Essex Profile

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

National Rank:208 of 688

Level:Census subdivision

Essex Population

Total Population (2021)

21,216

Total Population (2016)

20,427

Population Growth

+3.9% (+789)

Growth Rank

#390 of 688Same geo level

Male

49.6%10,520

Female

50.4%10,695

Male-to-Female Ratio

0.984

Average Age

44.1

Median Age

46.8

Age Rank

#417 of 688Same geo level

Population Age Distribution

0–4

980(4.6%)

5–9

1,115(5.3%)

10–14

1,155(5.4%)

15–19

1,175(5.5%)

20–24

1,160(5.5%)

25–29

1,155(5.4%)

30–34

1,155(5.4%)

35–39

1,140(5.4%)

40–44

1,135(5.3%)

45–49

1,365(6.4%)

50–54

1,470(6.9%)

55–59

1,850(8.7%)

60–64

1,715(8.1%)

65–69

1,485(7.0%)

70–74

1,280(6.0%)

75–79

815(3.8%)

80–84

515(2.4%)

85+

555(2.6%)

Essex Households

Household Size

Average Household Size

2.5

Total Private Dwellings

8,880

Occupied Private Dwellings

8,391

Size Distribution

1 Person

2,155 (25.7%)

2 Persons

3,140 (37.4%)

3 Persons

1,200 (14.3%)

4 Persons

1,210 (14.4%)

5+ Persons

690 (8.2%)

Household Composition

Couples with children

2,315(27.6%)

Couples without children

2,570(30.6%)

One-parent families

705(8.4%)

One-person households

2,155(25.7%)

Multigenerational

250(3.0%)

Multiple-family

40(0.5%)

Essex Incomes

Summary

Avg. Household Income

$88,800After tax

Median Household Income

$77,500After tax

Avg. Individual Income

$43,960After tax

Median Individual Income

$39,200After tax

Income Rank

#305 of 688Same geo level

Income Composition

Market Income

80.0%

Employment Income

64.8%

Government Transfers

19.9%

Individual Income Distribution

Under $10k

1,215(7.2%)

$10k–$20k

1,930(11.4%)

$20k–$30k

2,310(13.7%)

$30k–$40k

2,195(13.0%)

$40k–$50k

2,215(13.1%)

$50k–$60k

1,845(10.9%)

$60k–$70k

1,370(8.1%)

$70k–$80k

980(5.8%)

$80k–$90k

750(4.4%)

$90k–$100k

580(3.4%)

$100k+

1,505(8.9%)

Essex Employment

Labour Force

Employment Rate

53.3%

Unemployment Rate

12.5%

Total Labour Force

10,625

Employed

9,295

Unemployed

1,330

Not in Labour Force

6,805

Low Income Prevalence

Overall Low-Income Rate

7.3%

Children (0–17)

7.5%

Adults (18–64)

6.3%

Seniors (65+)

10.0%

Gini Coefficient (Total)

0.2900 = perfect equality

Gini Coefficient (After-Tax)

0.259

Essex 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

17,430

No certificate, diploma or degree

2,780 (15.9%)

High school diploma or equivalency

6,285 (36.1%)

Postsecondary credential

8,370 (48.0%)

Within bachelor's degree or higher

Bachelor's degree

1,860 (10.7%)74.5% of bachelor's or higher

Master's degree

385 (2.2%)15.4% of bachelor's or higher

Medicine, dentistry or veterinary medicine

45 (0.3%)1.8% 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

2,780(15.9%)

High school diploma or equivalency

6,285(36.1%)

Apprenticeship or trades certificate

1,365(7.8%)

College, CEGEP or other non-university

4,270(24.5%)

University certificate below bachelor

240(1.4%)

Bachelor's degree or higher

2,495(14.3%)

Essex 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

13.3%

1,240 people

Share of 9,295 employed people aged 15 and over with a place of work.

Place of work

Worked at home

1,240(13.3%)

Usual place of work

6,705(72.1%)

No fixed workplace address

1,240(13.3%)

Worked outside Canada

105(1.1%)

Essex 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

10,625

Share of the labour force

Legislative and senior management

90(0.8%)

Business, finance and administration

1,370(12.9%)

Natural and applied sciences

535(5.0%)

Health

855(8.0%)

Education, law and social, community and government services

990(9.3%)

Art, culture, recreation and sport

175(1.6%)

Sales and service

2,380(22.4%)

Trades, transport and equipment operators

2,665(25.1%)

Natural resources, agriculture and related production

390(3.7%)

Manufacturing and utilities

975(9.2%)

Essex 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

10,625

Share of the labour force

Agriculture, forestry, fishing and hunting

405(3.8%)

Mining, quarrying, and oil and gas extraction

85(0.8%)

Utilities

105(1.0%)

Construction

1,055(9.9%)

Manufacturing

2,070(19.5%)

Wholesale trade

265(2.5%)

Retail trade

1,070(10.1%)

Transportation and warehousing

545(5.1%)

Information and cultural industries

130(1.2%)

Finance and insurance

280(2.6%)

Real estate and rental and leasing

85(0.8%)

Professional, scientific and technical services

405(3.8%)

Management of companies and enterprises

10(0.1%)

Administrative and support, waste management and remediation

345(3.2%)

Educational services

640(6.0%)

Health care and social assistance

1,285(12.1%)

Arts, entertainment and recreation

190(1.8%)

Accommodation and food services

600(5.6%)

Other services (except public administration)

480(4.5%)

Public administration

385(3.6%)

Essex Languages

Language Knowledge

English Only

19,495 (92.9%)

French Only

5 (0.0%)

English & French

1,440 (6.9%)

Neither

40 (0.2%)

Mother Tongue

English

19,150 (91.3%)

French

365 (1.7%)

Non-official languages

1,175 (5.6%)

Top Mother Tongue Languages

English

19,150(91.3%)

French

365(1.7%)

Portuguese

270(1.3%)

Italian

100(0.5%)

Spanish

50(0.2%)

Polish

50(0.2%)

Arabic

35(0.2%)

Mandarin

35(0.2%)

Punjabi

30(0.1%)

Urdu

20(0.1%)

Essex Dwellings

Dwelling Type

Single-detached

7,095(84.6%)

Semi-detached

55(0.7%)

Row house

295(3.5%)

Duplex

75(0.9%)

Apt. < 5 storeys

380(4.5%)

Apt. ≥ 5 storeys

60(0.7%)

Movable

420(5.0%)

Community snapshot

About Essex

Essex is a town in Essex County, Ontario, inland from Windsor and Lake Erie in Canada’s far southwest. It combines a small urban centre with surrounding farmland in one of the country’s warmest growing regions. Highways 3 and county roads link toward Windsor, Harrow, and the lake shore. About 21,000 people live in the Town of Essex.

Known for

Town centre for inland Essex County farmland
Warm-climate agriculture near Lake Erie
Proximity to Windsor and the Detroit border region
Rural residential communities around a compact downtown
County service and recreation hub

See & do

Downtown Essex
Local shops and civic buildings in the town centre.
Essex Recreation Complex / parks
Community sports and green space.
Surrounding farm-country drives
Fields and rural roads across Essex County.
Nearby Lake Erie shore (county)
Beaches and wine country a short drive south.
Heritage sites in the town core
Local history buildings and community museums.

Data source → Census methodology & attribution

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