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Living in Essex

In Essex, tenants pay an average rent of €545 a month (2021) and unemployment is 12.5% (2021).

The nearest airport was YSB, 115.5 km away, with 6 listed destinations in June 2026. For Essex, the foreign population count was 345 in May 2021.

Last checked 2026-10-0729 sources

Population21,216people1 Jan 2021Official source · Statistics Canada — Census Profile 2021, Essex (Census subdivision 3537016)
Median gross salary3,399EUR/month31 Dec 2020Official source · Statistics Canada
Average rent545EUR/month31 Dec 2021Official source · CMHC Rental Market Survey: average rents for areas with population 10,000 and over, table 34-10-0133-01
Unemployment rate12.52%country median 8.4% — 49% aboveOfficial source · Statistics Canada
Recorded crime4,296incidents 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 mean8µg/m³31 Dec 2024Nearest stationOfficial source · ECCC National Air Pollution Surveillance annual PM2.5 summaries / Québec RSQAQ hourly continuous measurements

Higher unemployment than 88% of Canadian cities that publish it, less recorded crime than 69% of Canadian cities that publish it and dirtier air than 88% of Canadian cities that publish it.

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

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

Housing and cost

No city-level rent figure is published for Essex. The available city-level cost figures remain below.

What recurs every month2 published recurring costs, € per month
Essex recurring monthly costs, € per month

€ / month

Internet, 60 Mbps€50
Mobile plan, 10 GB€24
MetricValuePeriodSource
Internet, 60 Mbps unlimited49.79 EUR/month30 Sept 2026Bell Fibe 500 home internet1Official · national market
Mobile plan, 10 GB24.27 EUR/month30 Sept 2026Public Mobile 50GB plan7Official · national market
Households spending over 30% of income on rent12.1 %31 Dec 2021Statistics Canada9Official
Dwellings8,880 dwellings31 Dec 2021Statistics Canada8Official
Main residence dwellings8,391 dwellings31 Dec 2021Statistics Canada10Official
Average monthly rent (whole dwelling)545 EUR/month31 Dec 2021CMHC Rental Market Survey: average rents for areas with population 10,000 and over, table 34-10-0133-012Official

Is Essex 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 worker54%strong on work, weak on safety · range 44–64%
Skilled employee58%strong on work, weak on education · range 49–67%
Student61%strong on cost, weak on education · range 50–72%
Family50%strong on housing, weak on education · range 39–61%
Retirement59%strong on air quality, weak on admin · range 46–72%

Work and income

What is the typical salary in Essex?

The median gross salary is about 3,399 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: 3,399 EUR/month · Statistics Canada11
  • Median gross salary (regional): 2,571 EUR/month · 2026-09-17 · www150.statcan.gc.ca21

What is the unemployment rate in Essex?

The unemployment rate is about 12.5 % (2021).

  • Unemployment rate: 12.52 % · Statistics Canada12
Unemployment across cities in CanadaUnemployment in Essex is 12.5%. Of 515 cities with data, 125 have unemployment of 6 to under 8%.

Unemployment rate (%)

MetricValuePeriodSource
Employment rate53.3 %31 Dec 2021Statistics Canada10Official
Median gross salary3,399 EUR/month31 Dec 2020Statistics Canada11Official
Median gross salary (regional)2,571 EUR/month31 Dec 2020www150.statcan.gc.ca21Official
Unemployment rate12.52 %country median 8.4%31 Dec 2021Statistics Canada12Official

What does a salary buy in Essex?

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

Essex median gross pay: €3,399 (Statistics Canada, 2020-12-31).
Left over each month€2,001of €2,620 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.€2,620
Rentaverage rent of a whole dwelling · official · CMHC Rental Market Survey: average rents for areas with population 10,000 and over, table 34-10-0133-01 · 2021-12-31− €545
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€2,001
Take-home pay for other salaries and households Compare with another city Check a job offer in Essex Salary needed to live in Essex

Public employment service

No exact public employment office is currently linked to Essex. 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

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

Safety

How safe is Essex?

Police recorded about 4,296 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 Police4

Recorded crime across major citiesEssex highlighted among comparable cities
Recorded crime across major cities with Essex highlighted

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
MetricValuePeriodSource
Recorded incidents per 100,000 residents4,296 incidents per 100,00031 Dec 2025Incident-based crime statistics, by detailed violations, Canada, provinces, territories, Census Metropolitan Areas and Canadian Forces Military Police4Official · county

Mobility and administration

MetricValuePeriodSource
Destinations from nearest airport6 count13 Jun 2026OpenFlights — routes.dat5Official
Nearest airportYSB13 Jun 2026OurAirports — airports.csv6Official
Distance to nearest airport115.5 km13 Jun 2026OurAirports — airports.csv6Official

Language courses and integration

No exact city-level course record is currently published for Essex. 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
National programme information is not treated as proof of a course location in Essex.

Find courses near Essex

Climate and air quality

Is the air quality good in Essex?

The annual PM2.5 mean is 8 µg/m³ (2024) — above the WHO 2021 guideline of 5 µg/m³ but within the EU limit of 25 µg/m³. Source: ECCC National Air Pollution Surveillance annual PM2.5 summaries / Québec RSQAQ hourly continuous measurements3

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

Temperature through the yearAverage daytime high and night-time low, °C
Air quality vs health guidelinesAnnual means against WHO 2021 guidelines and EU legal limits

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 Essex is 8.0 µg/m³. Of 123 cities with data, 46 have annual PM2.5 of 3 to under 4 µg/m³.

Annual PM2.5 (µg/m³)

MetricValuePeriodSource
PM2.5 — annual mean8 µg/m³31 Dec 2024ECCC National Air Pollution Surveillance annual PM2.5 summaries / Québec RSQAQ hourly continuous measurements3Official · nearest-station reading
Average daytime high by monthJan -0.3 · Feb 1.2 · Mar 6.3 · Apr 13.3 · May 19.9 · Jun 25.4 · Jul 27.6 · Aug 26.4 · Sep 22.8 · Oct 15.8 · Nov 8.5 · Dec 2.4 °C31 Dec 1991World Meteorological Organization / NOAA NCEI18Official
Average night-time low by monthJan -7.1 · Feb -6.1 · Mar -2.1 · Apr 3.2 · May 9.5 · Jun 15.3 · Jul 17.5 · Aug 16.5 · Sep 12.8 · Oct 6.8 · Nov 1.3 · Dec -3.6 °C31 Dec 1991World Meteorological Organization / NOAA NCEI19Official
Average temperature by monthJan -3.7 · Feb -2.5 · Mar 2.1 · Apr 8.3 · May 14.8 · Jun 20.3 · Jul 22.6 · Aug 21.5 · Sep 17.8 · Oct 11.3 · Nov 4.9 · Dec -0.6 °C31 Dec 1991World Meteorological Organization / NOAA NCEI20Official

Similar climate. In Canada: Markham ±0.7 °C. Elsewhere: Warren (United States) ±0.6 °C, Grand Rapids (United States) ±0.6 °C, Syracuse (United States) ±0.8 °C, Cambridge (United States) ±0.8 °C, South Bend (United States) ±0.8 °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

How many people live in Essex?

The published population was 21,216 people in 2021. Source: Statistics Canada — Census Profile 2021, Essex (Census subdivision 3537016)16

Foreign residents and their share come from different publications that count different groups (for example citizens of another country, or people born abroad, or of foreign origin), so 345 is not 8.7% of the population. Each row names its source.

Who lives hereResidents by nationality, % of population

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

MetricValuePeriodSource
Area277.5 km²31 Dec 2021Statistics Canada10Official
City area277.3 km²2021Statistics Canada — Census Profile 2021 (Essex, CSD 3537037)15Official
Foreign-resident share8.71 %31 Dec 2021Statistics Canada13Official
Foreign residents345 people11 May 2021Statistics Canada Census Profile 2021 characteristic 1512: not Canadian citizens, population in private households, 25% sample data, at CSD grain. This is the exact foreign-citizenship interpretation used for foreign population total; it is not immigrant status.17Official
Population density76.4 people/km²11 May 2021Statistics Canada Census Profile 2021 characteristic 6: population density per square kilometre at CSD grain. This is the exact CSD value; it is not a CMA or province observation.17Official
Population21,216 people1 Jan 2021Statistics Canada — Census Profile 2021, Essex (Census subdivision 3537016)16Official
Population over time22 published observations, 2001–2022

Population rose 4.6% between 2001 and 2022, from 20,858 to 21,823.

International community in Essex

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 groupPeopleShare
Total - Place of birth for the immigrant population in private households - 25% sample data1,800100.0%
Europe99055.0%
Americas46025.6%
Asia30016.7%
United Kingdom29516.4%
United States of America28515.8%
Portugal21511.9%
Other places of birth in Europe1055.8%
Mexico703.9%
Italy653.6%
Poland603.3%
Show 20 more groups
Published groupPeopleShare
Iraq603.3%
China603.3%
Other places of birth in Americas553.1%
Germany553.1%
Netherlands553.1%
India553.1%
Serbia402.2%
Africa351.9%
Other places of birth in Africa351.9%
Romania301.7%
Lebanon251.4%
Philippines251.4%
Pakistan251.4%
Other places of birth in Asia251.4%
Croatia201.1%
Trinidad and Tobago150.8%
Bosnia and Herzegovina150.8%
Hungary150.8%
France100.6%
Hong Kong100.6%

Largest published groups; zero-count groups are omitted. Dimensions are source-native and are never merged. Official source9

Citizenship

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

Published groupPeopleShare
Total - Citizenship for the population in private households - 25% sample data20,660100.0%
Canadian citizens20,31598.3%
Canadian citizens aged 18 and over16,44579.6%
Canadian citizens aged under 183,87018.7%
Not Canadian citizens3451.7%

Largest published groups; zero-count groups are omitted. Dimensions are source-native and are never merged. Official source9

Language spoken at home

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

Published groupPeopleShare
Total - Language spoken most often at home for the total population excluding institutional residents - 100% data20,985100.0%
Single responses20,82099.2%
Official languages20,47597.6%
English20,42097.3%
Non-official languages3451.6%
Non-Indigenous languages3451.6%
Indo-European languages2501.2%
Multiple responses1650.8%
Italic (Romance) languages1300.6%
English and non-official language(s)1250.6%
Portuguese950.5%
Show 35 more groups
Published groupPeopleShare
French550.3%
Balto-Slavic languages550.3%
Slavic languages550.3%
Germanic languages400.2%
Sino-Tibetan languages300.1%
Chinese languages300.1%
English and French300.1%
Afro-Asiatic languages300.1%
Semitic languages300.1%
Indo-Iranian languages300.1%
Indo-Aryan languages300.1%
Mandarin250.1%
Low Saxon-Low Franconian languages250.1%
Polish200.1%
High German languages200.1%
Aramaic languages150.1%
Serbo-Croatian150.1%
Serbian150.1%
Slovak150.1%
German150.1%
Plautdietsch150.1%
Punjabi (Panjabi)150.1%
Urdu150.1%
Spanish150.1%
Arabic100.0%
Chaldean Neo-Aramaic100.0%
Austro-Asiatic languages100.0%
Dravidian languages100.0%
Italian100.0%
Romanian100.0%
Yue (Cantonese)50.0%
Uralic languages50.0%
Hungarian50.0%
Khmer (Cambodian)50.0%
Macedonian50.0%

Largest published groups; zero-count groups are omitted. Dimensions are source-native and are never merged. Official source9

Additional context

MetricValuePeriodSource
Residents born abroad8.7 %31 Dec 2021Statistics Canada9Official
Households8,390 households31 Dec 2021Statistics Canada10Official
Labour force participation rate61 %31 Dec 2021Statistics Canada10Official
Median age46.8 years31 Dec 2021Statistics Canada14Official

Alternatives for people set on Essex

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.

LaSalle as an Essex alternative in the same region

21 km away, better on 3 of 6 metrics measured the same way, worse on 0.

  • Foreign residents: 20.1% LaSalle vs 8.7% Essex+131%
  • Median gross pay, city: €4,466 LaSalle vs €3,399 Essex+31%
  • Median gross pay, region: €3,246 LaSalle vs €2,571 Essex+26%
  • Residents: 32,721 LaSalle vs 21,216 Essex+54%
  • Recorded crime, per 100k: 4,296 LaSalle vs 4,296 Essexsame level
  • Nearest airport: 115.5 km LaSalle vs 115.5 km Essexsame level

Aurora as an Essex alternative in the same country

A move, not a commute, at 340 km, better on 4 of 6 metrics measured the same way, worse on 0.

  • Foreign residents: 36.8% Aurora vs 8.7% Essex+322%
  • Residents: 62,057 Aurora vs 21,216 Essex+193%
  • Median gross pay, city: €4,357 Aurora vs €3,399 Essex+28%
  • Median gross pay, region: €3,094 Aurora vs €2,571 Essex+20%
  • Nearest airport: 39.5 km Aurora vs 115.5 km Essex−66%
  • Recorded crime, per 100k: 4,296 Aurora vs 4,296 Essexsame level

Cities near Essex

Published cities within 25 km, nearest first. Distances are straight-line.

Tecumseh 15.1 km away
Salary
4,085 EUR/monthMedian gross salary · 2020-12-31
Kingsville 16.4 km away
Salary
3,464 EUR/monthMedian gross salary · 2020-12-31
LaSalle 20.8 km away
Salary
4,466 EUR/monthMedian gross salary · 2020-12-31
Leamington 22.6 km away
Salary
2,745 EUR/monthMedian gross salary · 2020-12-31
Amherstburg 23.1 km away
Salary
3,758 EUR/monthMedian gross salary · 2020-12-31

Alternative cities in Canada

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

All Canada cities

How does Essex compare?

Pick a city. The answer appears here and the address bar keeps it, so the comparison can be shared; the page stays Essex's.

Yes — migrants can receive medical care in Essex 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.

Common questions

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

How many people live in Essex?

The published population was 21,216 people in 2021. Source: Statistics Canada — Census Profile 2021, Essex (Census subdivision 3537016).

Is the air quality good in Essex?

The annual PM2.5 mean is 8 µg/m³ (2024) — above the WHO 2021 guideline of 5 µg/m³ but within the EU limit of 25 µg/m³. Source: ECCC National Air Pollution Surveillance annual PM2.5 summaries / Québec RSQAQ hourly continuous measurements.

How safe is Essex?

Police recorded about 4,296 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 Police.

What is the typical salary in Essex?

The median gross salary is about 3,399 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 Essex?

The unemployment rate is about 12.5 % (2021). Source: Statistics Canada.

What is the typical salary around Essex?

The median gross salary is 2,571 EUR/month. Source: www150.statcan.gc.ca.

Is Essex a good place to live?

Essex 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.

Which cities are near Essex?

Tecumseh, Kingsville, LaSalle, Leamington, Amherstburg are near Essex. Typed relationship labels are shown where published; other rows use straight-line distance from admitted coordinates.

How many people born in Europe live in Essex?

The official country of birth distribution records 990 people (55.0%) 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). Essex, Canada: population, rent, salary, cost of living [ImmigrationDB compilation; version 809fb233e6101970bfb081d32016600a]. ImmigrationDB. https://immigrationdb.com/cities/ca/essex/ Retrieved 2026-10-16. Compilation license: CC BY 4.0, https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
BibTeX citation
@misc{immigrationdb_immigrationdb_essex-canada-population-rent-salary-cost-of-living_0be86f0337d5,
  author = {ImmigrationDB},
  title = {Essex, Canada: population, rent, salary, cost of living},
  publisher = {ImmigrationDB},
  year = {2026},
  date = {2026-10-16},
  version = {809fb233e6101970bfb081d32016600a},
  url = {https://immigrationdb.com/cities/ca/essex/},
  note = {Retrieved 2026-10-16. ImmigrationDB compilation. Compilation license: CC BY 4.0, https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/},
}
Markdown citation
[Essex, Canada: population, rent, salary, cost of living](https://immigrationdb.com/cities/ca/essex/) — ImmigrationDB; ImmigrationDB; version 809fb233e6101970bfb081d32016600a; 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
  1. Bell Fibe 500 home internet bell.ca · checked 2026-09-15
  2. CMHC Rental Market Survey: average rents for areas with population 10,000 and over, table 34-10-0133-01 www150.statcan.gc.ca · checked 2026-09-23
  3. ECCC National Air Pollution Surveillance annual PM2.5 summaries / Québec RSQAQ hourly continuous measurements data-donnees.az.ec.gc.ca · checked 2026-10-05
  4. 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
  5. OpenFlights — routes.dat OpenFlights · raw.githubusercontent.com · checked 2026-07-14
  6. OurAirports — airports.csv OurAirports · davidmegginson.github.io · checked 2026-07-14
  7. Public Mobile 50GB plan publicmobile.ca · checked 2026-09-15
  8. Statistics Canada www150.statcan.gc.ca · checked 2026-08-07
  9. Statistics Canada www12.statcan.gc.ca · checked 2026-08-07
  10. Statistics Canada api.statcan.gc.ca · checked 2026-08-07
Show 19 more sources
  1. Statistics Canada www12.statcan.gc.ca · checked 2026-09-13
  2. Statistics Canada www150.statcan.gc.ca · checked 2026-08-03
  3. Statistics Canada www150.statcan.gc.ca · checked 2026-08-03
  4. Statistics Canada www150.statcan.gc.ca · checked 2026-08-07
  5. Statistics Canada — Census Profile 2021 (Essex, CSD 3537037) Statistics Canada · www12.statcan.gc.ca · checked 2026-07-14
  6. Statistics Canada — Census Profile 2021, Essex (Census subdivision 3537016) Statistics Canada · api.statcan.gc.ca · checked 2026-08-13
  7. Statistics Canada Census Profile 2021 characteristic 1512: not Canadian citizens, population in private households, 25% sample data, at CSD grain. This is the exact foreign-citizenship interpretation used for foreign population total; it is not immigrant status. api.statcan.gc.ca · checked 2021-05-11
  8. World Meteorological Organization / NOAA NCEI nodc.noaa.gov · checked 2026-08-03
  9. World Meteorological Organization / NOAA NCEI nodc.noaa.gov · checked 2026-08-03
  10. World Meteorological Organization / NOAA NCEI nodc.noaa.gov · checked 2026-08-03
  11. www150.statcan.gc.ca www150.statcan.gc.ca · checked 2026-08-27
  12. Coordinate identity evidence wikidata.org · checked 2026-09-06
  13. Coordinate identity evidence wikidata.org · checked 2026-09-06
  14. Coordinate identity evidence wikidata.org · checked 2026-09-06
  15. Coordinate identity evidence wikidata.org · checked 2026-09-06
  16. Coordinate identity evidence wikidata.org · checked 2026-09-06
  17. Coordinate identity evidence wikidata.org · checked 2026-09-06
  18. Wikidata identity and coordinates — Q3085326 Wikidata identity and coordinates · wikidata.org · checked 2026-09-05
  19. Wikidata identity and coordinates — Q559147 Wikidata identity and coordinates · wikidata.org · checked 2026-09-05

Spotted a number that looks wrong? Every value here carries its source and date — tell us what you found and we will re-check it against the source.