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Living in Pickering

In 2024, annual NO₂ was 6.63 µg/m³. The city covered 231.6 km² in 2021. Population density was 429.2 people per km² in 2021. Foreign-born residents accounted for 38.1% of the population in 2021. The bachelor’s-or-higher share was 30.7% in 2021.

Higher unemployment than 90% of Canadian cities that publish it and cleaner air than 61% of Canadian cities that publish it.

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

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 Pickering.Healthcare eligibilityCountry-wide insurance and residence conditions.

Housing and cost

24.1% of renter households spent at least 30% of income on housing in May 2021.

No city-level rent or cost figure is published for Pickering yet. We do not infer one from another place.

MetricValuePeriodSource
Households spending over 30% of income on rent24.1 %11 May 2021Statistics Canada Census Profile downloads, 2021 Census of Population14Official
Dwellings34,327 dwellings31 Dec 2021Statistics Canada7Official
G05 Main Residential Dwellings33,425 dwellings31 Dec 2021Statistics Canada8Official

Work and income

The unemployment rate was 12.9% in May 2021.

What is the unemployment rate in Pickering?

The unemployment rate is 12.9 % (May 2021). Source: Statistics Canada Census Profile downloads, 2021 Census of Population14

Unemployment across cities in CanadaUnemployment in Pickering is 12.9%. Of 485 cities with data, 119 have unemployment of 6 to under 8%.
unemployment rate, % · measured cities in Canada per band1 city: 0% to under 2%10–210 cities: 2% to under 4%102–497 cities: 4% to under 6%974–6119 cities: 6% to under 8%1196–8103 cities: 8% to under 10%1038–1075 cities: 10% to under 12%7510–1251 cities: 12% to under 14%5112–14Pickering 12.9%18 cities: 14% to under 16%1814–168 cities: 16% to under 18%816–181 city: 18% to under 20%118–202 cities: 20% to under 22%220–22

Unemployment rate (%)

MetricValuePeriodSource
Employment rate56.9 %31 Dec 2021Statistics Canada8Official
Median gross salary (regional)2,611 EUR/month31 Dec 2020www150.statcan.gc.ca17Official
Unemployment rate12.9 %country median 8.3%11 May 2021Statistics Canada Census Profile downloads, 2021 Census of Population14Official

Public employment service

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

Mobility and administration

MetricValuePeriodSource
G09 Bicycle Commute Share Pct0.3 %11 May 2021Statistics Canada Census Profile downloads, 2021 Census of Population14Official
G09 Transit Commute Share Pct7.8 %11 May 2021Statistics Canada Census Profile downloads, 2021 Census of Population14Official
G09 Walk Commute Share Pct1.9 %11 May 2021Statistics Canada Census Profile downloads, 2021 Census of Population14Official
Destinations from nearest airport13 count13 Jun 2026OpenFlights — routes.dat5Official
Nearest airportYTZ13 Jun 2026OurAirports — airports.csv6Official
Distance to nearest airport34.1 km13 Jun 2026OurAirports — airports.csv6Official

Language courses and integration

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

Climate and air quality

Annual PM2.5 was 3.5 µg/m³ in 2024.

Is the air quality good in Pickering?

The annual PM2.5 mean is 3.5 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.

Air quality vs health guidelinesAnnual means against WHO 2021 guidelines and EU legal limits
Pickering annual air pollutant levels against WHO 2021 guidelines and EU legal limitsCity valueWHO guidelineEU limit5253.5PM2.5154011.5PM1010406.6NO₂µg/m³

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

PM2.5 across cities in CanadaAnnual PM2.5 in Pickering is 3.5 µg/m³. Of 92 cities with data, 33 have annual PM2.5 of 3 to under 4 µg/m³.
annual PM2.5, µg/m³ · measured cities in Canada per band2 cities: 1 µg/m³ to under 2 µg/m³21–216 cities: 2 µg/m³ to under 3 µg/m³162–333 cities: 3 µg/m³ to under 4 µg/m³333–4Pickering 3.513 cities: 4 µg/m³ to under 5 µg/m³134–512 cities: 5 µg/m³ to under 6 µg/m³125–61 city: 6 µg/m³ to under 7 µg/m³16–71 city: 7 µg/m³ to under 8 µg/m³17–81 city: 8 µg/m³ to under 9 µg/m³18–92 cities: 9 µg/m³ to under 10 µg/m³29–102 cities: 10 µg/m³ to under 11 µg/m³210–111 city: 13 µg/m³ to under 14 µg/m³113–142 cities: 15 µg/m³ to under 16 µg/m³215–163 cities: 16 µg/m³ to under 17 µg/m³316–171 city: 17 µg/m³ to under 18 µg/m³117–181 city: 20 µg/m³ to under 21 µg/m³120–211 city: 40 µg/m³ to under 41 µg/m³140–41

Annual PM2.5 (µg/m³)

MetricValuePeriodSource
NO₂ — annual mean6.63 µg/m³country median 6.92024Official 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
PM10 — annual mean11.5 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.2Official
PM2.5 — annual mean3.5 µg/m³country median 3.72024Official 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
Climate Monthly Extreme High CJan 11.93 · Feb 13.3 · Mar 23.87 · Apr 24.28 · May 31.86 · Jun 34.64 · Jul 35.65 · Aug 35.82 · Sep 33.43 · Oct 28.33 · Nov 21.07 · Dec 13.98 °C31 Dec 2001NASA POWER / NASA Langley Research Center1Official
Climate Monthly Extreme Low CJan -26.89 · Feb -29.25 · Mar -28.23 · Apr -14.28 · May -3.25 · Jun 3.45 · Jul 7.82 · Aug 9.61 · Sep 3.37 · Oct -2.86 · Nov -13.3 · Dec -20.95 °C31 Dec 2001NASA POWER / NASA Langley Research Center1Official
Average temperature by monthJan -6.36 · Feb -6.18 · Mar -1.13 · Apr 5.18 · May 12.08 · Jun 18.16 · Jul 22.05 · Aug 21.36 · Sep 17.36 · Oct 9.72 · Nov 3.11 · Dec -2.77 °C31 Dec 2001NASA POWER / NASA Langley Research Center1Official

Cities of a similar size in Canada

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

All Canada cities
Sherwood Park99,225 residentsNanaimo99,863 residentsLethbridge98,406 residentsKamloops97,902 residentsSaint-Jean-sur-Richelieu97,873 residentsRed Deer100,844 residents

Population and city profile

How many people live in Pickering?

The published population was 99,186 people in 2021. Source: Statistics Canada — Census Profile 2021, Pickering (Census subdivision 3518001)12

Who lives hereResidents by nationality, % of population
Pickering residents by nationalityBy nationalityNational passport93.9%Foreign residents 6.1%

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

MetricValuePeriodSource
Area231.1 km²31 Dec 2021Statistics Canada8Official
City area231.6 km²2021Statistics Canada — Census Profile 2021 (Pickering, CSD 3518001)11Official
Foreign-resident share36.3 %31 Dec 2021Statistics Canada9Official
Foreign residents6,065 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.13Official
Population density429.2 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.13Official
Population99,186 people1 Jan 2021Statistics Canada — Census Profile 2021, Pickering (Census subdivision 3518001)12Official
Population over time22 published observations, 2001–2022
Population in Pickering by year, residents89,31395,075100,837106,59920012005200920152022105,407residents

Population rose 16.5% between 2001 and 2022, from 90,505 to 105,407.

International community in Pickering

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 groupPeopleShare
Total - Place of birth for the immigrant population in private households - 25% sample data35,780100.0%
Asia18,46051.6%
Americas8,85524.7%
Europe6,43018.0%
India4,00011.2%
Sri Lanka2,9308.2%
Pakistan2,8307.9%
Philippines2,6757.5%
Jamaica2,5607.2%
United Kingdom2,4907.0%
Guyana2,3706.6%
Show 49 more groups
Published groupPeopleShare
Africa1,9555.5%
Other places of birth in Americas1,5554.3%
Trinidad and Tobago1,3103.7%
Other places of birth in Asia1,2803.6%
Other places of birth in Europe9802.7%
Other places of birth in Africa9702.7%
China9552.7%
Bangladesh8802.5%
Afghanistan8702.4%
United States of America6151.7%
Italy5901.6%
Romania4051.1%
Germany3901.1%
Poland3651.0%
Lebanon3601.0%
Egypt3451.0%
Greece3300.9%
Iran3100.9%
Hong Kong3100.9%
Iraq2900.8%
Portugal2800.8%
Korea, South2650.7%
Viet Nam2150.6%
Nigeria2000.6%
Ethiopia1500.4%
Syria1500.4%
Colombia1250.3%
South Africa, Republic of1250.3%
Hungary1200.3%
Netherlands1200.3%
Mexico900.3%
Oceania and other places of birth850.2%
France800.2%
Russian Federation800.2%
Ukraine800.2%
Turkey800.2%
Brazil700.2%
Croatia700.2%
El Salvador650.2%
Taiwan650.2%
Peru550.2%
Congo, Democratic Republic of the500.1%
Serbia450.1%
Somalia400.1%
Eritrea350.1%
Haiti300.1%
Morocco200.1%
Bosnia and Herzegovina150.0%
Algeria150.0%

Largest published groups; zero-count groups are omitted. Dimensions are source-native and are never merged. Official source15

Citizenship

Total - Citizenship for the population in private households - 25% sample data · 2021 Census

Published groupPeopleShare
Total - Citizenship for the population in private households - 25% sample data98,580100.0%
Canadian citizens92,51593.8%
Canadian citizens aged 18 and over73,34574.4%
Canadian citizens aged under 1819,16519.4%
Not Canadian citizens6,0656.2%

Largest published groups; zero-count groups are omitted. Dimensions are source-native and are never merged. Official source15

Language spoken at home

Total - Language spoken most often at home for the total population excluding institutional residents - 100% data · 2021 Census

Published groupPeopleShare
Total - Language spoken most often at home for the total population excluding institutional residents - 100% data98,760100.0%
Single responses93,48594.7%
Official languages81,34082.4%
English80,97082.0%
Non-official languages12,14512.3%
Non-Indigenous languages12,14512.3%
Indo-European languages6,8456.9%
Multiple responses5,2755.3%
Indo-Iranian languages4,9305.0%
English and non-official language(s)4,8554.9%
Indo-Aryan languages3,9204.0%
Show 105 more groups
Published groupPeopleShare
Dravidian languages2,2102.2%
Urdu1,9602.0%
Tamil1,9552.0%
Sino-Tibetan languages1,0551.1%
Chinese languages1,0501.1%
Iranian languages1,0051.0%
Italic (Romance) languages1,0051.0%
Austronesian languages8450.9%
Persian languages8450.9%
Tagalog (Pilipino, Filipino)7250.7%
Afro-Asiatic languages6850.7%
Semitic languages6500.7%
Mandarin5950.6%
Gujarati5950.6%
Arabic5900.6%
Dari5350.5%
Balto-Slavic languages5250.5%
Slavic languages5250.5%
Spanish5150.5%
Bengali4450.5%
Yue (Cantonese)4150.4%
Punjabi (Panjabi)3750.4%
French3700.4%
Hindi3700.4%
English and French2450.2%
Italian1800.2%
Romanian1800.2%
Greek1750.2%
Polish1700.2%
Iranian Persian1650.2%
Macedonian1550.2%
Malayalam1500.2%
Pashto1500.2%
Persian (Farsi), n.o.s.1400.1%
Armenian1300.1%
Portuguese1300.1%
Korean1300.1%
Russian1050.1%
Uralic languages950.1%
Hungarian850.1%
Multiple non-official languages800.1%
Telugu800.1%
Sinhala (Sinhalese)750.1%
Turkic languages650.1%
English, French and non-official language(s)650.1%
Austro-Asiatic languages600.1%
Vietnamese550.1%
Creole languages550.1%
Turkish500.1%
Niger-Congo languages500.1%
Germanic languages450.0%
Marathi450.0%
High German languages400.0%
German400.0%
Sign languages350.0%
Cushitic languages350.0%
Somali350.0%
Ilocano350.0%
Creole, n.o.s.350.0%
Albanian350.0%
Serbo-Croatian350.0%
Kacchi350.0%
Amharic300.0%
Indonesian300.0%
American Sign Language250.0%
French and non-official language(s)250.0%
Cebuano250.0%
Min Nan (Chaochow, Teochow, Fukien, Taiwanese)200.0%
Tigrigna200.0%
Hiligaynon200.0%
Bulgarian200.0%
Croatian200.0%
Akan (Twi)200.0%
Hakka150.0%
Finnish150.0%
Kannada150.0%
Serbian150.0%
Slovak150.0%
Japanese150.0%
Yoruba100.0%
Sign languages, n.i.e.100.0%
Aramaic languages100.0%
Assyrian Neo-Aramaic100.0%
Pampangan (Kapampangan, Pampango)100.0%
Haitian Creole100.0%
Morisyen100.0%
Czech100.0%
Ukrainian100.0%
Kurdish100.0%
Sotho-Tswana languages50.0%
Wu (Shanghainese)50.0%
Chinese, n.o.s.50.0%
Tibeto-Burman languages50.0%
Azerbaijani50.0%
Uyghur50.0%
Harari50.0%
Dravidian languages, n.i.e.50.0%
Baltic languages50.0%
Latvian50.0%
Low Saxon-Low Franconian languages50.0%
Afrikaans50.0%
Konkani50.0%
Nepali50.0%
Oriya languages50.0%
Sindhi50.0%

Largest published groups; zero-count groups are omitted. Dimensions are source-native and are never merged. Official source15

Is Pickering 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 employee53%strong on work, weak on safety · range 45–61%
Student55%strong on education, weak on safety · range 47–63%
Family50%strong on family, weak on safety · range 41–59%
Retirement57%strong on air quality, weak on admin · range 46–68%
Foreign residents6,065 people11 May 2021Official 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.
Population99,186 people1 Jan 2021Official source · Statistics Canada — Census Profile 2021, Pickering (Census subdivision 3518001)
Households spending over 30% of income on rent24.1 %11 May 2021Official source · Statistics Canada Census Profile downloads, 2021 Census of Population
Dwellings34,327 dwellings31 Dec 2021Official source · Statistics Canada
Employment rate56.9 %31 Dec 2021Official source · Statistics Canada
Median gross salary (regional)2,611 EUR/month31 Dec 2020Official source · www150.statcan.gc.ca
Every value keeps its source, geographic scope and verification date · Last checked 2026-09-03

Additional context

MetricValuePeriodSource
Residents born abroad38.1 %11 May 2021Statistics Canada Census Profile downloads, 2021 Census of Population14Official
G07 Bachelors Or Higher Share Pct30.7 %11 May 2021Statistics Canada Table 98-10-0387-04: highest certificate, diploma or degree16Official
Households33,425 households31 Dec 2021Statistics Canada8Official
Labour force participation rate65.3 %31 Dec 2021Statistics Canada8Official
Median age40.8 years31 Dec 2021Statistics Canada10Official

Yes — migrants can receive medical care in Pickering 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 Pickering?

The published population was 99,186 people in 2021. Source: Statistics Canada — Census Profile 2021, Pickering (Census subdivision 3518001).

Is the air quality good in Pickering?

The annual PM2.5 mean is 3.5 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..

What is the unemployment rate in Pickering?

The unemployment rate is 12.9 % (May 2021). Source: Statistics Canada Census Profile downloads, 2021 Census of Population.

What is the typical salary around Pickering?

The median gross salary is 2,611 EUR/month. Source: www150.statcan.gc.ca.

How many foreign residents live in Pickering?

6,065 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 Pickering a good place to live?

Pickering 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.

How many people born in Total - Place of birth for the immigrant population in private households - 25% sample data live in Pickering?

The official country of birth distribution records 35,780 people (100.0%) 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, September 12). Pickering, Canada: rent, salary, jobs [ImmigrationDB compilation; snapshot approved-static-d7ed373c115d60d0; version approved-static-d7ed373c115d60d0]. ImmigrationDB. https://immigrationdb.com/cities/ca/pickering/ Retrieved 2026-09-12. Compilation license: CC BY 4.0, https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
BibTeX citation
@misc{immigrationdb_immigrationdb_pickering-canada-rent-salary-jobs_3de7377b822d,
  author = {ImmigrationDB},
  title = {Pickering, Canada: rent, salary, jobs},
  publisher = {ImmigrationDB},
  year = {2026},
  date = {2026-09-12},
  version = {approved-static-d7ed373c115d60d0},
  snapshot = {approved-static-d7ed373c115d60d0},
  url = {https://immigrationdb.com/cities/ca/pickering/},
  note = {Retrieved 2026-09-12. ImmigrationDB compilation. Compilation license: CC BY 4.0, https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/},
}
Markdown citation
[Pickering, Canada: rent, salary, jobs](https://immigrationdb.com/cities/ca/pickering/) — ImmigrationDB; ImmigrationDB; snapshot approved-static-d7ed373c115d60d0; version approved-static-d7ed373c115d60d0; retrieved 2026-09-12; built 2026-09-12.

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. NASA POWER / NASA Langley Research Center power.larc.nasa.gov · checked 2026-08-03
  2. 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
  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 api.statcan.gc.ca · checked 2026-08-07
  9. Statistics Canada www150.statcan.gc.ca · checked 2026-08-03
  10. Statistics Canada www150.statcan.gc.ca · checked 2026-08-07
Show 7 more sources
  1. Statistics Canada — Census Profile 2021 (Pickering, CSD 3518001) Statistics Canada · www12.statcan.gc.ca · checked 2026-07-14
  2. Statistics Canada — Census Profile 2021, Pickering (Census subdivision 3518001) Statistics Canada · api.statcan.gc.ca · checked 2026-08-13
  3. 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
  4. Statistics Canada Census Profile downloads, 2021 Census of Population www12.statcan.gc.ca · checked 2026-07-16
  5. Statistics Canada language_spoken_at_home www12.statcan.gc.ca · checked 2026-08-29
  6. Statistics Canada Table 98-10-0387-04: highest certificate, diploma or degree www150.statcan.gc.ca · checked 2026-07-16
  7. www150.statcan.gc.ca www150.statcan.gc.ca · checked 2026-08-27

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.