Living in Kingston

In Kingston, unemployment is 13.2% (2021).

In May 2021, the foreign population was 7,605. The city covered 451.7 km² in 2021. Population density was 293.4 people per km² in 2021.

Last checked 2026-09-2417 sources

Population138,204people1 Jul 2022Official source · Statistics Canada

Median gross salary3,486EUR/month31 Dec 2020Official source · Statistics Canada, 2021 Census Profile (98-10-0002 bulk CSD CSV, province file)

Unemployment rate13.2%country median 8.4% — 57% aboveOfficial source · Statistics Canada Census Profile downloads, 2021 Census of Population

Recorded crime4,873offences per 100,000country median 4,873 — about the sameIndependent source · Statistics Canada — Police-reported Crime Severity Index and crime rate, by census metropolitan area, 2024

PM2.5, annual mean2.92µg/m³country median 3.6 — 20% 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 92% of Canadian cities that publish it and cleaner air than 80% of Canadian cities that publish it.

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

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 Kingston.Healthcare eligibilityCountry-wide insurance and residence conditions.

Housing and cost

25% of renter households spent at least 30% of income on housing in May 2021.

What recurs every month6 published recurring costs, € per month

€ / month

Private kindergarten€454

Utilities, 85 m² flat€105

Internet, 60 Mbps€57

Transport pass€50

Mobile plan, 10 GB€34

Fitness club€25

Supplemental estimate lane; these items are not official statistics.

Metric	Value	Period	Source
Fitness club membership, monthly	25.21 EUR/month	31 Jul 2026	Cost of Living in Kingston. Jun 2026. Prices in Kingston¹⁵Commercial estimate · Supplemental context
Internet, 60 Mbps unlimited	56.71 EUR/month	31 Jul 2026	Cost of Living in Kingston. Jun 2026. Prices in Kingston¹⁵Commercial estimate · Supplemental context
Private kindergarten, monthly	453.7 EUR/month	31 Jul 2026	Cost of Living in Kingston. Jun 2026. Prices in Kingston¹⁵Commercial estimate · Supplemental context
Meal at an inexpensive restaurant	12.99 EUR	31 Jul 2026	Cost of Living in Kingston. Jun 2026. Prices in Kingston¹⁵Commercial estimate · Supplemental context
Mobile plan, 10 GB	33.64 EUR/month	31 Jul 2026	Cost of Living in Kingston. Jun 2026. Prices in Kingston¹⁵Commercial estimate · Supplemental context
Monthly transport pass	49.61 EUR/month	31 Dec 2025	Numbeo — Cost of Living in Kingston (Wayback capture 20250118000123)¹⁶Supplemental estimate · Supplemental context
Basic utilities, 85 m² home	105 EUR/month	31 Jul 2026	Cost of Living in Kingston. Jun 2026. Prices in Kingston¹⁵Commercial estimate · Supplemental context
Households spending over 30% of income on rent	25 %	11 May 2021	Statistics Canada Census Profile downloads, 2021 Census of Population¹²Official
Average monthly rent (two-bedroom)	1,112 EUR/month	31 Oct 2023	CMHC Urban Rental Market Survey — Average Rents in Urban Centres (CSD table), October 2023²Official

Is Kingston 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 employee50%strong on work, weak on safety · range 42–58%

Student32%strong on education, weak on work · range 25–39%

Family42%strong on family, weak on cost · range 34–50%

Retirement34%strong on air quality, weak on admin · range 24–44%

Work and income

The unemployment rate was 13.2% in May 2021.

What is the typical salary in Kingston?

The median gross salary is about 3,486 EUR/month (2020). Source: Statistics Canada, 2021 Census Profile (98-10-0002 bulk CSD CSV, province file)¹⁴

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

What is the unemployment rate in Kingston?

The unemployment rate is 13.2 % (May 2021). Source: Statistics Canada Census Profile downloads, 2021 Census of Population¹²

Unemployment across cities in CanadaUnemployment in Kingston is 13.2%. 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

Kingston 13.2%

Unemployment rate (%)

Metric	Value	Period	Source
Median gross salary	3,486 EUR/month	31 Dec 2020	Statistics Canada, 2021 Census Profile (98-10-0002 bulk CSD CSV, province file)¹⁴Official
Unemployment rate	13.2 %country median 8.4%	11 May 2021	Statistics Canada Census Profile downloads, 2021 Census of Population¹²Official

Public employment service

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

Safety

How safe is Kingston?

Police recorded 4,873 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: 4,873 offences per 100,000 · Statistics Canada — Police-reported Crime Severity Index and crime rate, by census metropolitan area, 2024¹⁷

Recorded crime across major citiesKingston highlighted among comparable cities

recorded incidents per 100k residents

Winnipeg7,894

Edmonton7,108

Halifax6,020

Vancouver5,438

Kingston4,873

Calgary4,796

London4,743

Québec4,630

Ottawa4,298

Hamilton4,257

Toronto4,177

Montreal3,674

Metric	Value	Period	Source
Recorded incidents per 100,000 residents	4,873 offences per 100,000country median 4,873 — about the same	31 Dec 2024	Statistics Canada — Police-reported Crime Severity Index and crime rate, by census metropolitan area, 2024¹⁷Independent

Mobility and administration

Metric	Value	Period	Source
G09 Bicycle Commute Share Pct	1.5 %	11 May 2021	Statistics Canada Census Profile downloads, 2021 Census of Population¹²Official
G09 Transit Commute Share Pct	6.2 %	11 May 2021	Statistics Canada Census Profile downloads, 2021 Census of Population¹²Official
G09 Walk Commute Share Pct	8.5 %	11 May 2021	Statistics Canada Census Profile downloads, 2021 Census of Population¹²Official
Destinations from nearest airport	2 count	13 Jun 2026	OpenFlights — routes.dat⁶Official
Nearest airport	ART	13 Jun 2026	OurAirports — airports.csv⁷Official
Distance to nearest airport	45.6 km	13 Jun 2026	OurAirports — airports.csv⁷Official

Language courses and integration

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

Find courses near Kingston

Climate and air quality

Monthly mean temperatures were −7°C in January and 20.8°C in July. Annual PM2.5 was 2.92 µg/m³ in 2024. Annual NO₂ was 3.72 µg/m³ in 2024.

Is the air quality good in Kingston?

The annual PM2.5 mean is about 2.9 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: 2.92 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

0°

-3°-12°

-2°-11°

3°-6°

10°1°

18°7°

22°13°

25°16°

25°15°

21°11°

14°5°

8°-1°

2°-6°

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

PM2.52.9WHO 5 · EU 25

PM109WHO 15 · EU 40

NO₂3.7WHO 10 · EU 40

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 Kingston is 2.9 µg/m³. Of 122 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

Kingston 2.9

Annual PM2.5 (µg/m³)

Metric	Value	Period	Source
NO₂ — annual mean	3.72 µg/m³country median 7.0	2024	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.⁵Official
PM10 — annual mean	9 µg/m³country median 10.5	2024	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.³Official
PM2.5 — annual mean	2.92 µg/m³country median 3.6	2024	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.⁴Official
Average daytime high by month	Jan -2.6 · Feb -1.8 · Mar 3.2 · Apr 10 · May 17.6 · Jun 22.1 · Jul 25.4 · Aug 24.6 · Sep 20.5 · Oct 13.8 · Nov 7.5 · Dec 1.6 °C	31 Dec 2020	Canadian Climate Normals — KINGSTON CLIMATE, 1991-2020¹Official
Average night-time low by month	Jan -11.5 · Feb -10.9 · Mar -5.5 · Apr 0.9 · May 7.3 · Jun 12.5 · Jul 16.1 · Aug 15.3 · Sep 10.7 · Oct 5.1 · Nov -0.6 · Dec -6 °C	31 Dec 2020	Canadian Climate Normals — KINGSTON CLIMATE, 1991-2020¹Official
Average temperature by month	Jan -7 · Feb -6.4 · Mar -1.1 · Apr 5.4 · May 12.4 · Jun 17.3 · Jul 20.8 · Aug 20 · Sep 15.6 · Oct 9.5 · Nov 3.5 · Dec -2.2 °C	31 Dec 2020	Canadian Climate Normals — KINGSTON CLIMATE, 1991-2020¹Official

Population and city profile

How many people live in Kingston?

The published population was 138,204 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 7,605 is not 13.6% of the population. Each row names its source.

Who lives hereResidents by nationality, % of population

By nationality

National passport94.5%

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

Metric	Value	Period	Source
City area	451.7 km²	2021	Statistics Canada — Census Profile 2021 (Kingston, CSD 3510010)¹⁰Official
Foreign-resident share	13.59 %	31 Dec 2021	Statistics Canada⁹Official
Foreign residents	7,605 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.¹¹Official
Population density	293.4 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.¹¹Official
Population	138,204 people	1 Jul 2022	Statistics Canada⁸Official

Additional context

Metric	Value	Period	Source
Residents born abroad	17.6 %	11 May 2021	Statistics Canada Census Profile downloads, 2021 Census of Population¹²Official
G07 Bachelors Or Higher Share Pct	30.7 %	11 May 2021	Statistics Canada Table 98-10-0387-04: highest certificate, diploma or degree¹³Official

Alternatives for people set on Kingston

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.

Saanich as a Kingston alternative in the same country

Better on 5 of 6 metrics measured the same way, worse on 0.

Unemployment: 6.8% Saanich vs 13.2% Kingston−48%
Foreign residents: 22.5% Saanich vs 13.6% Kingston+66%
Nearest airport: 21.2 km Saanich vs 45.6 km Kingston−54%
Annual PM2.5: 2.4 µg/m³ Saanich vs 2.9 µg/m³ Kingston−19%
Median gross pay, city: €3,676 Saanich vs €3,486 Kingston+5%
Residents: 125,853 Saanich vs 138,204 Kingston−9%

Full comparison More about Saanich

Prague as a Kingston alternative in another country

Better on 2 of 3 metrics measured the same way, worse on 1. Median gross pay, city and recorded crime, per 100k cannot be compared like for like.

Basic utilities, 85 m²: €272 Prague vs €105 Kingston+159%
Median gross pay, city: €2,176 (2025) Prague vs €3,486 (2020) Kingstonno percentage
Nearest airport: 13.0 km Prague vs 45.6 km Kingston−71%
Recorded crime, per 100k: 2,477 (2025) Prague vs 4,873 (2024) Kingstonno percentage
A meal out: €10 Prague vs €13 Kingston−27%

Full comparison More about Prague

Alternative cities in Canada

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

All Canada cities

St. Catharines136,803 residents Langley142,043 residents Trois-Rivières143,195 residents Milton132,979 residents Guelph143,740 residents Kelowna144,576 residents

How does Kingston compare?

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

Open the full comparison

Kingston in rankings

#7 of 30 in Cities with the strongest published PM2.5 and NO2 combination #25 of 30 in Cities with cleanest air in Canada

Yes — migrants can receive medical care in Kingston 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 Kingston?

The published population was 138,204 people in 2022. Source: Statistics Canada.

Is the air quality good in Kingston?

The annual PM2.5 mean is about 2.9 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 Kingston?

Police recorded 4,873 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 Kingston?

The median gross salary is about 3,486 EUR/month (2020). Source: Statistics Canada, 2021 Census Profile (98-10-0002 bulk CSD CSV, province file).

What is the unemployment rate in Kingston?

The unemployment rate is 13.2 % (May 2021). Source: Statistics Canada Census Profile downloads, 2021 Census of Population.

How many foreign residents live in Kingston?

7,605 people 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 Kingston a good place to live?

Kingston 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, September 24). Kingston, Canada: population, rent, salary, cost of living [ImmigrationDB compilation; version f0eaef6e157dfb34e4a31d197a45af68]. ImmigrationDB. https://immigrationdb.com/cities/ca/kingston/ Retrieved 2026-09-24. Compilation license: CC BY 4.0, https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

BibTeX citation

@misc{immigrationdb_immigrationdb_kingston-canada-population-rent-salary-cost-of-living_5f971b38ee8d,
  author = {ImmigrationDB},
  title = {Kingston, Canada: population, rent, salary, cost of living},
  publisher = {ImmigrationDB},
  year = {2026},
  date = {2026-09-24},
  version = {f0eaef6e157dfb34e4a31d197a45af68},
  url = {https://immigrationdb.com/cities/ca/kingston/},
  note = {Retrieved 2026-09-24. ImmigrationDB compilation. Compilation license: CC BY 4.0, https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/},
}

Markdown citation

[Kingston, Canada: population, rent, salary, cost of living](https://immigrationdb.com/cities/ca/kingston/) — ImmigrationDB; ImmigrationDB; version f0eaef6e157dfb34e4a31d197a45af68; retrieved 2026-09-24; built 2026-09-24.

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

Canadian Climate Normals — KINGSTON CLIMATE, 1991-2020 Canadian Climate Normals · climate.weather.gc.ca · checked 2026-07-26
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
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
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
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
OpenFlights — routes.dat OpenFlights · raw.githubusercontent.com · checked 2026-07-14
OurAirports — airports.csv OurAirports · davidmegginson.github.io · checked 2026-07-14
Statistics Canada www150.statcan.gc.ca · checked 2026-08-03
Statistics Canada www150.statcan.gc.ca · checked 2026-08-03
Statistics Canada — Census Profile 2021 (Kingston, CSD 3510010) Statistics Canada · www12.statcan.gc.ca · checked 2026-07-14

Show 7 more sources

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
Statistics Canada Census Profile downloads, 2021 Census of Population www12.statcan.gc.ca · checked 2026-07-16
Statistics Canada Table 98-10-0387-04: highest certificate, diploma or degree www150.statcan.gc.ca · checked 2026-07-16
Statistics Canada, 2021 Census Profile (98-10-0002 bulk CSD CSV, province file) www12.statcan.gc.ca · checked 2026-09-19
Cost of Living in Kingston. Jun 2026. Prices in Kingston numbeo.com · checked 2026-07-27
Numbeo — Cost of Living in Kingston (Wayback capture 20250118000123) Numbeo · web.archive.org · checked 2026-08-01
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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