Owen Sound Profile

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

National Rank:202 of 688

Level:Census subdivision

Owen Sound Population

Total Population (2021)

21,612

Total Population (2016)

21,341

Population Growth

+1.3% (+271)

Growth Rank

#521 of 688Same geo level

Male

46.7%10,090

Female

53.3%11,515

Male-to-Female Ratio

0.876

Average Age

46.3

Median Age

Age Rank

#534 of 688Same geo level

Population Age Distribution

0–4

965(4.5%)

5–9

1,060(4.9%)

10–14

1,065(4.9%)

15–19

1,055(4.9%)

20–24

1,090(5.0%)

25–29

1,320(6.1%)

30–34

1,315(6.1%)

35–39

1,235(5.7%)

40–44

1,120(5.2%)

45–49

1,050(4.9%)

50–54

1,240(5.7%)

55–59

1,535(7.1%)

60–64

1,695(7.8%)

65–69

1,490(6.9%)

70–74

1,395(6.5%)

75–79

1,050(4.9%)

80–84

805(3.7%)

85+

1,135(5.3%)

Owen Sound Households

Household Size

Average Household Size

2.1

Total Private Dwellings

10,406

Occupied Private Dwellings

9,895

Size Distribution

1 Person

3,780 (38.2%)

2 Persons

3,455 (34.9%)

3 Persons

1,230 (12.4%)

4 Persons

940 (9.5%)

5+ Persons

485 (4.9%)

Household Composition

Couples with children

1,730(17.5%)

Couples without children

2,555(25.8%)

One-parent families

1,040(10.5%)

One-person households

3,785(38.3%)

Multigenerational

160(1.6%)

Multiple-family

30(0.3%)

Owen Sound Incomes

Summary

Avg. Household Income

$67,600After tax

Median Household Income

$57,600After tax

Avg. Individual Income

$38,800After tax

Median Individual Income

$33,600After tax

Income Rank

#614 of 688Same geo level

Income Composition

Market Income

73.6%

Employment Income

54.6%

Government Transfers

26.5%

Individual Income Distribution

Under $10k

1,190(6.9%)

$10k–$20k

2,520(14.6%)

$20k–$30k

3,225(18.7%)

$30k–$40k

2,635(15.2%)

$40k–$50k

2,210(12.8%)

$50k–$60k

1,575(9.1%)

$60k–$70k

1,210(7.0%)

$70k–$80k

815(4.7%)

$80k–$90k

495(2.9%)

$90k–$100k

395(2.3%)

$100k+

1,010(5.8%)

Owen Sound Employment

Labour Force

Employment Rate

49.0%

Unemployment Rate

11.1%

Total Labour Force

9,785

Employed

8,695

Unemployed

1,090

Not in Labour Force

7,950

Low Income Prevalence

Overall Low-Income Rate

15.2%

Children (0–17)

15.4%

Adults (18–64)

15.0%

Seniors (65+)

15.5%

Gini Coefficient (Total)

0.3140 = perfect equality

Gini Coefficient (After-Tax)

0.277

Owen Sound 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

17,740

No certificate, diploma or degree

3,635 (20.5%)

High school diploma or equivalency

5,605 (31.6%)

Postsecondary credential

8,500 (47.9%)

Within bachelor's degree or higher

Bachelor's degree

1,950 (11.0%)67.8% of bachelor's or higher

Master's degree

560 (3.2%)19.5% of bachelor's or higher

Medicine, dentistry or veterinary medicine

115 (0.6%)4.0% 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

3,635(20.5%)

High school diploma or equivalency

5,605(31.6%)

Apprenticeship or trades certificate

1,000(5.6%)

College, CEGEP or other non-university

4,405(24.8%)

University certificate below bachelor

225(1.3%)

Bachelor's degree or higher

2,875(16.2%)

Owen Sound 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

12.1%

1,050 people

Share of 8,695 employed people aged 15 and over with a place of work.

Place of work

Worked at home

1,050(12.1%)

Usual place of work

6,590(75.8%)

No fixed workplace address

1,040(12.0%)

Worked outside Canada

20(0.2%)

Owen Sound 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

9,790

Share of the labour force

Legislative and senior management

45(0.5%)

Business, finance and administration

1,225(12.5%)

Natural and applied sciences

390(4.0%)

Health

1,120(11.4%)

Education, law and social, community and government services

1,140(11.6%)

Art, culture, recreation and sport

220(2.2%)

Sales and service

2,990(30.5%)

Trades, transport and equipment operators

1,820(18.6%)

Natural resources, agriculture and related production

150(1.5%)

Manufacturing and utilities

500(5.1%)

Owen Sound 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

9,790

Share of the labour force

Agriculture, forestry, fishing and hunting

105(1.1%)

Mining, quarrying, and oil and gas extraction

45(0.5%)

Utilities

150(1.5%)

Construction

800(8.2%)

Manufacturing

790(8.1%)

Wholesale trade

165(1.7%)

Retail trade

1,785(18.2%)

Transportation and warehousing

375(3.8%)

Information and cultural industries

95(1.0%)

Finance and insurance

200(2.0%)

Real estate and rental and leasing

150(1.5%)

Professional, scientific and technical services

350(3.6%)

Management of companies and enterprises

0(0.0%)

Administrative and support, waste management and remediation

400(4.1%)

Educational services

560(5.7%)

Health care and social assistance

1,980(20.2%)

Arts, entertainment and recreation

225(2.3%)

Accommodation and food services

725(7.4%)

Other services (except public administration)

345(3.5%)

Public administration

350(3.6%)

Owen Sound Languages

Language Knowledge

English Only

19,760 (93.1%)

French Only

5 (0.0%)

English & French

1,410 (6.6%)

Neither

50 (0.2%)

Mother Tongue

English

19,760 (93.1%)

French

200 (0.9%)

Non-official languages

995 (4.7%)

Top Mother Tongue Languages

English

19,760(93.1%)

French

200(0.9%)

Arabic

110(0.5%)

Punjabi

55(0.3%)

Spanish

50(0.2%)

Gujarati

45(0.2%)

Mandarin

30(0.1%)

Cantonese

30(0.1%)

Hindi

30(0.1%)

Polish

30(0.1%)

Owen Sound Dwellings

Dwelling Type

Single-detached

5,055(51.1%)

Semi-detached

415(4.2%)

Row house

670(6.8%)

Duplex

265(2.7%)

Apt. < 5 storeys

2,700(27.3%)

Apt. ≥ 5 storeys

735(7.4%)

Other attached

20(0.2%)

Movable

35(0.4%)

Housing · Owen Sound (CA), Ont.

These figures are published for Owen Sound (CA), Ont., a census agglomeration, reference period 2021. They are not counts for Owen Sound 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

14,210

Owner households

9,750 (68.6%)

Renter households

4,460 (31.4%)

Owners with a mortgage

5,115 (52.5%)Share of owner households

Owners without a mortgage

4,630 (47.5%)Share of owner households

Renters in subsidized housing

1,020 (22.9%)Share of renter households

Renters not in subsidized housing

3,440 (77.1%)Share of renter households

Shelter costs

Median monthly shelter cost

$970All households, 2021

Average monthly shelter cost

$1,117All households, 2021

Owners, median

$990

Renters, median

$940

Owners with a mortgage, median

$1,550

Owners without a mortgage, median

$592

Spending 30% or more of income on shelter

2,875 (20.2%)Share of households

Owners spending 30% or more

1,190 (12.2%)Share of owner households

Renters spending 30% or more

1,680 (37.7%)Share of renter households

Shelter-cost ratio not applicable

30 (0.2%)

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

1,860(13.1%)

$500 to $749

3,205(22.6%)

$750 to $999

2,310(16.3%)

$1,000 to $1,249

1,835(12.9%)

$1,250 to $1,499

1,570(11.0%)

$1,500 to $1,999

2,130(15.0%)

$2,000 to $2,499

775(5.5%)

$2,500 to $2,999

310(2.2%)

$3,000 and over

225(1.6%)

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 Owen Sound

Owen Sound is a city at the head of Owen Sound harbour on Georgian Bay, in Grey County, Ontario. Steep harbour hills drop to a working waterfront and a compact downtown, with trails climbing into the Niagara Escarpment. It anchors the region’s hospital, retail, and ferry-access corridors toward the Bruce Peninsula. About 22,000 people live in Owen Sound.

Known for

Harbour city on Georgian Bay
Niagara Escarpment ravines and waterfall trails
Regional service hub for Grey and Bruce counties
Historic downtown and waterfront parks
Gateway toward the Bruce Peninsula

See & do

Harrison Park
Large riverside park with trails, pools, and picnic areas.
Inglis Falls
Escarpment waterfall and conservation area south of town.
Downtown Owen Sound / harbourfront
Shops, murals, and bay views along the waterfront.
Tom Thomson Art Gallery
Regional art museum tied to the Group of Seven painter’s roots.
Billy Bishop Home and Museum
Historic house museum of the WWI flying ace.

Data source → Census methodology & attribution

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