What share of adults in Belleville work?

55.8% of people aged 15 and over in Belleville were in the labour force in May 2021 and 49.2% were employed, a participation rate 2nd lowest of 69 Canadian cities and metropolitan areas on this site (Canada: 63.7% and 57.1%).

Economy, jobs and prices in Belleville, Canada: official figures

The median total income of households in Belleville was C$73,000 in 2020, as reported in the 2021 Census, 15th lowest of 69 Canadian cities and metropolitan areas on this site; the median for Canada was C$84,000.

Median household income (2020)

C$73,000

2020

Unemployment rate (Census, May 2021)

11.9%

2021

What is the median after-tax household income in Belleville?

After income taxes, the median household in Belleville had C$66,000 in 2020 (16th lowest of 69 Canadian cities and metropolitan areas on this site; Canada: C$73,000).

Source: Statistics Canada · saved copy

What is the median salary in Belleville?

People in Belleville who worked full-year, full-time in 2020 had median employment income of C$57,600, joint 10th lowest of 69 Canadian cities and metropolitan areas on this site (Canada: C$63,600).

Source: Statistics Canada · saved copy

What was the unemployment rate in Belleville at the 2021 Census?

At the 2021 Census, taken in May 2021 during the COVID-19 pandemic, the unemployment rate in Belleville was 11.9%, 24th highest of 69 Canadian cities and metropolitan areas on this site, above the national 10.3%; 3,030 people aged 15 and over were looking for work.

Source: Statistics Canada · saved copy

What industries do people in Belleville work in?

In 2021, 14.9% of the labour force in Belleville worked in health care and social assistance, 13.5% in retail trade, 12.3% in manufacturing and 4.4% in professional, scientific and technical services (Canada: 12.7%, 11.1%, 8.0% and 8.1%).

Source: Statistics Canada · saved copy

How do people in Belleville get to work?

Of employed residents of Belleville commuting to a usual or no fixed workplace in May 2021, 88.5% went by car, truck or van, 3.3% by public transit and 5.7% on foot; 15.8% of all employed residents worked at home (Canada: 7.7% by transit, 24.3% at home).

Source: Statistics Canada · saved copy

What is the unemployment rate in Belleville now?

In the three months July to September 2026, the Labour Force Survey put the seasonally adjusted unemployment rate in the Belleville - Quinte West census metropolitan area, which includes Belleville, at 6.4%, joint 18th highest of 41 metropolitan areas in the survey, against 6.6% a year earlier and 6.5% for Canada; 56.6% of people aged 15 and over were employed.

Source: Statistics Canada · saved copy

How much is a house worth in Belleville?

Owners in Belleville valued their homes at a median C$424,000 in 2021, 25th lowest of 69 Canadian cities and metropolitan areas on this site (Canada: C$472,000); median monthly shelter costs for owned dwellings were C$1,130 and 57.3% of owner households had a mortgage.

Source: Statistics Canada · saved copy

How much is rent in Belleville?

Renter households in Belleville paid median monthly shelter costs of C$1,070 in 2021, 19th lowest of 69 Canadian cities and metropolitan areas on this site (Canada: C$1,070); 37.5% of households rented their home (Canada: 33.1%).

Source: Statistics Canada · saved copy

How Belleville compares with other cities in Canada

Median total household income, 2020 (2021 Census) (2020)

Belleville ranks 55 of 69, highest first.

Rank	City	Median total household income, 2020 (2021 Census)
52	London	C$76,500
53	Nanaimo	C$75,500
54	St. John's	C$75,000
55	Belleville	C$73,000
56	St. Catharines	C$72,500
57	Chatham-Kent	C$72,000
58	Longueuil	C$71,500

Source: Statistics Canada · saved copy

Median employment income of full-year, full-time workers, 2020 (2021 Census) (2020)

Belleville ranks 60 of 69, highest first.

Rank	City	Median employment income of full-year, full-time workers, 2020 (2021 Census)
57	Longueuil	C$58,000
58	Abbotsford	C$58,000
59	Brampton	C$57,600
60	Belleville	C$57,600
61	St. Catharines	C$57,200
62	Saguenay	C$57,200
63	Windsor	C$56,800

Source: Statistics Canada · saved copy

Unemployment rate, census reference week of May 2021 (2021)

Belleville ranks 24 of 69, highest first.

Rank	City	Unemployment rate, census reference week of May 2021
21	Whitby	12.3%
22	Red Deer	12.3%
23	Waterloo	12.0%
24	Belleville	11.9%
25	Oakville	11.7%
26	Cambridge	11.5%
27	St. John's	11.5%

Source: Statistics Canada · saved copy

Labour force participation rate, May 2021 (2021 Census) (2021)

Belleville ranks 68 of 69, highest first.

Rank	City	Labour force participation rate, May 2021 (2021 Census)
63	St. Catharines	58.4%
64	St. Catharines-Niagara	57.9%
65	Chatham-Kent	57.4%
66	Peterborough	57.2%
67	Windsor	56.3%
68	Belleville	55.8%
69	Cape Breton	51.8%

Source: Statistics Canada · saved copy

Median value of owned dwellings, 2021 Census (2021)

Belleville ranks 45 of 69, highest first.

Rank	City	Median value of owned dwellings, 2021 Census
42	Kingston	C$500,000
43	Peterborough	C$500,000
44	Calgary	C$456,000
45	Belleville	C$424,000
46	Laval	C$400,000
47	Windsor	C$400,000
48	Edmonton	C$384,000

Source: Statistics Canada · saved copy

Median monthly shelter costs for rented dwellings, 2021 Census (2021)

Belleville ranks 51 of 69, highest first.

Rank	City	Median monthly shelter costs for rented dwellings, 2021 Census
48	Winnipeg	C$1,100
49	St. Catharines	C$1,100
50	St. Catharines-Niagara	C$1,080
51	Belleville	C$1,070
52	Greater Sudbury / Grand Sudbury	C$1,000
53	Thunder Bay	C$970
54	Windsor	C$950

Source: Statistics Canada · saved copy

More on Belleville: overview · education and schools · poverty and living standards · all cities in Canada

Sources

Statistics Canada: Census Profile, 2021 Census of Population (98-316-X2021001): census subdivisions, selected characteristics (Census Profile SDMX API extract, dataflow DF_CSD, gender total, counts and rates), read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 46d086943a5e…)
Statistics Canada: Table 14-10-0459-01: Labour force characteristics by census metropolitan area, three-month moving average, seasonally adjusted (Web Data Service extract: unemployment and employment rates, latest 13 months; request saved as lfs-14100459-cma.request.json, geography names in lfs-14100459-metadata.json), read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 5f4399c9fdfa…)

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