Sault Ste. Marie Profile

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

National Rank:81 of 688

Level:Census subdivision

Sault Ste. Marie Population

Total Population (2021)

72,051

Total Population (2016)

73,368

Population Growth

-1.8% (-1,317)

Growth Rank

#639 of 688Same geo level

Male

48.6%35,035

Female

51.4%37,020

Male-to-Female Ratio

0.946

Average Age

45.4

Median Age

47.2

Age Rank

#486 of 688Same geo level

Population Age Distribution

0–4

3,040(4.2%)

5–9

3,675(5.1%)

10–14

3,530(4.9%)

15–19

3,510(4.9%)

20–24

4,035(5.6%)

25–29

4,260(5.9%)

30–34

4,245(5.9%)

35–39

4,070(5.6%)

40–44

4,030(5.6%)

45–49

3,910(5.4%)

50–54

4,320(6.0%)

55–59

5,545(7.7%)

60–64

5,940(8.2%)

65–69

5,180(7.2%)

70–74

4,545(6.3%)

75–79

3,225(4.5%)

80–84

2,375(3.3%)

85+

2,605(3.6%)

Sault Ste. Marie Households

Household Size

Average Household Size

2.2

Total Private Dwellings

34,818

Occupied Private Dwellings

32,530

Size Distribution

1 Person

11,075 (34.0%)

2 Persons

11,810 (36.3%)

3 Persons

4,625 (14.2%)

4 Persons

3,525 (10.8%)

5+ Persons

1,490 (4.6%)

Household Composition

Couples with children

6,580(20.2%)

Couples without children

8,740(26.9%)

One-parent families

3,385(10.4%)

One-person households

11,075(34.0%)

Multigenerational

560(1.7%)

Multiple-family

95(0.3%)

Sault Ste. Marie Incomes

Summary

Avg. Household Income

$76,800After tax

Median Household Income

$65,500After tax

Avg. Individual Income

$42,560After tax

Median Individual Income

$37,200After tax

Income Rank

#521 of 688Same geo level

Income Composition

Market Income

77.0%

Employment Income

57.9%

Government Transfers

23.1%

Individual Income Distribution

Under $10k

3,840(6.6%)

$10k–$20k

7,430(12.7%)

$20k–$30k

9,090(15.5%)

$30k–$40k

8,500(14.5%)

$40k–$50k

7,345(12.5%)

$50k–$60k

5,385(9.2%)

$60k–$70k

4,050(6.9%)

$70k–$80k

3,195(5.5%)

$80k–$90k

2,700(4.6%)

$90k–$100k

2,200(3.8%)

$100k+

4,885(8.3%)

Sault Ste. Marie Employment

Labour Force

Employment Rate

47.8%

Unemployment Rate

13.0%

Total Labour Force

33,210

Employed

28,895

Unemployed

4,315

Not in Labour Force

27,275

Low Income Prevalence

Overall Low-Income Rate

11.7%

Children (0–17)

13.4%

Adults (18–64)

11.2%

Seniors (65+)

11.7%

Gini Coefficient (Total)

0.3110 = perfect equality

Gini Coefficient (After-Tax)

0.274

Sault Ste. Marie 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

60,495

No certificate, diploma or degree

9,640 (15.9%)

High school diploma or equivalency

18,570 (30.7%)

Postsecondary credential

32,285 (53.4%)

Within bachelor's degree or higher

Bachelor's degree

8,660 (14.3%)73.1% of bachelor's or higher

Master's degree

1,630 (2.7%)13.8% of bachelor's or higher

Medicine, dentistry or veterinary medicine

340 (0.6%)2.9% 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

9,640(15.9%)

High school diploma or equivalency

18,570(30.7%)

Apprenticeship or trades certificate

4,115(6.8%)

College, CEGEP or other non-university

15,330(25.3%)

University certificate below bachelor

1,000(1.7%)

Bachelor's degree or higher

11,840(19.6%)

Sault Ste. Marie 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

16.6%

4,785 people

Share of 28,895 employed people aged 15 and over with a place of work.

Place of work

Worked at home

4,785(16.6%)

Usual place of work

21,235(73.5%)

No fixed workplace address

2,745(9.5%)

Worked outside Canada

130(0.4%)

Sault Ste. Marie 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

33,215

Share of the labour force

Legislative and senior management

180(0.5%)

Business, finance and administration

4,415(13.3%)

Natural and applied sciences

1,860(5.6%)

Health

3,560(10.7%)

Education, law and social, community and government services

4,700(14.2%)

Art, culture, recreation and sport

650(2.0%)

Sales and service

9,080(27.3%)

Trades, transport and equipment operators

5,680(17.1%)

Natural resources, agriculture and related production

530(1.6%)

Manufacturing and utilities

1,705(5.1%)

Sault Ste. Marie 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

33,215

Share of the labour force

Agriculture, forestry, fishing and hunting

335(1.0%)

Mining, quarrying, and oil and gas extraction

260(0.8%)

Utilities

290(0.9%)

Construction

2,140(6.4%)

Manufacturing

3,315(10.0%)

Wholesale trade

540(1.6%)

Retail trade

4,580(13.8%)

Transportation and warehousing

1,115(3.4%)

Information and cultural industries

330(1.0%)

Finance and insurance

850(2.6%)

Real estate and rental and leasing

445(1.3%)

Professional, scientific and technical services

1,330(4.0%)

Management of companies and enterprises

25(0.1%)

Administrative and support, waste management and remediation

1,400(4.2%)

Educational services

2,805(8.4%)

Health care and social assistance

5,835(17.6%)

Arts, entertainment and recreation

1,030(3.1%)

Accommodation and food services

2,310(7.0%)

Other services (except public administration)

1,355(4.1%)

Public administration

2,050(6.2%)

Sault Ste. Marie Languages

Language Knowledge

English Only

64,300 (90.3%)

French Only

35 (0.0%)

English & French

6,605 (9.3%)

Neither

300 (0.4%)

Mother Tongue

English

61,975 (87.0%)

French

2,100 (2.9%)

Non-official languages

5,745 (8.1%)

Top Mother Tongue Languages

English

61,975(87.0%)

Italian

2,480(3.5%)

French

2,100(2.9%)

Spanish

235(0.3%)

Punjabi

210(0.3%)

Polish

180(0.3%)

Portuguese

155(0.2%)

Arabic

145(0.2%)

Hindi

125(0.2%)

Mandarin

110(0.2%)

Sault Ste. Marie Dwellings

Dwelling Type

Single-detached

21,150(65.0%)

Semi-detached

1,810(5.6%)

Row house

945(2.9%)

Duplex

1,425(4.4%)

Apt. < 5 storeys

4,965(15.3%)

Apt. ≥ 5 storeys

2,060(6.3%)

Other attached

100(0.3%)

Movable

80(0.2%)

Housing · Sault Ste. Marie (CA), Ont.

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

33,935

Owner households

23,535 (69.4%)

Renter households

10,400 (30.6%)

Owners with a mortgage

12,720 (54.0%)Share of owner households

Owners without a mortgage

10,815 (46.0%)Share of owner households

Renters in subsidized housing

2,280 (21.9%)Share of renter households

Renters not in subsidized housing

8,120 (78.1%)Share of renter households

Shelter costs

Median monthly shelter cost

$900All households, 2021

Average monthly shelter cost

$1,029All households, 2021

Owners, median

$910

Renters, median

$890

Owners with a mortgage, median

$1,360

Owners without a mortgage, median

$564

Spending 30% or more of income on shelter

5,335 (15.7%)Share of households

Owners spending 30% or more

1,810 (7.7%)Share of owner households

Renters spending 30% or more

3,525 (33.9%)Share of renter households

Shelter-cost ratio not applicable

100 (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

5,095(15.0%)

$500 to $749

7,790(23.0%)

$750 to $999

6,625(19.5%)

$1,000 to $1,249

4,890(14.4%)

$1,250 to $1,499

3,395(10.0%)

$1,500 to $1,999

3,760(11.1%)

$2,000 to $2,499

1,480(4.4%)

$2,500 to $2,999

530(1.6%)

$3,000 and over

375(1.1%)

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 Sault Ste. Marie

Sault Ste. Marie is in northern Ontario, on the St. Marys River opposite its Michigan namesake, where Lake Superior drains toward Lake Huron. The twin cities share a lock system and an international bridge. The Ontario Sault is a steel, forestry, and regional service centre and the starting point for the Agawa Canyon tour train. About 72,000 people live in Sault Ste. Marie.

Known for

St. Marys River and the Soo Locks corridor
International Bridge to Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan
Algoma steel and a northern service economy
Agawa Canyon Tour Train
Canadian Bushplane Heritage Centre

See & do

Canadian Bushplane Heritage Centre
Aviation museum on the waterfront, focused on forest firefighting aircraft.
Ermatinger–Clergue National Historic Site
Stone house and industrialist’s home from the fur-trade and canal era.
Agawa Canyon Tour Train
Day rail excursion into the Algoma highlands, departing from the Sault.
Roberta Bondar Park
Waterfront pavilion and plaza named for astronaut Roberta Bondar, who was born in the Sault.
Art Gallery of Algoma
Civic gallery on the river.

Data source → Census methodology & attribution

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