Living in Esquimalt

In Esquimalt, tenants pay an average rent of €1,124 a month (2025) and unemployment is 7.9% (2021).

Esquimalt numbered 19,155 residents at the end of 2022. Esquimalt registered an unemployment rate of 7.91% at the end of 2021. The foreign population count was 2,645 at the end of 2021.

Last checked 2026-10-1021 sources

Population19,155people31 Dec 2022Official source · Statistics Canada

Median gross salary3,464EUR/month31 Dec 2020Official source · Statistics Canada

Average rent1,124EUR/month31 Dec 2025Official source · Average Rent by Bedroom Type by Census Subdivision

Unemployment rate7.91%country median 8.4% — 6% belowOfficial source · Statistics Canada

Recorded crime6,943incidents per 100,00031 Dec 2025District figureOfficial source · Incident-based crime statistics, by detailed violations, Canada, provinces, territories, Census Metropolitan Areas and Canadian Forces Military Police

PM2.5, annual mean5.19µg/m³31 Dec 2024Official source · data-donnees.az.ec.gc.ca

Which Canada-wide rules apply when you move to Esquimalt?

National rules stay on the country page instead of being relabelled as city data.

Visa and entry rulesPassport-specific entry and national residence context.BenefitsCountry-wide eligibility and official application routes.Taxes in CanadaNational rates and thresholds that apply in Esquimalt.Healthcare eligibilityCountry-wide insurance and residence conditions.

Housing and cost

Renter households in Esquimalt spending 30% or more on housing totalled 28.1% at the end of 2021.

What recurs every month2 published recurring costs, € per month

€ / month

Internet, 60 Mbps€50

Mobile plan, 10 GB€24

Metric	Value	Period	Source
Internet, 60 Mbps unlimited	49.79 EUR/month	30 Sept 2026	Bell Fibe 500 home internet²Official · national market
Mobile plan, 10 GB	24.27 EUR/month	30 Sept 2026	Public Mobile 50GB plan⁸Official · national market
Households spending over 30% of income on rent	28.1 %	31 Dec 2021	Statistics Canada¹²Official
Dwellings	8,995 dwellings	31 Dec 2021	Statistics Canada¹⁰Official
Main residence dwellings	8,565 dwellings	31 Dec 2021	Statistics Canada¹³Official
Average monthly rent (two-bedroom)	1,063 EUR/month	31 Oct 2023	CMHC Urban Rental Market Survey — Average Rents in Urban Centres (CSD table), October 2023³Official
Average monthly rent (whole dwelling)	1,124 EUR/month	31 Dec 2025	Average Rent by Bedroom Type by Census Subdivision¹Official

Is Esquimalt a good place to live?

There is no universal answer. The profile scores below show who the available published evidence may suit; they are a decision aid, not a personal recommendation.

Try your profile

Remote worker47%strong on work, weak on safety · range 37–57%

Skilled employee55%strong on work, weak on education · range 46–64%

Student33%strong on cost, weak on education · range 22–44%

Family46%strong on family, weak on education · range 35–57%

Retirement33%strong on air quality, weak on admin · range 20–46%

Work and income

What is the typical salary in Esquimalt?

The median gross salary is about 3,464 EUR/month (2020). The regional series (home-region basis, 2020) is a separate labelled row in the table.

City-scope median, gross, before tax and social contributions.

Median gross salary: 3,464 EUR/month · Statistics Canada¹⁴
Median gross salary (regional): 2,680 EUR/month · 2026-09-17 · www150.statcan.gc.ca²¹

What is the unemployment rate in Esquimalt?

The unemployment rate is about 7.9 % (2021).

Unemployment rate: 7.91 % · Statistics Canada¹⁵

Unemployment across cities in CanadaUnemployment in Esquimalt is 7.9%. Of 515 cities with data, 125 have unemployment of 6 to under 8%.

125

108

0–22–44–66–88–1010–1212–1414–1616–1818–2020–22

Esquimalt 7.9%

Unemployment rate (%)

Metric	Value	Period	Source
Employment rate	60.7 %	31 Dec 2021	Statistics Canada¹³Official
Median gross salary	3,464 EUR/month	31 Dec 2020	Statistics Canada¹⁴Official
Median gross salary (regional)	2,680 EUR/month	31 Dec 2020	www150.statcan.gc.ca²¹Official
Unemployment rate	7.91 %country median 8.4%	31 Dec 2021	Statistics Canada¹⁵Official

What does a salary buy in Esquimalt?

Take-home pay after tax, minus rent and the everyday bills this city publishes. Each line names its source.

Left over each month€1,461of €2,660 take-home

Rent
Internet
Mobile
Left over

Line-by-line breakdown and sources

Each month	€
Take-home payOECD Taxing Wages 2025, single, no children. Includes central and local income tax and employee social contributions; euro amounts at the ECB average for 2026-08.	€2,660
Rentaverage rent of a whole dwelling · official · Average Rent by Bedroom Type by Census Subdivision · 2025-12-31	− €1,124
Internet€50 · official · Bell Fibe 500 home internet · 2026-09-30	− €50
Mobile plan€24 · official · Public Mobile 50GB plan · 2026-09-30	− €24
Other everyday billsnot published for this city: public transport pass, utilities	—
Left overbefore the bills this city does not publish	€1,461

Take-home pay for other salaries and households Compare with another city Check a job offer in Esquimalt Salary needed to live in Esquimalt

Public employment service

No exact public employment office is currently linked to Esquimalt. The verified national service may still offer online registration, job search or an official office finder.

Country-level information

Job Bank and public employment services — Public employment service

Government of Canada

Job SearchMigrant Support

Open official service

Open the Canada service overview

Country-level service information is not treated as proof of a physical office in Esquimalt. Sources checked through 12 Aug 2026.

Safety

How safe is Esquimalt?

Police recorded about 6,943 incidents per 100,000 (2025). This counts all offences, so it is not comparable with a violent-crime-only rate from another source. Source: Incident-based crime statistics, by detailed violations, Canada, provinces, territories, Census Metropolitan Areas and Canadian Forces Military Police⁵

Recorded crime across major citiesEsquimalt highlighted among comparable cities

recorded incidents per 100k residents

Winnipeg7,894

Edmonton7,108

Halifax6,020

Vancouver5,438

Calgary4,796

London4,743

Québec4,630

Ottawa4,298

Hamilton4,257

Toronto4,177

Gatineau3,756

Montreal3,674

Metric	Value	Period	Source
Recorded incidents per 100,000 residents	6,943 incidents per 100,000	31 Dec 2025	Incident-based crime statistics, by detailed violations, Canada, provinces, territories, Census Metropolitan Areas and Canadian Forces Military Police⁵Official · county

Mobility and administration

Esquimalt's nearest airport was YWH, 3 km away and offered 2 direct destinations.

Metric	Value	Period	Source
Direct destinations from the nearest major airport	2 count	3 Aug 2026	OpenFlights⁶Official
Distance to the nearest major airport	3 km	3 Aug 2026	OurAirports⁷Official
Nearest major airport (IATA code)	YWH	3 Aug 2026	OurAirports⁷Official

Language courses and integration

No exact city-level course record is currently published for Esquimalt. These verified national programmes may still apply; use the official programme page to check local availability.

Country-level information

IRCC newcomer language-learning services finder — State Language Course

Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada

For newcomers to Canada.

English, FrenchFree

Open official information

Open the full Canada section

National programme information is not treated as proof of a course location in Esquimalt.

Find courses near Esquimalt

Climate and air quality

Is the air quality good in Esquimalt?

The annual PM2.5 mean is about 5.2 µg/m³ (2024) — above the WHO 2021 guideline of 5 µg/m³ but within the EU limit of 25 µg/m³.

Annual mean at the measuring site(s) serving the city; current-day readings differ.

PM2.5 — annual mean: 5.19 µg/m³ · data-donnees.az.ec.gc.ca⁴

Temperature through the yearAverage daytime high and night-time low, °C

0°

8°3°

9°3°

11°4°

14°6°

18°8°

21°10°

24°12°

20°10°

14°7°

10°5°

8°3°

JFMAMJJASOND

Night-time low to daytime high

Air quality vs health guidelinesAnnual means against WHO 2021 guidelines and EU legal limits

Within WHO 2021 guidelineAbove WHO, within EU limitAbove EU legal limitCity annual mean · µg/m³

PM2.55.2WHO 5 · EU 25

City values from the published air-quality observations. WHO 2021 guidelines and EU limit values are published constants.

PM2.5 across cities in CanadaAnnual PM2.5 in Esquimalt is 5.2 µg/m³. Of 123 cities with data, 46 have annual PM2.5 of 3 to under 4 µg/m³.

1–22–33–44–55–66–77–88–99–1010–1113–1415–1616–1717–1820–2140–41

Esquimalt 5.2

Annual PM2.5 (µg/m³)

Metric	Value	Period	Source
PM2.5 — annual mean	5.19 µg/m³	31 Dec 2024	data-donnees.az.ec.gc.ca⁴Official source, approximated value · Supplemental context
Average daytime high by month	Jan 8.2 · Feb 8.8 · Mar 11 · Apr 14 · May 17.8 · Jun 20.6 · Jul 23.7 · Aug 23.5 · Sep 20 · Oct 14.3 · Nov 10.3 · Dec 8 °C	31 Dec 1991	World Meteorological Organization / NOAA NCEI¹⁸Official · nearest-station reading
Average night-time low by month	Jan 3.4 · Feb 2.9 · Mar 3.9 · Apr 5.5 · May 7.9 · Jun 10.2 · Jul 11.7 · Aug 11.8 · Sep 10.1 · Oct 7.1 · Nov 4.7 · Dec 3.1 °C	31 Dec 1991	World Meteorological Organization / NOAA NCEI¹⁹Official · nearest-station reading
Average temperature by month	Jan 5.8 · Feb 5.9 · Mar 7.5 · Apr 9.8 · May 12.9 · Jun 15.4 · Jul 17.7 · Aug 17.7 · Sep 15 · Oct 10.7 · Nov 7.6 · Dec 5.5 °C	31 Dec 1991	World Meteorological Organization / NOAA NCEI²⁰Official · nearest-station reading

Similar climate. In Canada: Markham ±4.3 °C. Elsewhere: Gillingham (United Kingdom) ±0.6 °C, Maidstone (United Kingdom) ±0.6 °C, Harrow (United Kingdom) ±0.7 °C, Watford (United Kingdom) ±0.7 °C, Rouen (France) ±0.7 °C. Twenty closest, compared month by month

Monthly highs and lows against the 1991–2020 station normals of the nearest station; ± is the average monthly difference.

Population and city profile

Esquimalt spanned 7.1 km² at the end of 2021. Esquimalt counted 8,565 households at the end of 2021. The median age was 43.2 years at the end of 2021.

How many people live in Esquimalt?

The published population was 19,155 people in 2022. Source: Statistics Canada¹¹

Who lives hereResidents by nationality, % of population

By nationality

National passport86.2%
Foreign residents13.8%

Calculated from the population and foreign-resident facts on this page.

Metric	Value	Period	Source
Area	7.08 km²	31 Dec 2021	Statistics Canada¹³Official
City area	7.08 km²	31 Dec 2021	Statistics Canada¹⁶Official
Foreign-resident share	15.3 %	31 Dec 2021	Statistics Canada⁹Official
Foreign residents	2,645 people	31 Dec 2021	Statistics Canada⁹Official
Population density	2,477 people/km²	31 Dec 2021	Statistics Canada¹⁶Official
Population	19,155 people	31 Dec 2022	Statistics Canada¹¹Official

Population over time22 published observations, 2001–2022

16,389

17,379

18,370

19,360

19,15520012005200920152022

Population rose 13.3% between 2001 and 2022, from 16,903 to 19,155.

International community in Esquimalt

Named groups from exact city-grain official distributions. Citizenship, birthplace, language and ancestry answer different questions and stay separate.

Country of birth

Total - Place of birth for the immigrant population in private households - 25% sample data · 2021 Census

Published group	People	Share
Total - Place of birth for the immigrant population in private households - 25% sample data	2,645	100.0%
Europe	995	37.6%
Asia	950	35.9%
United Kingdom	525	19.8%
Americas	405	15.3%
Philippines	270	10.2%
Africa	220	8.3%
United States of America	215	8.1%
Other places of birth in Asia	195	7.4%
India	145	5.5%
Other places of birth in Europe	125	4.7%

Show 34 more groups

Published group	People	Share
China	115	4.3%
Germany	85	3.2%
Other places of birth in Africa	75	2.8%
Viet Nam	60	2.3%
Oceania and other places of birth	60	2.3%
France	50	1.9%
South Africa, Republic of	50	1.9%
Syria	50	1.9%
Other places of birth in Americas	40	1.5%
Poland	40	1.5%
Brazil	35	1.3%
Colombia	35	1.3%
Mexico	35	1.3%
Italy	35	1.3%
Eritrea	30	1.1%
Ethiopia	30	1.1%
Korea, South	30	1.1%
Croatia	25	0.9%
Greece	25	0.9%
Pakistan	25	0.9%
Congo, Democratic Republic of the	20	0.8%
Hungary	15	0.6%
Netherlands	15	0.6%
Romania	15	0.6%
Nigeria	15	0.6%
Turkey	15	0.6%
Hong Kong	15	0.6%
Taiwan	15	0.6%
El Salvador	10	0.4%
Jamaica	10	0.4%
Trinidad and Tobago	10	0.4%
Russian Federation	10	0.4%
Ukraine	10	0.4%
Bangladesh	10	0.4%

Largest published groups; zero-count groups are omitted. Dimensions are source-native and are never merged. Official source¹²

Citizenship

Total - Citizenship for the population in private households - 25% sample data · 2021 Census

Published group	People	Share
Total - Citizenship for the population in private households - 25% sample data	17,290	100.0%
Canadian citizens	16,190	93.6%
Canadian citizens aged 18 and over	13,800	79.8%
Canadian citizens aged under 18	2,390	13.8%
Not Canadian citizens	1,100	6.4%

Largest published groups; zero-count groups are omitted. Dimensions are source-native and are never merged. Official source¹²

Language spoken at home

Total - Language spoken most often at home for the total population excluding institutional residents - 100% data · 2021 Census

Published group	People	Share
Total - Language spoken most often at home for the total population excluding institutional residents - 100% data	17,365	100.0%
Single responses	16,990	97.8%
Official languages	16,190	93.2%
English	15,945	91.8%
Non-official languages	795	4.6%
Non-Indigenous languages	795	4.6%
Multiple responses	380	2.2%
Indo-European languages	325	1.9%
English and non-official language(s)	265	1.5%
French	250	1.4%
Italic (Romance) languages	155	0.9%

Show 51 more groups

Published group	People	Share
Austronesian languages	145	0.8%
Tagalog (Pilipino, Filipino)	135	0.8%
Spanish	110	0.6%
Sino-Tibetan languages	105	0.6%
Chinese languages	95	0.5%
English and French	95	0.5%
Austro-Asiatic languages	75	0.4%
Balto-Slavic languages	70	0.4%
Slavic languages	70	0.4%
Afro-Asiatic languages	65	0.4%
Indo-Iranian languages	65	0.4%
Semitic languages	60	0.3%
Indo-Aryan languages	60	0.3%
Vietnamese	55	0.3%
Mandarin	50	0.3%
Yue (Cantonese)	50	0.3%
Arabic	50	0.3%
Russian	40	0.2%
Portuguese	40	0.2%
Punjabi (Panjabi)	30	0.2%
Khmer (Cambodian)	20	0.1%
Polish	20	0.1%
Germanic languages	20	0.1%
High German languages	15	0.1%
German	15	0.1%
Urdu	15	0.1%
Japanese	15	0.1%
Korean	15	0.1%
American Sign Language	10	0.1%
Tibeto-Burman languages	10	0.1%
Tibetan	10	0.1%
Tai-Kadai languages	10	0.1%
Thai	10	0.1%
Tigrigna	10	0.1%
Albanian	10	0.1%
Hindi	10	0.1%
Iranian languages	10	0.1%
Persian languages	10	0.1%
Iranian Persian	10	0.1%
Niger-Congo languages	10	0.1%
Sign languages	5	0.0%
French and non-official language(s)	5	0.0%
English, French and non-official language(s)	5	0.0%
Multiple non-official languages	5	0.0%
Ilocano	5	0.0%
Dravidian languages	5	0.0%
Malayalam	5	0.0%
Serbo-Croatian	5	0.0%
Ukrainian	5	0.0%
Bengali	5	0.0%
Romanian	5	0.0%

Largest published groups; zero-count groups are omitted. Dimensions are source-native and are never merged. Official source¹²

Additional context

Metric	Value	Period	Source
Residents born abroad	15.3 %	31 Dec 2021	Statistics Canada¹²Official
Households	8,565 households	31 Dec 2021	Statistics Canada¹³Official
Labour force participation rate	65.9 %	31 Dec 2021	Statistics Canada¹³Official
Median age	43.2 years	31 Dec 2021	Statistics Canada¹⁷Official

Alternatives for people set on Esquimalt

Three places for the three reasons people leave a city on the shortlist: stay in the region, stay in the country, or keep the budget and change the country. A percentage appears only where both cities publish that metric from the same source, period and grain. Distances are straight lines — travel times are not collected yet.

Aurora as an Esquimalt alternative in the same country

Better on 4 of 4 metrics measured the same way, worse on 0.

Foreign residents: 36.8% Aurora vs 15.3% Esquimalt+140%
Median gross pay, city: €4,357 Aurora vs €3,464 Esquimalt+26%
Recorded crime, per 100k: 4,296 Aurora vs 6,943 Esquimalt−38%
Median gross pay, region: €3,094 Aurora vs €2,680 Esquimalt+15%

Full comparison More about Aurora

Alternative cities in Canada

Other cities in Canada to compare with Esquimalt, nearest in population first.

All Canada cities

Oak Bay19,211 residents Port Colborne19,035 residents Niagara-on-the-Lake18,981 residents Corner Brook19,333 residents Mont-Saint-Hilaire19,436 residents Petawawa18,864 residents

How does Esquimalt compare?

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Yes — migrants can receive medical care in Esquimalt when the national insurance or residence conditions are met.

Healthcare access follows the country-wide insurance rules; local capacity facts remain city data and are not used as proof of eligibility.

Open the official coverage guide

Country rule verified 2026-08-03.

Put Esquimalt's key facts on your site — a card with this page's figures and a link back, free under CC BY 4.0.

Common questions

Answered from the published values on this page, each with its source and date.

How many people live in Esquimalt?

The published population was 19,155 people in 2022. Source: Statistics Canada.

Is the air quality good in Esquimalt?

The annual PM2.5 mean is about 5.2 µg/m³ (2024) — above the WHO 2021 guideline of 5 µg/m³ but within the EU limit of 25 µg/m³. Source: data-donnees.az.ec.gc.ca.

How safe is Esquimalt?

What is the typical salary in Esquimalt?

The median gross salary is about 3,464 EUR/month (2020). The regional series (home-region basis, 2020) is a separate labelled row in the table. Source: Statistics Canada.

What is the unemployment rate in Esquimalt?

The unemployment rate is about 7.9 % (2021). Source: Statistics Canada.

What is the typical salary around Esquimalt?

The median gross salary is 2,680 EUR/month. Source: www150.statcan.gc.ca.

Is Esquimalt a good place to live?

Esquimalt may suit different people for different reasons. The page's profile scores compare published cost, work, housing, safety, healthcare and other available factors; they are a decision aid, not a universal recommendation.

How many people born in Europe live in Esquimalt?

The official country of birth distribution records 995 people (37.6%) in the source-defined population for 2021 Census. This is a country of birth measure, not a general estimate of ethnicity or migration status.

Cite this page

Open a format to select or copy this ImmigrationDB compilation citation. The native disclosure and text fallback work without JavaScript.

APA citation

ImmigrationDB. (2026, October 16). Esquimalt, Canada: population, rent, salary, cost of living [ImmigrationDB compilation; version ce23d4c5d693dee28721710338e5125c]. ImmigrationDB. https://immigrationdb.com/cities/ca/esquimalt/ Retrieved 2026-10-16. Compilation license: CC BY 4.0, https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

BibTeX citation

@misc{immigrationdb_immigrationdb_esquimalt-canada-population-rent-salary-cost-of-living_b090cc80a672,
  author = {ImmigrationDB},
  title = {Esquimalt, Canada: population, rent, salary, cost of living},
  publisher = {ImmigrationDB},
  year = {2026},
  date = {2026-10-16},
  version = {ce23d4c5d693dee28721710338e5125c},
  url = {https://immigrationdb.com/cities/ca/esquimalt/},
  note = {Retrieved 2026-10-16. ImmigrationDB compilation. Compilation license: CC BY 4.0, https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/},
}

Markdown citation

[Esquimalt, Canada: population, rent, salary, cost of living](https://immigrationdb.com/cities/ca/esquimalt/) — ImmigrationDB; ImmigrationDB; version ce23d4c5d693dee28721710338e5125c; retrieved 2026-10-16; built 2026-10-16.

This citation identifies the ImmigrationDB compilation/page. Underlying source publishers and datasets retain their own terms; inspect the Sources section and cite those records separately. View the underlying source records.

Sources

JSON Markdown

Average Rent by Bedroom Type by Census Subdivision www03.cmhc-schl.gc.ca · checked 2026-10-08
Bell Fibe 500 home internet bell.ca · checked 2026-09-15
CMHC Urban Rental Market Survey — Average Rents in Urban Centres (CSD table), October 2023 CMHC Urban Rental Market Survey · assets.cmhc-schl.gc.ca · checked 2026-09-18
data-donnees.az.ec.gc.ca data-donnees.az.ec.gc.ca · checked 2026-08-26
Incident-based crime statistics, by detailed violations, Canada, provinces, territories, Census Metropolitan Areas and Canadian Forces Military Police www150.statcan.gc.ca · checked 2026-09-25
OpenFlights raw.githubusercontent.com · checked 2026-08-03
OurAirports davidmegginson.github.io · checked 2026-08-03
Public Mobile 50GB plan publicmobile.ca · checked 2026-09-15
Statistics Canada www150.statcan.gc.ca · checked 2026-08-03
Statistics Canada www150.statcan.gc.ca · checked 2026-08-07

Show 11 more sources

Statistics Canada www150.statcan.gc.ca · checked 2026-08-03
Statistics Canada www12.statcan.gc.ca · checked 2026-08-07
Statistics Canada api.statcan.gc.ca · checked 2026-08-07
Statistics Canada www12.statcan.gc.ca · checked 2026-09-13
Statistics Canada www150.statcan.gc.ca · checked 2026-08-03
Statistics Canada www150.statcan.gc.ca · checked 2026-08-03
Statistics Canada www150.statcan.gc.ca · checked 2026-08-07
World Meteorological Organization / NOAA NCEI nodc.noaa.gov · checked 2026-08-05
World Meteorological Organization / NOAA NCEI nodc.noaa.gov · checked 2026-08-05
World Meteorological Organization / NOAA NCEI nodc.noaa.gov · checked 2026-08-05
www150.statcan.gc.ca www150.statcan.gc.ca · checked 2026-08-27

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