What share of adults in Edmonton work?

68.2% of people aged 15 and over in Edmonton were in the labour force in May 2021 and 59.5% were employed, a participation rate 5th highest of 69 Canadian cities and metropolitan areas on this site (Canada: 63.7% and 57.1%).

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

The median total income of households in Edmonton was C$90,000 in 2020, as reported in the 2021 Census, joint 26th highest of 69 Canadian cities and metropolitan areas on this site; the median for Canada was C$84,000.

Median household income (2020)

C$90,000

2020

Unemployment rate (Census, May 2021)

12.7%

2021

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

After income taxes, the median household in Edmonton had C$79,500 in 2020 (27th highest 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 Edmonton?

People in Edmonton who worked full-year, full-time in 2020 had median employment income of C$68,500, 17th highest 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 Edmonton at the 2021 Census?

At the 2021 Census, taken in May 2021 during the COVID-19 pandemic, the unemployment rate in Edmonton was 12.7%, 15th highest of 69 Canadian cities and metropolitan areas on this site, above the national 10.3%; 70,185 people aged 15 and over were looking for work.

Source: Statistics Canada · saved copy

What industries do people in Edmonton work in?

In 2021, 13.9% of the labour force in Edmonton worked in health care and social assistance, 11.4% in retail trade, 5.3% in manufacturing and 7.4% 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 Edmonton get to work?

Of employed residents of Edmonton commuting to a usual or no fixed workplace in May 2021, 85.1% went by car, truck or van, 8.1% by public transit and 3.5% on foot; 21.1% 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 Edmonton now?

In the three months July to September 2026, the Labour Force Survey put the seasonally adjusted unemployment rate in the Edmonton census metropolitan area at 6.9%, joint 8th highest of 41 metropolitan areas in the survey, against 8.6% a year earlier and 6.5% for Canada; 64.0% of people aged 15 and over were employed.

Source: Statistics Canada · saved copy

How much is a house worth in Edmonton?

Owners in Edmonton valued their homes at a median C$384,000 in 2021, 22nd lowest of 69 Canadian cities and metropolitan areas on this site (Canada: C$472,000); median monthly shelter costs for owned dwellings were C$1,680 and 65.4% of owner households had a mortgage.

Source: Statistics Canada · saved copy

How much is rent in Edmonton?

Renter households in Edmonton paid median monthly shelter costs of C$1,250 in 2021, joint 30th highest of 69 Canadian cities and metropolitan areas on this site (Canada: C$1,070); 36.4% of households rented their home (Canada: 33.1%).

Source: Statistics Canada · saved copy

How Edmonton compares with other cities in Canada

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

Edmonton ranks 26 of 69, highest first.

Rank	City	Median total household income, 2020 (2021 Census)
23	Kitchener-Cambridge-Waterloo	C$92,000
24	Coquitlam	C$92,000
25	Abbotsford-Mission	C$91,000
26	Edmonton	C$90,000
27	Abbotsford	C$90,000
28	Regina	C$88,000
29	Kamloops	C$88,000

Source: Statistics Canada · saved copy

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

Edmonton ranks 17 of 69, highest first.

Rank	City	Median employment income of full-year, full-time workers, 2020 (2021 Census)
14	Toronto	C$69,500
15	Vancouver	C$69,500
16	Greater Sudbury / Grand Sudbury	C$69,000
17	Edmonton	C$68,500
18	Coquitlam	C$68,000
19	Delta	C$68,000
20	Saanich	C$67,500

Source: Statistics Canada · saved copy

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

Edmonton ranks 15 of 69, highest first.

Rank	City	Unemployment rate, census reference week of May 2021
12	London	13.3%
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%

Source: Statistics Canada · saved copy

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

Edmonton ranks 5 of 69, highest first.

Rank	City	Labour force participation rate, May 2021 (2021 Census)
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%
8	Guelph	67.5%

Source: Statistics Canada · saved copy

Median value of owned dwellings, 2021 Census (2021)

Edmonton ranks 48 of 69, highest first.

Rank	City	Median value of owned dwellings, 2021 Census
45	Belleville	C$424,000
46	Laval	C$400,000
47	Windsor	C$400,000
48	Edmonton	C$384,000
49	Saskatoon	C$376,000
50	Longueuil	C$376,000
51	Halifax	C$348,000

Source: Statistics Canada · saved copy

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

Edmonton ranks 30 of 69, highest first.

Rank	City	Median monthly shelter costs for rented dwellings, 2021 Census
27	Kitchener	C$1,300
28	Oshawa	C$1,300
29	Victoria	C$1,300
30	Edmonton	C$1,250
31	Kingston	C$1,250
32	Nanaimo	C$1,250
33	Ottawa - Gatineau	C$1,230

Source: Statistics Canada · saved copy

More on Edmonton: 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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