Oshawa Profile

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

National Rank:29 of 688

Level:Census subdivision

Oshawa Population

Total Population (2021)

175,383

Total Population (2016)

159,458

Population Growth

+10.0% (+15,925)

Growth Rank

#132 of 688Same geo level

Male

49.0%85,980

Female

51.0%89,400

Male-to-Female Ratio

0.962

Average Age

40.3

Median Age

39.2

Age Rank

#171 of 688Same geo level

Population Age Distribution

0–4

9,965(5.7%)

5–9

10,500(6.0%)

10–14

10,345(5.9%)

15–19

9,680(5.5%)

20–24

10,800(6.2%)

25–29

12,465(7.1%)

30–34

13,165(7.5%)

35–39

12,370(7.1%)

40–44

11,325(6.5%)

45–49

10,680(6.1%)

50–54

11,015(6.3%)

55–59

12,610(7.2%)

60–64

11,140(6.4%)

65–69

8,850(5.0%)

70–74

7,720(4.4%)

75–79

5,220(3.0%)

80–84

3,705(2.1%)

85+

3,825(2.2%)

Oshawa Households

Household Size

Average Household Size

2.6

Total Private Dwellings

69,324

Occupied Private Dwellings

66,634

Size Distribution

1 Person

16,845 (25.3%)

2 Persons

21,080 (31.6%)

3 Persons

11,490 (17.2%)

4 Persons

10,010 (15.0%)

5+ Persons

7,205 (10.8%)

Household Composition

Couples with children

17,395(26.1%)

Couples without children

13,855(20.8%)

One-parent families

8,155(12.2%)

One-person households

16,850(25.3%)

Multigenerational

3,245(4.9%)

Multiple-family

645(1.0%)

Oshawa Incomes

Summary

Avg. Household Income

$86,200After tax

Median Household Income

$76,000After tax

Avg. Individual Income

$41,840After tax

Median Individual Income

$36,400After tax

Income Rank

#318 of 688Same geo level

Income Composition

Market Income

77.8%

Employment Income

63.4%

Government Transfers

22.2%

Individual Income Distribution

Under $10k

11,170(8.2%)

$10k–$20k

17,490(12.8%)

$20k–$30k

22,030(16.1%)

$30k–$40k

18,220(13.3%)

$40k–$50k

16,405(12.0%)

$50k–$60k

13,055(9.5%)

$60k–$70k

9,640(7.0%)

$70k–$80k

7,530(5.5%)

$80k–$90k

5,470(4.0%)

$90k–$100k

4,275(3.1%)

$100k+

11,760(8.6%)

Oshawa Employment

Labour Force

Employment Rate

51.8%

Unemployment Rate

15.2%

Total Labour Force

87,550

Employed

74,250

Unemployed

13,300

Not in Labour Force

55,685

Low Income Prevalence

Overall Low-Income Rate

10.2%

Children (0–17)

13.3%

Adults (18–64)

9.2%

Seniors (65+)

10.2%

Gini Coefficient (Total)

0.2990 = perfect equality

Gini Coefficient (After-Tax)

0.263

Oshawa 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

143,235

No certificate, diploma or degree

24,415 (17.0%)

High school diploma or equivalency

45,345 (31.7%)

Postsecondary credential

73,475 (51.3%)

Within bachelor's degree or higher

Bachelor's degree

19,085 (13.3%)69.9% of bachelor's or higher

Master's degree

5,505 (3.8%)20.2% of bachelor's or higher

Medicine, dentistry or veterinary medicine

435 (0.3%)1.6% 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

24,415(17.0%)

High school diploma or equivalency

45,345(31.7%)

Apprenticeship or trades certificate

8,405(5.9%)

College, CEGEP or other non-university

35,280(24.6%)

University certificate below bachelor

2,490(1.7%)

Bachelor's degree or higher

27,300(19.1%)

Oshawa 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

23.1%

17,115 people

Share of 74,250 employed people aged 15 and over with a place of work.

Place of work

Worked at home

17,115(23.1%)

Usual place of work

46,050(62.0%)

No fixed workplace address

10,910(14.7%)

Worked outside Canada

170(0.2%)

Oshawa 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

87,550

Share of the labour force

Legislative and senior management

500(0.6%)

Business, finance and administration

14,165(16.2%)

Natural and applied sciences

6,245(7.1%)

Health

6,435(7.4%)

Education, law and social, community and government services

9,590(11.0%)

Art, culture, recreation and sport

2,105(2.4%)

Sales and service

23,235(26.5%)

Trades, transport and equipment operators

16,915(19.3%)

Natural resources, agriculture and related production

1,120(1.3%)

Manufacturing and utilities

3,680(4.2%)

Oshawa 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

87,550

Share of the labour force

Agriculture, forestry, fishing and hunting

405(0.5%)

Mining, quarrying, and oil and gas extraction

135(0.2%)

Utilities

1,550(1.8%)

Construction

7,700(8.8%)

Manufacturing

5,900(6.7%)

Wholesale trade

2,355(2.7%)

Retail trade

11,290(12.9%)

Transportation and warehousing

4,995(5.7%)

Information and cultural industries

1,905(2.2%)

Finance and insurance

3,905(4.5%)

Real estate and rental and leasing

1,680(1.9%)

Professional, scientific and technical services

5,595(6.4%)

Management of companies and enterprises

325(0.4%)

Administrative and support, waste management and remediation

5,325(6.1%)

Educational services

6,060(6.9%)

Health care and social assistance

11,115(12.7%)

Arts, entertainment and recreation

1,580(1.8%)

Accommodation and food services

4,775(5.5%)

Other services (except public administration)

3,435(3.9%)

Public administration

3,965(4.5%)

Oshawa Languages

Language Knowledge

English Only

161,340 (92.5%)

French Only

235 (0.1%)

English & French

11,200 (6.4%)

Neither

1,615 (0.9%)

Mother Tongue

English

138,675 (79.5%)

French

2,880 (1.7%)

Non-official languages

26,865 (15.4%)

Top Mother Tongue Languages

English

138,675(79.5%)

French

2,880(1.7%)

Urdu

2,560(1.5%)

Tamil

2,100(1.2%)

Tagalog

1,710(1.0%)

Spanish

1,685(1.0%)

Polish

1,400(0.8%)

Mandarin

1,260(0.7%)

Italian

1,245(0.7%)

Persian

1,175(0.7%)

Oshawa Dwellings

Dwelling Type

Single-detached

37,000(55.5%)

Semi-detached

5,330(8.0%)

Row house

6,445(9.7%)

Duplex

3,650(5.5%)

Apt. < 5 storeys

6,475(9.7%)

Apt. ≥ 5 storeys

7,590(11.4%)

Other attached

145(0.2%)

Movable

5(0.0%)

Housing · Oshawa (CMA), Ont.

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

148,770

Owner households

111,430 (74.9%)

Renter households

37,340 (25.1%)

Owners with a mortgage

75,415 (67.7%)Share of owner households

Owners without a mortgage

36,015 (32.3%)Share of owner households

Renters in subsidized housing

4,540 (12.2%)Share of renter households

Renters not in subsidized housing

32,800 (87.8%)Share of renter households

Shelter costs

Median monthly shelter cost

$1,620All households, 2021

Average monthly shelter cost

$1,758All households, 2021

Owners, median

$1,800

Renters, median

$1,370

Owners with a mortgage, median

$2,280

Owners without a mortgage, median

$710

Spending 30% or more of income on shelter

34,865 (23.4%)Share of households

Owners spending 30% or more

19,400 (17.4%)Share of owner households

Renters spending 30% or more

15,470 (41.4%)Share of renter households

Shelter-cost ratio not applicable

420 (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

6,780(4.6%)

$500 to $749

19,115(12.8%)

$750 to $999

16,305(11.0%)

$1,000 to $1,249

13,035(8.8%)

$1,250 to $1,499

12,555(8.4%)

$1,500 to $1,999

25,175(16.9%)

$2,000 to $2,499

22,600(15.2%)

$2,500 to $2,999

15,805(10.6%)

$3,000 and over

17,390(11.7%)

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 Oshawa

Oshawa is on Lake Ontario east of Toronto, in Durham Region. It is a historic General Motors auto city with a downtown inland from the harbour. Ontario Tech University and Durham College occupy a north-end campus. About 175,000 people live in Oshawa.

Known for

General Motors assembly and auto-parts history
Ontario Tech University
Lake Ontario harbour and waterfront trail
Canadian Automotive Museum
Eastern GTA industrial and commuter city

See & do

Canadian Automotive Museum
Collection of historic cars downtown.
Parkwood Estate
Former McLaughlin family mansion and gardens.
Lakeview Park
Waterfront park on Lake Ontario.
The Robert McLaughlin Gallery
Civic art gallery downtown.
Oshawa Valley Botanical Gardens
Formal gardens in the Oshawa Creek valley.

Data source → Census methodology & attribution

Discover More Insights

Compare Oshawa with other Canadian locations side-by-side.

Open comparison tool

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