NEPEAN REAL ESTATE
Nepean vs Westboro: Suburban Space or Urban Village?
Last updated: September 2026
Nepean vs Westboro is a choice between suburban space and urban walkability. Westboro is a walkable inner-west village along Richmond Road near the Ottawa River, with older homes, new infill and some of the city’s busiest shops and cafés. Nepean, just to the southwest, offers larger lots, more detached homes and generally lower prices for the space, with more driving and fewer places you can walk to.
The two share a history: Westboro was part of Nepean Township until Ottawa annexed it in 1950. This guide compares them for buyers deciding between the two.
A Shared History
Nepean Township was established in 1792, and its original town hall was in Westboro. In 1950, the City of Ottawa annexed Westboro and other urban parts of the township, and Nepean’s municipal centre moved to Bells Corners and later to Centrepointe. That’s why the long-established Nepean High School sits in the Westboro area today, not in Nepean.
What each name means now
- Westboro is an inner-west neighbourhood in Kitchissippi, centred on Richmond Road between roughly Island Park Drive and Golden Avenue, with the Ottawa River and the Sir John A. Macdonald Parkway to the north. See our Westboro guide.
- Nepean usually means the established suburban neighbourhoods further southwest, such as Centrepointe, Craig Henry, Crystal Beach and Bells Corners. See our Nepean guide.
Distance between them
Central Nepean is typically 10 to 15 minutes by car from Westboro. Neighbourhoods such as Qualicum and Crystal Beach sit in between.
Housing: Infill and Character Homes vs Suburban Lots
Westboro
Westboro’s housing mixes early 20th-century and post-war homes, many small wartime and 1940s–50s houses on narrow lots, with a large amount of modern infill: semi-detached and single infills, stacked townhouses and mid-rise and high-rise condos along Richmond Road and Scott Street. New construction often replaces older homes, so streets can be a mix of old and very new.
Nepean
Nepean’s housing is mostly 1950s to 1980s bungalows, split-levels, two-storeys and townhouses on larger suburban lots, with mature trees, driveways and garages. Condos are concentrated along Meadowlands, Baseline and near the new O-Train stations.
What to check
- Westboro older homes: foundations, knob-and-tube or early wiring, lead water service lines and drainage. The City of Ottawa explains lead pipe replacement.
- Westboro infill: build quality, permits, and whether a semi shares a wall well-built for sound and fire separation.
- Nepean homes: roofs, windows, furnaces, panels and, in some 1970s homes, aluminum branch wiring. See our guide to buying a 1960s–1980s home in Nepean.
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Price and Value
Price per square foot
Westboro generally commands higher prices for the space you get, because buyers are paying for walkability, proximity to downtown and the river, and the neighbourhood’s shops and restaurants. In Nepean, the same budget usually buys more square footage and a larger lot.
Condos
Both areas have condos. Westboro’s are mostly newer mid- and high-rises close to shops and transit, often with higher fees per square foot. Nepean’s include older towers with larger units and newer buildings near Baseline Station. See our guides to buying a condo in Ottawa and Nepean condos and townhomes, and the Condominium Authority of Ontario for your rights as an owner.
Costs to budget
Both pay Ontario’s provincial land transfer tax (Ottawa has no municipal land transfer tax) and City of Ottawa property taxes, which are based on assessed value, so higher-value Westboro homes typically pay more.
Reliable numbers
The Ottawa Real Estate Board publishes board-wide figures. For a fair comparison, look at recent sales of similar homes; see our Westboro cost of living guide, Westboro homes for sale and Nepean homes for sale.
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Walkability, Transit and Commute
Westboro
Westboro is one of Ottawa’s most walkable neighbourhoods. Groceries, cafés, restaurants, outdoor and specialty shops, and services line Richmond Road, and Westboro Beach and the Ottawa River Pathway are a short walk north. Westboro Station is on the O-Train West Extension, and downtown is typically 10 minutes by car or a short cycle along the river.
Nepean
Most of Nepean is car-oriented, though Centrepointe, City View and parts of Leslie Park are walkable to shopping and transit. Nepean gains several stations on the O-Train West Extension, including Baseline, Iris, Queensview, Pinecrest, Bayshore and Moodie. Downtown is typically 10 to 20 minutes by car outside rush hour. Check OC Transpo for the current opening timeline, and see our guide to commuting from Nepean.
Parking and driveways
Many Westboro homes have single or shared driveways, and street parking can be tight near Richmond Road. Nepean homes more often have attached garages and double driveways.
Schools, Parks and Lifestyle
Schools
Both areas are served by the OCDSB, OCSB and French boards, including CEPEO. Westboro families have long been served by Nepean High School, while Nepean families have schools such as Sir Robert Borden, Bell and Merivale high schools. Always confirm catchments; see our Nepean schools guide.
Parks and outdoors
Westboro has Westboro Beach, the Ottawa River Pathway and Byron Linear Park. Nepean has the Greenbelt, Stony Swamp, the Bruce Pit, Andrew Haydon Park and many neighbourhood parks with pools and rinks.
Lifestyle
- Westboro suits people who want to walk to cafés, shops and the river, and don’t need a large yard.
- Nepean suits people who want more house and yard for the money, a quieter street and easy parking, and who don’t mind driving for most errands.
Daily life compared
A typical Saturday in Westboro might mean walking to a café, a bakery, an outdoor store and the beach without starting the car. In Nepean, the same Saturday usually involves driving to the Merivale Road shops or Bayshore, then spending the afternoon in a larger backyard or on a Greenbelt trail. Neither is better; they suit different people. Spend a weekend day in each before you decide, and pay attention to how you’d actually spend your time.
Resale considerations
Westboro’s walkability and proximity to downtown support strong long-term demand, but infill and new condos add competition. In Nepean, land close to transit and larger lots with redevelopment potential support long-term value, while original-condition homes can lag. Compare recent resale history for similar homes rather than relying on area averages.
Infill, Development and What’s Coming
Both areas are changing, but in different ways, and that affects what you’re buying into.
Westboro
Westboro has been one of Ottawa’s most active areas for infill for two decades. Older small houses are regularly replaced with semi-detached infills and larger singles, and Richmond Road and Scott Street have seen many mid-rise and high-rise buildings. The new Westboro Station on the O-Train West Extension will add to that momentum.
For buyers, that means new-construction options without leaving the neighbourhood, but also construction nearby, changing streetscapes and, in some cases, taller buildings next door. For owners of older homes, lot value can drive price as much as the house itself.
Nepean
Nepean’s change is concentrated around transit stations and main roads: new towers near Baseline Station and Centrepointe Drive, intensification along parts of Robertson Road in Bells Corners, and infill in City View. Most of Nepean’s interior residential streets remain low-density, though the City’s new zoning by-law allows more homes on many residential lots than before.
What to check before you buy
- Development applications near the home, especially on corner lots, main roads and near stations.
- Zoning for the lot and its neighbours, which affects what could be built next door.
- Construction timelines for major nearby projects.
Which is right for you
If you like the energy of a changing, urban neighbourhood, Westboro fits. If you want a stable, lower-density street with more space, most of Nepean does.
Which Is Right for You?
Choose Westboro if you
- Want to walk to shops, restaurants and the river.
- Commute downtown and want the shortest trip.
- Prefer character homes or modern infill and are comfortable with a smaller lot.
- Are willing to pay more for location.
Choose Nepean if you
- Want a larger lot, a garage and more living space for your budget.
- Have a family that needs bedrooms and yard space.
- Want a bungalow for one-floor living.
- Value quieter streets and don’t mind driving.
Somewhere in between
Qualicum, Crystal Beach and City View are close to Westboro’s amenities while keeping Nepean’s lot sizes and prices. See our guides to Qualicum and Crystal Beach, or compare Nepean vs Kanata and Nepean vs Barrhaven.
How Jason Polonski Helps You Choose Between Nepean and Westboro
Jason Polonski is a REALTOR® with Right at Home Realty with more than 15 years of experience across Ottawa’s west end, including Westboro and Nepean, and a Bachelor of Commerce with a double major in Marketing and Finance from Concordia University. His construction and electrical trades background is useful in both: he checks early wiring and foundations in older Westboro homes, build quality in infills, and panels and roofs in 1960s and 1970s Nepean homes.
As a move coordinator, he lines up your sale and purchase so you don’t carry two homes, and offers a 1% Listing Commission, charged on the final sold price. His recognition includes the Chairman’s Club (2025, 2021) and Best in Ottawa Top REALTOR® seven years running. Learn more about Jason, read his reviews on Google, or see his Westboro and Nepean REALTOR® pages.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes. Westboro was part of Nepean Township, and the township’s town hall was located there, until the City of Ottawa annexed Westboro in 1950.
No. Despite its name, Nepean High School is in the Westboro area of Kitchissippi, a legacy of the time when Westboro was part of Nepean Township.
Generally, yes, for the space you get. Westboro buyers pay for walkability, proximity to downtown and the river. In Nepean, the same budget usually buys more square footage and a larger lot. Compare recent sales of similar homes.
Westboro is far more walkable, with shops, cafés and services along Richmond Road. Most of Nepean is car-oriented, though Centrepointe and City View are walkable to shopping and transit.
Yes. The O-Train West Extension includes Westboro Station and several Nepean stations, including Baseline, Iris, Queensview, Pinecrest, Bayshore and Moodie. Check OC Transpo for the opening timeline.
Both work for families. Westboro suits families who value walkability and are fine with a smaller yard; Nepean suits families who want more bedrooms, a larger yard and a garage for the money.
