ImmigrationDBVerified immigration data

North Cowichan

North Cowichan is a city in Canada. The city covered 195.5 km² in 2021. Population density was 163.7 people per km² in 2021. The unemployment rate was 7.1% in May 2021. North Cowichan had a population of 31,765 in 2021. Annual PM2.5 was 2.91 µg/m³ in 2024.

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Lower unemployment than 78% of Canadian cities that publish it and cleaner air than 78% of Canadian cities that publish it.

Foreign residents1,360 peoplecity · Verified 2026-07-15Official 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.
Population31,765 peoplecity · Verified 2026-06-12Official source · Statistics Canada — Census Profile 2021 (North Cowichan, CSD 5921015)
Unemployment rate7.1 %city · Verified 2026-07-26Official source · Statistics Canada — 2021 Census Profile, unemployment rate at CSD grain
NO₂ — annual mean3.6293 µg/m³city · Verified 2026-07-15Official source · 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.
PM2.5 — annual mean2.91 µg/m³city · Verified 2026-07-15Official 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.
City area195.5 km2city · Verified 2026-06-12Official source · Statistics Canada — Census Profile 2021 (North Cowichan, CSD 5921015)
Every value keeps its source, geographic scope and verification date · Last checked 2026-07-26

Who North Cowichan may suit

Relative profile scores use comparable published values. They are a decision aid, not a personal recommendation.

Try your profile
Remote worker53%strong on work, weak on safety · range 39–67% from published values
Skilled employee52%strong on work, weak on safety · range 38–66% from published values
Student47%strong on education, weak on healthcare · range 33–61% from published values
Family56%strong on family, weak on cost · range 42–70% from published values
Retirement58%strong on air quality, weak on admin · range 44–72% from published values

Population and city profile

Who lives hereResidents by nationality, % of population
North Cowichan residents by nationalityBy nationalityNational passport95.7%Foreign residents 4.3%

Derived from the published population and foreign-resident counts.

MetricValueVerifiedSource
City area195.5 km22026-06-122021Official sourceStatistics Canada — Census Profile 2021 (North Cowichan, CSD 5921015) Source-backed value
Foreign residents1,360 people2026-07-152021Official sourceStatistics 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. Source-backed value
Population density163.7 people/km²2026-07-152021Official sourceStatistics 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. Source-backed value
Population31,765 people2026-06-122021Official sourceStatistics Canada — Census Profile 2021 (North Cowichan, CSD 5921015) Source-backed value
Population over time22 published observations, 2001–2022
Population in North Cowichan by year, residents26,76729,12331,47833,83420012003200520072009201120132015201720192021202233,347residents

Population rose 22.3% between 2001 and 2022, from 27,257 to 33,347.

Each point keeps the source and period it was published with.

Work and income

Unemployment across cities in CanadaWhere North Cowichan lands among 166 measured cities
unemployment rate, % · measured cities in Canada per band224–6336–8North Cowichan 7.1%358–103810–122912–14614–16218–20122–24unemployment rate, % · measured cities in Canada per band

Published unemployment rates for cities in the same country.

MetricValueVerifiedSource
Unemployment rate7.1 %country median 9.4% — 25% below2026-07-262021Official sourceStatistics Canada — 2021 Census Profile, unemployment rate at CSD grain Source-backed value

Climate and air quality

Annual NO₂ was 3.63 µg/m³ in 2024.

Air quality vs health guidelinesAnnual means against WHO 2021 guidelines and EU legal limits
North Cowichan annual air pollutant levels against WHO 2021 guidelines and EU legal limitsCity valueWHO guidelineEU limit5252.9PM2.510403.6NO₂µg/m³

City values from the published air-quality observations. WHO 2021 guidelines and EU limit values are published constants.

PM2.5 across cities in CanadaWhere North Cowichan lands among 137 measured cities
annual PM2.5, µg/m³ · measured cities in Canada per band31–2312–3North Cowichan 2.9533–4164–5185–617–818–929–10310–11113–14215–16316–17117–18120–21140–41annual PM2.5, µg/m³ · measured cities in Canada per band

Published annual means from the same national measurement network.

MetricValueVerifiedSource
NO₂ — annual mean3.6293 µg/m³country median 6.6 — 45% below2026-07-152024Official sourceOfficial 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. Source-backed value
PM2.5 — annual mean2.91 µg/m³country median 3.6 — 18% below2026-07-152024Official sourceOfficial 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. Source-backed value

Mobility and administration

MetricValueVerifiedSource
Destinations from nearest airport2 count2026-06-13FreshOfficial sourceOpenFlights — routes.dat Source-backed value
Nearest airportYCD code2026-06-13FreshOfficial sourceOurAirports — airports.csv Source-backed value
Distance to nearest airport26.4 km2026-06-13FreshOfficial sourceOurAirports — airports.csv Source-backed value

Worked out from these numbers

Arithmetic on the published values above. Each one names what it assumed.

How international is the population?

4.3% of residents hold a foreign nationality — 1,360 people of 31,765 people. This counts nationality, not place of birth, so long-settled residents who naturalised are not in it.

Common questions

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

What is the unemployment rate in North Cowichan?

The unemployment rate is 7.1 %. Source: Statistics Canada — 2021 Census Profile, unemployment rate at CSD grain, checked 2026-07-26.

Is the air quality good in North Cowichan?

The annual PM2.5 mean is 2.91 µg/m³. The WHO 2021 guideline is 5 µg/m³ and the EU limit value is 25 µg/m³, so this reading is within the WHO 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., checked 2026-07-15.

How many people live in North Cowichan?

The published population is 31,765 people. Source: Statistics Canada — Census Profile 2021 (North Cowichan, CSD 5921015), checked 2026-06-12.

How many foreign residents live in North Cowichan?

1,360 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., checked 2026-07-15.

Cities of a similar size in Canada

Closest published populations, for a like-for-like comparison.

All Canada cities
Chambly31,943 residentsSaint-Constant31,134 residentsCochrane32,580 residentsLaSalle32,820 residentsSaint-Georges32,964 residentsFort Erie33,226 residents

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.Official source · Checked 2021-05-11Statistics Canada — Census Profile 2021 (North Cowichan, CSD 5921015)Official source · Checked 2026-07-14Statistics Canada — 2021 Census Profile, unemployment rate at CSD grainOfficial source · Checked 2026-07-26Official 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.Official source · Checked 2026-07-15Official 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.Official source · Checked 2026-07-15Statistics 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.Official source · Checked 2021-05-11

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.