Economy, jobs and prices in St. Catharines, Canada: official figures
The median total income of households in St. Catharines was C$72,500 in 2020, as reported in the 2021 Census, 14th 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?
After income taxes, the median household in St. Catharines had C$65,000 in 2020 (joint 13th 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?
People in St. Catharines who worked full-year, full-time in 2020 had median employment income of C$57,200, joint 8th 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 at the 2021 Census?
At the 2021 Census, taken in May 2021 during the COVID-19 pandemic, the unemployment rate in St. Catharines was 15.8%, 4th highest of 69 Canadian cities and metropolitan areas on this site, above the national 10.3%; 10,630 people aged 15 and over were looking for work.
Source: Statistics Canada · saved copyWhat industries do people in St. Catharines work in?
In 2021, 13.7% of the labour force in St. Catharines worked in health care and social assistance, 13.6% in retail trade, 8.5% in manufacturing and 6.1% 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 get to work?
Of employed residents of St. Catharines commuting to a usual or no fixed workplace in May 2021, 90.1% went by car, truck or van, 3.0% by public transit and 4.1% on foot; 20.6% 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 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, which includes St. Catharines, 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?
Owners in St. Catharines valued their homes at a median C$548,000 in 2021, joint 30th lowest of 69 Canadian cities and metropolitan areas on this site (Canada: C$472,000); median monthly shelter costs for owned dwellings were C$1,140 and 55.8% of owner households had a mortgage.
Source: Statistics Canada · saved copyHow much is rent in St. Catharines?
Renter households in St. Catharines paid median monthly shelter costs of C$1,100 in 2021, joint 21st lowest of 69 Canadian cities and metropolitan areas on this site (Canada: C$1,070); 35.6% of households rented their home (Canada: 33.1%).
Source: Statistics Canada · saved copyHow St. Catharines compares with other cities in Canada
Median total household income, 2020 (2021 Census) (2020)
St. Catharines ranks 56 of 69, highest first.
| Rank | City | Median total household income, 2020 (2021 Census) |
|---|---|---|
| 53 | Nanaimo | C$75,500 |
| 54 | St. John's | C$75,000 |
| 55 | Belleville | C$73,000 |
| 56 | St. Catharines | C$72,500 |
| 57 | Chatham-Kent | C$72,000 |
| 58 | Longueuil | C$71,500 |
| 59 | Peterborough | C$71,500 |
Median employment income of full-year, full-time workers, 2020 (2021 Census) (2020)
St. Catharines ranks 61 of 69, highest first.
| Rank | City | Median employment income of full-year, full-time workers, 2020 (2021 Census) |
|---|---|---|
| 58 | Abbotsford | C$58,000 |
| 59 | Brampton | C$57,600 |
| 60 | Belleville | C$57,600 |
| 61 | St. Catharines | C$57,200 |
| 62 | Saguenay | C$57,200 |
| 63 | Windsor | C$56,800 |
| 64 | Chatham-Kent | C$54,800 |
Unemployment rate, census reference week of May 2021 (2021)
St. Catharines ranks 4 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 ranks 63 of 69, highest first.
| Rank | City | Labour force participation rate, May 2021 (2021 Census) |
|---|---|---|
| 60 | Saguenay | 59.9% |
| 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% |
Median value of owned dwellings, 2021 Census (2021)
St. Catharines ranks 40 of 69, highest first.
| Rank | City | Median value of owned dwellings, 2021 Census |
|---|---|---|
| 37 | Kamloops | C$552,000 |
| 38 | Ottawa - Gatineau | C$548,000 |
| 39 | London | C$548,000 |
| 40 | St. Catharines | C$548,000 |
| 41 | Montréal | C$500,000 |
| 42 | Kingston | C$500,000 |
| 43 | Peterborough | C$500,000 |
Median monthly shelter costs for rented dwellings, 2021 Census (2021)
St. Catharines ranks 49 of 69, highest first.
| Rank | City | Median monthly shelter costs for rented dwellings, 2021 Census |
|---|---|---|
| 46 | Hamilton | C$1,120 |
| 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 |
More on St. Catharines: 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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