Canada›Ontario›Windsor

River WestWindsor

Population 13,940: a neighbourhood in Windsor. Windsor is split into 16 neighbourhoods, and this is one.

6 places within 19 kmMap →

Photo: JFVoll · CC BY-SA 4.0

Population

13,940

people, Census 2021

Median age

30.6

years · Ontario’s towns: 46.8

Postsecondary

54%

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

Walk, cycle, transit

17%

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

TownGrade

Better than 11% of Canadian towns

Is River West a good place to live?

Jobs and pay trail most towns (D−). Prices are high against local incomes (D). Fewer journeys need a car (A+). People here tend to be in good health (B+). The overall grade comes out at D, better than just over a tenth of Canadian towns.

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. A university neighbourhood: graded, but left out of rankings (so many residents are students that income and jobs read as students' figures).

StrongestA⁺WalkabilityWeakestD⁻Jobs & income DCost of living

What makes River West stand out

The 3 things River West does most differently from other towns.

Picked automatically from the data

Households renting

Housing

68% rent their home

The median of Canadian towns: 25%

Statistics Canada, Census 2021

Walkability

Better than 99%

of Canadian towns on walkability

Its walkability grade: A+.

Median household income, 2020

Income

$50,500 median household income

The median of Canadian towns: $81,000

Statistics Canada, Census 2021: household income in 2020.

How River West grades

Each subject compares River West 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

WalkabilityNear the top of the towns comparedA⁺Open →Jobs & incomeBased on what households earn, poverty and workD⁻Open →Cost of livingHomes are among the least affordable for local incomesDOpen →SchoolsBehind most towns comparedC⁻Open →HealthBased on how healthy residents are for their agesB⁺Open →SafetyMore crime than in most townsC⁺Open →Hazard riskWeaker than most of the towns comparedC⁺Open →

How TownRatings grades Canadian towns →

Nearby attractions

Odette Sculpture Park and 13 more in and around River West

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

All attractions →

MuseumOdette Sculpture Parkin town

ChurchChurch of Our Lady of the Assumptionin town

Art galleryArt Windsor-Essex400 m outside town, to the northeast

MuseumWindsor's Community Museum600 m outside town, to the northeast MuseumMuseumCanada South Science City2.3 km outside town, to the northeast MuseumMuseumProsperity Place600 m outside town, to the southwest

Places: © OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL) · Wikidata · ODCAF · federal and Québec heritage registers · CPCAD

Photos: each place’s Wikidata image, from Wikimedia Commons under the licence below (our copy, resized).

Photo credits (4)

Odette Sculpture Park: Patricia Drury from Birmingham, United States, CC BY 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
Church of Our Lady of the Assumption: PDru2014 from Detroit, United States, CC BY 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
Art Windsor-Essex: Crisco 1492, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons
Windsor's Community Museum: Windsor's Communiy Museum at English Wikipedia, Public domain, Wikimedia Commons

The data

Data highlights are ordered by what stands out in River West.

Work & commuteJobs & income D⁻

Driving to work is less common in River West than in Ontario’s towns or Canadian towns: 75% of commuters

Workers spend 25 min getting to work, on average.

17%walk, cycle or take transit

How working residents got to work · census 2021

Car or van75%

Public transit14%

Walk2%

Bicycle1%

Census 2021	River West	Ontario	Canada
Car or van	75%	88%	89%
Average trip	25 min	29 min	26 min

$50,500

median household income, 2020

17%

worked from home, May 2021

73%

of commuters work inside the municipality

Full pageRiver West’s work & commute pageOpen the full Work & commute page

Getting to work17% walk, cycle or take transit Unemployment19% unemployed · Of the labour force · Canadian towns: 9.9%

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.

HousingCost of living D

Renting in River West eats 35% of household income, more than in Ontario’s towns and across Canadian towns

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

The median home value was $250,000, below Ontario’s towns ($695,000) and Canadian towns ($406,000) alike. Shelter took 30% or more of income for a third of households, above Ontario’s towns (22%) and Canadian towns (18%) alike.

$250,000median home value, 2021DCost of living Grade

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

River West$250,000

Ontario$695,000

Canadian towns$406,000

Census 2021	River West	Ontario	Canada
Rent as a share of income	35%	22%	20%
Households spending 30%+ on shelter	33%	22%	18%
Median home value, 2021	$250,000	$695,000	$406,000

$1,451

monthly rent for a two-bedroom

Full pageRiver West’s cost of living pageOpen the full Cost of living page

Renting$1,451 a month · A two-bedroom apartment, CMHC’s survey Cost of livingThe median owner’s estimate, $250,000, against the median household income Owners and renters33% own their home

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.

SchoolsSchools C⁻

River West’s schools belong to 4 boards that cover the same streets

Counting a 3 km margin, River West has 21 elementary schools, 6 secondary schools and 3 alternative or adult schools, for 14,340 students. On results, 14 of its 25 tested schools sit in the lower two fifths in Ontario. In French: 6 of the 30 schools, where in Ontario the share is 10%.

30schools within 3 kmC⁻Schools Grade

School	Level	Students	System
Northwood Public School Second fifth in OntarioLargest elementary schoolElementary · Grades JK–8	Elementary · Grades JK–8	895	English public
Holy Names Catholic High School CatholicLargest secondary schoolSecondary · Grades 9–12	Secondary · Grades 9–12	1,165	English Catholic
École élémentaire catholique Saint-Edmond FrenchTeaches in FrenchElementary · Grades JK–8	Elementary · Grades JK–8	295	French Catholic
École secondaire de Lamothe-Cadillac FrenchResults in the top fifth in OntarioSecondary · Grades 9–12	Secondary · Grades 9–12	135	French public

See all 30 schools →

Schools by system · Schools within 3 km

English public14

English Catholic10

French Catholic3

French public3

Schools within 3 km	River West	Ontario	Canada
School boards	4	4	3

14,340

students at the schools within 3 km, 2024-25

0.8 km

to the nearest secondary school

Full pageRiver West’s schools pageOpen the full Schools page

The boards4 school boards · Greater Essex County DSB Every school30 schools within 3 km · 21 elementary schools, 6 secondary schools and 3 alternative or adult schools Results7 of 25 in the top two fifths · of the schools with results, placed against every school in Ontario Language6 of 30 teach in French · 10% of schools in Ontario Questions“What schools are there in River West?”

Provincial school lists and results, 2024-25

HealthHealth B⁺

Around River West, 52% of adults call their health very good or excellent

12% of adults smoke, daily or now and then, about level with Canadian towns (12%) and above Ontario’s towns (10%). Statistics Canada puts the region’s life expectancy at 81.3, women 83.5 and men 79.2 (2022/2024). What sets River West apart within its region is a short trip to hospital, 1.4 km for the average resident (3.7 km typical).

52%very good or excellent healthB⁺Health Grade

Very good or excellent health · adults, age-standardised

River West52%

Ontario’s towns51%

Canadian towns52%

Health	River West	Ontario	Canada
Chronic conditions (average share)	18%	17%	17%
Life expectancy at birth	81.3	82.8	81.5
Smokers	12%	10%	12%
Very good or excellent health	52%	51%	52%

81.3

years of life expectancy, 2022/2024

1.4 km

from homes to a hospital, on average

12%

of adults smoke, age-standardised

0.6 km

from homes to a pharmacy, on average

Full pageRiver West’s health pageOpen the full Health page

Health survey52% very good or excellent health · adults, age-standardised Getting care1.4 km to a hospital · A pharmacy 0.6 km away on average The wider areaLife expectancy: women 83.5, men 79.2 Conditions and habits18% with chronic conditions · adults, age-standardised

Statistics Canada, Canadian Community Health Survey 2023/2024 and life expectancy 2022/2024; Open Database of Healthcare Facilities · Health survey and life expectancy: the Windsor-Essex County Health Unit

Climate

Summer runs warm in River West: July highs of 28.3°C, above Ontario’s towns and Canadian towns

In January the thermometer sinks to −7.1°C overnight, above Ontario’s towns (−9.1°C) and Canadian towns (−13.5°C) alike. Snow peaks in January: 43 cm in a normal year. Gardeners get 197 frost-free days, from 17 April to 1 November. Rain and snow peak in July, at 99 mm.

28.3°CJuly afternoons

Average high by season · ECCC normals, 1991–2020

Winter1.3°C

Spring13.8°C

Summer27.1°C

Autumn16.0°C

Normals, 1991–2020	River West	Ontario	Canada
July afternoon high	28.3°C	26.7°C	25.5°C
Days with frost a year	115	139	159
January night low	−7.1°C	−9.1°C	−13.5°C
Precipitation a year	954 mm	902 mm	883 mm

115

days with frost a year

197

frost-free days, 17 Apr to 1 Nov

110

days with precipitation a year

Full pageRiver West’s climate pageOpen the full Climate page

The yearJuly highs 28.3°C, January lows −7.1°C Rain and snow954 mm a year · Canadian towns: 883 mm Snow140 cm of snow a year Weather station8.4 km to the station · Windsor

Environment and Climate Change Canada, Canadian Climate Normals 1991–2020 (Windsor)

SafetySafety C⁺

River West’s grade for safety: a C+

Across the area its police cover, the Crime Severity Index averaged 79 over 2023–25, above Ontario’s towns (56) and Canadian towns (67) alike. The force’s area logs 39.6 thefts, break-ins and acts of damage per 1,000 residents a year. For Crime Severity Index, Violent Crime Severity Index, violent crime and property crime per 1,000, the only official count covers all of the Windsor service area, River West included.

79Crime Severity Index

Year by year · Crime Severity Index for each year

202384

202480

202572

2023–2025	River West	Ontario	Canada
Property crime per 1,000	39.6	30.5	31.2
Crime Severity Index	79	56	67
Violent Crime Severity Index	95	76	86

non-violent Crime Severity Index

41%

of incidents cleared, 2023–25

Full pageRiver West’s safety reportOpen the full Safety report

Safety79 Crime Severity Index · The index weighs each crime River West’s police recorded by how serious it is.Questions“Is River West safe?”

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

Natural hazardsHazard risk C⁺

A flood study covers River West: 1 on the national inventory, the newest from Essex Region Conservation Authority / County of Essex

Radon is higher than usual: 14% of tested homes in the survey area topped the guideline, against 6.6% for the typical town. Earthquake risk in River West is ordinary: NRCan’s model puts building losses at $0.019 a year per $1,000 of value, close to the typical town’s $0.030. Wildfire is rare near River West: 0.2% of the land within 25 km has burned since 1986, a burn rate of 0.009% a year. Figures for earthquake risk are published for the city of Windsor as a whole, not for River West alone.

Lowwildfire bandC⁺Hazard risk Grade

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

River West14%

Ontario’s towns4%

Canadian towns6.6%

Hazards	River West	Ontario	Canada
Radon tests above the guideline	14%	4%	6.6%
Earthquake loss per $1,000 of buildings a year	$0.019	$0.043	$0.030

$0.019

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

Low

wildfire band

3.1 km

to the nearest land burned since 1986

flood study on the national inventory

Full pageRiver West’s flood & hazards pageOpen the full Flood & hazards page

FloodOne flood study on record WildfireLow wildfire band · 0.2% of the land within 25 km burned since 1986 Earthquakes$0.019 a year per $1,000 · Canadian towns: $0.030 Radon14% 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

Who lives here

More of River West belongs to a visible minority than Ontario’s towns or Canadian towns: 44%

People 65 and over make up 14% of the town, below Ontario’s towns (19%) and Canadian towns (19%) alike. 12% of residents are children under 15.

30.6median age

River WestOntarioCanada

OntarioCanada

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

12%

Schooling · Highest qualification, residents 15 and over

No certificate, diploma or degree17%

Postsecondary qualification54%

Women and men · all residents

45.2% of River West’s residents are women

Here the census found 7,645 men and 6,305 women; the figure for women across Canada is 50.9%.

Who lives in River West
	River West	Ontario	Canada
Under 15	12%	15%	16%
15 to 64	74%	65%	64%
65+	14%	19%	19%
No certificate, diploma or degree	17%	15%	16%
Postsecondary qualification	54%	56%	56%

Full pageRiver West’s Who lives here pageOpen the full Who lives here page

Ages30.6 median age · 14% are 65 or over Households6,125 households English and French7% speak both · 0.1% speak French but not English

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

Weather

What November brings in River West: 1°C at night, 9°C by day

The year peaks in July (28°C) and bottoms out in January (−7°C). December follows at 3°C by day and −4°C by night. Expect around 5 cm of snow in November. In November, the normal is 73 mm of rain and snow.

9°Ca normal November afternoon

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	−6°C	200 mm
Spring	14°C	4°C	261 mm
Summer	27°C	17°C	258 mm
Autumn	16°C	7°C	235 mm

1°C

a normal November night

73 mm

of rain and snow in a normal November

Full pageRiver West’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 (Windsor); the forecast is on the Weather page

Town hall

24,510 residents per council seat in Windsor, a higher ratio than 97% of Ontario municipalities

City council runs River West; in October 2022, Windsor chose Drew Dilkens as mayor.

Turnout	River West	Ontario	Canada
Municipal election, 2022	32%	31%	31%

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

Member of ParliamentHarb Gill council seats11

Wikidata, MAMH, MMAH, Statistics Canada

Library & civic lifeCivic life grade C

Fewer visits per person served than 80% of Ontario’s town libraries: Windsor public library counts 2.1

Windsor public library serves the whole of Windsor, so the library figures on this page are the city’s: 234,219 people, River West among them.

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

The libraries2 Libraries Places to belong1.5 charities per 1,000 residents

Provincial library statistics, OpenStreetMap, the CRA and Statistics Canada

Outdoors

Within 54 km of River West: Point Pelee National Park

Of the land within 10 km, 0.2% has protected status, below Ontario’s towns (2.3%) and Canadian towns (2.3%) alike. Ojibway Prairie Provincial Park is the closest provincial park, at 3.3 km. OpenStreetMap shows one beach within 5 km, without a name.

0.2%of the land within 10 km protected

Protected land · of the land within 10 km

River West0.2%

Ontario’s towns2.3%

Canadian towns2.3%

Outdoors	River West	Ontario	Canada
Protected land within 10 km	0.2%	2.3%	2.3%
Public protected areas within 10 km	1	4	4

54 km

to Point Pelee National Park

3.3 km

to Ojibway Prairie Provincial Park

beach within 5 km

public protected area within 10 km

Full pageRiver West’s outdoors pageOpen the full Outdoors page

Protected landof the land within 10 km Protected areas1 protected area within 10 km · Ojibway Prairie Provincial Park National & provincial parks54 km to a national park · Point Pelee National Park

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

History

An older town: 55% of River West’s homes predate 1961

On the registers, the town counts 1 historic place.

1historic place

Historic places by designation · inside the town

Highest designations0

Other federal designations0

Provincial and local listings1

Among them

Church of Our Lady of the Assumption 1846

1846

oldest construction date on the record

55%

of homes built before 1961 · Canadian towns 18%

Heritage	River West	Ontario	Canada
Homes built before 1961	55%	22%	18%

Full pageRiver West’s history pageOpen the full History page

Older homes55% built before 1961 · Canadian towns: 18%On the registersOne historic place inside the town Questions“How many historic places does River West 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 River West

15pages on River West

The big questions

SafetyC⁺Crime Severity Index 79 Housing & costDHomes 5 × income Property pricesSchoolsC⁻30 schools within 3 km HealthB⁺Life expectancy 81.3 in its region Work & commuteD⁻46% of adults in work Natural hazardsC⁺Wildfire band: low

Out and about

Outdoors0.2% of the land within 10 km protected AttractionsClimateJuly afternoons around 28°C WeatherECCC’s forecast, beside the normals

The story

Who lives hereMedian age 30.6 HistoryOne place on the heritage registers Town hallFamous people

Famous people from around River West

No notable person born in River West is on our list; these were born in the towns around it.

How we find them →

McKee RankinCanadian-American actor and theatrical … · born in Sandwich · ?–1914

Arthur Saint-PierreCanadian journalist and writer · born in Walkerville · 1885–1959

Llewellya Hillis-ColinvauxCanadian-born American marine biologist · born in Walkerville · 1930–2019

Arthur ReaumeCanadian politician · born in Sandwich · 1906–1981

Photo credits

McKee Rankin: C. A. Myers, Public domain

River West’s neighbours

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

City CentreSandwichSouth CentralSouth CameronWalkervilleSouth WalkervilleRiver West

How the neighbours grade

Town	People	km	Overall	Cost	Safety	Health
River West	13,940	—	D	D	C⁺	B⁺
City Centre	10,269	1.6	D	D⁻	C⁺	B⁺
Sandwich	14,110	2.1	C⁻	D	C⁺	B⁺
South Central	10,392	2.3	D	D	C⁺	B⁺
South Cameron	11,804	2.7	C	C⁻	C⁺	B⁺
Walkerville	19,541	3.3	D	D	C⁺	B⁺
South Walkerville	6,129	4.7	C⁺	C⁻	C⁺	B⁺

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

Questions about River West

Is River West a young town or an old one?

The median resident is 30.6 years old, against 45.2 for the median of Canadian towns. 12% are under 15 and 14% are 65 or over.

About River West

Neighbourhood in Windsor

Census areas put together by TownRatings make up River West, one part of Windsor; the city’s map or OpenStreetMap gives it its name.

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

Population: 13,940 (people, 2021 estimate)
Province or territory: Ontario
City: Windsor
Census subdivision: 3537039

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).