Economy, jobs and prices in Calgary, Canada: official figures
The median total income of households in Calgary was C$98,000 in 2020, as reported in the 2021 Census, joint 14th highest of 69 Canadian cities and metropolitan areas on this site; the median for Canada was C$84,000.
What is the median after-tax household income in Calgary?
After income taxes, the median household in Calgary had C$85,000 in 2020 (15th highest of 69 Canadian cities and metropolitan areas on this site; Canada: C$73,000).
Source: Statistics Canada · saved copyWhat is the median salary in Calgary?
People in Calgary who worked full-year, full-time in 2020 had median employment income of C$72,500, 10th highest of 69 Canadian cities and metropolitan areas on this site (Canada: C$63,600).
Source: Statistics Canada · saved copyWhat was the unemployment rate in Calgary at the 2021 Census?
At the 2021 Census, taken in May 2021 during the COVID-19 pandemic, the unemployment rate in Calgary was 12.5%, joint 16th highest of 69 Canadian cities and metropolitan areas on this site, above the national 10.3%; 91,405 people aged 15 and over were looking for work.
Source: Statistics Canada · saved copyWhat industries do people in Calgary work in?
In 2021, 12.5% of the labour force in Calgary worked in health care and social assistance, 11.0% in retail trade, 4.5% in manufacturing and 11.5% in professional, scientific and technical services (Canada: 12.7%, 11.1%, 8.0% and 8.1%).
Source: Statistics Canada · saved copyHow do people in Calgary get to work?
Of employed residents of Calgary commuting to a usual or no fixed workplace in May 2021, 83.2% went by car, truck or van, 8.8% by public transit and 4.2% on foot; 28.5% of all employed residents worked at home (Canada: 7.7% by transit, 24.3% at home).
Source: Statistics Canada · saved copyWhat is the unemployment rate in Calgary now?
In the three months July to September 2026, the Labour Force Survey put the seasonally adjusted unemployment rate in the Calgary census metropolitan area at 6.3%, joint 19th lowest of 41 metropolitan areas in the survey, against 8.1% a year earlier and 6.5% for Canada; 66.8% of people aged 15 and over were employed.
Source: Statistics Canada · saved copyHow much is a house worth in Calgary?
Owners in Calgary valued their homes at a median C$456,000 in 2021, 26th lowest of 69 Canadian cities and metropolitan areas on this site (Canada: C$472,000); median monthly shelter costs for owned dwellings were C$1,720 and 65.2% of owner households had a mortgage.
Source: Statistics Canada · saved copyHow much is rent in Calgary?
Renter households in Calgary paid median monthly shelter costs of C$1,350 in 2021, joint 23rd highest of 69 Canadian cities and metropolitan areas on this site (Canada: C$1,070); 31.2% of households rented their home (Canada: 33.1%).
Source: Statistics Canada · saved copyHow Calgary compares with other cities in Canada
Median total household income, 2020 (2021 Census) (2020)
Calgary ranks 15 of 69, highest first.
| Rank | City | Median total household income, 2020 (2021 Census) |
|---|---|---|
| 12 | Mississauga | C$102,000 |
| 13 | Richmond Hill | C$102,000 |
| 14 | Ottawa - Gatineau | C$98,000 |
| 15 | Calgary | C$98,000 |
| 16 | Surrey | C$98,000 |
| 17 | Terrebonne | C$95,000 |
| 18 | Waterloo | C$94,000 |
Median employment income of full-year, full-time workers, 2020 (2021 Census) (2020)
Calgary ranks 10 of 69, highest first.
| Rank | City | Median employment income of full-year, full-time workers, 2020 (2021 Census) |
|---|---|---|
| 7 | Waterloo | C$74,500 |
| 8 | Ottawa - Gatineau | C$74,000 |
| 9 | Richmond Hill | C$74,000 |
| 10 | Calgary | C$72,500 |
| 11 | Langley | C$71,000 |
| 12 | Markham | C$70,500 |
| 13 | Ajax | C$70,000 |
Unemployment rate, census reference week of May 2021 (2021)
Calgary ranks 16 of 69, highest first.
| Rank | City | Unemployment rate, census reference week of May 2021 |
|---|---|---|
| 13 | Kingston | 13.2% |
| 14 | Richmond Hill | 13.1% |
| 15 | Edmonton | 12.7% |
| 16 | Calgary | 12.5% |
| 17 | Vaughan | 12.5% |
| 18 | Barrie | 12.5% |
| 19 | Brantford | 12.4% |
Labour force participation rate, May 2021 (2021 Census) (2021)
Calgary ranks 3 of 69, highest first.
| Rank | City | Labour force participation rate, May 2021 (2021 Census) |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Milton | 71.1% |
| 2 | Terrebonne | 69.9% |
| 3 | Calgary | 69.1% |
| 4 | Lévis V | 68.4% |
| 5 | Edmonton | 68.2% |
| 6 | Vancouver | 68.0% |
| 7 | Saskatoon | 67.8% |
Median value of owned dwellings, 2021 Census (2021)
Calgary ranks 44 of 69, highest first.
| Rank | City | Median value of owned dwellings, 2021 Census |
|---|---|---|
| 41 | Montréal | C$500,000 |
| 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 |
Median monthly shelter costs for rented dwellings, 2021 Census (2021)
Calgary ranks 23 of 69, highest first.
| Rank | City | Median monthly shelter costs for rented dwellings, 2021 Census |
|---|---|---|
| 20 | Saanich | C$1,400 |
| 21 | Delta | C$1,400 |
| 22 | Ottawa | C$1,380 |
| 23 | Calgary | C$1,350 |
| 24 | Guelph | C$1,350 |
| 25 | Surrey | C$1,300 |
| 26 | Kitchener-Cambridge-Waterloo | C$1,300 |
More on Calgary: 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…)
Each saved copy is the file exactly as downloaded, kept so the figures can be checked even if the source changes. Report an error.