Living in Oshawa

In Oshawa, tenants pay an average rent of €1,127 a month (2025) and unemployment is 15.2% (2021).

The city covered 145.7 km² in 2021. Population density was 1,203.6 people per km² in 2021. Monthly precipitation was 74.7 mm in January and 85.8 mm in July.

Last checked 2026-10-1025 sources

Population175,383people1 Jan 2021Official source · Statistics Canada — Census Profile 2021, Oshawa (Census subdivision 3518013)

Median gross salary3,420EUR/month31 Dec 2020Official source · Statistics Canada

Average rent1,127EUR/month31 Dec 2025Official source · Average Rent by Bedroom Type by Census Subdivision

Unemployment rate15.2%country median 8.4% — 81% aboveOfficial source · Statistics Canada Census Profile downloads, 2021 Census of Population

Recorded crime4,296incidents per 100,00031 Dec 2025District figureOfficial source · Incident-based crime statistics, by detailed violations, Canada, provinces, territories, Census Metropolitan Areas and Canadian Forces Military Police

PM2.5, annual mean3.34µg/m³country median 3.6 — 8% 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 97% of Canadian cities that publish it, less recorded crime than 69% of Canadian cities that publish it and cleaner air than 73% of Canadian cities that publish it.

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

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 Oshawa.Healthcare eligibilityCountry-wide insurance and residence conditions.

Housing and cost

27.6% 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€805

Utilities, 85 m² flat€145

Transport pass€84

Internet, 60 Mbps€58

Fitness club€43

Mobile plan, 10 GB€33

Supplemental estimate lane; these items are not official statistics.

Metric	Value	Period	Source
Fitness club membership, monthly	43.16 EUR/month	31 Dec 2022	Global Cost of Living — Kaggle snapshot v2²⁴Supplemental estimate · Supplemental context
Internet, 60 Mbps unlimited	58.45 EUR/month	31 Dec 2022	Global Cost of Living — Kaggle snapshot v2²⁴Supplemental estimate · Supplemental context
Private kindergarten, monthly	804.9 EUR/month	31 Dec 2022	Global Cost of Living — Kaggle snapshot v2²⁴Supplemental estimate · Supplemental context
Meal at an inexpensive restaurant	15.75 EUR	31 Dec 2022	Global Cost of Living — Kaggle snapshot v2²⁴Supplemental estimate · Supplemental context
Mobile plan, 10 GB	32.99 EUR/month	31 Jul 2026	Cost of Living in Oshawa. Jul 2026. Prices in Oshawa²³Commercial estimate · Supplemental context
Monthly transport pass	83.99 EUR/month	31 Dec 2022	Global Cost of Living — Kaggle snapshot v2²⁴Supplemental estimate · Supplemental context
Basic utilities, 85 m² home	144.9 EUR/month	31 Dec 2022	Global Cost of Living — Kaggle snapshot v2²⁴Supplemental estimate · Supplemental context
Households spending over 30% of income on rent	27.6 %	11 May 2021	Statistics Canada Census Profile downloads, 2021 Census of Population¹⁸Official
Dwellings	69,324 dwellings	31 Dec 2021	Statistics Canada¹⁰Official
Main residence dwellings	66,634 dwellings	31 Dec 2021	Statistics Canada¹¹Official
Average monthly rent (two-bedroom)	1,116 EUR/month	31 Dec 2025	Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation, average rents for areas with a population of 10,000 and over²Official
Average monthly rent (whole dwelling)	1,127 EUR/month	31 Dec 2025	Average Rent by Bedroom Type by Census Subdivision¹Official

Is Oshawa 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 worker46%strong on work, weak on safety · range 37–55%

Skilled employee51%strong on work, weak on education · range 42–60%

Student32%strong on legal route, weak on education · range 21–43%

Family40%strong on family, weak on education · range 29–51%

Retirement40%strong on air quality, weak on admin · range 29–51%

Work and income

The unemployment rate was 15.2% in May 2021.

What is the typical salary in Oshawa?

The median gross salary is about 3,420 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: 3,420 EUR/month · Statistics Canada¹²
Median gross salary (regional): 2,571 EUR/month · 2026-09-17 · www150.statcan.gc.ca²⁰

What is the unemployment rate in Oshawa?

The unemployment rate is 15.2 % (May 2021). Source: Statistics Canada Census Profile downloads, 2021 Census of Population¹⁸

Unemployment across cities in CanadaUnemployment in Oshawa is 15.2%. 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

Oshawa 15.2%

Unemployment rate (%)

Metric	Value	Period	Source
Employment rate	51.8 %	31 Dec 2021	Statistics Canada¹¹Official
Median gross salary	3,420 EUR/month	31 Dec 2020	Statistics Canada¹²Official
Median gross salary (regional)	2,571 EUR/month	31 Dec 2020	www150.statcan.gc.ca²⁰Official
Unemployment rate	15.2 %country median 8.4%	11 May 2021	Statistics Canada Census Profile downloads, 2021 Census of Population¹⁸Official

What does a salary buy in Oshawa?

Take-home pay after tax, minus rent and the everyday bills this city publishes. Each line names its source.

Left over each month€1,186of €2,634 take-home

Rent
Utilities
Transport
Internet
Mobile
Left 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.	€2,634
Rentaverage rent of a whole dwelling · official · Average Rent by Bedroom Type by Census Subdivision · 2025-12-31	− €1,127
Public transport pass€84 · market price · Global Cost of Living · 2022-12-31	− €84
Utilities, 85 m²€145 · market price · Global Cost of Living · 2022-12-31	− €145
Internet€58 · market price · Global Cost of Living · 2022-12-31	− €58
Mobile plan€33 · market price · Cost of Living in Oshawa. Jul 2026. Prices in Oshawa · 2026-07-31	− €33
Left over	€1,186

Take-home pay for other salaries and households Compare with another city Check a job offer in Oshawa Salary needed to live in Oshawa

Public employment service

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

Safety

How safe is Oshawa?

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

Recorded crime across major citiesOshawa highlighted among comparable cities

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

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

Metric	Value	Period	Source
Workers commuting by bicycle	0.2 %	11 May 2021	Statistics Canada Census Profile downloads, 2021 Census of Population¹⁸Official
Workers commuting by public transport	6.3 %	11 May 2021	Statistics Canada Census Profile downloads, 2021 Census of Population¹⁸Official
Workers walking to work	3.2 %	11 May 2021	Statistics Canada Census Profile downloads, 2021 Census of Population¹⁸Official
Destinations from nearest airport	13 count	13 Jun 2026	OpenFlights — routes.dat⁸Official
Nearest airport	YTZ	13 Jun 2026	OurAirports — airports.csv⁹Official
Distance to nearest airport	52.2 km	13 Jun 2026	OurAirports — airports.csv⁹Official

Language courses and integration

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

Find courses near Oshawa

Climate and air quality

Monthly mean temperatures were −5°C in January and 20.9°C in July. Annual PM2.5 was 3.34 µg/m³ in 2024.

Is the air quality good in Oshawa?

The annual PM2.5 mean is about 3.3 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: 3.34 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.⁶

Temperature through the yearAverage daytime high and night-time low, °C

0°

-1°-9°

0°-8°

4°-4°

11°2°

18°8°

23°13°

26°16°

25°15°

21°11°

14°5°

8°0°

2°-5°

JFMAMJJASOND

Night-time low to daytime high

Rainfall through the yearAverage monthly precipitation, mm

JFMAMJJASOND

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

PM2.53.3WHO 5 · EU 25

PM1010WHO 15 · EU 40

NO₂4.1WHO 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 Oshawa is 3.3 µg/m³. Of 123 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

Oshawa 3.3

Annual PM2.5 (µg/m³)

Metric	Value	Period	Source
NO₂ — annual mean	4.14 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.⁷Official
PM10 — annual mean	10 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.⁵Official
PM2.5 — annual mean	3.34 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.⁶Official
Average daytime high by month	Jan -1.1 · Feb -0.2 · Mar 4.5 · Apr 10.6 · May 17.5 · Jun 22.7 · Jul 25.7 · Aug 24.8 · Sep 20.9 · Oct 13.6 · Nov 7.5 · Dec 2.2 °C	31 Dec 2020	Canadian Climate Normals — OSHAWA, 1991-2020³Official
Average night-time low by month	Jan -8.9 · Feb -8.3 · Mar -3.9 · Apr 1.7 · May 7.6 · Jun 12.9 · Jul 15.8 · Aug 15.4 · Sep 11.4 · Oct 5.3 · Nov 0.3 · Dec -4.6 °C	31 Dec 2020	Canadian Climate Normals — OSHAWA, 1991-2020³Official
Average temperature by month	Jan -5 · Feb -4.2 · Mar 0.3 · Apr 6.2 · May 12.6 · Jun 17.8 · Jul 20.9 · Aug 20.1 · Sep 16.2 · Oct 9.5 · Nov 3.9 · Dec -1.2 °C	31 Dec 2020	Canadian Climate Normals — OSHAWA, 1991-2020³Official
Average precipitation by month	Jan 74.7 · Feb 53.5 · Mar 53.9 · Apr 86.9 · May 85.1 · Jun 94 · Jul 85.8 · Aug 74.2 · Sep 86.2 · Oct 71.8 · Nov 72.5 · Dec 67.8 mm	31 Dec 2020	Canadian Climate Normals — OSHAWA, 1991-2020³Official

Population and city profile

How many people live in Oshawa?

The published population was 175,383 people in 2021. Source: Statistics Canada — Census Profile 2021, Oshawa (Census subdivision 3518013)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 11,880 is not 22.1% of the population. Each row names its source.

Who lives hereResidents by nationality, % of population

By nationality

National passport93.2%

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

Metric	Value	Period	Source
Area	145.7 km²	31 Dec 2021	Statistics Canada¹¹Official
City area	145.7 km²	2021	Statistics Canada — Census Profile 2021 (Oshawa, CSD 3518005)¹⁵Official
Foreign-resident share	22.14 %	31 Dec 2021	Statistics Canada¹³Official
Foreign residents	11,880 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	1,204 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	175,383 people	1 Jan 2021	Statistics Canada — Census Profile 2021, Oshawa (Census subdivision 3518013)¹⁶Official

Population over time22 published observations, 2001–2022

141,067

157,803

174,540

191,276

187,81320012005200920152022

Population rose 29.9% between 2001 and 2022, from 144,530 to 187,813.

International community in Oshawa

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	38,525	100.0%
Asia	16,720	43.4%
Europe	10,470	27.2%
Americas	8,590	22.3%
United Kingdom	4,010	10.4%
India	3,945	10.2%
Philippines	2,730	7.1%
Africa	2,620	6.8%
Jamaica	2,560	6.6%
Pakistan	2,475	6.4%
Sri Lanka	1,960	5.1%

Show 49 more groups

Published group	People	Share
Other places of birth in Americas	1,700	4.4%
China	1,355	3.5%
Guyana	1,305	3.4%
Other places of birth in Asia	1,165	3.0%
Other places of birth in Europe	1,145	3.0%
Trinidad and Tobago	1,065	2.8%
Poland	1,030	2.7%
United States of America	1,020	2.6%
Other places of birth in Africa	915	2.4%
Italy	890	2.3%
Afghanistan	865	2.2%
Germany	765	2.0%
Nigeria	735	1.9%
Bangladesh	620	1.6%
Portugal	590	1.5%
Netherlands	360	0.9%
Iran	315	0.8%
Ukraine	300	0.8%
Romania	290	0.8%
Greece	285	0.7%
South Africa, Republic of	275	0.7%
Congo, Democratic Republic of the	270	0.7%
Viet Nam	265	0.7%
Korea, South	260	0.7%
Hong Kong	250	0.6%
Egypt	215	0.6%
Russian Federation	195	0.5%
Hungary	190	0.5%
Haiti	185	0.5%
Colombia	180	0.5%
El Salvador	180	0.5%
Brazil	175	0.5%
Mexico	155	0.4%
Serbia	130	0.3%
Lebanon	130	0.3%
Oceania and other places of birth	125	0.3%
Croatia	120	0.3%
Syria	120	0.3%
Iraq	115	0.3%
France	105	0.3%
Morocco	90	0.2%
Turkey	85	0.2%
Peru	70	0.2%
Bosnia and Herzegovina	55	0.1%
Taiwan	55	0.1%
Ethiopia	50	0.1%
Eritrea	30	0.1%
Somalia	25	0.1%
Algeria	15	0.0%

Largest published groups; zero-count groups are omitted. Dimensions are source-native and are never merged. Official source¹⁹

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	174,010	100.0%
Canadian citizens	162,130	93.2%
Canadian citizens aged 18 and over	127,130	73.1%
Canadian citizens aged under 18	35,000	20.1%
Not Canadian citizens	11,880	6.8%

Largest published groups; zero-count groups are omitted. Dimensions are source-native and are never merged. Official source¹⁹

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	174,390	100.0%
Single responses	168,390	96.6%
Official languages	154,285	88.5%
English	153,120	87.8%
Non-official languages	14,105	8.1%
Non-Indigenous languages	14,100	8.1%
Indo-European languages	7,945	4.6%
Multiple responses	6,005	3.4%
English and non-official language(s)	5,250	3.0%
Indo-Iranian languages	4,815	2.8%
Indo-Aryan languages	3,910	2.2%

Show 122 more groups

Published group	People	Share
Dravidian languages	2,070	1.2%
Urdu	1,770	1.0%
Italic (Romance) languages	1,675	1.0%
Sino-Tibetan languages	1,565	0.9%
Chinese languages	1,560	0.9%
Tamil	1,530	0.9%
French	1,170	0.7%
Balto-Slavic languages	1,170	0.7%
Slavic languages	1,165	0.7%
Mandarin	980	0.6%
Austronesian languages	960	0.6%
Iranian languages	910	0.5%
Tagalog (Pilipino, Filipino)	845	0.5%
Spanish	835	0.5%
Persian languages	685	0.4%
Gujarati	645	0.4%
Polish	600	0.3%
Afro-Asiatic languages	560	0.3%
Semitic languages	540	0.3%
Yue (Cantonese)	535	0.3%
English and French	500	0.3%
Arabic	475	0.3%
Bengali	470	0.3%
Punjabi (Panjabi)	470	0.3%
Dari	470	0.3%
Portuguese	425	0.2%
Malayalam	365	0.2%
Hindi	365	0.2%
Italian	310	0.2%
Russian	205	0.1%
Pashto	205	0.1%
Korean	205	0.1%
Austro-Asiatic languages	190	0.1%
Vietnamese	175	0.1%
Niger-Congo languages	170	0.1%
Telugu	160	0.1%
Greek	160	0.1%
Iranian Persian	145	0.1%
Ukrainian	140	0.1%
Uralic languages	135	0.1%
Hungarian	130	0.1%
English, French and non-official language(s)	115	0.1%
Serbo-Croatian	110	0.1%
Sign languages	105	0.1%
Romanian	105	0.1%
Sinhala (Sinhalese)	95	0.1%
Multiple non-official languages	90	0.1%
American Sign Language	80	0.0%
Turkic languages	75	0.0%
Yoruba	70	0.0%
Creole languages	70	0.0%
Serbian	70	0.0%
Macedonian	65	0.0%
Persian (Farsi), n.o.s.	65	0.0%
Germanic languages	60	0.0%
Turkish	50	0.0%
French and non-official language(s)	45	0.0%
Haitian Creole	45	0.0%
Cebuano	40	0.0%
Albanian	40	0.0%
High German languages	40	0.0%
German	40	0.0%
Croatian	35	0.0%
Swahili	30	0.0%
Tai-Kadai languages	30	0.0%
Marathi	30	0.0%
Sign languages, n.i.e.	25	0.0%
Ilocano	25	0.0%
Armenian	25	0.0%
Nepali	25	0.0%
Min Nan (Chaochow, Teochow, Fukien, Taiwanese)	20	0.0%
Thai	20	0.0%
Amharic	20	0.0%
Maltese	20	0.0%
Sindhi	20	0.0%
Akan (Twi)	20	0.0%
Igbo	15	0.0%
Azerbaijani	15	0.0%
Uyghur	15	0.0%
Aramaic languages	15	0.0%
Indonesian	15	0.0%
Creole, n.o.s.	15	0.0%
Slovene (Slovenian)	15	0.0%
Low Saxon-Low Franconian languages	15	0.0%
Dutch	15	0.0%
Kurdish	15	0.0%
Ndebele	10	0.0%
Niger-Congo languages, n.i.e.	10	0.0%
Chinese, n.o.s.	10	0.0%
Lao	10	0.0%
Somali	10	0.0%
Chaldean Neo-Aramaic	10	0.0%
Tigrigna	10	0.0%
Khmer (Cambodian)	10	0.0%
Bisaya, n.o.s.	10	0.0%
Hiligaynon	10	0.0%
Austronesian languages, n.i.e.	10	0.0%
Morisyen	10	0.0%
Kannada	10	0.0%
Bulgarian	10	0.0%
Czech	10	0.0%
Slovak	10	0.0%
Kacchi	10	0.0%
Indo-Aryan languages, n.i.e.	10	0.0%
Japanese	10	0.0%
Nilo-Saharan languages	5	0.0%
Nilo-Saharan languages, n.i.e.	5	0.0%
Min Dong	5	0.0%
Wu (Shanghainese)	5	0.0%
Estonian	5	0.0%
Chadic languages	5	0.0%
Hausa	5	0.0%
Cushitic languages	5	0.0%
Assyrian Neo-Aramaic	5	0.0%
Pampangan (Kapampangan, Pampango)	5	0.0%
Baltic languages	5	0.0%
Bosnian	5	0.0%
Afrikaans	5	0.0%
Konkani	5	0.0%
Oriya languages	5	0.0%
Odia	5	0.0%
Fulah (Pular, Pulaar, Fulfulde)	5	0.0%

Largest published groups; zero-count groups are omitted. Dimensions are source-native and are never merged. Official source¹⁹

Additional context

Metric	Value	Period	Source
Residents born abroad	24.3 %	11 May 2021	Statistics Canada Census Profile downloads, 2021 Census of Population¹⁸Official
Households	66,635 households	31 Dec 2021	Statistics Canada¹¹Official
Labour force participation rate	61.1 %	31 Dec 2021	Statistics Canada¹¹Official
Median age	39.2 years	31 Dec 2021	Statistics Canada¹⁴Official

Alternatives for people set on Oshawa

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.

Ajax as an Oshawa alternative in the same region

16 km away, better on 6 of 7 metrics measured the same way, worse on 0.

Foreign residents: 41.8% Ajax vs 22.1% Oshawa+89%
Median gross pay, region: €2,963 Ajax vs €2,571 Oshawa+15%
Median gross pay, city: €3,813 Ajax vs €3,420 Oshawa+11%
Unemployment: 13.4% Ajax vs 15.2% Oshawa−12%
Residents: 126,666 Ajax vs 175,383 Oshawa−28%
Basic utilities, 85 m²: €115 Ajax vs €145 Oshawa−20%
Nearest airport: 39.0 km Ajax vs 52.2 km Oshawa−25%

Full comparison More about Ajax

Oakville as an Oshawa alternative in the same country

84 km away, better on 5 of 7 metrics measured the same way, worse on 1.

Median gross pay, city: €4,956 Oakville vs €3,420 Oshawa+45%
Foreign residents: 41.2% Oakville vs 22.1% Oshawa+86%
Median gross pay, region: €3,486 Oakville vs €2,571 Oshawa+36%
Unemployment: 11.7% Oakville vs 15.2% Oshawa−23%
Nearest airport: 23.6 km Oakville vs 52.2 km Oshawa−55%
Residents: 213,759 Oakville vs 175,383 Oshawa+22%
Annual PM2.5: 3.5 µg/m³ Oakville vs 3.3 µg/m³ Oshawa+4%

Full comparison More about Oakville

Cities near Oshawa

Published cities within 25 km, nearest first. Distances are straight-line.

Ajax 15.6 km away

Salary: 3,813 EUR/monthMedian gross salary · 2020-12-31

Pickering 22.5 km away

Salary: 4,003 EUR/monthMedian gross salary · 2020-12-31

Alternative cities in Canada

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

All Canada cities

Sherbrooke175,684 residents Greater Sudbury171,446 residents Abbotsford168,478 residents Coquitlam159,285 residents Burlington194,175 residents Lévis154,775 residents

How does Oshawa compare?

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Oshawa in rankings

#30 of 30 in Largest cities in Canada

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

The published population was 175,383 people in 2021. Source: Statistics Canada — Census Profile 2021, Oshawa (Census subdivision 3518013).

Is the air quality good in Oshawa?

The annual PM2.5 mean is about 3.3 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 Oshawa?

What is the typical salary in Oshawa?

The median gross salary is about 3,420 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 Oshawa?

The unemployment rate is 15.2 % (May 2021). Source: Statistics Canada Census Profile downloads, 2021 Census of Population.

What is the typical salary around Oshawa?

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

Is Oshawa a good place to live?

Oshawa 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 Oshawa?

Ajax, Pickering are near Oshawa. Typed relationship labels are shown where published; other rows use straight-line distance from admitted coordinates.

How many people born in Asia live in Oshawa?

The official country of birth distribution records 16,720 people (43.4%) 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). Oshawa, Canada: population, rent, salary, cost of living [ImmigrationDB compilation; version cc25adc363f308cb06b13fb31e2e0cbc]. ImmigrationDB. https://immigrationdb.com/cities/ca/oshawa/ Retrieved 2026-10-16. Compilation license: CC BY 4.0, https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

BibTeX citation

@misc{immigrationdb_immigrationdb_oshawa-canada-population-rent-salary-cost-of-living_b704d0e6f872,
  author = {ImmigrationDB},
  title = {Oshawa, Canada: population, rent, salary, cost of living},
  publisher = {ImmigrationDB},
  year = {2026},
  date = {2026-10-16},
  version = {cc25adc363f308cb06b13fb31e2e0cbc},
  url = {https://immigrationdb.com/cities/ca/oshawa/},
  note = {Retrieved 2026-10-16. ImmigrationDB compilation. Compilation license: CC BY 4.0, https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/},
}

Markdown citation

[Oshawa, Canada: population, rent, salary, cost of living](https://immigrationdb.com/cities/ca/oshawa/) — ImmigrationDB; ImmigrationDB; version cc25adc363f308cb06b13fb31e2e0cbc; 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

Average Rent by Bedroom Type by Census Subdivision www03.cmhc-schl.gc.ca · checked 2026-10-08
Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation, average rents for areas with a population of 10,000 and over www150.statcan.gc.ca · checked 2026-09-12
Canadian Climate Normals — OSHAWA, 1991-2020 Canadian Climate Normals · climate.weather.gc.ca · checked 2026-07-26
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
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 2026-08-07

Show 15 more sources

Statistics Canada api.statcan.gc.ca · checked 2026-08-07
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 2026-08-07
Statistics Canada — Census Profile 2021 (Oshawa, CSD 3518005) Statistics Canada · www12.statcan.gc.ca · checked 2026-07-14
Statistics Canada — Census Profile 2021, Oshawa (Census subdivision 3518013) 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
Statistics Canada Census Profile downloads, 2021 Census of Population www12.statcan.gc.ca · checked 2026-07-16
Statistics Canada language spoken at home www12.statcan.gc.ca · checked 2026-08-29
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
Cost of Living in Oshawa. Jul 2026. Prices in Oshawa numbeo.com · checked 2026-07-27
Global Cost of Living — Kaggle snapshot v2 Global Cost of Living · kaggle.com · checked 2026-07-27
Wikidata identity and coordinates — Q211867 Wikidata identity and coordinates · wikidata.org · checked 2026-09-05

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