Economy, jobs and prices in Ottawa, Canada: official figures
The median total income of households in Ottawa was C$102,000 in 2020, as reported in the 2021 Census, joint 11th 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 Ottawa?
After income taxes, the median household in Ottawa had C$88,000 in 2020 (13th 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 Ottawa?
People in Ottawa who worked full-year, full-time in 2020 had median employment income of C$77,500, 4th 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 Ottawa at the 2021 Census?
At the 2021 Census, taken in May 2021 during the COVID-19 pandemic, the unemployment rate in Ottawa was 10.3%, joint 30th lowest of 69 Canadian cities and metropolitan areas on this site, the same as the national 10.3%; 56,845 people aged 15 and over were looking for work.
Source: Statistics Canada · saved copyWhat industries do people in Ottawa work in?
In 2021, 11.4% of the labour force in Ottawa worked in health care and social assistance, 9.7% in retail trade, 3.0% in manufacturing and 11.2% in professional, scientific and technical services (Canada: 12.7%, 11.1%, 8.0% and 8.1%).
Source: Statistics Canada · saved copyHow do people in Ottawa get to work?
Of employed residents of Ottawa commuting to a usual or no fixed workplace in May 2021, 76.8% went by car, truck or van, 11.2% by public transit and 7.0% on foot; 43.7% 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 Ottawa now?
In the three months July to September 2026, the Labour Force Survey put the seasonally adjusted unemployment rate in the Ontario part of the Ottawa - Gatineau census metropolitan area, which includes Ottawa, at 7.2%, against 7.1% a year earlier and 6.5% for Canada; 61.7% of people aged 15 and over were employed.
Source: Statistics Canada · saved copyHow much is a house worth in Ottawa?
Owners in Ottawa valued their homes at a median C$624,000 in 2021, 33rd highest of 69 Canadian cities and metropolitan areas on this site (Canada: C$472,000); median monthly shelter costs for owned dwellings were C$1,560 and 59.8% of owner households had a mortgage.
Source: Statistics Canada · saved copyHow much is rent in Ottawa?
Renter households in Ottawa paid median monthly shelter costs of C$1,380 in 2021, 22nd highest of 69 Canadian cities and metropolitan areas on this site (Canada: C$1,070); 36.1% of households rented their home (Canada: 33.1%).
Source: Statistics Canada · saved copyHow Ottawa compares with other cities in Canada
Median total household income, 2020 (2021 Census) (2020)
Ottawa ranks 11 of 69, highest first.
| Rank | City | Median total household income, 2020 (2021 Census) |
|---|---|---|
| 8 | Langley | C$108,000 |
| 9 | Delta | C$108,000 |
| 10 | Markham | C$104,000 |
| 11 | Ottawa | C$102,000 |
| 12 | Mississauga | C$102,000 |
| 13 | Richmond Hill | C$102,000 |
| 14 | Ottawa - Gatineau | C$98,000 |
Median employment income of full-year, full-time workers, 2020 (2021 Census) (2020)
Ottawa ranks 4 of 69, highest first.
| Rank | City | Median employment income of full-year, full-time workers, 2020 (2021 Census) |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Oakville | C$91,000 |
| 2 | Burlington | C$81,000 |
| 3 | Whitby | C$80,000 |
| 4 | Ottawa | C$77,500 |
| 5 | Milton | C$76,500 |
| 6 | Vaughan | C$75,000 |
| 7 | Waterloo | C$74,500 |
Unemployment rate, census reference week of May 2021 (2021)
Ottawa ranks 40 of 69, highest first.
| Rank | City | Unemployment rate, census reference week of May 2021 |
|---|---|---|
| 37 | Chatham-Kent | 10.7% |
| 38 | Greater Sudbury / Grand Sudbury | 10.4% |
| 39 | Montréal | 10.3% |
| 40 | Ottawa | 10.3% |
| 41 | Regina | 9.9% |
| 42 | Ottawa - Gatineau | 9.7% |
| 43 | Burnaby | 9.6% |
Labour force participation rate, May 2021 (2021 Census) (2021)
Ottawa ranks 23 of 69, highest first.
| Rank | City | Labour force participation rate, May 2021 (2021 Census) |
|---|---|---|
| 20 | Montréal | 66.0% |
| 21 | Ottawa - Gatineau | 66.0% |
| 22 | Cambridge | 66.0% |
| 23 | Ottawa | 65.9% |
| 24 | Vaughan | 65.9% |
| 25 | Surrey | 65.8% |
| 26 | Winnipeg | 65.7% |
Median value of owned dwellings, 2021 Census (2021)
Ottawa ranks 33 of 69, highest first.
| Rank | City | Median value of owned dwellings, 2021 Census |
|---|---|---|
| 30 | Barrie | C$695,000 |
| 31 | Kitchener | C$680,000 |
| 32 | Cambridge | C$650,000 |
| 33 | Ottawa | C$624,000 |
| 34 | Nanaimo | C$600,000 |
| 35 | St. Catharines-Niagara | C$552,000 |
| 36 | Brantford | C$552,000 |
Median monthly shelter costs for rented dwellings, 2021 Census (2021)
Ottawa ranks 22 of 69, highest first.
| Rank | City | Median monthly shelter costs for rented dwellings, 2021 Census |
|---|---|---|
| 19 | Waterloo | C$1,400 |
| 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 |
More on Ottawa: 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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