Reviews of Top Real Estate Agents in Kitchener-Waterloo

Moving to Kitchener-Waterloo

• Tech giants, healthcare facilities, and insurance companies abound in the area, making it a thriving location with a plethora of job opportunities.
• Kitchener-Waterloo is perfectly snuggled in the middle of everything you need. Toronto is just about an hour's drive away while Detroit is only 3 hours away.
• You can easily go around the city with a lot of public transportation options to choose from. Ride the bus or train or even share a ride!
• Kitchener-Waterloo is a melting pot of cultural diversity with professional immigrants hailing from different parts of the world. In addition, Kitchener is home to the largest German community in the Waterloo region. Authentic German cuisine and festivities flourish in the area.

Huge-city excitement. Small-town feel.

Tucked in the midst of Southwestern Ontario, the “twin cities” of Kitchener and Waterloo house the region’s most vibrant neighborhoods and some of the country’s top-ranking post-secondary institutions.

Home to Canada’s technology hub, this area brings the excitement of a huge city while maintaining its small-town feel. Its rich culture is reflected by a myriad of art galleries, music festivals, and exciting events year-round - the most popular of which is the annual Kitchener-Waterloo Oktoberfest in the fall.

In the summer, you can hike the picturesque trails of the Huron Natural Area or ski down the slopes of Chicopee during winter. If shopping is your thing, scour St. Jacobs Farmers' Market for great finds. Whatever your passion is, there is always something to see or do in Kitchener-Waterloo that would make you want to call it home.

Where is Kitchener-Waterloo?

Kitchener-Waterloo is nestled in the Grand River Valley about 95 kilometres southwest of Toronto. The area is bound by the towns of Wellesley and Woolwich to the north, city of Cambridge to the east, municipality of North Dumfries to the south municipality of Wilmot to the west.

Nearby Cities and Driving Distance

Cambridge - 26 km away

Guelph - 27 km away

Brantford - 52 km away

Hamilton - 70 km away

Burlington - 76 km away

Mississauga - 89 km away

Toronto - 122 km away

Detroit (U.S.) - 292 km away

Demographics of Kitchener-Waterloo

Population 617,870

(as of 2019)

According to Census Metropolitan Area, Kitchener-Waterloo ranked as the 10th most populous Canadian region in 2016. The Region of Waterloo projects the population of this fast-growing locale to increase up to 742,000 by 2031. Thanks to students and young families, the majority of its residents belong to the relatively younger crowd. Income in the area has also remained as one of Ontario’s highest.

Employment Rate - 64.1

Median Age - 38.6 years

Avg. Household Size - 2.6

Median Total Income of Households - $77,229

Education

Bachelor's Degree - 11%

Master's Degree - 3%

Doctorate - 0.8%

Marital Status

Never Married - 20%

Married or Living Common Law - 41%

Separated - 2%

Divorced - 4%

Widowed - 4%

Knowledge of Official Languages

English only - 77%

English and French - 6%

Neither English nor French - 1%

Ethnic Origins

European - 59% Asian - 13% Oceanic - 0.12% North American Aboriginal - 2% Other North American - 22% Caribbean - 2% Latin, Central and South American - 2% African - 2%

Kitchener-Waterloo Fun Facts

• Kitchener used to be called the town of Berlin from 1854 to 1912 then the City of Berlin from 1912 until 1916. The city lodges the biggest population of German settlers in the Waterloo region.
• Three-time world heavyweight champion Lennox Lewis grew up in Kitchener, where he started training for his then-budding career. He defeated boxing giants such as Evander Holyfield and Mike Tyson and participated in the first season of Celebrity Apprentice with Donald Trump.
• Waterloo is home to software multinational powerhouse BlackBerry Limited (formerly known as Research in Motion), which produced some of the world’s most prominent smartphones in the early 2000s.
• Mennonites abound in Waterloo. You can see them riding their horse-drawn buggies, shopping at garage sales, or selling their products such as sausage and maple syrup.

Public Transportation in Kitchener-Waterloo

Grand River Transit

The Grand River Transit provides public bus services in the area including Kitchener and Waterloo. It offers conventional and express routes, plus door-to-door transit services using specialized vehicles for disabled passengers.

ION

The ION bus rapid service traverses 17 kilometers from Kitchener to Cambridge, while the new ION light rail, connects passengers from Conestoga Mall in Waterloo to Fairview Park Mall in Kitchener.

TravelWise

The TravelWise workplace program encourages employees in the Waterloo Region to carpool instead of driving alone. TravelWise members can enjoy discounted transit passes, access to their carpool-matching software, and emergency ride reimbursements.

Greyhound

Greyhound buses can connect Kitchener-Waterloo residents to different Greater Toronto Area (GTA) locations.

GO Transit

GO Transit offers regular bus and train services from the area to different parts of the GTA.

VIA Rail

From the Kitchener station, VIA Rail can transport passengers to different parts of the country.

WestJet and Sunwing Airlines

Avail of daily non-stop flights from The Region of Waterloo International Airport (YKF) to Calgary International Airport via WestJet. Or if you are feeling adventurous, book a flight with Sunwing to Punta Cana in the Dominican Republic.

Top Employers in Kitchener-Waterloo

Top Schools in Kitchener-Waterloo

Elementary Waterloo Laurelwood Public School Abraham Erb Public School Vista Hills Public School Millen Woods Public School

Kitchener Lackner Woods Public School Mary Johnston Public School Chicopee Hills Public School

High School Waterloo Bluevale Collegiate Institute Sir John A. Macdonald Secondary School Waterloo Collegiate Institute

Kitchener Resurrection Catholic Secondary School Grand River Collegiate Institute Cameron Heights Collegiate Institute

Post-Secondary Waterloo Bluevale Collegiate Institute Sir John A. Macdonald Secondary School Waterloo Collegiate Institute

Kitchener Resurrection Catholic Secondary School Grand River Collegiate Institute Cameron Heights Collegiate Institute

Recreation in Kitchener-Waterloo

Whether your definition of recreation is breaking a little sweat or relaxing in the middle of a charming view, there is always something for you to do. Both cities of Kitchener and Waterloo offer sports and other recreational activities for all ages throughout the year such as:

camping hiking basketball skating

tennis golf picnic swimming

frisbee badminton pickleball slo-pitch

soccer volleyball roundnet hockey

Hospitals in Kitchener-Waterloo

The Grand River Hospital provides 15 clinical programs ranging from cancer care to rehabilitation. With the synergistic teamwork of 3,735 staff members, 696 accredited healthcare professionals, and 1,000 volunteers, this 665-bed facility serves 67,000 emergency and 237,4000 ambulatory patients yearly.

A member of the St. Joseph’s Health System, St. Mary’s General Hospital stands as one of Canada’s biggest healthcare institutions. Since 1991, it has committed to meet the holistic health, wellness and social needs of the public.

Kitchener Public Library and Waterloo Public Library

With five locations, the Kitchener Public Library is home to more than 560,000 collections of books, publications, videos, music and more in various languages. It offers free public wi-fi and computer workstations. If you need a place to hold meetings, workshops, and training sessions, you can also rent rooms, equipment and even a full theatre.

Aside from providing resources for their members’ viewing, listening, and reading pleasure, the Waterloo Public Library also conducts year-round fun, virtual learning programs for all ages. There is one specifically catering to Canadian newcomers as well. Membership is free for anyone residing or owning a property in Waterloo.

Kitchener-Waterloo Places of Worship

Religion in Kitchener-Waterloo is diversified. Most of its inhabitants are Christians followed by non-affiliated ones. Other prominent faith groups in the area consist of Muslims, Hindus and Buddhists. Here are some houses of worship in Kitchener-Waterloo based on the religion:

Anglican - All Saints Anglican Church Baptist - Glen Acres Baptist Church Buddhist - Phommaviharam Buddhist Temple Catholic - St. Mary’s Church Christian - Bethel Chapel Hindu - Brahmarishi Mission Of Canada Jehovah’s Witness - Kingdom Hall

Islam - Muslim Society of Waterloo & Wellington Counties Jewish - Temple Shalom Lutheran - Christ Lutheran Church Mennonite - Erb Street Mennonite Church Orthodox - Ukrainian Orthodox Church of St. Sophia Sikhism - Golden Triangle Sikh Association