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.
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.
| Metric | Value | Period | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Internet, 60 Mbps unlimited | 49.79 EUR/month | 30 Sept 2026 | Bell Fibe 500 home internet1Official · national market |
| Mobile plan, 10 GB | 24.27 EUR/month | 30 Sept 2026 | Public Mobile 50GB plan7Official · national market |
| Households spending over 30% of income on rent | 12.1 % | 31 Dec 2021 | Statistics Canada9Official |
| Dwellings | 8,880 dwellings | 31 Dec 2021 | Statistics Canada8Official |
| Main residence dwellings | 8,391 dwellings | 31 Dec 2021 | Statistics Canada10Official |
| Average monthly rent (whole dwelling) | 545 EUR/month | 31 Dec 2021 | CMHC 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.
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.
What is the unemployment rate in Essex?
The unemployment rate is about 12.5 % (2021).
- Unemployment rate: 12.52 % · Statistics Canada12
Essex 12.5%
Unemployment rate (%)
| Metric | Value | Period | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Employment rate | 53.3 % | 31 Dec 2021 | Statistics Canada10Official |
| Median gross salary | 3,399 EUR/month | 31 Dec 2020 | Statistics Canada11Official |
| Median gross salary (regional) | 2,571 EUR/month | 31 Dec 2020 | www150.statcan.gc.ca21Official |
| Unemployment rate | 12.52 %country median 8.4% | 31 Dec 2021 | Statistics 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.
RentInternetMobileLeft 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 |
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.
Job Bank and public employment services — Public employment service
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
| Metric | Value | Period | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Recorded incidents per 100,000 residents | 4,296 incidents per 100,000 | 31 Dec 2025 | Incident-based crime statistics, by detailed violations, Canada, provinces, territories, Census Metropolitan Areas and Canadian Forces Military Police4Official · county |
Mobility and administration
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.
IRCC newcomer language-learning services finder — State Language Course
Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada
For newcomers to Canada.
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.
Night-time low to daytime high
Within WHO 2021 guidelineAbove WHO, within EU limitAbove EU legal limitCity annual mean · µg/m³
City values from the published air-quality observations. WHO 2021 guidelines and EU limit values are published constants.
Essex 8.0
Annual PM2.5 (µg/m³)
| Metric | Value | Period | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| PM2.5 — annual mean | 8 µg/m³ | 31 Dec 2024 | ECCC National Air Pollution Surveillance annual PM2.5 summaries / Québec RSQAQ hourly continuous measurements3Official · nearest-station reading |
| Average daytime high by month | Jan -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 °C | 31 Dec 1991 | World Meteorological Organization / NOAA NCEI18Official |
| Average night-time low by month | Jan -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 °C | 31 Dec 1991 | World Meteorological Organization / NOAA NCEI19Official |
| Average temperature by month | Jan -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 °C | 31 Dec 1991 | World 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.
By nationality
National passport98.4%
Calculated from the population and foreign-resident facts on this page.
| Metric | Value | Period | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Area | 277.5 km² | 31 Dec 2021 | Statistics Canada10Official |
| City area | 277.3 km² | 2021 | Statistics Canada — Census Profile 2021 (Essex, CSD 3537037)15Official |
| Foreign-resident share | 8.71 % | 31 Dec 2021 | Statistics Canada13Official |
| Foreign residents | 345 people | 11 May 2021 | 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.17Official |
| Population density | 76.4 people/km² | 11 May 2021 | Statistics 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 |
| Population | 21,216 people | 1 Jan 2021 | Statistics Canada — Census Profile 2021, Essex (Census subdivision 3537016)16Official |
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 group | People | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Total - Place of birth for the immigrant population in private households - 25% sample data | 1,800 | 100.0% |
| Europe | 990 | 55.0% |
| Americas | 460 | 25.6% |
| Asia | 300 | 16.7% |
| United Kingdom | 295 | 16.4% |
| United States of America | 285 | 15.8% |
| Portugal | 215 | 11.9% |
| Other places of birth in Europe | 105 | 5.8% |
| Mexico | 70 | 3.9% |
| Italy | 65 | 3.6% |
| Poland | 60 | 3.3% |
Show 20 more groups
| Published group | People | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Iraq | 60 | 3.3% |
| China | 60 | 3.3% |
| Other places of birth in Americas | 55 | 3.1% |
| Germany | 55 | 3.1% |
| Netherlands | 55 | 3.1% |
| India | 55 | 3.1% |
| Serbia | 40 | 2.2% |
| Africa | 35 | 1.9% |
| Other places of birth in Africa | 35 | 1.9% |
| Romania | 30 | 1.7% |
| Lebanon | 25 | 1.4% |
| Philippines | 25 | 1.4% |
| Pakistan | 25 | 1.4% |
| Other places of birth in Asia | 25 | 1.4% |
| Croatia | 20 | 1.1% |
| Trinidad and Tobago | 15 | 0.8% |
| Bosnia and Herzegovina | 15 | 0.8% |
| Hungary | 15 | 0.8% |
| France | 10 | 0.6% |
| Hong Kong | 10 | 0.6% |
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 group | People | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Total - Citizenship for the population in private households - 25% sample data | 20,660 | 100.0% |
| Canadian citizens | 20,315 | 98.3% |
| Canadian citizens aged 18 and over | 16,445 | 79.6% |
| Canadian citizens aged under 18 | 3,870 | 18.7% |
| Not Canadian citizens | 345 | 1.7% |
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 group | People | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Total - Language spoken most often at home for the total population excluding institutional residents - 100% data | 20,985 | 100.0% |
| Single responses | 20,820 | 99.2% |
| Official languages | 20,475 | 97.6% |
| English | 20,420 | 97.3% |
| Non-official languages | 345 | 1.6% |
| Non-Indigenous languages | 345 | 1.6% |
| Indo-European languages | 250 | 1.2% |
| Multiple responses | 165 | 0.8% |
| Italic (Romance) languages | 130 | 0.6% |
| English and non-official language(s) | 125 | 0.6% |
| Portuguese | 95 | 0.5% |
Show 35 more groups
| Published group | People | Share |
|---|---|---|
| French | 55 | 0.3% |
| Balto-Slavic languages | 55 | 0.3% |
| Slavic languages | 55 | 0.3% |
| Germanic languages | 40 | 0.2% |
| Sino-Tibetan languages | 30 | 0.1% |
| Chinese languages | 30 | 0.1% |
| English and French | 30 | 0.1% |
| Afro-Asiatic languages | 30 | 0.1% |
| Semitic languages | 30 | 0.1% |
| Indo-Iranian languages | 30 | 0.1% |
| Indo-Aryan languages | 30 | 0.1% |
| Mandarin | 25 | 0.1% |
| Low Saxon-Low Franconian languages | 25 | 0.1% |
| Polish | 20 | 0.1% |
| High German languages | 20 | 0.1% |
| Aramaic languages | 15 | 0.1% |
| Serbo-Croatian | 15 | 0.1% |
| Serbian | 15 | 0.1% |
| Slovak | 15 | 0.1% |
| German | 15 | 0.1% |
| Plautdietsch | 15 | 0.1% |
| Punjabi (Panjabi) | 15 | 0.1% |
| Urdu | 15 | 0.1% |
| Spanish | 15 | 0.1% |
| Arabic | 10 | 0.0% |
| Chaldean Neo-Aramaic | 10 | 0.0% |
| Austro-Asiatic languages | 10 | 0.0% |
| Dravidian languages | 10 | 0.0% |
| Italian | 10 | 0.0% |
| Romanian | 10 | 0.0% |
| Yue (Cantonese) | 5 | 0.0% |
| Uralic languages | 5 | 0.0% |
| Hungarian | 5 | 0.0% |
| Khmer (Cambodian) | 5 | 0.0% |
| Macedonian | 5 | 0.0% |
Largest published groups; zero-count groups are omitted. Dimensions are source-native and are never merged. Official source9
Additional context
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.
- Salary
- 4,085 EUR/monthMedian gross salary · 2020-12-31
- Salary
- 3,464 EUR/monthMedian gross salary · 2020-12-31
- Salary
- 4,466 EUR/monthMedian gross salary · 2020-12-31
- Salary
- 2,745 EUR/monthMedian gross salary · 2020-12-31
- 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.
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 guideCommon 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
- Bell Fibe 500 home internet bell.ca · checked 2026-09-15
- 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
- ECCC National Air Pollution Surveillance annual PM2.5 summaries / Québec RSQAQ hourly continuous measurements data-donnees.az.ec.gc.ca · checked 2026-10-05
- 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 — routes.dat OpenFlights · raw.githubusercontent.com · checked 2026-07-14
- OurAirports — airports.csv OurAirports · davidmegginson.github.io · checked 2026-07-14
- Public Mobile 50GB plan publicmobile.ca · checked 2026-09-15
- Statistics Canada www150.statcan.gc.ca · checked 2026-08-07
- Statistics Canada www12.statcan.gc.ca · checked 2026-08-07
- Statistics Canada api.statcan.gc.ca · checked 2026-08-07
Show 19 more sources
- 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
- Statistics Canada — Census Profile 2021 (Essex, CSD 3537037) Statistics Canada · www12.statcan.gc.ca · checked 2026-07-14
- Statistics Canada — Census Profile 2021, Essex (Census subdivision 3537016) Statistics Canada · api.statcan.gc.ca · checked 2026-08-13
- 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
- World Meteorological Organization / NOAA NCEI nodc.noaa.gov · checked 2026-08-03
- World Meteorological Organization / NOAA NCEI nodc.noaa.gov · checked 2026-08-03
- World Meteorological Organization / NOAA NCEI nodc.noaa.gov · checked 2026-08-03
- www150.statcan.gc.ca www150.statcan.gc.ca · checked 2026-08-27
- Coordinate identity evidence wikidata.org · checked 2026-09-06
- Coordinate identity evidence wikidata.org · checked 2026-09-06
- Coordinate identity evidence wikidata.org · checked 2026-09-06
- Coordinate identity evidence wikidata.org · checked 2026-09-06
- Coordinate identity evidence wikidata.org · checked 2026-09-06
- Coordinate identity evidence wikidata.org · checked 2026-09-06
- Wikidata identity and coordinates — Q3085326 Wikidata identity and coordinates · wikidata.org · checked 2026-09-05
- 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.