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Living in Halifax

In Halifax, unemployment is 11.4% (2021).

In May 2021, the unemployment rate was 11.4%. 21.8% of renter households spent at least 30% of income on housing in May 2021.

Last checked 2026-09-2419 sources

Population480,216people1 Jul 2022Official source · Statistics Canada
Median gross salary3,399EUR/month31 Dec 2020Official source · Statistics Canada, 2021 Census Profile (98-10-0002 bulk CSD CSV, province file)
Unemployment rate11.4%country median 8.4% — 36% aboveOfficial source · Statistics Canada Census Profile downloads, 2021 Census of Population
Recorded crime6,020offences per 100,000country median 4,873 — 24% aboveIndependent source · Statistics Canada — Police-reported Crime Severity Index and crime rate, by census metropolitan area, 2024
PM2.5, annual mean1.9µg/m³country median 3.6 — 48% belowOfficial source · Official ECCC/NAPS 2024 annual daily-mean station observations, reproducibly aggregated as an arithmetic mean for eligible stations within 25 km of the target city coordinate. This is a derived place observation, not an asserted municipal monitor aggregate.

Higher unemployment than 78% of Canadian cities that publish it and cleaner air than any other Canadian city that publishes it.

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

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 Halifax.Healthcare eligibilityCountry-wide insurance and residence conditions.

Housing and cost

What recurs every month6 published recurring costs, € per month
Halifax recurring monthly costs, € per month

€ / month

Private kindergarten€615
Utilities, 85 m² flat€133
Internet, 60 Mbps€72
Transport pass€58
Fitness club€42
Mobile plan, 10 GB€37

Supplemental estimate lane; these items are not official statistics.

MetricValuePeriodSource
Fitness club membership, monthly41.85 EUR/month31 Dec 2022Global Cost of Living — Kaggle snapshot v218Supplemental estimate · Supplemental context
Internet, 60 Mbps unlimited71.59 EUR/month31 Dec 2022Global Cost of Living — Kaggle snapshot v218Supplemental estimate · Supplemental context
Private kindergarten, monthly615.4 EUR/month31 Dec 2022Global Cost of Living — Kaggle snapshot v218Supplemental estimate · Supplemental context
Meal at an inexpensive restaurant14 EUR31 Dec 2022Global Cost of Living — Kaggle snapshot v218Supplemental estimate · Supplemental context
Mobile plan, 10 GB36.99 EUR/month31 Jul 2026Cost of Living in Halifax. Jul 2026. Prices in Halifax17Commercial estimate · Supplemental context
Monthly transport pass57.74 EUR/month31 Dec 2022Global Cost of Living — Kaggle snapshot v218Supplemental estimate · Supplemental context
Basic utilities, 85 m² home132.7 EUR/month31 Dec 2022Global Cost of Living — Kaggle snapshot v218Supplemental estimate · Supplemental context
Households spending over 30% of income on rent21.8 %11 May 2021Statistics Canada Census Profile downloads, 2021 Census of Population13Official
Dwellings200,473 dwellings31 Dec 2021Statistics Canada7Official
Average monthly rent (two-bedroom)1,128 EUR/month31 Oct 2023CMHC Urban Rental Market Survey — Average Rents in Urban Centres (CSD table), October 20232Official

Is Halifax 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 worker45%strong on work, weak on safety · range 37–53%
Skilled employee53%strong on work, weak on safety · range 45–61%
Student34%strong on education, weak on work · range 27–41%
Family43%strong on family, weak on cost · range 35–51%
Retirement34%strong on air quality, weak on admin · range 24–44%

Work and income

What is the typical salary in Halifax?

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 Canada, 2021 Census Profile (98-10-0002 bulk CSD CSV, province file)15
  • Median gross salary (regional): 2,571 EUR/month · 2026-09-17 · www150.statcan.gc.ca16

What is the unemployment rate in Halifax?

The unemployment rate is 11.4 % (May 2021). Source: Statistics Canada Census Profile downloads, 2021 Census of Population13

Unemployment across cities in CanadaUnemployment in Halifax is 11.4%. Of 515 cities with data, 125 have unemployment of 6 to under 8%.

Unemployment rate (%)

MetricValuePeriodSource
Median gross salary3,399 EUR/month31 Dec 2020Statistics Canada, 2021 Census Profile (98-10-0002 bulk CSD CSV, province file)15Official
Median gross salary (regional)2,571 EUR/month31 Dec 2020www150.statcan.gc.ca16Official
Unemployment rate11.4 %country median 8.4%11 May 2021Statistics Canada Census Profile downloads, 2021 Census of Population13Official

Public employment service

No exact public employment office is currently linked to Halifax. 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 Halifax. Sources checked through 12 Aug 2026.

Safety

How safe is Halifax?

Police recorded 6,020 incidents per 100,000 (2024). This counts all offences, so it is not comparable with a violent-crime-only rate from another source.

  • Recorded incidents per 100,000 residents: 6,020 offences per 100,000 · Statistics Canada — Police-reported Crime Severity Index and crime rate, by census metropolitan area, 202419
Recorded crime across major citiesHalifax highlighted among comparable cities
Recorded crime across major cities with Halifax 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 residents6,020 offences per 100,000country median 4,87331 Dec 2024Statistics Canada — Police-reported Crime Severity Index and crime rate, by census metropolitan area, 202419Independent

Mobility and administration

MetricValuePeriodSource
Workers commuting by bicycle0.7 %11 May 2021Statistics Canada Census Profile downloads, 2021 Census of Population13Official
Workers commuting by public transport8.1 %11 May 2021Statistics Canada Census Profile downloads, 2021 Census of Population13Official
Workers walking to work7.3 %11 May 2021Statistics Canada Census Profile downloads, 2021 Census of Population13Official
Destinations from nearest airport28 count13 Jun 2026OpenFlights — routes.dat5Official
Nearest airportYHZ13 Jun 2026OurAirports — airports.csv6Official
Distance to nearest airport26.3 km13 Jun 2026OurAirports — airports.csv6Official

Language courses and integration

No exact city-level course record is currently published for Halifax. 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 Halifax.

Find courses near Halifax

Climate and air quality

Monthly mean temperatures were −5.7°C in January and 19.2°C in July. Monthly precipitation was 125.9 mm in January and 86.7 mm in July. Annual PM2.5 was 1.9 µg/m³ in 2024.

Is the air quality good in Halifax?

The annual PM2.5 mean is 1.9 µg/m³ (2024) — within the WHO 2021 guideline. Source: Official ECCC/NAPS 2024 annual daily-mean station observations, reproducibly aggregated as an arithmetic mean for eligible stations within 25 km of the target city coordinate. This is a derived place observation, not an asserted municipal monitor aggregate.3

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
Rainfall through the yearAverage monthly precipitation, mm
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 Halifax is 1.9 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
NO₂ — annual mean3.61 µg/m³country median 7.02024Official ECCC/NAPS 2024 station DMean observation retained at source grain; no place value is asserted because the approved 25 km observation condition is not met.4Official
PM2.5 — annual mean1.9 µg/m³country median 3.62024Official ECCC/NAPS 2024 annual daily-mean station observations, reproducibly aggregated as an arithmetic mean for eligible stations within 25 km of the target city coordinate. This is a derived place observation, not an asserted municipal monitor aggregate.3Official
Average daytime high by monthJan -1.2 · Feb -0.6 · Mar 3.5 · Apr 9.2 · May 15.5 · Jun 20.5 · Jul 24.2 · Aug 24.2 · Sep 20 · Oct 13.7 · Nov 7.6 · Dec 2.1 °C31 Dec 2020Canadian Climate Normals — HALIFAX STANFIELD INT'L A, 1991-20201Official
Average night-time low by monthJan -10.1 · Feb -9.7 · Mar -5.4 · Apr -0.3 · May 4.6 · Jun 9.8 · Jul 14.2 · Aug 14.1 · Sep 10.2 · Oct 4.7 · Nov 0 · Dec -5.8 °C31 Dec 2020Canadian Climate Normals — HALIFAX STANFIELD INT'L A, 1991-20201Official
Average temperature by monthJan -5.7 · Feb -5.2 · Mar -0.9 · Apr 4.5 · May 10.1 · Jun 15.2 · Jul 19.2 · Aug 19.2 · Sep 15.2 · Oct 9.2 · Nov 3.8 · Dec -1.9 °C31 Dec 2020Canadian Climate Normals — HALIFAX STANFIELD INT'L A, 1991-20201Official
Average precipitation by monthJan 125.9 · Feb 111 · Mar 120.2 · Apr 106.4 · May 109.7 · Jun 89.8 · Jul 86.7 · Aug 90.5 · Sep 107.3 · Oct 139.8 · Nov 159.1 · Dec 146.9 mm31 Dec 2020Canadian Climate Normals — HALIFAX STANFIELD INT'L A, 1991-20201Official

Population and city profile

The city covered 5,490.3 km² in 2021. Population density was 80.3 people per km² in 2021.

How many people live in Halifax?

The published population was 480,216 people in 2022. Source: Statistics Canada8

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 39,625 is not 11.6% 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
City area5,490 km²2021Statistics Canada — Census Profile 2021 (Halifax, CSD 1209034)11Official
Foreign-resident share11.62 %31 Dec 2021Statistics Canada9Official
Foreign residents39,625 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.12Official
Population density80.3 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.12Official
Population480,216 people1 Jul 2022Statistics Canada8Official

Additional context

MetricValuePeriodSource
Residents born abroad16.7 %11 May 2021Statistics Canada Census Profile downloads, 2021 Census of Population13Official
Residents with a bachelor's degree or higher33.7 %11 May 2021Statistics Canada Table 98-10-0387-04: highest certificate, diploma or degree14Official
Median age40.4 years31 Dec 2021Statistics Canada10Official

Alternatives for people set on Halifax

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.

Gatineau as a Halifax alternative in the same country

Better on 5 of 7 metrics measured the same way, worse on 2.

  • Annual PM2.5: 3.9 µg/m³ Gatineau vs 1.9 µg/m³ Halifax+103%
  • Recorded crime, per 100k: 3,756 Gatineau vs 6,020 Halifax−38%
  • Nearest airport: 4.8 km Gatineau vs 26.3 km Halifax−82%
  • Unemployment: 9.3% Gatineau vs 11.4% Halifax−18%
  • Foreign residents: 15.5% Gatineau vs 11.6% Halifax+33%
  • Median gross pay, region: €2,898 Gatineau vs €2,571 Halifax+13%
  • A meal out: €21 Gatineau vs €14 Halifax+50%
Full comparisonMore about Gatineau

Alternative cities in Canada

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

All Canada cities
Laval446,476 residentsLondon422,324 residentsQuébec557,390 residentsHamilton597,010 residentsSurrey633,234 residentsBrampton656,480 residents

How does Halifax compare?

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

Open the full comparison

Halifax in rankings

#1 of 30 in Cities with cleanest air in Canada #1 of 30 in Cities with the lowest annual PM2.5 #3 of 30 in Cities meeting the WHO PM2.5 annual guideline #5 of 30 in Cities with the strongest published PM2.5 and NO2 combination #10 of 30 in Cities with the lowest annual NO2 #13 of 30 in Largest cities in Canada

Yes — migrants can receive medical care in Halifax 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 Halifax'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 Halifax?

The published population was 480,216 people in 2022. Source: Statistics Canada.

Is the air quality good in Halifax?

The annual PM2.5 mean is 1.9 µg/m³ (2024) — within the WHO 2021 guideline. Source: Official ECCC/NAPS 2024 annual daily-mean station observations, reproducibly aggregated as an arithmetic mean for eligible stations within 25 km of the target city coordinate. This is a derived place observation, not an asserted municipal monitor aggregate..

How safe is Halifax?

Police recorded 6,020 incidents per 100,000 (2024). This counts all offences, so it is not comparable with a violent-crime-only rate from another source. Source: Statistics Canada — Police-reported Crime Severity Index and crime rate, by census metropolitan area, 2024.

What is the typical salary in Halifax?

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, 2021 Census Profile (98-10-0002 bulk CSD CSV, province file).

What is the unemployment rate in Halifax?

The unemployment rate is 11.4 % (May 2021). Source: Statistics Canada Census Profile downloads, 2021 Census of Population.

What is the typical salary around Halifax?

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

Is Halifax a good place to live?

Halifax 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.

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). Halifax, Canada: population, rent, salary, cost of living [ImmigrationDB compilation; version 51927169b3057fddce96237947f96248]. ImmigrationDB. https://immigrationdb.com/cities/ca/halifax/ Retrieved 2026-10-16. Compilation license: CC BY 4.0, https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
BibTeX citation
@misc{immigrationdb_immigrationdb_halifax-canada-population-rent-salary-cost-of-living_a418d9791498,
  author = {ImmigrationDB},
  title = {Halifax, Canada: population, rent, salary, cost of living},
  publisher = {ImmigrationDB},
  year = {2026},
  date = {2026-10-16},
  version = {51927169b3057fddce96237947f96248},
  url = {https://immigrationdb.com/cities/ca/halifax/},
  note = {Retrieved 2026-10-16. ImmigrationDB compilation. Compilation license: CC BY 4.0, https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/},
}
Markdown citation
[Halifax, Canada: population, rent, salary, cost of living](https://immigrationdb.com/cities/ca/halifax/) — ImmigrationDB; ImmigrationDB; version 51927169b3057fddce96237947f96248; 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. Canadian Climate Normals — HALIFAX STANFIELD INT'L A, 1991-2020 Canadian Climate Normals · climate.weather.gc.ca · checked 2026-07-26
  2. 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
  3. Official ECCC/NAPS 2024 annual daily-mean station observations, reproducibly aggregated as an arithmetic mean for eligible stations within 25 km of the target city coordinate. This is a derived place observation, not an asserted municipal monitor aggregate. data-donnees.az.ec.gc.ca · checked 2026-07-15
  4. Official ECCC/NAPS 2024 station DMean observation retained at source grain; no place value is asserted because the approved 25 km observation condition is not met. data-donnees.az.ec.gc.ca · checked 2026-07-15
  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. Statistics Canada www150.statcan.gc.ca · checked 2026-08-07
  8. Statistics Canada www150.statcan.gc.ca · checked 2026-08-03
  9. Statistics Canada www150.statcan.gc.ca · checked 2026-08-03
  10. Statistics Canada www150.statcan.gc.ca · checked 2026-08-07
Show 9 more sources
  1. Statistics Canada — Census Profile 2021 (Halifax, CSD 1209034) Statistics Canada · www12.statcan.gc.ca · checked 2026-07-14
  2. 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
  3. Statistics Canada Census Profile downloads, 2021 Census of Population www12.statcan.gc.ca · checked 2026-07-16
  4. Statistics Canada Table 98-10-0387-04: highest certificate, diploma or degree www150.statcan.gc.ca · checked 2026-07-16
  5. Statistics Canada, 2021 Census Profile (98-10-0002 bulk CSD CSV, province file) www12.statcan.gc.ca · checked 2026-09-19
  6. www150.statcan.gc.ca www150.statcan.gc.ca · checked 2026-08-27
  7. Cost of Living in Halifax. Jul 2026. Prices in Halifax numbeo.com · checked 2026-07-27
  8. Global Cost of Living — Kaggle snapshot v2 Global Cost of Living · kaggle.com · checked 2026-07-27
  9. Statistics Canada — Police-reported Crime Severity Index and crime rate, by census metropolitan area, 2024 Statistics Canada · www150.statcan.gc.ca · checked 2026-07-26

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.