Economy, jobs and prices in Guelph, Canada: official figures
The median total income of households in Guelph was C$93,000 in 2020, as reported in the 2021 Census, joint 19th 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 Guelph?
After income taxes, the median household in Guelph had C$82,000 in 2020 (joint 18th 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 Guelph?
People in Guelph who worked full-year, full-time in 2020 had median employment income of C$65,500, joint 25th 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 Guelph at the 2021 Census?
At the 2021 Census, taken in May 2021 during the COVID-19 pandemic, the unemployment rate in Guelph was 10.8%, joint 34th highest of 69 Canadian cities and metropolitan areas on this site, above the national 10.3%; 8,660 people aged 15 and over were looking for work.
Source: Statistics Canada · saved copyWhat industries do people in Guelph work in?
In 2021, 10.8% of the labour force in Guelph worked in health care and social assistance, 10.3% in retail trade, 18.0% in manufacturing and 8.4% in professional, scientific and technical services (Canada: 12.7%, 11.1%, 8.0% and 8.1%).
Source: Statistics Canada · saved copyHow do people in Guelph get to work?
Of employed residents of Guelph commuting to a usual or no fixed workplace in May 2021, 87.4% went by car, truck or van, 4.5% by public transit and 5.1% on foot; 26.4% 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 Guelph now?
In the three months July to September 2026, the Labour Force Survey put the seasonally adjusted unemployment rate in the Guelph census metropolitan area at 6.5%, joint 16th highest of 41 metropolitan areas in the survey, against 8.4% a year earlier and 6.5% for Canada; 69.4% of people aged 15 and over were employed.
Source: Statistics Canada · saved copyHow much is a house worth in Guelph?
Owners in Guelph valued their homes at a median C$700,000 in 2021, joint 26th highest of 69 Canadian cities and metropolitan areas on this site (Canada: C$472,000); median monthly shelter costs for owned dwellings were C$1,600 and 63.1% of owner households had a mortgage.
Source: Statistics Canada · saved copyHow much is rent in Guelph?
Renter households in Guelph 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); 34.3% of households rented their home (Canada: 33.1%).
Source: Statistics Canada · saved copyHow Guelph compares with other cities in Canada
Median total household income, 2020 (2021 Census) (2020)
Guelph ranks 21 of 69, highest first.
| Rank | City | Median total household income, 2020 (2021 Census) |
|---|---|---|
| 18 | Waterloo | C$94,000 |
| 19 | Barrie | C$93,000 |
| 20 | Cambridge | C$93,000 |
| 21 | Guelph | C$93,000 |
| 22 | Saanich | C$93,000 |
| 23 | Kitchener-Cambridge-Waterloo | C$92,000 |
| 24 | Coquitlam | C$92,000 |
Median employment income of full-year, full-time workers, 2020 (2021 Census) (2020)
Guelph ranks 25 of 69, highest first.
| Rank | City | Median employment income of full-year, full-time workers, 2020 (2021 Census) |
|---|---|---|
| 22 | Mississauga | C$66,500 |
| 23 | Gatineau | C$66,500 |
| 24 | St. John's | C$66,000 |
| 25 | Guelph | C$65,500 |
| 26 | Kamloops | C$65,500 |
| 27 | Kitchener-Cambridge-Waterloo | C$65,000 |
| 28 | Saskatoon | C$65,000 |
Unemployment rate, census reference week of May 2021 (2021)
Guelph ranks 35 of 69, highest first.
| Rank | City | Unemployment rate, census reference week of May 2021 |
|---|---|---|
| 32 | Kitchener-Cambridge-Waterloo | 10.9% |
| 33 | Saint John | 10.9% |
| 34 | Richmond | 10.8% |
| 35 | Guelph | 10.8% |
| 36 | Burlington | 10.7% |
| 37 | Chatham-Kent | 10.7% |
| 38 | Greater Sudbury / Grand Sudbury | 10.4% |
Labour force participation rate, May 2021 (2021 Census) (2021)
Guelph ranks 8 of 69, highest first.
| Rank | City | Labour force participation rate, May 2021 (2021 Census) |
|---|---|---|
| 5 | Edmonton | 68.2% |
| 6 | Vancouver | 68.0% |
| 7 | Saskatoon | 67.8% |
| 8 | Guelph | 67.5% |
| 9 | Regina | 67.4% |
| 10 | Victoria | 67.2% |
| 11 | Whitby | 67.0% |
Median value of owned dwellings, 2021 Census (2021)
Guelph ranks 28 of 69, highest first.
| Rank | City | Median value of owned dwellings, 2021 Census |
|---|---|---|
| 25 | Kelowna | C$725,000 |
| 26 | Kitchener-Cambridge-Waterloo | C$700,000 |
| 27 | Hamilton | C$700,000 |
| 28 | Guelph | C$700,000 |
| 29 | Oshawa | C$695,000 |
| 30 | Barrie | C$695,000 |
| 31 | Kitchener | C$680,000 |
Median monthly shelter costs for rented dwellings, 2021 Census (2021)
Guelph ranks 24 of 69, highest first.
| Rank | City | Median monthly shelter costs for rented dwellings, 2021 Census |
|---|---|---|
| 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 |
| 27 | Kitchener | C$1,300 |
More on Guelph: 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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