Peterborough Profile

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

National Rank:72 of 688

Level:Census subdivision

Peterborough Population

Total Population (2021)

83,651

Total Population (2016)

81,032

Population Growth

+3.2% (+2,619)

Growth Rank

#426 of 688Same geo level

Male

47.2%39,490

Female

52.8%44,160

Male-to-Female Ratio

0.894

Average Age

44.1

Median Age

43.2

Age Rank

#417 of 688Same geo level

Population Age Distribution

0–4

3,635(4.3%)

5–9

4,170(5.0%)

10–14

4,155(5.0%)

15–19

4,195(5.0%)

20–24

5,985(7.2%)

25–29

6,020(7.2%)

30–34

5,450(6.5%)

35–39

5,185(6.2%)

40–44

4,505(5.4%)

45–49

4,430(5.3%)

50–54

4,545(5.4%)

55–59

5,375(6.4%)

60–64

5,750(6.9%)

65–69

5,455(6.5%)

70–74

5,125(6.1%)

75–79

3,685(4.4%)

80–84

2,690(3.2%)

85+

3,310(4.0%)

Peterborough Households

Household Size

Average Household Size

2.3

Total Private Dwellings

38,006

Occupied Private Dwellings

35,977

Size Distribution

1 Person

11,680 (32.5%)

2 Persons

12,785 (35.5%)

3 Persons

5,165 (14.4%)

4 Persons

4,035 (11.2%)

5+ Persons

2,305 (6.4%)

Household Composition

Couples with children

6,940(19.3%)

Couples without children

9,060(25.2%)

One-parent families

3,620(10.1%)

One-person households

11,685(32.5%)

Multigenerational

865(2.4%)

Multiple-family

205(0.6%)

Peterborough Incomes

Summary

Avg. Household Income

$75,500After tax

Median Household Income

$64,500After tax

Avg. Individual Income

$40,360After tax

Median Individual Income

$34,000After tax

Income Rank

#535 of 688Same geo level

Income Composition

Market Income

76.2%

Employment Income

57.4%

Government Transfers

23.9%

Individual Income Distribution

Under $10k

4,870(7.2%)

$10k–$20k

9,395(13.9%)

$20k–$30k

12,155(18.0%)

$30k–$40k

9,915(14.7%)

$40k–$50k

8,190(12.2%)

$50k–$60k

6,010(8.9%)

$60k–$70k

4,380(6.5%)

$70k–$80k

3,240(4.8%)

$80k–$90k

2,260(3.4%)

$90k–$100k

1,785(2.6%)

$100k+

5,175(7.7%)

Peterborough Employment

Labour Force

Employment Rate

48.8%

Unemployment Rate

14.7%

Total Labour Force

39,845

Employed

34,000

Unemployed

5,845

Not in Labour Force

29,795

Low Income Prevalence

Overall Low-Income Rate

12.8%

Children (0–17)

14.2%

Adults (18–64)

12.5%

Seniors (65+)

12.7%

Gini Coefficient (Total)

0.3150 = perfect equality

Gini Coefficient (After-Tax)

0.277

Peterborough 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

69,640

No certificate, diploma or degree

10,465 (15.0%)

High school diploma or equivalency

21,450 (30.8%)

Postsecondary credential

37,725 (54.2%)

Within bachelor's degree or higher

Bachelor's degree

11,010 (15.8%)68.2% of bachelor's or higher

Master's degree

3,085 (4.4%)19.1% of bachelor's or higher

Medicine, dentistry or veterinary medicine

375 (0.5%)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

10,465(15.0%)

High school diploma or equivalency

21,450(30.8%)

Apprenticeship or trades certificate

3,385(4.9%)

College, CEGEP or other non-university

17,155(24.6%)

University certificate below bachelor

1,035(1.5%)

Bachelor's degree or higher

16,155(23.2%)

Peterborough 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

20.8%

7,070 people

Share of 34,005 employed people aged 15 and over with a place of work.

Place of work

Worked at home

7,070(20.8%)

Usual place of work

22,785(67.0%)

No fixed workplace address

4,060(11.9%)

Worked outside Canada

85(0.2%)

Peterborough 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

39,850

Share of the labour force

Legislative and senior management

325(0.8%)

Business, finance and administration

5,135(12.9%)

Natural and applied sciences

2,440(6.1%)

Health

4,125(10.4%)

Education, law and social, community and government services

5,600(14.1%)

Art, culture, recreation and sport

1,160(2.9%)

Sales and service

11,795(29.6%)

Trades, transport and equipment operators

5,665(14.2%)

Natural resources, agriculture and related production

560(1.4%)

Manufacturing and utilities

1,705(4.3%)

Peterborough 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

39,850

Share of the labour force

Agriculture, forestry, fishing and hunting

510(1.3%)

Mining, quarrying, and oil and gas extraction

80(0.2%)

Utilities

455(1.1%)

Construction

2,720(6.8%)

Manufacturing

2,635(6.6%)

Wholesale trade

1,035(2.6%)

Retail trade

5,340(13.4%)

Transportation and warehousing

1,365(3.4%)

Information and cultural industries

600(1.5%)

Finance and insurance

1,015(2.5%)

Real estate and rental and leasing

645(1.6%)

Professional, scientific and technical services

2,140(5.4%)

Management of companies and enterprises

35(0.1%)

Administrative and support, waste management and remediation

2,295(5.8%)

Educational services

3,670(9.2%)

Health care and social assistance

7,005(17.6%)

Arts, entertainment and recreation

960(2.4%)

Accommodation and food services

2,815(7.1%)

Other services (except public administration)

1,625(4.1%)

Public administration

1,555(3.9%)

Peterborough Languages

Language Knowledge

English Only

75,595 (91.7%)

French Only

20 (0.0%)

English & French

6,510 (7.9%)

Neither

290 (0.4%)

Mother Tongue

English

74,330 (90.2%)

French

840 (1.0%)

Non-official languages

5,885 (7.1%)

Top Mother Tongue Languages

English

74,330(90.2%)

French

840(1.0%)

Arabic

440(0.5%)

Spanish

365(0.4%)

Mandarin

315(0.4%)

Gujarati

295(0.4%)

Polish

290(0.4%)

Hindi

270(0.3%)

Punjabi

245(0.3%)

Tagalog

215(0.3%)

Peterborough Dwellings

Dwelling Type

Single-detached

20,560(57.2%)

Semi-detached

775(2.2%)

Row house

3,010(8.4%)

Duplex

2,605(7.2%)

Apt. < 5 storeys

6,400(17.8%)

Apt. ≥ 5 storeys

2,585(7.2%)

Other attached

45(0.1%)

Movable

5(0.0%)

Housing · Peterborough (CMA), Ont.

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

52,095

Owner households

36,000 (69.1%)

Renter households

16,095 (30.9%)

Owners with a mortgage

19,735 (54.8%)Share of owner households

Owners without a mortgage

16,270 (45.2%)Share of owner households

Renters in subsidized housing

2,600 (16.2%)Share of renter households

Renters not in subsidized housing

13,495 (83.8%)Share of renter households

Shelter costs

Median monthly shelter cost

$1,130All households, 2021

Average monthly shelter cost

$1,300All households, 2021

Owners, median

$1,150

Renters, median

$1,120

Owners with a mortgage, median

$1,780

Owners without a mortgage, median

$612

Spending 30% or more of income on shelter

11,490 (22.1%)Share of households

Owners spending 30% or more

4,605 (12.8%)Share of owner households

Renters spending 30% or more

6,890 (42.8%)Share of renter households

Shelter-cost ratio not applicable

110 (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

5,415(10.4%)

$500 to $749

10,060(19.3%)

$750 to $999

6,780(13.0%)

$1,000 to $1,249

6,420(12.3%)

$1,250 to $1,499

5,615(10.8%)

$1,500 to $1,999

8,790(16.9%)

$2,000 to $2,499

5,105(9.8%)

$2,500 to $2,999

2,255(4.3%)

$3,000 and over

1,650(3.2%)

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 Peterborough

Peterborough is in central Ontario, on the Otonabee River and Little Lake at the edge of the Kawarthas. It is a college and university city on the Trent–Severn Waterway, known for the large hydraulic lift lock. Canoe-building, provincial offices, and a compact downtown around the river shape the core. About 84,000 people live in Peterborough.

Known for

Peterborough Lift Lock on the Trent–Severn Waterway
Trent University and Fleming College
Gateway to the Kawartha lakes
Canadian Canoe Museum
Little Lake and a riverside downtown

See & do

Peterborough Lift Lock
Historic hydraulic lift lock, among the world’s highest of its type.
Canadian Canoe Museum
National collection of canoes and kayaks.
Little Lake and Millennium Park
Downtown waterfront, fountain, and the path around the lake.
Jackson Park
Creek-valley park with trails and a historic swinging bridge.
Trent University Symons Campus
Riverside campus and nature areas on the Otonabee.

Data source → Census methodology & attribution

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