Ottawa Profile

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

National Rank:4 of 688

Level:Census subdivision

Consumer Price Index

Ottawa-Gatineau, Ontario part, Ontario/Quebec

All-items index for September 2026, up 3.0% from September 2025, calculated from the published index (2002=100). Statistics Canada publishes this series as “Ottawa-Gatineau, Ontario part, Ontario/Quebec”. It follows that price-index area, not the municipal boundary of Ottawa alone.

All-items: 172.0
12-month change: +3.0%

Source: Statistics Canada table 18-10-0004-01, reference month September 2026 (2002=100). Compare consumer prices across Canada. Data sources.

Ottawa Population

Total Population (2021)

1,017,449

Total Population (2016)

934,243

Population Growth

+8.9% (+83,206)

Growth Rank

#175 of 688Same geo level

Male

48.8%496,045

Female

51.2%521,405

Male-to-Female Ratio

0.951

Average Age

40.7

Median Age

Age Rank

#195 of 688Same geo level

Population Age Distribution

0–4

48,790(4.8%)

5–9

57,410(5.6%)

10–14

60,720(6.0%)

15–19

60,385(5.9%)

20–24

70,785(7.0%)

25–29

72,830(7.2%)

30–34

70,190(6.9%)

35–39

69,520(6.8%)

40–44

65,890(6.5%)

45–49

66,240(6.5%)

50–54

67,265(6.6%)

55–59

71,465(7.0%)

60–64

63,795(6.3%)

65–69

52,355(5.1%)

70–74

45,375(4.5%)

75–79

30,940(3.0%)

80–84

21,080(2.1%)

85+

22,395(2.2%)

Ottawa Households

Household Size

Average Household Size

2.5

Total Private Dwellings

427,113

Occupied Private Dwellings

407,252

Size Distribution

1 Person

116,370 (28.6%)

2 Persons

135,365 (33.2%)

3 Persons

61,740 (15.2%)

4 Persons

59,175 (14.5%)

5+ Persons

34,605 (8.5%)

Household Composition

Couples with children

110,890(27.2%)

Couples without children

99,405(24.4%)

One-parent families

35,650(8.8%)

One-person households

116,370(28.6%)

Multigenerational

9,915(2.4%)

Multiple-family

1,870(0.5%)

Ottawa Incomes

Summary

Avg. Household Income

$103,000After tax

Median Household Income

$88,000After tax

Avg. Individual Income

$52,450After tax

Median Individual Income

$44,000After tax

Income Rank

#145 of 688Same geo level

Income Composition

Market Income

87.2%

Employment Income

69.8%

Government Transfers

12.8%

Individual Income Distribution

Under $10k

64,735(8.1%)

$10k–$20k

81,905(10.2%)

$20k–$30k

99,655(12.5%)

$30k–$40k

82,070(10.3%)

$40k–$50k

72,320(9.0%)

$50k–$60k

65,745(8.2%)

$60k–$70k

60,485(7.6%)

$70k–$80k

51,755(6.5%)

$80k–$90k

44,255(5.5%)

$90k–$100k

36,745(4.6%)

$100k+

139,520(17.5%)

Ottawa Employment

Labour Force

Employment Rate

59.1%

Unemployment Rate

10.3%

Total Labour Force

549,990

Employed

493,140

Unemployed

56,845

Not in Labour Force

284,150

Low Income Prevalence

Overall Low-Income Rate

8.9%

Children (0–17)

10.7%

Adults (18–64)

8.2%

Seniors (65+)

9.5%

Gini Coefficient (Total)

0.3450 = perfect equality

Gini Coefficient (After-Tax)

0.301

Ottawa 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

834,135

No certificate, diploma or degree

92,035 (11.0%)

High school diploma or equivalency

192,100 (23.0%)

Postsecondary credential

550,000 (65.9%)

Within bachelor's degree or higher

Bachelor's degree

208,395 (25.0%)60.3% of bachelor's or higher

Master's degree

91,830 (11.0%)26.6% of bachelor's or higher

Medicine, dentistry or veterinary medicine

8,015 (1.0%)2.3% 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

92,035(11.0%)

High school diploma or equivalency

192,100(23.0%)

Apprenticeship or trades certificate

29,735(3.6%)

College, CEGEP or other non-university

157,470(18.9%)

University certificate below bachelor

17,325(2.1%)

Bachelor's degree or higher

345,465(41.4%)

Ottawa 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

43.7%

215,705 people

Share of 493,140 employed people aged 15 and over with a place of work.

Place of work

Worked at home

215,705(43.7%)

Usual place of work

232,625(47.2%)

No fixed workplace address

43,070(8.7%)

Worked outside Canada

1,745(0.4%)

Ottawa 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

549,985

Share of the labour force

Legislative and senior management

8,485(1.5%)

Business, finance and administration

109,065(19.8%)

Natural and applied sciences

81,345(14.8%)

Health

39,930(7.3%)

Education, law and social, community and government services

95,710(17.4%)

Art, culture, recreation and sport

20,320(3.7%)

Sales and service

114,705(20.9%)

Trades, transport and equipment operators

54,825(10.0%)

Natural resources, agriculture and related production

5,320(1.0%)

Manufacturing and utilities

6,280(1.1%)

Ottawa 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

549,985

Share of the labour force

Agriculture, forestry, fishing and hunting

2,455(0.4%)

Mining, quarrying, and oil and gas extraction

550(0.1%)

Utilities

1,605(0.3%)

Construction

28,080(5.1%)

Manufacturing

16,225(3.0%)

Wholesale trade

10,925(2.0%)

Retail trade

53,365(9.7%)

Transportation and warehousing

18,585(3.4%)

Information and cultural industries

12,790(2.3%)

Finance and insurance

18,410(3.3%)

Real estate and rental and leasing

8,765(1.6%)

Professional, scientific and technical services

61,835(11.2%)

Management of companies and enterprises

840(0.2%)

Administrative and support, waste management and remediation

22,300(4.1%)

Educational services

42,010(7.6%)

Health care and social assistance

62,860(11.4%)

Arts, entertainment and recreation

9,670(1.8%)

Accommodation and food services

27,965(5.1%)

Other services (except public administration)

20,510(3.7%)

Public administration

116,235(21.1%)

Ottawa Languages

Language Knowledge

English Only

610,175 (60.6%)

French Only

14,275 (1.4%)

English & French

367,035 (36.4%)

Neither

15,480 (1.5%)

Mother Tongue

English

585,865 (58.2%)

French

126,030 (12.5%)

Non-official languages

232,210 (23.1%)

Top Mother Tongue Languages

English

585,865(58.2%)

French

126,030(12.5%)

Arabic

43,645(4.3%)

Mandarin

22,310(2.2%)

Spanish

14,140(1.4%)

Cantonese

9,675(1.0%)

Persian

8,690(0.9%)

Italian

7,960(0.8%)

Russian

7,295(0.7%)

Vietnamese

6,590(0.7%)

Ottawa Dwellings

Dwelling Type

Single-detached

169,760(41.7%)

Semi-detached

21,675(5.3%)

Row house

87,045(21.4%)

Duplex

7,595(1.9%)

Apt. < 5 storeys

43,025(10.6%)

Apt. ≥ 5 storeys

76,895(18.9%)

Other attached

460(0.1%)

Movable

795(0.2%)

Housing · Ottawa - Gatineau (CMA), Ont./Que.

These figures are published for Ottawa - Gatineau (CMA), Ont./Que., a census metropolitan area, reference period 2021. They are not counts for Ottawa 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

603,350

Owner households

394,430 (65.4%)

Renter households

208,920 (34.6%)

Owners with a mortgage

246,385 (62.5%)Share of owner households

Owners without a mortgage

148,050 (37.5%)Share of owner households

Renters in subsidized housing

26,895 (12.9%)Share of renter households

Renters not in subsidized housing

182,020 (87.1%)Share of renter households

Shelter costs

Median monthly shelter cost

$1,330All households, 2021

Average monthly shelter cost

$1,470All households, 2021

Owners, median

$1,440

Renters, median

$1,230

Owners with a mortgage, median

$1,920

Owners without a mortgage, median

$665

Spending 30% or more of income on shelter

110,775 (18.4%)Share of households

Owners spending 30% or more

42,910 (10.9%)Share of owner households

Renters spending 30% or more

67,860 (32.5%)Share of renter households

Shelter-cost ratio not applicable

2,240 (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

46,510(7.7%)

$500 to $749

88,595(14.7%)

$750 to $999

76,460(12.7%)

$1,000 to $1,249

67,870(11.2%)

$1,250 to $1,499

65,950(10.9%)

$1,500 to $1,999

116,750(19.4%)

$2,000 to $2,499

73,895(12.2%)

$2,500 to $2,999

35,140(5.8%)

$3,000 and over

32,185(5.3%)

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 Ottawa

Ottawa is Canada’s capital, in eastern Ontario on the Ottawa River across from Gatineau, Québec. Federal government, national museums, and bilingual public life shape the city. Neighbourhoods range from Parliament Hill and the ByWard Market to suburban communities along the river. About 1 million people live in the city.

Known for

Parliament Hill and the federal public service
National museums and the Rideau Canal
Bilingual English–French daily life
High-tech firms in Kanata
Winterlude and canal skating

See & do

Parliament Hill
Peace Tower and the parliamentary precinct above the river.
Rideau Canal
Historic waterway through downtown; skateway in winter.
National Gallery of Canada
National art museum beside the Ottawa River.
ByWard Market
Historic market district east of Parliament.
Canadian War Museum
National military history museum on LeBreton Flats.

Data source → Census methodology & attribution

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