Chatham-Kent Profile

Explore population, households, income, employment, education, commute, occupation, industry, languages, and dwellings for Chatham-Kent. Compare trends since 2016 and dig into the full profile below.

National Rank:54 of 688

Level:Census subdivision

Chatham-Kent Population

Total Population (2021)

103,988

Total Population (2016)

101,647

Population Growth

+2.3% (+2,341)

Growth Rank

#476 of 688Same geo level

Male

49.3%51,225

Female

50.7%52,765

Male-to-Female Ratio

0.971

Average Age

44.3

Median Age

46.4

Age Rank

#433 of 688Same geo level

Population Age Distribution

0–4

5,055(4.9%)

5–9

5,640(5.4%)

10–14

5,860(5.6%)

15–19

5,790(5.6%)

20–24

5,505(5.3%)

25–29

5,465(5.3%)

30–34

5,610(5.4%)

35–39

5,965(5.7%)

40–44

5,650(5.4%)

45–49

5,780(5.6%)

50–54

6,370(6.1%)

55–59

8,100(7.8%)

60–64

8,660(8.3%)

65–69

7,720(7.4%)

70–74

6,485(6.2%)

75–79

4,425(4.3%)

80–84

2,955(2.8%)

85+

2,945(2.8%)

Chatham-Kent Households

Household Size

Average Household Size

2.3

Total Private Dwellings

46,752

Occupied Private Dwellings

44,028

Size Distribution

1 Person

13,355 (30.3%)

2 Persons

16,785 (38.1%)

3 Persons

5,865 (13.3%)

4 Persons

4,835 (11.0%)

5+ Persons

3,185 (7.2%)

Household Composition

Couples with children

10,105(23.0%)

Couples without children

13,225(30.0%)

One-parent families

4,205(9.6%)

One-person households

13,360(30.3%)

Multigenerational

775(1.8%)

Multiple-family

145(0.3%)

Chatham-Kent Incomes

Summary

Avg. Household Income

$75,900After tax

Median Household Income

$65,000After tax

Avg. Individual Income

$40,200After tax

Median Individual Income

$34,800After tax

Income Rank

#530 of 688Same geo level

Income Composition

Market Income

76.4%

Employment Income

59.2%

Government Transfers

23.7%

Individual Income Distribution

Under $10k

6,470(7.8%)

$10k–$20k

11,205(13.5%)

$20k–$30k

13,870(16.7%)

$30k–$40k

12,110(14.6%)

$40k–$50k

10,545(12.7%)

$50k–$60k

8,110(9.8%)

$60k–$70k

5,880(7.1%)

$70k–$80k

4,130(5.0%)

$80k–$90k

2,860(3.4%)

$90k–$100k

2,185(2.6%)

$100k+

5,650(6.8%)

Chatham-Kent Employment

Labour Force

Employment Rate

51.2%

Unemployment Rate

10.7%

Total Labour Force

48,900

Employed

43,660

Unemployed

5,240

Not in Labour Force

36,320

Low Income Prevalence

Overall Low-Income Rate

12.0%

Children (0–17)

13.1%

Adults (18–64)

11.1%

Seniors (65+)

13.1%

Gini Coefficient (Total)

0.3100 = perfect equality

Gini Coefficient (After-Tax)

0.272

Chatham-Kent Education

Highest certificate, diploma or degree for the population aged 15 and over, Census 2021. The highest-credential groups are mutually exclusive. Bachelor's degree, master's degree, and medicine, dentistry or veterinary medicine sit inside “bachelor's degree or higher” and are not extra slices of the population. Shares are calculated on this site from the published counts. Statistics Canada randomly rounds census counts, so parts can miss the published total by a few people.

Highest credential

Population aged 15 and over

85,225

No certificate, diploma or degree

18,250 (21.4%)

High school diploma or equivalency

27,480 (32.2%)

Postsecondary credential

39,490 (46.3%)

Within bachelor's degree or higher

Bachelor's degree

8,245 (9.7%)74.8% of bachelor's or higher

Master's degree

1,595 (1.9%)14.5% of bachelor's or higher

Medicine, dentistry or veterinary medicine

225 (0.3%)2.0% of bachelor's or higher

Those credentials are published parts of bachelor's degree or higher. They do not add up to that count. Earned doctorates and other university credentials above the bachelor level stay inside the published total and are not separate columns in this extract.

Share of the population aged 15 and over

No certificate, diploma or degree

18,250(21.4%)

High school diploma or equivalency

27,480(32.2%)

Apprenticeship or trades certificate

5,500(6.5%)

College, CEGEP or other non-university

21,780(25.6%)

University certificate below bachelor

1,185(1.4%)

Bachelor's degree or higher

11,030(12.9%)

Chatham-Kent Commute

Place of work for the employed labour force aged 15 and over, Census 2021. Worked at home is the census count of people who worked at home, shown as a share of that employed labour force. Shares are calculated on this site from the published counts. Statistics Canada randomly rounds census counts, so parts can miss the published total by a few people.

Worked at home

16.2%

7,075 people

Share of 43,655 employed people aged 15 and over with a place of work.

Place of work

Worked at home

7,075(16.2%)

Usual place of work

31,565(72.3%)

No fixed workplace address

4,895(11.2%)

Worked outside Canada

120(0.3%)

Chatham-Kent Occupation

Broad category for the labour force aged 15 and over, Census 2021, using the National Occupational Classification (NOC) 2021. Legislative and senior management is broad category 0, not every job with “manager” in the title. Shares use the published labour-force total. These categories do not add up to that total. Counts are randomly rounded, and people with no classified category stay in the published total. This page does not estimate that remainder.

Labour force

48,900

Share of the labour force

Legislative and senior management

285(0.6%)

Business, finance and administration

6,230(12.7%)

Natural and applied sciences

2,465(5.0%)

Health

4,160(8.5%)

Education, law and social, community and government services

4,900(10.0%)

Art, culture, recreation and sport

650(1.3%)

Sales and service

11,990(24.5%)

Trades, transport and equipment operators

10,095(20.6%)

Natural resources, agriculture and related production

3,105(6.3%)

Manufacturing and utilities

4,045(8.3%)

Chatham-Kent Industry

Industry sector for the labour force aged 15 and over, Census 2021. Shares use the published labour-force total. These categories do not add up to that total. Counts are randomly rounded, and people with no classified category stay in the published total. This page does not estimate that remainder.

Labour force

48,900

Share of the labour force

Agriculture, forestry, fishing and hunting

3,595(7.4%)

Mining, quarrying, and oil and gas extraction

180(0.4%)

Utilities

885(1.8%)

Construction

3,905(8.0%)

Manufacturing

6,245(12.8%)

Wholesale trade

1,570(3.2%)

Retail trade

5,940(12.1%)

Transportation and warehousing

2,265(4.6%)

Information and cultural industries

795(1.6%)

Finance and insurance

1,075(2.2%)

Real estate and rental and leasing

460(0.9%)

Professional, scientific and technical services

1,655(3.4%)

Management of companies and enterprises

20(0.0%)

Administrative and support, waste management and remediation

2,120(4.3%)

Educational services

2,980(6.1%)

Health care and social assistance

6,645(13.6%)

Arts, entertainment and recreation

685(1.4%)

Accommodation and food services

2,810(5.7%)

Other services (except public administration)

2,000(4.1%)

Public administration

2,105(4.3%)

Chatham-Kent Languages

Language Knowledge

English Only

95,150 (92.4%)

French Only

45 (0.0%)

English & French

7,140 (6.9%)

Neither

650 (0.6%)

Mother Tongue

English

90,895 (88.3%)

French

2,165 (2.1%)

Non-official languages

8,265 (8.0%)

Top Mother Tongue Languages

English

90,895(88.3%)

French

2,165(2.1%)

German

740(0.7%)

Portuguese

565(0.5%)

Italian

420(0.4%)

Polish

385(0.4%)

Spanish

325(0.3%)

Vietnamese

230(0.2%)

Arabic

210(0.2%)

Punjabi

210(0.2%)

Chatham-Kent Dwellings

Dwelling Type

Single-detached

33,455(76.0%)

Semi-detached

1,445(3.3%)

Row house

1,535(3.5%)

Duplex

730(1.7%)

Apt. < 5 storeys

5,075(11.5%)

Apt. ≥ 5 storeys

1,540(3.5%)

Other attached

80(0.2%)

Movable

175(0.4%)

Housing · Chatham-Kent (CA), Ont.

These figures are published for Chatham-Kent (CA), Ont., a census agglomeration, reference period 2021. They are not counts for Chatham-Kent alone. Shares are calculated on this site from the published household counts in tables 98-10-0252-01 and 98-10-0253-01.

Tenure

Private households

42,860

Owner households

30,585 (71.4%)

Renter households

12,270 (28.6%)

Owners with a mortgage

16,450 (53.8%)Share of owner households

Owners without a mortgage

14,135 (46.2%)Share of owner households

Renters in subsidized housing

1,770 (14.4%)Share of renter households

Renters not in subsidized housing

10,500 (85.6%)Share of renter households

Shelter costs

Median monthly shelter cost

$860All households, 2021

Average monthly shelter cost

$1,003All households, 2021

Owners, median

$860

Renters, median

$870

Owners with a mortgage, median

$1,310

Owners without a mortgage, median

$520

Spending 30% or more of income on shelter

6,715 (15.7%)Share of households

Owners spending 30% or more

2,965 (9.7%)Share of owner households

Renters spending 30% or more

3,755 (30.6%)Share of renter households

Shelter-cost ratio not applicable

100 (0.2%)

Monthly shelter cost

Published household counts by shelter-cost band. Census counts are randomly rounded, so the bands can differ slightly from the household total.

Less than $500

8,030(18.7%)

$500 to $749

9,395(21.9%)

$750 to $999

8,400(19.6%)

$1,000 to $1,249

5,840(13.6%)

$1,250 to $1,499

3,940(9.2%)

$1,500 to $1,999

4,320(10.1%)

$2,000 to $2,499

1,710(4.0%)

$2,500 to $2,999

665(1.6%)

$3,000 and over

555(1.3%)

Shelter cost is the census monthly amount. For owners it includes mortgage payments, property taxes and condominium fees, along with electricity, heat, water and other municipal services. For renters it includes rent and those utility payments when the tenant pays them. Current consumer prices are a separate series on the cost-of-living page. Data sources.

Community snapshot

About Chatham-Kent

Chatham-Kent is a single-tier municipality in southwestern Ontario, covering a wide rural territory from the Thames River to Lake Erie. The urban centre is Chatham; Wallaceburg, Dresden, Ridgetown, Blenheim, and several lake-shore communities sit across the municipality. Farms, food processing, and Great Lakes shipping shape the local economy. About 104,000 people live in Chatham-Kent.

Known for

Amalgamated city of many former towns and townships
Thames River at Chatham
Lake Erie shoreline and agricultural hinterland
Uncle Tom’s Cabin Historic Site in Dresden
Food processing and greenhouse country

See & do

Tecumseh Park
Riverside park in downtown Chatham.
Uncle Tom’s Cabin Historic Site
Josiah Henson’s settlement site in Dresden, tied to the Underground Railroad.
Chatham Capitol Theatre
Restored movie palace downtown.
RM Classic Car Exhibit
Large collection of restored automobiles in Chatham.
Wheatley Provincial Park
Lake Erie parkland and trails in the southwest of the municipality.

Data source → Census methodology & attribution

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Data sources → Census profiles, housing tables, and consumer prices