Economy, jobs and prices in St. Catharines-Niagara, Canada: official figures
The median total income of households in St. Catharines-Niagara was C$77,000 in 2020, as reported in the 2021 Census, 19th 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 St. Catharines-Niagara?
After income taxes, the median household in St. Catharines-Niagara had C$69,500 in 2020 (joint 20th 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 St. Catharines-Niagara?
People in St. Catharines-Niagara who worked full-year, full-time in 2020 had median employment income of C$58,800, joint 17th 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 St. Catharines-Niagara at the 2021 Census?
At the 2021 Census, taken in May 2021 during the COVID-19 pandemic, the unemployment rate in St. Catharines-Niagara was 16.2%, 3rd highest of 69 Canadian cities and metropolitan areas on this site, above the national 10.3%; 33,945 people aged 15 and over were looking for work.
Source: Statistics Canada · saved copyWhat industries do people in St. Catharines-Niagara work in?
In 2021, 12.9% of the labour force in St. Catharines-Niagara worked in health care and social assistance, 12.4% in retail trade, 8.7% in manufacturing and 5.5% in professional, scientific and technical services (Canada: 12.7%, 11.1%, 8.0% and 8.1%).
Source: Statistics Canada · saved copyHow do people in St. Catharines-Niagara get to work?
Of employed residents of St. Catharines-Niagara commuting to a usual or no fixed workplace in May 2021, 92.0% went by car, truck or van, 1.9% by public transit and 3.4% on foot; 20.0% 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 St. Catharines-Niagara now?
In the three months July to September 2026, the Labour Force Survey put the seasonally adjusted unemployment rate in the St. Catharines-Niagara census metropolitan area at 6.7%, 14th highest of 41 metropolitan areas in the survey, against 7.1% a year earlier and 6.5% for Canada; 55.1% of people aged 15 and over were employed.
Source: Statistics Canada · saved copyHow much is a house worth in St. Catharines-Niagara?
Owners in St. Catharines-Niagara valued their homes at a median C$552,000 in 2021, joint 33rd 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 56.5% of owner households had a mortgage.
Source: Statistics Canada · saved copyHow much is rent in St. Catharines-Niagara?
Renter households in St. Catharines-Niagara paid median monthly shelter costs of C$1,080 in 2021, 20th lowest of 69 Canadian cities and metropolitan areas on this site (Canada: C$1,070); 28.6% of households rented their home (Canada: 33.1%).
Source: Statistics Canada · saved copyHow St. Catharines-Niagara compares with other cities in Canada
Median total household income, 2020 (2021 Census) (2020)
St. Catharines-Niagara ranks 51 of 69, highest first.
| Rank | City | Median total household income, 2020 (2021 Census) |
|---|---|---|
| 48 | Richmond | C$79,000 |
| 49 | Kingston | C$79,000 |
| 50 | Thunder Bay | C$77,500 |
| 51 | St. Catharines-Niagara | C$77,000 |
| 52 | London | C$76,500 |
| 53 | Nanaimo | C$75,500 |
| 54 | St. John's | C$75,000 |
Median employment income of full-year, full-time workers, 2020 (2021 Census) (2020)
St. Catharines-Niagara ranks 52 of 69, highest first.
| Rank | City | Median employment income of full-year, full-time workers, 2020 (2021 Census) |
|---|---|---|
| 49 | Nanaimo | C$59,600 |
| 50 | Surrey | C$59,200 |
| 51 | Abbotsford-Mission | C$59,200 |
| 52 | St. Catharines-Niagara | C$58,800 |
| 53 | Peterborough | C$58,800 |
| 54 | Montréal | C$58,400 |
| 55 | Brantford | C$58,400 |
Unemployment rate, census reference week of May 2021 (2021)
St. Catharines-Niagara ranks 3 of 69, highest first.
| Rank | City | Unemployment rate, census reference week of May 2021 |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Cape Breton | 19.5% |
| 2 | Windsor | 18.9% |
| 3 | St. Catharines-Niagara | 16.2% |
| 4 | St. Catharines | 15.8% |
| 5 | Oshawa | 15.2% |
| 6 | Peterborough | 14.7% |
| 7 | Mississauga | 14.0% |
Labour force participation rate, May 2021 (2021 Census) (2021)
St. Catharines-Niagara ranks 64 of 69, highest first.
| Rank | City | Labour force participation rate, May 2021 (2021 Census) |
|---|---|---|
| 61 | Trois-Rivières | 58.8% |
| 62 | Thunder Bay | 58.5% |
| 63 | St. Catharines | 58.4% |
| 64 | St. Catharines-Niagara | 57.9% |
| 65 | Chatham-Kent | 57.4% |
| 66 | Peterborough | 57.2% |
| 67 | Windsor | 56.3% |
Median value of owned dwellings, 2021 Census (2021)
St. Catharines-Niagara ranks 35 of 69, highest first.
| Rank | City | Median value of owned dwellings, 2021 Census |
|---|---|---|
| 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 |
| 37 | Kamloops | C$552,000 |
| 38 | Ottawa - Gatineau | C$548,000 |
Median monthly shelter costs for rented dwellings, 2021 Census (2021)
St. Catharines-Niagara ranks 50 of 69, highest first.
| Rank | City | Median monthly shelter costs for rented dwellings, 2021 Census |
|---|---|---|
| 47 | Peterborough | C$1,110 |
| 48 | Winnipeg | C$1,100 |
| 49 | St. Catharines | C$1,100 |
| 50 | St. Catharines-Niagara | C$1,080 |
| 51 | Belleville | C$1,070 |
| 52 | Greater Sudbury / Grand Sudbury | C$1,000 |
| 53 | Thunder Bay | C$970 |
More on St. Catharines-Niagara: 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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