Kitchener Profile

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

National Rank:20 of 688

Level:Census subdivision

Kitchener Population

Total Population (2021)

256,885

Total Population (2016)

233,222

Population Growth

+10.1% (+23,663)

Growth Rank

#130 of 688Same geo level

Male

49.7%127,615

Female

50.3%129,275

Male-to-Female Ratio

0.987

Average Age

Median Age

37.2

Age Rank

#96 of 688Same geo level

Population Age Distribution

0–4

14,665(5.7%)

5–9

15,090(5.9%)

10–14

15,150(5.9%)

15–19

14,225(5.5%)

20–24

16,410(6.4%)

25–29

21,890(8.5%)

30–34

21,455(8.4%)

35–39

19,795(7.7%)

40–44

17,450(6.8%)

45–49

16,035(6.2%)

50–54

15,760(6.1%)

55–59

16,435(6.4%)

60–64

14,720(5.7%)

65–69

11,995(4.7%)

70–74

9,805(3.8%)

75–79

6,690(2.6%)

80–84

4,660(1.8%)

85+

4,660(1.8%)

Kitchener Households

Household Size

Average Household Size

2.6

Total Private Dwellings

103,388

Occupied Private Dwellings

99,812

Size Distribution

1 Person

26,630 (26.7%)

2 Persons

32,450 (32.5%)

3 Persons

16,065 (16.1%)

4 Persons

15,030 (15.1%)

5+ Persons

9,645 (9.7%)

Household Composition

Couples with children

27,900(28.0%)

Couples without children

23,525(23.6%)

One-parent families

9,330(9.3%)

One-person households

26,625(26.7%)

Multigenerational

3,170(3.2%)

Multiple-family

700(0.7%)

Kitchener Incomes

Summary

Avg. Household Income

$87,800After tax

Median Household Income

$76,500After tax

Avg. Individual Income

$43,720After tax

Median Individual Income

$37,600After tax

Income Rank

#305 of 688Same geo level

Income Composition

Market Income

82.4%

Employment Income

70.6%

Government Transfers

17.6%

Individual Income Distribution

Under $10k

15,980(8.0%)

$10k–$20k

23,245(11.6%)

$20k–$30k

30,465(15.2%)

$30k–$40k

26,370(13.2%)

$40k–$50k

23,935(11.9%)

$50k–$60k

20,455(10.2%)

$60k–$70k

15,200(7.6%)

$70k–$80k

11,235(5.6%)

$80k–$90k

8,170(4.1%)

$90k–$100k

6,370(3.2%)

$100k+

18,880(9.4%)

Kitchener Employment

Labour Force

Employment Rate

59.4%

Unemployment Rate

11.0%

Total Labour Force

139,695

Employed

124,325

Unemployed

15,375

Not in Labour Force

69,585

Low Income Prevalence

Overall Low-Income Rate

9.9%

Children (0–17)

12.5%

Adults (18–64)

8.5%

Seniors (65+)

12.3%

Gini Coefficient (Total)

0.3180 = perfect equality

Gini Coefficient (After-Tax)

0.278

Kitchener 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

209,280

No certificate, diploma or degree

34,805 (16.6%)

High school diploma or equivalency

58,090 (27.8%)

Postsecondary credential

116,390 (55.6%)

Within bachelor's degree or higher

Bachelor's degree

38,755 (18.5%)66.8% of bachelor's or higher

Master's degree

12,505 (6.0%)21.6% of bachelor's or higher

Medicine, dentistry or veterinary medicine

1,145 (0.5%)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

34,805(16.6%)

High school diploma or equivalency

58,090(27.8%)

Apprenticeship or trades certificate

11,180(5.3%)

College, CEGEP or other non-university

42,990(20.5%)

University certificate below bachelor

4,205(2.0%)

Bachelor's degree or higher

58,015(27.7%)

Kitchener 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

27.3%

33,970 people

Share of 124,325 employed people aged 15 and over with a place of work.

Place of work

Worked at home

33,970(27.3%)

Usual place of work

76,005(61.1%)

No fixed workplace address

13,920(11.2%)

Worked outside Canada

430(0.3%)

Kitchener 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

139,695

Share of the labour force

Legislative and senior management

1,260(0.9%)

Business, finance and administration

22,220(15.9%)

Natural and applied sciences

15,760(11.3%)

Health

9,385(6.7%)

Education, law and social, community and government services

13,905(10.0%)

Art, culture, recreation and sport

3,485(2.5%)

Sales and service

32,380(23.2%)

Trades, transport and equipment operators

23,065(16.5%)

Natural resources, agriculture and related production

1,425(1.0%)

Manufacturing and utilities

13,400(9.6%)

Kitchener 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

139,695

Share of the labour force

Agriculture, forestry, fishing and hunting

785(0.6%)

Mining, quarrying, and oil and gas extraction

135(0.1%)

Utilities

650(0.5%)

Construction

9,615(6.9%)

Manufacturing

22,495(16.1%)

Wholesale trade

4,505(3.2%)

Retail trade

14,255(10.2%)

Transportation and warehousing

7,115(5.1%)

Information and cultural industries

3,900(2.8%)

Finance and insurance

8,015(5.7%)

Real estate and rental and leasing

2,170(1.6%)

Professional, scientific and technical services

12,650(9.1%)

Management of companies and enterprises

480(0.3%)

Administrative and support, waste management and remediation

6,405(4.6%)

Educational services

10,700(7.7%)

Health care and social assistance

14,980(10.7%)

Arts, entertainment and recreation

1,595(1.1%)

Accommodation and food services

7,130(5.1%)

Other services (except public administration)

4,610(3.3%)

Public administration

4,085(2.9%)

Kitchener Languages

Language Knowledge

English Only

233,095 (91.5%)

French Only

125 (0.0%)

English & French

15,855 (6.2%)

Neither

5,740 (2.3%)

Mother Tongue

English

166,675 (65.4%)

French

2,540 (1.0%)

Non-official languages

74,795 (29.4%)

Top Mother Tongue Languages

English

166,675(65.4%)

Spanish

6,305(2.5%)

Punjabi

5,580(2.2%)

Arabic

5,460(2.1%)

Portuguese

3,480(1.4%)

Gujarati

2,680(1.1%)

Polish

2,610(1.0%)

French

2,540(1.0%)

Persian

2,430(1.0%)

Vietnamese

2,360(0.9%)

Kitchener Dwellings

Dwelling Type

Single-detached

47,405(47.5%)

Semi-detached

5,420(5.4%)

Row house

12,900(12.9%)

Duplex

3,185(3.2%)

Apt. < 5 storeys

15,470(15.5%)

Apt. ≥ 5 storeys

15,330(15.4%)

Other attached

90(0.1%)

Movable

15(0.0%)

Housing · Kitchener - Cambridge - Waterloo (CMA), Ont.

These figures are published for Kitchener - Cambridge - Waterloo (CMA), Ont., a census metropolitan area, reference period 2021. They are not counts for Kitchener 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

218,525

Owner households

141,080 (64.6%)

Renter households

77,445 (35.4%)

Owners with a mortgage

88,870 (63.0%)Share of owner households

Owners without a mortgage

52,215 (37.0%)Share of owner households

Renters in subsidized housing

8,065 (10.4%)Share of renter households

Renters not in subsidized housing

69,380 (89.6%)Share of renter households

Shelter costs

Median monthly shelter cost

$1,410All households, 2021

Average monthly shelter cost

$1,520All households, 2021

Owners, median

$1,540

Renters, median

$1,300

Owners with a mortgage, median

$2,020

Owners without a mortgage, median

$624

Spending 30% or more of income on shelter

47,860 (21.9%)Share of households

Owners spending 30% or more

19,555 (13.9%)Share of owner households

Renters spending 30% or more

28,305 (36.5%)Share of renter households

Shelter-cost ratio not applicable

885 (0.4%)

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

16,915(7.7%)

$500 to $749

31,550(14.4%)

$750 to $999

23,630(10.8%)

$1,000 to $1,249

22,565(10.3%)

$1,250 to $1,499

22,355(10.2%)

$1,500 to $1,999

44,690(20.5%)

$2,000 to $2,499

28,875(13.2%)

$2,500 to $2,999

15,185(6.9%)

$3,000 and over

12,765(5.8%)

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 Kitchener

Kitchener is in Waterloo Region, in southwestern Ontario, paired with neighbouring Waterloo and Cambridge. It is a former manufacturing city that has become a centre for insurance, tech, and post-secondary education. Downtown sits along a former industrial corridor now served by ION light rail. About 260,000 people live in Kitchener.

Known for

Tech and insurance alongside older factories
Oktoberfest, among the largest outside Germany
ION light rail shared with Waterloo
A German-settler industrial history
Grand River conservation lands

See & do

THEMUSEUM
Downtown science and culture museum.
Kitchener Market
Year-round Saturday market.
Victoria Park
Central park with a lake and clock tower.
Centre In The Square
Concert hall and home of the Kitchener-Waterloo Art Gallery.
Huron Natural Area
Large urban nature reserve in south Kitchener.

Data source → Census methodology & attribution

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