Shawinigan Profile

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

National Rank:103 of 688

Level:Census subdivision

Shawinigan Population

Total Population (2021)

49,620

Total Population (2016)

49,349

Population Growth

+0.5% (+271)

Growth Rank

#551 of 688Same geo level

Male

48.7%24,165

Female

51.3%25,455

Male-to-Female Ratio

0.949

Average Age

49.2

Median Age

54.4

Age Rank

#631 of 688Same geo level

Population Age Distribution

0–4

1,990(4.0%)

5–9

2,215(4.5%)

10–14

2,085(4.2%)

15–19

1,880(3.8%)

20–24

1,945(3.9%)

25–29

2,280(4.6%)

30–34

2,415(4.9%)

35–39

2,555(5.1%)

40–44

2,675(5.4%)

45–49

2,380(4.8%)

50–54

2,675(5.4%)

55–59

4,045(8.2%)

60–64

5,125(10.3%)

65–69

4,700(9.5%)

70–74

3,815(7.7%)

75–79

2,790(5.6%)

80–84

1,860(3.7%)

85+

2,180(4.4%)

Shawinigan Households

Household Size

Average Household Size

1.9

Total Private Dwellings

27,444

Occupied Private Dwellings

25,060

Size Distribution

1 Person

11,055 (44.1%)

2 Persons

9,220 (36.8%)

3 Persons

2,315 (9.2%)

4 Persons

1,605 (6.4%)

5+ Persons

865 (3.5%)

Household Composition

Couples with children

3,450(13.8%)

Couples without children

7,225(28.8%)

One-parent families

2,050(8.2%)

One-person households

11,055(44.1%)

Multigenerational

165(0.7%)

Multiple-family

20(0.1%)

Shawinigan Incomes

Summary

Avg. Household Income

$57,700After tax

Median Household Income

$48,400After tax

Avg. Individual Income

$35,480After tax

Median Individual Income

$31,800After tax

Income Rank

#676 of 688Same geo level

Income Composition

Market Income

70.8%

Employment Income

52.8%

Government Transfers

29.2%

Individual Income Distribution

Under $10k

2,515(6.2%)

$10k–$20k

6,105(15.0%)

$20k–$30k

8,415(20.7%)

$30k–$40k

6,175(15.2%)

$40k–$50k

5,775(14.2%)

$50k–$60k

4,175(10.3%)

$60k–$70k

2,535(6.2%)

$70k–$80k

1,635(4.0%)

$80k–$90k

1,080(2.7%)

$90k–$100k

765(1.9%)

$100k+

1,545(3.8%)

Shawinigan Employment

Labour Force

Employment Rate

48.2%

Unemployment Rate

7.5%

Total Labour Force

21,555

Employed

19,930

Unemployed

1,625

Not in Labour Force

19,795

Low Income Prevalence

Overall Low-Income Rate

18.7%

Children (0–17)

14.5%

Adults (18–64)

15.4%

Seniors (65+)

27.6%

Gini Coefficient (Total)

0.3020 = perfect equality

Gini Coefficient (After-Tax)

0.261

Shawinigan 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

41,355

No certificate, diploma or degree

9,315 (22.5%)

High school diploma or equivalency

9,900 (23.9%)

Postsecondary credential

22,135 (53.5%)

Within bachelor's degree or higher

Bachelor's degree

3,385 (8.2%)70.1% of bachelor's or higher

Master's degree

715 (1.7%)14.8% of bachelor's or higher

Medicine, dentistry or veterinary medicine

230 (0.6%)4.8% 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

9,315(22.5%)

High school diploma or equivalency

9,900(23.9%)

Apprenticeship or trades certificate

9,040(21.9%)

College, CEGEP or other non-university

7,100(17.2%)

University certificate below bachelor

1,165(2.8%)

Bachelor's degree or higher

4,830(11.7%)

Shawinigan 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

13.9%

2,765 people

Share of 19,930 employed people aged 15 and over with a place of work.

Place of work

Worked at home

2,765(13.9%)

Usual place of work

15,120(75.9%)

No fixed workplace address

1,980(9.9%)

Worked outside Canada

65(0.3%)

Shawinigan 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

21,560

Share of the labour force

Legislative and senior management

185(0.9%)

Business, finance and administration

2,845(13.2%)

Natural and applied sciences

1,200(5.6%)

Health

2,195(10.2%)

Education, law and social, community and government services

2,280(10.6%)

Art, culture, recreation and sport

290(1.3%)

Sales and service

6,125(28.4%)

Trades, transport and equipment operators

3,890(18.0%)

Natural resources, agriculture and related production

390(1.8%)

Manufacturing and utilities

1,610(7.5%)

Shawinigan 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

21,560

Share of the labour force

Agriculture, forestry, fishing and hunting

320(1.5%)

Mining, quarrying, and oil and gas extraction

90(0.4%)

Utilities

210(1.0%)

Construction

1,455(6.7%)

Manufacturing

2,750(12.8%)

Wholesale trade

310(1.4%)

Retail trade

3,110(14.4%)

Transportation and warehousing

835(3.9%)

Information and cultural industries

185(0.9%)

Finance and insurance

365(1.7%)

Real estate and rental and leasing

200(0.9%)

Professional, scientific and technical services

950(4.4%)

Management of companies and enterprises

0(0.0%)

Administrative and support, waste management and remediation

810(3.8%)

Educational services

1,255(5.8%)

Health care and social assistance

3,815(17.7%)

Arts, entertainment and recreation

320(1.5%)

Accommodation and food services

1,460(6.8%)

Other services (except public administration)

1,065(4.9%)

Public administration

1,495(6.9%)

Shawinigan Languages

Language Knowledge

English Only

95 (0.2%)

French Only

36,360 (74.8%)

English & French

12,095 (24.9%)

Neither

90 (0.2%)

Mother Tongue

English

570 (1.2%)

French

46,925 (96.5%)

Non-official languages

670 (1.4%)

Top Mother Tongue Languages

French

46,925(96.5%)

English

570(1.2%)

Spanish

175(0.4%)

Arabic

155(0.3%)

Portuguese

35(0.1%)

Mandarin

25(0.1%)

Italian

25(0.1%)

Greek

25(0.1%)

Russian

15(0.0%)

Vietnamese

10(0.0%)

Shawinigan Dwellings

Dwelling Type

Single-detached

12,495(49.9%)

Semi-detached

705(2.8%)

Row house

225(0.9%)

Duplex

2,415(9.6%)

Apt. < 5 storeys

8,820(35.2%)

Apt. ≥ 5 storeys

10(0.0%)

Other attached

300(1.2%)

Movable

90(0.4%)

Housing · Shawinigan (CA), Que.

These figures are published for Shawinigan (CA), Que., a census agglomeration, reference period 2021. They are not counts for Shawinigan 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

25,050

Owner households

14,130 (56.4%)

Renter households

10,920 (43.6%)

Owners with a mortgage

7,990 (56.5%)Share of owner households

Owners without a mortgage

6,145 (43.5%)Share of owner households

Renters in subsidized housing

800 (7.3%)Share of renter households

Renters not in subsidized housing

10,115 (92.6%)Share of renter households

Shelter costs

Median monthly shelter cost

$604All households, 2021

Average monthly shelter cost

$752All households, 2021

Owners, median

$790

Renters, median

$532

Owners with a mortgage, median

$1,090

Owners without a mortgage, median

$444

Spending 30% or more of income on shelter

3,495 (14.0%)Share of households

Owners spending 30% or more

1,285 (9.1%)Share of owner households

Renters spending 30% or more

2,210 (20.2%)Share of renter households

Shelter-cost ratio not applicable

35 (0.1%)

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

8,140(32.5%)

$500 to $749

7,720(30.8%)

$750 to $999

3,540(14.1%)

$1,000 to $1,249

2,660(10.6%)

$1,250 to $1,499

1,490(5.9%)

$1,500 to $1,999

1,075(4.3%)

$2,000 to $2,499

230(0.9%)

$2,500 to $2,999

85(0.3%)

$3,000 and over

120(0.5%)

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 Shawinigan

Shawinigan is in Mauricie, on the rivière Saint-Maurice north of Trois-Rivières. It grew as a hydroelectric and aluminum city at a set of falls and remains a regional centre for the middle Saint-Maurice valley. The amalgamated city includes Shawinigan-Sud and riverside neighbourhoods facing the gorge. About 50,000 people live in Shawinigan.

Known for

Hydroelectric falls on the Saint-Maurice
La Cité de l’énergie science site and tower
Former aluminum and chemical-industry town
Shawinigan Cataractes junior hockey
Parc de l’Île Melville on an island in the river

See & do

La Cité de l’énergie
Science museum, historic generating station, and a tall observation tower.
Parc de l’Île Melville
River island park with beaches, trails, and a seasonal water park.
Chutes de Shawinigan
Falls and gorge that first drew hydroelectric development to the site.
Centre des arts de Shawinigan
Performing-arts centre downtown.
Centre Gervais Auto
Arena home of the Shawinigan Cataractes.

Data source → Census methodology & attribution

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