Economy, jobs and prices in St. John's, Canada: official figures
The median total income of households in St. John's was C$75,000 in 2020, as reported in the 2021 Census, 16th 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. John's?
After income taxes, the median household in St. John's 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. John's?
People in St. John's who worked full-year, full-time in 2020 had median employment income of C$66,000, 24th 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 St. John's at the 2021 Census?
At the 2021 Census, taken in May 2021 during the COVID-19 pandemic, the unemployment rate in St. John's was 11.5%, joint 26th highest of 69 Canadian cities and metropolitan areas on this site, above the national 10.3%; 6,620 people aged 15 and over were looking for work.
Source: Statistics Canada · saved copyWhat industries do people in St. John's work in?
In 2021, 15.5% of the labour force in St. John's worked in health care and social assistance, 12.4% in retail trade, 2.6% in manufacturing and 8.0% in professional, scientific and technical services (Canada: 12.7%, 11.1%, 8.0% and 8.1%).
Source: Statistics Canada · saved copyHow do people in St. John's get to work?
Of employed residents of St. John's commuting to a usual or no fixed workplace in May 2021, 84.4% went by car, truck or van, 5.4% by public transit and 7.0% 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. John's now?
In the three months July to September 2026, the Labour Force Survey put the seasonally adjusted unemployment rate in the St. John's census metropolitan area at 6.6%, 15th highest of 41 metropolitan areas in the survey, against 7.0% a year earlier and 6.5% for Canada; 61.3% of people aged 15 and over were employed.
Source: Statistics Canada · saved copyHow much is a house worth in St. John's?
Owners in St. John's valued their homes at a median C$306,000 in 2021, 10th lowest of 69 Canadian cities and metropolitan areas on this site (Canada: C$472,000); median monthly shelter costs for owned dwellings were C$1,290 and 61.4% of owner households had a mortgage.
Source: Statistics Canada · saved copyHow much is rent in St. John's?
Renter households in St. John's paid median monthly shelter costs of C$950 in 2021, joint 14th lowest of 69 Canadian cities and metropolitan areas on this site (Canada: C$1,070); 39.3% of households rented their home (Canada: 33.1%).
Source: Statistics Canada · saved copyHow St. John's compares with other cities in Canada
Median total household income, 2020 (2021 Census) (2020)
St. John's ranks 54 of 69, highest first.
| Rank | City | Median total household income, 2020 (2021 Census) |
|---|---|---|
| 51 | St. Catharines-Niagara | C$77,000 |
| 52 | London | C$76,500 |
| 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 |
Median employment income of full-year, full-time workers, 2020 (2021 Census) (2020)
St. John's ranks 24 of 69, highest first.
| Rank | City | Median employment income of full-year, full-time workers, 2020 (2021 Census) |
|---|---|---|
| 21 | Regina | C$67,000 |
| 22 | Mississauga | C$66,500 |
| 23 | Gatineau | C$66,500 |
| 24 | St. John's | C$66,000 |
| 25 | Guelph | C$65,500 |
| 26 | Kamloops | C$65,500 |
| 27 | Kitchener-Cambridge-Waterloo | C$65,000 |
Unemployment rate, census reference week of May 2021 (2021)
St. John's ranks 27 of 69, highest first.
| Rank | City | Unemployment rate, census reference week of May 2021 |
|---|---|---|
| 24 | Belleville | 11.9% |
| 25 | Oakville | 11.7% |
| 26 | Cambridge | 11.5% |
| 27 | St. John's | 11.5% |
| 28 | Halifax | 11.4% |
| 29 | Milton | 11.4% |
| 30 | Thunder Bay | 11.2% |
Labour force participation rate, May 2021 (2021 Census) (2021)
St. John's ranks 51 of 69, highest first.
| Rank | City | Labour force participation rate, May 2021 (2021 Census) |
|---|---|---|
| 48 | Saanich | 62.3% |
| 49 | Hamilton | 61.9% |
| 50 | London | 61.7% |
| 51 | St. John's | 61.7% |
| 52 | Brantford | 61.4% |
| 53 | Oshawa | 61.1% |
| 54 | Greater Sudbury / Grand Sudbury | 61.1% |
Median value of owned dwellings, 2021 Census (2021)
St. John's ranks 60 of 69, highest first.
| Rank | City | Median value of owned dwellings, 2021 Census |
|---|---|---|
| 57 | Red Deer | C$340,000 |
| 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 |
Median monthly shelter costs for rented dwellings, 2021 Census (2021)
St. John's ranks 55 of 69, highest first.
| Rank | City | Median monthly shelter costs for rented dwellings, 2021 Census |
|---|---|---|
| 52 | Greater Sudbury / Grand Sudbury | C$1,000 |
| 53 | Thunder Bay | C$970 |
| 54 | Windsor | C$950 |
| 55 | St. John's | C$950 |
| 56 | Moncton | C$950 |
| 57 | Terrebonne | C$920 |
| 58 | Laval | C$910 |
More on St. John's: 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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