Economy, jobs and prices in Saint John, Canada: official figures
The median total income of households in Saint John was C$62,800 in 2020, as reported in the 2021 Census, 4th 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 Saint John?
After income taxes, the median household in Saint John had C$56,000 in 2020 (joint 4th 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 Saint John?
People in Saint John who worked full-year, full-time in 2020 had median employment income of C$51,200, the 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 Saint John at the 2021 Census?
At the 2021 Census, taken in May 2021 during the COVID-19 pandemic, the unemployment rate in Saint John was 10.9%, joint 32nd highest of 69 Canadian cities and metropolitan areas on this site, above the national 10.3%; 3,845 people aged 15 and over were looking for work.
Source: Statistics Canada · saved copyWhat industries do people in Saint John work in?
In 2021, 16.2% of the labour force in Saint John worked in health care and social assistance, 13.8% in retail trade, 6.0% in manufacturing and 6.0% in professional, scientific and technical services (Canada: 12.7%, 11.1%, 8.0% and 8.1%).
Source: Statistics Canada · saved copyHow do people in Saint John get to work?
Of employed residents of Saint John commuting to a usual or no fixed workplace in May 2021, 85.6% went by car, truck or van, 4.8% by public transit and 7.1% on foot; 17.5% 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 Saint John now?
In the three months July to September 2026, the Labour Force Survey put the seasonally adjusted unemployment rate in the Saint John census metropolitan area at 5.6%, joint 12th lowest of 41 metropolitan areas in the survey, against 7.6% a year earlier and 6.5% for Canada; 58.7% of people aged 15 and over were employed.
Source: Statistics Canada · saved copyHow much is a house worth in Saint John?
Owners in Saint John valued their homes at a median C$174,000 in 2021, 2nd lowest of 69 Canadian cities and metropolitan areas on this site (Canada: C$472,000); median monthly shelter costs for owned dwellings were C$1,000 and 60.7% of owner households had a mortgage.
Source: Statistics Canada · saved copyHow much is rent in Saint John?
Renter households in Saint John 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); 45.8% of households rented their home (Canada: 33.1%).
Source: Statistics Canada · saved copyHow Saint John compares with other cities in Canada
Median total household income, 2020 (2021 Census) (2020)
Saint John ranks 66 of 69, highest first.
| Rank | City | Median total household income, 2020 (2021 Census) |
|---|---|---|
| 63 | Moncton | C$68,000 |
| 64 | Victoria | C$67,500 |
| 65 | Montréal | C$63,600 |
| 66 | Saint John | C$62,800 |
| 67 | Sherbrooke | C$62,400 |
| 68 | Cape Breton | C$62,400 |
| 69 | Trois-Rivières | C$60,400 |
Median employment income of full-year, full-time workers, 2020 (2021 Census) (2020)
Saint John ranks 69 of 69, highest first.
| Rank | City | Median employment income of full-year, full-time workers, 2020 (2021 Census) |
|---|---|---|
| 63 | Windsor | C$56,800 |
| 64 | Chatham-Kent | C$54,800 |
| 65 | Sherbrooke | C$54,400 |
| 66 | Trois-Rivières | C$54,400 |
| 67 | Cape Breton | C$54,000 |
| 68 | Moncton | C$52,800 |
| 69 | Saint John | C$51,200 |
Unemployment rate, census reference week of May 2021 (2021)
Saint John ranks 33 of 69, highest first.
| Rank | City | Unemployment rate, census reference week of May 2021 |
|---|---|---|
| 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% |
| 36 | Burlington | 10.7% |
Labour force participation rate, May 2021 (2021 Census) (2021)
Saint John ranks 56 of 69, highest first.
| Rank | City | Labour force participation rate, May 2021 (2021 Census) |
|---|---|---|
| 53 | Oshawa | 61.1% |
| 54 | Greater Sudbury / Grand Sudbury | 61.1% |
| 55 | Kingston | 60.7% |
| 56 | Saint John | 60.7% |
| 57 | Nanaimo | 60.3% |
| 58 | Markham | 60.2% |
| 59 | Richmond | 60.1% |
Median value of owned dwellings, 2021 Census (2021)
Saint John ranks 68 of 69, highest first.
| Rank | City | Median value of owned dwellings, 2021 Census |
|---|---|---|
| 63 | Lévis V | C$290,000 |
| 64 | Sherbrooke | C$250,000 |
| 65 | Saguenay | C$220,000 |
| 66 | Trois-Rivières | C$200,000 |
| 67 | Moncton | C$200,000 |
| 68 | Saint John | C$174,000 |
| 69 | Cape Breton | C$160,000 |
Median monthly shelter costs for rented dwellings, 2021 Census (2021)
Saint John ranks 64 of 69, highest first.
| Rank | City | Median monthly shelter costs for rented dwellings, 2021 Census |
|---|---|---|
| 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 |
| 67 | Sherbrooke | C$695 |
More on Saint John: 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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