Economy, jobs and prices in Thunder Bay, Canada: official figures
The median total income of households in Thunder Bay was C$77,500 in 2020, as reported in the 2021 Census, 20th 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 Thunder Bay?
After income taxes, the median household in Thunder Bay had C$69,000 in 2020 (19th 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 Thunder Bay?
People in Thunder Bay who worked full-year, full-time in 2020 had median employment income of C$64,500, joint 30th 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 Thunder Bay at the 2021 Census?
At the 2021 Census, taken in May 2021 during the COVID-19 pandemic, the unemployment rate in Thunder Bay was 11.2%, 30th highest of 69 Canadian cities and metropolitan areas on this site, above the national 10.3%; 5,960 people aged 15 and over were looking for work.
Source: Statistics Canada · saved copyWhat industries do people in Thunder Bay work in?
In 2021, 20.0% of the labour force in Thunder Bay worked in health care and social assistance, 12.9% in retail trade, 3.6% in manufacturing and 5.6% in professional, scientific and technical services (Canada: 12.7%, 11.1%, 8.0% and 8.1%).
Source: Statistics Canada · saved copyHow do people in Thunder Bay get to work?
Of employed residents of Thunder Bay commuting to a usual or no fixed workplace in May 2021, 88.5% went by car, truck or van, 3.8% by public transit and 4.7% on foot; 16.9% 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 Thunder Bay now?
In the three months July to September 2026, the Labour Force Survey put the seasonally adjusted unemployment rate in the Thunder Bay 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; 59.5% of people aged 15 and over were employed.
Source: Statistics Canada · saved copyHow much is a house worth in Thunder Bay?
Owners in Thunder Bay 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$950 and 53.1% of owner households had a mortgage.
Source: Statistics Canada · saved copyHow much is rent in Thunder Bay?
Renter households in Thunder Bay paid median monthly shelter costs of C$970 in 2021, 17th lowest of 69 Canadian cities and metropolitan areas on this site (Canada: C$1,070); 32.3% of households rented their home (Canada: 33.1%).
Source: Statistics Canada · saved copyHow Thunder Bay compares with other cities in Canada
Median total household income, 2020 (2021 Census) (2020)
Thunder Bay ranks 50 of 69, highest first.
| Rank | City | Median total household income, 2020 (2021 Census) |
|---|---|---|
| 47 | Brantford | C$79,500 |
| 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 |
Median employment income of full-year, full-time workers, 2020 (2021 Census) (2020)
Thunder Bay ranks 31 of 69, highest first.
| Rank | City | Median employment income of full-year, full-time workers, 2020 (2021 Census) |
|---|---|---|
| 28 | Saskatoon | C$65,000 |
| 29 | Burnaby | C$65,000 |
| 30 | Hamilton | C$64,500 |
| 31 | Thunder Bay | C$64,500 |
| 32 | Kingston | C$64,000 |
| 33 | Barrie | C$63,200 |
| 34 | Red Deer | C$63,200 |
Unemployment rate, census reference week of May 2021 (2021)
Thunder Bay ranks 30 of 69, highest first.
| Rank | City | Unemployment rate, census reference week of May 2021 |
|---|---|---|
| 27 | St. John's | 11.5% |
| 28 | Halifax | 11.4% |
| 29 | Milton | 11.4% |
| 30 | Thunder Bay | 11.2% |
| 31 | Kitchener | 11.0% |
| 32 | Kitchener-Cambridge-Waterloo | 10.9% |
| 33 | Saint John | 10.9% |
Labour force participation rate, May 2021 (2021 Census) (2021)
Thunder Bay ranks 62 of 69, highest first.
| Rank | City | Labour force participation rate, May 2021 (2021 Census) |
|---|---|---|
| 59 | Richmond | 60.1% |
| 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% |
Median value of owned dwellings, 2021 Census (2021)
Thunder Bay ranks 62 of 69, highest first.
| Rank | City | Median value of owned dwellings, 2021 Census |
|---|---|---|
| 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 |
| 65 | Saguenay | C$220,000 |
Median monthly shelter costs for rented dwellings, 2021 Census (2021)
Thunder Bay ranks 53 of 69, highest first.
| Rank | City | Median monthly shelter costs for rented dwellings, 2021 Census |
|---|---|---|
| 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 |
| 54 | Windsor | C$950 |
| 55 | St. John's | C$950 |
| 56 | Moncton | C$950 |
More on Thunder Bay: 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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