Living in Pelham: A Local Guide to Neighbourhoods, Homes and the Market

Here’s how the main areas compare at a glance. There’s more on each one below.

Fonthill

Fonthill is the heart of Pelham: the main shopping, the restaurants, E.L. Crossley Secondary School and most of the town’s subdivisions. It was its own village until it merged into Pelham in 1970. For most families, this is where the search starts.

Fenwick

Fenwick is the smaller village south of Fonthill, with farms and orchards on every side and a close-knit feel. It’s also where Olympic cyclist Steve Bauer comes from.

Ridgeville

A tiny rural hamlet: a handful of homes, a few local spots and a lot of countryside. Look here if you want acreage or a country property, and ask early whether the home is on a well and septic.

North Pelham and the Short Hills

North Pelham takes in the Short Hills: rolling land, bigger lots and some of the most private properties in town. Short Hills Provincial Park is right there for hiking, biking and horseback riding.

Schools: E.L. Crossley Secondary School in Fonthill is the District School Board of Niagara high school. Niagara Catholic high school students usually attend Notre Dame College School in Welland. Always confirm catchment by address with each board.

Commute: Highway 20 runs through Fonthill, and Highway 406 is a short drive through Welland or St. Catharines. There’s no GO station in Pelham, so train commuters drive to St. Catharines.

Things to do: Short Hills Provincial Park, the Steve Bauer Trail to Welland and the Meridian Community Centre in Fonthill. Farm markets and orchards run all through the south end of town.

Local tip: Pelham homes don’t come up as often as in the bigger cities. If you’re set on Fonthill, get pre-approved early so you can move quickly when the right listing hits.

Local tip: Twelve Mile Creek and Coyle Creek both start in Pelham, and the Welland River forms its southern border. Some rural properties sit in areas regulated by the Niagara Peninsula Conservation Authority, so we check the mapping before our buyers make an offer.

Short Hills Provincial Park is basically Pelham’s backyard. These are the trails we keep coming back to.

• Swayze Falls Trail: the classic loop, past the falls and through maple and walnut forest.
• Terrace Creek Trail: hiking only, with steep, rewarding climbs.
• Black Walnut Trail: rolling hills on the east side of the park, and you can link it with Swayze Falls for a longer loop.
• Palaeozoic Path: a short, flat gravel loop with a viewing platform over Swayze Falls, great for little legs.

Local tip: there are no washrooms in the park, so plan ahead. Dogs are welcome on a leash.

• MLS® HPI benchmark price: $746,700 in September 2026, down 2.7% from a year earlier and up 0.3% from August (Niagara Association of REALTORS®, September 2026).
• Sales: 24 homes sold in September 2026, up 50% from September 2025 and up 50% from August (NAR, September 2026).
• Average sale price: $960,000 in September 2026 ($1,026,000 for detached, semi, row and link homes and $706,000 for condos), with prices up 0.1% year to date compared with 2025 (PropTx MLS® data via Habistat, compiled by The Barry Team).
• Months of inventory: 5.2 in September 2026, compared with 6.1 across Niagara.

What it means: Pelham is one of the steadiest markets in Niagara. Sales jumped 50% from August, and prices have held up better than almost anywhere else. It’s a small market, though, so one or two sales can swing the percentages. Even condos averaged $706,000, which puts the entry point here above most Niagara benchmarks. For the region-wide picture, see our latest Niagara market update.

Tell us what you’re looking for, and we’ll send you new Pelham listings that match. No spam, and you can unsubscribe any time. If you want help with the search, one of our agents will reach out.

Most families moving to Pelham come from Hamilton, Burlington and the western GTA. They want a yard, good schools and a quieter street, and they’re glad to find Niagara has no municipal land transfer tax.

The commute is the catch. Toronto is about 90 minutes on a clear day and a lot longer when the QEW backs up, and there’s no GO station here. Pelham works best if you’re hybrid, remote or already working in Niagara.

Selling in the GTA and buying here? We line up both closings so you only move once. Our Toronto to Niagara moving costs guide shows what to budget.

What is the benchmark home price in Pelham?

The MLS® HPI benchmark price in Pelham was $746,700 in September 2026, down 2.7% from a year earlier, according to the Niagara Association of REALTORS®. That number describes a typical home, though. To find out what yours is worth, book a free evaluation based on recent sales nearby.

Is Pelham a good place to live?

For a lot of families, yes. You get a small-town feel, trails and orchards, and quick access to Welland and St. Catharines. The trade-offs are higher prices than most of Niagara and no GO station in town.

Is Fonthill the same as Pelham?

Fonthill is the largest community in the Town of Pelham. Fonthill merged with Pelham Township in 1970, and the town also includes Fenwick, Ridgeville and North Pelham.

Which high school serves Pelham?

E.L. Crossley Secondary School in Fonthill is the District School Board of Niagara high school. Niagara Catholic students usually attend Notre Dame College School in Welland. Confirm catchment by address with each board.

Does Pelham have a GO train station?

No. The closest GO train station is in St. Catharines.

Who is the best real estate team in Pelham?

No single ranking settles that. The most useful measures are local sales experience, reviews you can verify (client reviews) and pricing based on recent comparable sales. For reference, The Barry Team is led by Emily Barry, a REALTOR® in Niagara since 2003. Emily is #1 in Niagara Falls on Rate-My-Agent with a 4.99 rating, and the team ranked #5 among all eXp teams in Canada by sales volume in July 2026.

How do I get a free home evaluation in Pelham?

Request one at thebarryteam.ca/get-a-home-evaluation/ or call 905-357-8067. A Barry Team REALTOR® reviews your home’s features, upgrades and recent Pelham sales, then gives you a realistic price range and a selling plan. There’s no obligation to list.

Pelham prices street by street. We price your home against recent sales nearby and the listings it will be up against, not a town-wide average. Before photos, our in-house stager walks through with practical suggestions. Every listing gets HDR and twilight photography, immersive visuals, and online and print advertising. We also time your conditions and closing around your next move.

Learn more about selling your Pelham home or meet Emily and the team. If you’d like a starting point, request a free Pelham home evaluation.

Photo credits, via Wikimedia Commons: Peace Park in Fonthill by JFVoll (CC BY-SA 3.0); View over Short Hills Provincial Park in Pelham by Terfili (public domain); A waterfall in Short Hills Provincial Park by Gogerr (CC BY 4.0).