Nanaimo Profile

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

National Rank:57 of 688

Level:Census subdivision

Nanaimo Population

Total Population (2021)

99,863

Total Population (2016)

90,504

Population Growth

+10.3% (+9,359)

Growth Rank

#124 of 688Same geo level

Male

48.3%48,220

Female

51.7%51,640

Male-to-Female Ratio

0.934

Average Age

44.8

Median Age

45.2

Age Rank

#460 of 688Same geo level

Population Age Distribution

0–4

4,055(4.1%)

5–9

4,870(4.9%)

10–14

5,215(5.2%)

15–19

4,625(4.6%)

20–24

5,660(5.7%)

25–29

6,250(6.3%)

30–34

6,520(6.5%)

35–39

6,725(6.7%)

40–44

5,910(5.9%)

45–49

5,610(5.6%)

50–54

5,970(6.0%)

55–59

6,725(6.7%)

60–64

7,215(7.2%)

65–69

7,300(7.3%)

70–74

6,485(6.5%)

75–79

4,525(4.5%)

80–84

3,010(3.0%)

85+

3,195(3.2%)

Nanaimo Households

Household Size

Average Household Size

2.3

Total Private Dwellings

45,138

Occupied Private Dwellings

43,164

Size Distribution

1 Person

13,510 (31.3%)

2 Persons

16,535 (38.3%)

3 Persons

5,940 (13.8%)

4 Persons

4,565 (10.6%)

5+ Persons

2,615 (6.1%)

Household Composition

Couples with children

7,910(18.3%)

Couples without children

12,200(28.3%)

One-parent families

3,715(8.6%)

One-person households

13,510(31.3%)

Multigenerational

980(2.3%)

Multiple-family

325(0.8%)

Nanaimo Incomes

Summary

Avg. Household Income

$79,600After tax

Median Household Income

$68,500After tax

Avg. Individual Income

$42,440After tax

Median Individual Income

$36,800After tax

Income Rank

#494 of 688Same geo level

Income Composition

Market Income

78.6%

Employment Income

60.6%

Government Transfers

21.4%

Individual Income Distribution

Under $10k

6,090(7.5%)

$10k–$20k

9,505(11.8%)

$20k–$30k

13,300(16.4%)

$30k–$40k

11,640(14.4%)

$40k–$50k

10,160(12.6%)

$50k–$60k

7,810(9.7%)

$60k–$70k

5,825(7.2%)

$70k–$80k

4,300(5.3%)

$80k–$90k

3,220(4.0%)

$90k–$100k

2,420(3.0%)

$100k+

6,610(8.2%)

Nanaimo Employment

Labour Force

Employment Rate

55.2%

Unemployment Rate

8.4%

Total Labour Force

49,970

Employed

45,770

Unemployed

4,200

Not in Labour Force

32,935

Low Income Prevalence

Overall Low-Income Rate

11.1%

Children (0–17)

12.7%

Adults (18–64)

9.8%

Seniors (65+)

13.1%

Gini Coefficient (Total)

0.3030 = perfect equality

Gini Coefficient (After-Tax)

0.272

Nanaimo 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

82,905

No certificate, diploma or degree

11,200 (13.5%)

High school diploma or equivalency

25,285 (30.5%)

Postsecondary credential

46,425 (56.0%)

Within bachelor's degree or higher

Bachelor's degree

12,210 (14.7%)63.0% of bachelor's or higher

Master's degree

4,385 (5.3%)22.6% of bachelor's or higher

Medicine, dentistry or veterinary medicine

590 (0.7%)3.0% 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

11,200(13.5%)

High school diploma or equivalency

25,285(30.5%)

Apprenticeship or trades certificate

7,770(9.4%)

College, CEGEP or other non-university

15,115(18.2%)

University certificate below bachelor

4,150(5.0%)

Bachelor's degree or higher

19,390(23.4%)

Nanaimo 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

17.7%

8,100 people

Share of 45,770 employed people aged 15 and over with a place of work.

Place of work

Worked at home

8,100(17.7%)

Usual place of work

29,935(65.4%)

No fixed workplace address

7,680(16.8%)

Worked outside Canada

55(0.1%)

Nanaimo 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

49,975

Share of the labour force

Legislative and senior management

415(0.8%)

Business, finance and administration

7,090(14.2%)

Natural and applied sciences

3,145(6.3%)

Health

4,885(9.8%)

Education, law and social, community and government services

5,985(12.0%)

Art, culture, recreation and sport

1,530(3.1%)

Sales and service

14,775(29.6%)

Trades, transport and equipment operators

8,805(17.6%)

Natural resources, agriculture and related production

1,170(2.3%)

Manufacturing and utilities

1,135(2.3%)

Nanaimo 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

49,975

Share of the labour force

Agriculture, forestry, fishing and hunting

1,010(2.0%)

Mining, quarrying, and oil and gas extraction

265(0.5%)

Utilities

210(0.4%)

Construction

4,515(9.0%)

Manufacturing

1,720(3.4%)

Wholesale trade

1,095(2.2%)

Retail trade

7,005(14.0%)

Transportation and warehousing

2,530(5.1%)

Information and cultural industries

945(1.9%)

Finance and insurance

1,660(3.3%)

Real estate and rental and leasing

1,060(2.1%)

Professional, scientific and technical services

3,205(6.4%)

Management of companies and enterprises

65(0.1%)

Administrative and support, waste management and remediation

2,430(4.9%)

Educational services

3,680(7.4%)

Health care and social assistance

8,060(16.1%)

Arts, entertainment and recreation

840(1.7%)

Accommodation and food services

3,920(7.8%)

Other services (except public administration)

2,260(4.5%)

Public administration

2,470(4.9%)

Nanaimo Languages

Language Knowledge

English Only

91,025 (92.5%)

French Only

30 (0.0%)

English & French

6,675 (6.8%)

Neither

690 (0.7%)

Mother Tongue

English

84,170 (85.5%)

French

1,200 (1.2%)

Non-official languages

11,105 (11.3%)

Top Mother Tongue Languages

English

84,170(85.5%)

Mandarin

1,540(1.6%)

French

1,200(1.2%)

Punjabi

1,165(1.2%)

Tagalog

700(0.7%)

Spanish

580(0.6%)

Vietnamese

535(0.5%)

Korean

520(0.5%)

Arabic

450(0.5%)

Cantonese

410(0.4%)

Nanaimo Dwellings

Dwelling Type

Single-detached

22,215(51.5%)

Semi-detached

2,145(5.0%)

Row house

1,970(4.6%)

Duplex

6,040(14.0%)

Apt. < 5 storeys

8,235(19.1%)

Apt. ≥ 5 storeys

1,385(3.2%)

Other attached

85(0.2%)

Movable

1,085(2.5%)

Housing · Nanaimo (CMA), B.C.

These figures are published for Nanaimo (CMA), B.C., a census metropolitan area, reference period 2021. They are not counts for Nanaimo 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

48,910

Owner households

33,635 (68.8%)

Renter households

15,275 (31.2%)

Owners with a mortgage

19,515 (58.0%)Share of owner households

Owners without a mortgage

14,125 (42.0%)Share of owner households

Renters in subsidized housing

1,470 (9.6%)Share of renter households

Renters not in subsidized housing

13,805 (90.4%)Share of renter households

Shelter costs

Median monthly shelter cost

$1,210All households, 2021

Average monthly shelter cost

$1,366All households, 2021

Owners, median

$1,150

Renters, median

$1,250

Owners with a mortgage, median

$1,860

Owners without a mortgage, median

$500

Spending 30% or more of income on shelter

11,415 (23.3%)Share of households

Owners spending 30% or more

5,340 (15.9%)Share of owner households

Renters spending 30% or more

6,075 (39.8%)Share of renter households

Shelter-cost ratio not applicable

145 (0.3%)

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

7,755(15.9%)

$500 to $749

6,885(14.1%)

$750 to $999

5,395(11.0%)

$1,000 to $1,249

5,085(10.4%)

$1,250 to $1,499

4,955(10.1%)

$1,500 to $1,999

8,435(17.2%)

$2,000 to $2,499

5,145(10.5%)

$2,500 to $2,999

2,920(6.0%)

$3,000 and over

2,335(4.8%)

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 Nanaimo

Nanaimo is a harbour city on the east coast of Vancouver Island, across the Strait of Georgia from Metro Vancouver. It grew around coal mining and a protected harbour and is now a ferry, service, and recreation centre for mid-Island. Departure Bay and Duke Point terminals link the city to the mainland. About 100,000 people live in Nanaimo.

Known for

Protected harbour and the Hudson’s Bay Bastion
BC Ferries at Departure Bay and Duke Point
Former coal-mining port
Saysutshun (Newcastle Island) just offshore
Gateway to mid-Island beaches and parks

See & do

Nanaimo Bastion
Hudson’s Bay Company fort tower on the harbour.
Maffeo Sutton Park
Waterfront park, seaplane docks, and the Newcastle Island ferry.
Saysutshun (Newcastle Island)
Marine provincial park a short harbour ferry from downtown.
Departure Bay
Beach, promenade, and the main Island-to-mainland ferry terminal.
Buttertubs Marsh
Urban wetland and bird sanctuary.

Data source → Census methodology & attribution

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