Economy, jobs and prices in Kitchener-Cambridge-Waterloo, Canada: official figures
The median total income of households in Kitchener-Cambridge-Waterloo was C$92,000 in 2020, as reported in the 2021 Census, joint 23rd 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 Kitchener-Cambridge-Waterloo?
After income taxes, the median household in Kitchener-Cambridge-Waterloo had C$81,000 in 2020 (joint 24th 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 Kitchener-Cambridge-Waterloo?
People in Kitchener-Cambridge-Waterloo who worked full-year, full-time in 2020 had median employment income of C$65,000, joint 27th 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 Kitchener-Cambridge-Waterloo at the 2021 Census?
At the 2021 Census, taken in May 2021 during the COVID-19 pandemic, the unemployment rate in Kitchener-Cambridge-Waterloo was 10.9%, joint 32nd highest of 69 Canadian cities and metropolitan areas on this site, above the national 10.3%; 33,930 people aged 15 and over were looking for work.
Source: Statistics Canada · saved copyWhat industries do people in Kitchener-Cambridge-Waterloo work in?
In 2021, 10.1% of the labour force in Kitchener-Cambridge-Waterloo worked in health care and social assistance, 10.4% in retail trade, 15.1% in manufacturing and 9.3% in professional, scientific and technical services (Canada: 12.7%, 11.1%, 8.0% and 8.1%).
Source: Statistics Canada · saved copyHow do people in Kitchener-Cambridge-Waterloo get to work?
Of employed residents of Kitchener-Cambridge-Waterloo commuting to a usual or no fixed workplace in May 2021, 89.1% went by car, truck or van, 4.6% by public transit and 3.5% on foot; 28.8% 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 Kitchener-Cambridge-Waterloo now?
In the three months July to September 2026, the Labour Force Survey put the seasonally adjusted unemployment rate in the Kitchener-Cambridge-Waterloo census metropolitan area at 7.7%, 4th highest of 41 metropolitan areas in the survey, against 7.3% a year earlier and 6.5% for Canada; 64.8% of people aged 15 and over were employed.
Source: Statistics Canada · saved copyHow much is a house worth in Kitchener-Cambridge-Waterloo?
Owners in Kitchener-Cambridge-Waterloo 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$1,540 and 63.0% of owner households had a mortgage.
Source: Statistics Canada · saved copyHow much is rent in Kitchener-Cambridge-Waterloo?
Renter households in Kitchener-Cambridge-Waterloo paid median monthly shelter costs of C$1,300 in 2021, joint 25th highest of 69 Canadian cities and metropolitan areas on this site (Canada: C$1,070); 35.4% of households rented their home (Canada: 33.1%).
Source: Statistics Canada · saved copyHow Kitchener-Cambridge-Waterloo compares with other cities in Canada
Median total household income, 2020 (2021 Census) (2020)
Kitchener-Cambridge-Waterloo ranks 23 of 69, highest first.
| Rank | City | Median total household income, 2020 (2021 Census) |
|---|---|---|
| 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 |
| 25 | Abbotsford-Mission | C$91,000 |
| 26 | Edmonton | C$90,000 |
Median employment income of full-year, full-time workers, 2020 (2021 Census) (2020)
Kitchener-Cambridge-Waterloo ranks 27 of 69, highest first.
| Rank | City | Median employment income of full-year, full-time workers, 2020 (2021 Census) |
|---|---|---|
| 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 |
| 29 | Burnaby | C$65,000 |
| 30 | Hamilton | C$64,500 |
Unemployment rate, census reference week of May 2021 (2021)
Kitchener-Cambridge-Waterloo ranks 32 of 69, highest first.
| Rank | City | Unemployment rate, census reference week of May 2021 |
|---|---|---|
| 29 | Milton | 11.4% |
| 30 | Thunder Bay | 11.2% |
| 31 | Kitchener | 11.0% |
| 32 | Kitchener-Cambridge-Waterloo | 10.9% |
| 33 | Saint John | 10.9% |
| 34 | Richmond | 10.8% |
| 35 | Guelph | 10.8% |
Labour force participation rate, May 2021 (2021 Census) (2021)
Kitchener-Cambridge-Waterloo ranks 18 of 69, highest first.
| Rank | City | Labour force participation rate, May 2021 (2021 Census) |
|---|---|---|
| 15 | Kitchener | 66.8% |
| 16 | Langley | 66.7% |
| 17 | Gatineau | 66.6% |
| 18 | Kitchener-Cambridge-Waterloo | 66.4% |
| 19 | Barrie | 66.4% |
| 20 | Montréal | 66.0% |
| 21 | Ottawa - Gatineau | 66.0% |
Median value of owned dwellings, 2021 Census (2021)
Kitchener-Cambridge-Waterloo ranks 26 of 69, highest first.
| Rank | City | Median value of owned dwellings, 2021 Census |
|---|---|---|
| 23 | Victoria | C$750,000 |
| 24 | Chilliwack | C$750,000 |
| 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 |
Median monthly shelter costs for rented dwellings, 2021 Census (2021)
Kitchener-Cambridge-Waterloo ranks 26 of 69, highest first.
| Rank | City | Median monthly shelter costs for rented dwellings, 2021 Census |
|---|---|---|
| 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 |
| 28 | Oshawa | C$1,300 |
| 29 | Victoria | C$1,300 |
More on Kitchener-Cambridge-Waterloo: 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 metropolitan areas, selected characteristics (Census Profile SDMX API extract, dataflow DF_CMACA), read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 3185f58b7a1a…)
- 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…)
- 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…)
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