally, Wellesley sits in Kitchener—Conestoga, its riding (a federal electoral district, which elects one MP), held by Tim Louis of the Liberal Party of Canada.
| Turnout | Wellesley | Ontario | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Municipal election, 2022 | 24% | 31% | 31% |
Wikidata, MAMH, MMAH, Statistics Canada
3 public library branches serve Wellesley
They are Region Of Waterloo Library - Linwood Branch, Region Of Waterloo Library - St.
Provincial library statistics, OpenStreetMap, the CRA and Statistics Canada
The nearest provincial park to Wellesley is Trillium Woods Provincial Park, 46 km away
For walks, 2 named routes run within 2 km, such as the Kissing Bridge Trail and Avon Trail. There is no national park within 100 km of the town. 4 areas within 10 km are protected for nature. In addition, 1% of the land and water within 10 km is protected (the typical Canadian town: 2.3%).
Protected land · of the land within 10 km
| Outdoors | Wellesley | Ontario | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Protected land within 10 km | 1% | 2.3% | 2.3% |
| Public protected areas within 10 km | 0 | 4 | 4 |
Canadian Protected and Conserved Areas Database (CPCAD), OpenStreetMap routes and beaches
Renting in Wellesley costs 13% of household income, less than in Ontario’s towns or Canadian towns
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%). Households that own their home make up 87%.
What homes were worth · The median owner’s estimate at the 2021 census
| Census 2021 | Wellesley | Ontario | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rent as a share of income | 13% | 22% | 20% |
| Households spending 30%+ on shelter | 11% | 22% | 18% |
| Median home value, 2021 | $800,000 | $695,000 | $406,000 |
| Households owning their home | 87% | 76% | 74% |
Statistics Canada, Census 2021; CMHC Rental Market Survey via Statistics Canada · Values come from owners at the 2021 census and incomes from 2020, so they predate the later rise in rates.
Everything we know about Wellesley
Chrysalides House, School of Fine Art and Gallery and 2 more in and around Wellesley
What there is to see in Wellesley and within a short drive, starting with the places most people have heard of.
Famous people from Wellesley
4 notable people were born in Wellesley.
Photo credits
Murray D. Martin: Pitney Bowes Inc., CC BY-SA 3.0
About Wellesley
Town in Ontario
TownRatings counts Wellesley as Statistics Canada does, as one municipality in Ontario; the census, crime and housing figures all follow that boundary.
Statistics Canada: population estimates 2025 (17-10-0155), Census of Population 2021, 2021 census boundaries.
- Population
- 12,413 (people, 2025 estimate)
- Province or territory
- Ontario
- Census division
- Waterloo
- Census subdivision
- 3530027
Wellesley’s neighbours
The nearest places of 1,000 or more. Statistics Canada
| Town | People | km | Overall | Cost | Safety | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wellesley | 12,413 | — | A | B− | C+ | B+ |
| New Hamburg | 22,890 | 15 | A− | C− | C+ | A− |
| Perth East | 13,423 | 17 | A− | C− | A | B− |
| Waterloo | 142,450 | 17 | B+ | D | C+ | A |
| Elmira | 31,382 | 18 | A− | C− | C+ | A− |
| Highland West | 12,476 | 18 | B+ | C− | C+ | A |
| Westmount | 5,048 | 19 | B+ | D− | C+ | A |
People: Statistics Canada, Census 2021. Distances: centre to centre.
Questions about Wellesley
Who are the people of Wellesley?
2% of residents belong to a visible minority, against 15% for the median of Canadian towns; 1% have an Indigenous identity and 5% are immigrants.
What kind of homes are in Wellesley?
Single-detached houses make up 85% of the homes here, where Canadian towns sit at 64%; 0% are in high-rise apartments. 15% of households are one person, and the average is 3.4.
Is Wellesley growing?
Between the 2016 and 2021 censuses it went from 11,260 to 11,318 residents (up 0.5%; Canadian towns’ median: 4.1%), and Statistics Canada now estimates 12,413.
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).