Economy, jobs and prices in Québec, Canada: official figures
The median total income of households in Québec was C$70,500 in 2020, as reported in the 2021 Census, 10th lowest 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 Québec?
After income taxes, the median household in Québec had C$60,800 in 2020 (9th lowest of 69 Canadian cities and metropolitan areas on this site; Canada: C$73,000).
Source: Statistics Canada · saved copyWhat is the median salary in Québec?
People in Québec who worked full-year, full-time in 2020 had median employment income of C$59,600, joint 21st lowest of 69 Canadian cities and metropolitan areas on this site (Canada: C$63,600).
Source: Statistics Canada · saved copyWhat was the unemployment rate in Québec at the 2021 Census?
At the 2021 Census, taken in May 2021 during the COVID-19 pandemic, the unemployment rate in Québec was 7.1%, 9th lowest of 69 Canadian cities and metropolitan areas on this site, below the national 10.3%; 20,990 people aged 15 and over were looking for work.
Source: Statistics Canada · saved copyWhat industries do people in Québec work in?
In 2021, 15.3% of the labour force in Québec worked in health care and social assistance, 11.2% in retail trade, 5.8% in manufacturing and 9.0% in professional, scientific and technical services (Canada: 12.7%, 11.1%, 8.0% and 8.1%).
Source: Statistics Canada · saved copyHow do people in Québec get to work?
Of employed residents of Québec commuting to a usual or no fixed workplace in May 2021, 78.6% went by car, truck or van, 10.8% by public transit and 7.6% on foot; 26.2% 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 Québec now?
In the three months July to September 2026, the Labour Force Survey put the seasonally adjusted unemployment rate in the Québec census metropolitan area at 4.3%, joint 3rd lowest of 41 metropolitan areas in the survey, against 4.8% a year earlier and 6.5% for Canada; 62.9% of people aged 15 and over were employed.
Source: Statistics Canada · saved copyHow much is a house worth in Québec?
Owners in Québec valued their homes at a median C$300,000 in 2021, joint 8th lowest of 69 Canadian cities and metropolitan areas on this site (Canada: C$472,000); median monthly shelter costs for owned dwellings were C$1,130 and 62.7% of owner households had a mortgage.
Source: Statistics Canada · saved copyHow much is rent in Québec?
Renter households in Québec paid median monthly shelter costs of C$830 in 2021, joint 6th lowest of 69 Canadian cities and metropolitan areas on this site (Canada: C$1,070); 48.8% of households rented their home (Canada: 33.1%).
Source: Statistics Canada · saved copyHow Québec compares with other cities in Canada
Median total household income, 2020 (2021 Census) (2020)
Québec ranks 60 of 69, highest first.
| Rank | City | Median total household income, 2020 (2021 Census) |
|---|---|---|
| 57 | Chatham-Kent | C$72,000 |
| 58 | Longueuil | C$71,500 |
| 59 | Peterborough | C$71,500 |
| 60 | Québec | C$70,500 |
| 61 | Windsor | C$70,000 |
| 62 | Saguenay | C$69,000 |
| 63 | Moncton | C$68,000 |
Median employment income of full-year, full-time workers, 2020 (2021 Census) (2020)
Québec ranks 48 of 69, highest first.
| Rank | City | Median employment income of full-year, full-time workers, 2020 (2021 Census) |
|---|---|---|
| 45 | London | C$60,400 |
| 46 | Laval | C$60,400 |
| 47 | Chilliwack | C$60,000 |
| 48 | Québec | C$59,600 |
| 49 | Nanaimo | C$59,600 |
| 50 | Surrey | C$59,200 |
| 51 | Abbotsford-Mission | C$59,200 |
Unemployment rate, census reference week of May 2021 (2021)
Québec ranks 61 of 69, highest first.
| Rank | City | Unemployment rate, census reference week of May 2021 |
|---|---|---|
| 58 | Abbotsford-Mission | 7.6% |
| 59 | Kamloops | 7.4% |
| 60 | Delta | 7.3% |
| 61 | Québec | 7.1% |
| 62 | Saanich | 6.8% |
| 63 | Trois-Rivières | 6.6% |
| 64 | Chilliwack | 6.6% |
Labour force participation rate, May 2021 (2021 Census) (2021)
Québec ranks 39 of 69, highest first.
| Rank | City | Labour force participation rate, May 2021 (2021 Census) |
|---|---|---|
| 36 | Burlington | 65.0% |
| 37 | Coquitlam | 65.0% |
| 38 | Moncton | 65.0% |
| 39 | Québec | 64.9% |
| 40 | Burnaby | 64.3% |
| 41 | Kamloops | 64.0% |
| 42 | Toronto | 63.9% |
Median value of owned dwellings, 2021 Census (2021)
Québec ranks 61 of 69, highest first.
| Rank | City | Median value of owned dwellings, 2021 Census |
|---|---|---|
| 58 | Gatineau | C$332,000 |
| 59 | Lethbridge | C$314,000 |
| 60 | St. John's | C$306,000 |
| 61 | Québec | C$300,000 |
| 62 | Thunder Bay | C$300,000 |
| 63 | Lévis V | C$290,000 |
| 64 | Sherbrooke | C$250,000 |
Median monthly shelter costs for rented dwellings, 2021 Census (2021)
Québec ranks 63 of 69, highest first.
| Rank | City | Median monthly shelter costs for rented dwellings, 2021 Census |
|---|---|---|
| 60 | Montréal | C$870 |
| 61 | Chatham-Kent | C$870 |
| 62 | Longueuil | C$840 |
| 63 | Québec | C$830 |
| 64 | Saint John | C$830 |
| 65 | Lévis V | C$820 |
| 66 | Cape Breton | C$800 |
More on Québec: 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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