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Living in Hamilton

In Hamilton, unemployment is 12.3% (2021).

The city covered 1,117.2 km² in 2021. Population density was 509.1 people per km² in 2021. The unemployment rate was 12.3% in May 2021. For Hamilton, monthly precipitation was 72.9 mm in January and 97.5 mm in July.

Last checked 2026-09-2416 sources

Population597,010people1 Jul 2022Official source · Statistics Canada
Median gross salary3,513EUR/month31 Dec 2020Official source · Statistics Canada, 2021 Census Profile (98-10-0002 bulk CSD CSV, province file)
Unemployment rate12.3%country median 8.4% — 46% aboveOfficial source · Statistics Canada Census Profile downloads, 2021 Census of Population
Recorded crime4,257offences per 100,000country median 4,873 — 13% belowIndependent source · Statistics Canada — Police-reported Crime Severity Index and crime rate, by census metropolitan area, 2024
PM2.5, annual mean3.99µg/m³country median 3.6 — 10% aboveOfficial 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 85% of Canadian cities that publish it and less recorded crime than 71% of Canadian cities that publish it.

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

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 Hamilton.Healthcare eligibilityCountry-wide insurance and residence conditions.

Housing and cost

23.2% of renter households spent at least 30% of income on housing in May 2021.

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

€ / month

Private kindergarten€793
Utilities, 85 m² flat€147
Transport pass€77
Internet, 60 Mbps€58
Fitness club€39
Mobile plan, 10 GB€35

Supplemental estimate lane; these items are not official statistics.

MetricValuePeriodSource
Fitness club membership, monthly38.75 EUR/month31 Dec 2022Global Cost of Living — Kaggle snapshot v215Supplemental estimate · Supplemental context
Internet, 60 Mbps unlimited58 EUR/month31 Dec 2022Global Cost of Living — Kaggle snapshot v215Supplemental estimate · Supplemental context
Private kindergarten, monthly793.3 EUR/month31 Dec 2022Global Cost of Living — Kaggle snapshot v215Supplemental estimate · Supplemental context
Meal at an inexpensive restaurant13.3 EUR31 Dec 2022Global Cost of Living — Kaggle snapshot v215Supplemental estimate · Supplemental context
Mobile plan, 10 GB34.83 EUR/month31 Jul 2026Cost of Living in Hamilton. Jun 2026. Prices in Hamilton14Commercial estimate · Supplemental context
Monthly transport pass77 EUR/month31 Dec 2022Global Cost of Living — Kaggle snapshot v215Supplemental estimate · Supplemental context
Basic utilities, 85 m² home146.5 EUR/month31 Dec 2022Global Cost of Living — Kaggle snapshot v215Supplemental estimate · Supplemental context
Households spending over 30% of income on rent23.2 %11 May 2021Statistics Canada Census Profile downloads, 2021 Census of Population12Official
Average monthly rent (two-bedroom)1,067 EUR/month31 Oct 2023CMHC Urban Rental Market Survey — Average Rents in Urban Centres (CSD table), October 20232Official

Is Hamilton 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 worker43%strong on work, weak on safety · range 35–51%
Skilled employee49%strong on work, weak on education · range 40–58%
Student28%strong on cost, weak on education · range 18–38%
Family37%strong on family, weak on education · range 28–46%
Retirement33%strong on air quality, weak on admin · range 23–43%

Work and income

What is the typical salary in Hamilton?

The median gross salary is about 3,513 EUR/month (2020). Source: Statistics Canada, 2021 Census Profile (98-10-0002 bulk CSD CSV, province file)13

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

What is the unemployment rate in Hamilton?

The unemployment rate is 12.3 % (May 2021). Source: Statistics Canada Census Profile downloads, 2021 Census of Population12

Unemployment across cities in CanadaUnemployment in Hamilton is 12.3%. Of 515 cities with data, 125 have unemployment of 6 to under 8%.

Unemployment rate (%)

MetricValuePeriodSource
Median gross salary3,513 EUR/month31 Dec 2020Statistics Canada, 2021 Census Profile (98-10-0002 bulk CSD CSV, province file)13Official
Unemployment rate12.3 %country median 8.4%11 May 2021Statistics Canada Census Profile downloads, 2021 Census of Population12Official

Public employment service

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

Safety

How safe is Hamilton?

Police recorded 4,257 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: 4,257 offences per 100,000 · Statistics Canada — Police-reported Crime Severity Index and crime rate, by census metropolitan area, 202416
Recorded crime across major citiesHamilton highlighted among comparable cities
Recorded crime across major cities with Hamilton 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 residents4,257 offences per 100,000country median 4,87331 Dec 2024Statistics Canada — Police-reported Crime Severity Index and crime rate, by census metropolitan area, 202416Independent

Mobility and administration

MetricValuePeriodSource
Workers commuting by bicycle0.7 %11 May 2021Statistics Canada Census Profile downloads, 2021 Census of Population12Official
Workers commuting by public transport7.4 %11 May 2021Statistics Canada Census Profile downloads, 2021 Census of Population12Official
Workers walking to work4.6 %11 May 2021Statistics Canada Census Profile downloads, 2021 Census of Population12Official
Destinations from nearest airport4 count13 Jun 2026OpenFlights — routes.dat6Official
Nearest airportYHM13 Jun 2026OurAirports — airports.csv7Official
Distance to nearest airport10.4 km13 Jun 2026OurAirports — airports.csv7Official

Language courses and integration

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

Find courses near Hamilton

Climate and air quality

Monthly mean temperatures were −5.3°C in January and 20.9°C in July. Annual PM2.5 was 3.99 µg/m³ in 2024.

Is the air quality good in Hamilton?

The annual PM2.5 mean is about 4 µg/m³ (2024) — within the WHO 2021 guideline.

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

  • PM2.5 — annual mean: 3.99 µg/m³ · 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.4
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 Hamilton is 4.0 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
NO₂ — annual mean8.65 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.5Official
PM10 — annual mean13.5 µg/m³country median 10.52024Official 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
PM2.5 — annual mean3.99 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.4Official
Average daytime high by monthJan -1.4 · Feb -0.9 · Mar 4.7 · Apr 11.8 · May 18.9 · Jun 24.2 · Jul 26.6 · Aug 25.6 · Sep 21.7 · Oct 14.5 · Nov 7.7 · Dec 1.5 °C31 Dec 2020Canadian Climate Normals — HAMILTON A, 1991-20201Official
Average night-time low by monthJan -9.1 · Feb -9.2 · Mar -4.4 · Apr 1.3 · May 7.3 · Jun 12.8 · Jul 15.2 · Aug 14.5 · Sep 10.5 · Oct 4.8 · Nov -0.2 · Dec -5.4 °C31 Dec 2020Canadian Climate Normals — HAMILTON A, 1991-20201Official
Average temperature by monthJan -5.3 · Feb -5 · Mar 0.2 · Apr 6.5 · May 13.1 · Jun 18.5 · Jul 20.9 · Aug 20.1 · Sep 16.1 · Oct 9.7 · Nov 3.8 · Dec -1.9 °C31 Dec 2020Canadian Climate Normals — HAMILTON A, 1991-20201Official
Average precipitation by monthJan 72.9 · Feb 53.4 · Mar 68.7 · Apr 81.3 · May 81 · Jun 77.6 · Jul 97.5 · Aug 66.8 · Sep 73.5 · Oct 84.2 · Nov 78.1 · Dec 67.3 mm31 Dec 2020Canadian Climate Normals — HAMILTON A, 1991-20201Official

Population and city profile

How many people live in Hamilton?

The published population was 597,010 people in 2022. Source: Statistics Canada8

Who lives hereResidents by nationality, % of population

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

MetricValuePeriodSource
City area1,117 km²2021Statistics Canada — Census Profile 2021 (Hamilton, CSD 3525008)10Official
Foreign-resident share8.93 %31 Dec 2021Statistics Canada9Official
Foreign residents45,335 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.11Official
Population density509.1 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.11Official
Population597,010 people1 Jul 2022Statistics Canada8Official

Additional context

MetricValuePeriodSource
Residents born abroad29 %11 May 2021Statistics Canada Census Profile downloads, 2021 Census of Population12Official

Alternatives for people set on Hamilton

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 Hamilton alternative in the same country

Better on 5 of 7 metrics measured the same way, worse on 1.

  • Foreign residents: 15.5% Gatineau vs 8.9% Hamilton+73%
  • Unemployment: 9.3% Gatineau vs 12.3% Hamilton−24%
  • A meal out: €21 Gatineau vs €13 Hamilton+58%
  • Basic utilities, 85 m²: €83 Gatineau vs €147 Hamilton−43%
  • Nearest airport: 4.8 km Gatineau vs 10.4 km Hamilton−54%
  • Residents: 292,524 Gatineau vs 597,010 Hamilton−51%
  • Recorded crime, per 100k: 3,756 Gatineau vs 4,257 Hamilton−12%
Full comparisonMore about Gatineau

Alternative cities in Canada

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

All Canada cities
Surrey633,234 residentsQuébec557,390 residentsBrampton656,480 residentsVancouver706,012 residentsMississauga717,961 residentsHalifax480,216 residents

How does Hamilton compare?

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

Open the full comparison

Hamilton in rankings

#11 of 30 in Largest cities in Canada

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

The published population was 597,010 people in 2022. Source: Statistics Canada.

Is the air quality good in Hamilton?

The annual PM2.5 mean is about 4 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 Hamilton?

Police recorded 4,257 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 Hamilton?

The median gross salary is about 3,513 EUR/month (2020). Source: Statistics Canada, 2021 Census Profile (98-10-0002 bulk CSD CSV, province file).

What is the unemployment rate in Hamilton?

The unemployment rate is 12.3 % (May 2021). Source: Statistics Canada Census Profile downloads, 2021 Census of Population.

How many foreign residents live in Hamilton?

45,335 residents hold a foreign nationality. Source: 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..

Is Hamilton a good place to live?

Hamilton 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). Hamilton, Canada: population, rent, salary, cost of living [ImmigrationDB compilation; version e11d5f49fca43b7588db4e1a3d251c0b]. ImmigrationDB. https://immigrationdb.com/cities/ca/hamilton/ Retrieved 2026-10-16. Compilation license: CC BY 4.0, https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
BibTeX citation
@misc{immigrationdb_immigrationdb_hamilton-canada-population-rent-salary-cost-of-living_62ae43157829,
  author = {ImmigrationDB},
  title = {Hamilton, Canada: population, rent, salary, cost of living},
  publisher = {ImmigrationDB},
  year = {2026},
  date = {2026-10-16},
  version = {e11d5f49fca43b7588db4e1a3d251c0b},
  url = {https://immigrationdb.com/cities/ca/hamilton/},
  note = {Retrieved 2026-10-16. ImmigrationDB compilation. Compilation license: CC BY 4.0, https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/},
}
Markdown citation
[Hamilton, Canada: population, rent, salary, cost of living](https://immigrationdb.com/cities/ca/hamilton/) — ImmigrationDB; ImmigrationDB; version e11d5f49fca43b7588db4e1a3d251c0b; 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 — HAMILTON 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 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
  5. 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
  6. OpenFlights — routes.dat OpenFlights · raw.githubusercontent.com · checked 2026-07-14
  7. OurAirports — airports.csv OurAirports · davidmegginson.github.io · checked 2026-07-14
  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 — Census Profile 2021 (Hamilton, CSD 3525008) Statistics Canada · www12.statcan.gc.ca · checked 2026-07-14
Show 6 more sources
  1. 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
  2. Statistics Canada Census Profile downloads, 2021 Census of Population www12.statcan.gc.ca · checked 2026-07-16
  3. Statistics Canada, 2021 Census Profile (98-10-0002 bulk CSD CSV, province file) www12.statcan.gc.ca · checked 2026-09-19
  4. Cost of Living in Hamilton. Jun 2026. Prices in Hamilton numbeo.com · checked 2026-07-27
  5. Global Cost of Living — Kaggle snapshot v2 Global Cost of Living · kaggle.com · checked 2026-07-27
  6. 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

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