Ontario · area guide · 26 communities · checked October 8, 2026

Home energy audits, radon and well water testing in Niagara Region

The eleven towns and townships on this page are home to 341,138 people (2021 Census), and 32% of their houses were built before 1961. This guide covers 26 communities, from Niagara Falls, Welland, Fort Erie, Grimsby and Lincoln to the smallest hamlets, with the local numbers that shape an energy audit or a home health test.

A Victorian red-brick semi-detached house with a front porch in autumn

Population (2021)

341,138

Communities listed

26

Houses built before 1961

32%

Heating degree-days

3,656

Ridgeville

How Niagara Region is built

Niagara Region's houses by when they were built Ten house shapes, one for each tenth of Niagara Region's 119,050 houses. Before 1961: 32%, 1961–1990: 35%, 1991–2000: 10%, 2001 or later: 24%. Older houses glow hotter.
  • Before 1961 32%
  • 1961–1990 35%
  • 1991–2000 10%
  • 2001 or later 24%
Each house stands for one in ten of Niagara Region's 119,050 houses (single-detached, semi-detached, row, duplex and mobile homes), drawn by when it was built. The glow shows the usual pattern: older houses tend to be leakier and less insulated. Snowfall scales with heating degree-days. Sources: Statistics Canada 2021 Census (table 98-10-0233-01), Environment and Climate Change Canada 1981–2010 climate normals (Ridgeville) and the National Building Code 2020 January design temperature for Niagara Falls.

This page covers the Niagara Region municipalities outside St. Catharines, which has its own pages: Niagara Falls, Welland, Fort Erie, Grimsby, Lincoln, Thorold, Port Colborne, Niagara-on-the-Lake, Pelham, West Lincoln and Wainfleet.

Six local guides for Niagara Region

Niagara Region at a glance

People and homes

341,138 people and 145,949 private dwellings in 2021, up 8.4% in population since 2016.

Housing

Of the 119,050 houses in Niagara Region (single-detached, semi-detached, row houses, duplexes and mobile homes), 32% were built before 1961 and 67% before 1991, according to the 2021 Census. The typical house dates from 1971–1980.

Climate

Environment and Climate Change Canada's 1981–2010 climate normal at Ridgeville (4.0 km from the middle of the area) is 3,656 heating degree-days a year, with a January mean of −4.4°C. The building code's 2.5% January design temperatures for the area run from −15°C to −16°C.

Radon

In Health Canada’s 2012 survey, 2% of 100 homes tested in the Niagara Regional Area Health Unit were above the guideline. The larger 2024 Cross-Canada survey reports 12.4% (1 in 8) of homes at or above the guideline for Ontario as a whole.

Wells

Free testing bottles can be picked up at all Public Health locations and most town halls; cistern owners can get free bacteria kits from Municipal Service Centres and Public Health. Free testing bottles can be picked up at all Niagara Region Public Health locations and most town halls.

Energy advisors

NRCan's list (checked October 8, 2026) shows 25 service organizations registered for postal codes in Niagara Falls, Welland, Fort Erie, Grimsby and Port Colborne. Confirm they travel to your community.

Heating

Province-wide, 58% of Ontario households heat mainly with natural gas, 18% with electricity, 4% with propane and 1% each with oil and wood (Statistics Canada, 2023); there's no published breakdown for this area alone.

Every community in Niagara Region

Grouped by municipality, with 2021 Census populations. Names come from Natural Resources Canada's geographical names database and Statistics Canada's population centres.

  • City of Niagara Falls 94,415Chippawa
  • City of Welland 55,750
  • Town of Fort Erie 32,901Ridgeway, Stevensville
  • Town of Grimsby 28,883
  • Town of Lincoln 25,719Beamsville, Campden, Jordan Station, Vineland
  • City of Thorold 23,816Allanburg
  • City of Port Colborne 20,033Sherkston
  • Town of Niagara-on-the-Lake 19,088Mississauga Beach, Queenston, Virgil
  • Town of Pelham 18,192Fenwick
  • Township of West Lincoln 15,454Caistor Centre, Smithville
  • Township of Wainfleet 6,887

Covered on city pages

Who does the work in Niagara Region

Rebates and financing for Niagara Region homes

Nearby city pages and guides

Planning upgrades in Niagara Region?

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