Economy, jobs and prices in Waterloo, Canada: official figures
The median total income of households in Waterloo was C$94,000 in 2020, as reported in the 2021 Census, 18th highest 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 Waterloo?
After income taxes, the median household in Waterloo had C$82,000 in 2020 (joint 18th highest of 69 Canadian cities and metropolitan areas on this site; Canada: C$73,000).
Source: Statistics Canada · saved copyWhat is the median salary in Waterloo?
People in Waterloo who worked full-year, full-time in 2020 had median employment income of C$74,500, 7th 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 Waterloo at the 2021 Census?
At the 2021 Census, taken in May 2021 during the COVID-19 pandemic, the unemployment rate in Waterloo was 12.0%, 23rd highest of 69 Canadian cities and metropolitan areas on this site, above the national 10.3%; 7,905 people aged 15 and over were looking for work.
Source: Statistics Canada · saved copyWhat industries do people in Waterloo work in?
In 2021, 8.6% of the labour force in Waterloo worked in health care and social assistance, 9.9% in retail trade, 10.3% in manufacturing and 13.6% in professional, scientific and technical services (Canada: 12.7%, 11.1%, 8.0% and 8.1%).
Source: Statistics Canada · saved copyHow do people in Waterloo get to work?
Of employed residents of Waterloo commuting to a usual or no fixed workplace in May 2021, 83.9% went by car, truck or van, 6.5% by public transit and 5.6% on foot; 40.3% 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 Waterloo now?
In the three months July to September 2026, the Labour Force Survey put the seasonally adjusted unemployment rate in the Kitchener-Cambridge-Waterloo census metropolitan area, which includes Waterloo, at 7.7%, 4th highest of 41 metropolitan areas in the survey, against 7.3% a year earlier and 6.5% for Canada; 64.8% of people aged 15 and over were employed.
Source: Statistics Canada · saved copyHow much is a house worth in Waterloo?
Owners in Waterloo valued their homes at a median C$750,000 in 2021, joint 22nd highest of 69 Canadian cities and metropolitan areas on this site (Canada: C$472,000); median monthly shelter costs for owned dwellings were C$1,390 and 56.5% of owner households had a mortgage.
Source: Statistics Canada · saved copyHow much is rent in Waterloo?
Renter households in Waterloo paid median monthly shelter costs of C$1,400 in 2021, joint 19th highest of 69 Canadian cities and metropolitan areas on this site (Canada: C$1,070); 38.7% of households rented their home (Canada: 33.1%).
Source: Statistics Canada · saved copyHow Waterloo compares with other cities in Canada
Median total household income, 2020 (2021 Census) (2020)
Waterloo ranks 18 of 69, highest first.
| Rank | City | Median total household income, 2020 (2021 Census) |
|---|---|---|
| 15 | Calgary | C$98,000 |
| 16 | Surrey | C$98,000 |
| 17 | Terrebonne | C$95,000 |
| 18 | Waterloo | C$94,000 |
| 19 | Barrie | C$93,000 |
| 20 | Cambridge | C$93,000 |
| 21 | Guelph | C$93,000 |
Median employment income of full-year, full-time workers, 2020 (2021 Census) (2020)
Waterloo ranks 7 of 69, highest first.
| Rank | City | Median employment income of full-year, full-time workers, 2020 (2021 Census) |
|---|---|---|
| 4 | Ottawa | C$77,500 |
| 5 | Milton | C$76,500 |
| 6 | Vaughan | C$75,000 |
| 7 | Waterloo | C$74,500 |
| 8 | Ottawa - Gatineau | C$74,000 |
| 9 | Richmond Hill | C$74,000 |
| 10 | Calgary | C$72,500 |
Unemployment rate, census reference week of May 2021 (2021)
Waterloo ranks 23 of 69, highest first.
| Rank | City | Unemployment rate, census reference week of May 2021 |
|---|---|---|
| 20 | Hamilton | 12.3% |
| 21 | Whitby | 12.3% |
| 22 | Red Deer | 12.3% |
| 23 | Waterloo | 12.0% |
| 24 | Belleville | 11.9% |
| 25 | Oakville | 11.7% |
| 26 | Cambridge | 11.5% |
Labour force participation rate, May 2021 (2021 Census) (2021)
Waterloo ranks 30 of 69, highest first.
| Rank | City | Labour force participation rate, May 2021 (2021 Census) |
|---|---|---|
| 27 | Laval | 65.6% |
| 28 | Halifax | 65.5% |
| 29 | Kelowna | 65.4% |
| 30 | Waterloo | 65.4% |
| 31 | Lethbridge | 65.4% |
| 32 | Abbotsford | 65.3% |
| 33 | Longueuil | 65.2% |
Median value of owned dwellings, 2021 Census (2021)
Waterloo ranks 22 of 69, highest first.
| Rank | City | Median value of owned dwellings, 2021 Census |
|---|---|---|
| 19 | Abbotsford | C$850,000 |
| 20 | Whitby | C$850,000 |
| 21 | Ajax | C$850,000 |
| 22 | Waterloo | C$750,000 |
| 23 | Victoria | C$750,000 |
| 24 | Chilliwack | C$750,000 |
| 25 | Kelowna | C$725,000 |
Median monthly shelter costs for rented dwellings, 2021 Census (2021)
Waterloo ranks 19 of 69, highest first.
| Rank | City | Median monthly shelter costs for rented dwellings, 2021 Census |
|---|---|---|
| 16 | Burnaby | C$1,490 |
| 17 | Kelowna | C$1,440 |
| 18 | Whitby | C$1,430 |
| 19 | Waterloo | C$1,400 |
| 20 | Saanich | C$1,400 |
| 21 | Delta | C$1,400 |
| 22 | Ottawa | C$1,380 |
More on Waterloo: 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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