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Living in Sarnia

The unemployment rate was 13% in May 2021. Annual PM2.5 was 3.31 µg/m³ in 2024. The city covered 163.6 km² in 2021. Population density was 439.6 people per km² in 2021. 18% of renter households spent at least 30% of income on housing in May 2021.

Higher unemployment than 91% of Canadian cities that publish it and cleaner air than 75% of Canadian cities that publish it.

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

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 Sarnia.Healthcare eligibilityCountry-wide insurance and residence conditions.

Housing and cost

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

MetricValuePeriodSource
Households spending over 30% of income on rent18 %11 May 2021Statistics Canada Census Profile downloads, 2021 Census of Population14Official
Dwellings33,902 dwellings31 Dec 2021Statistics Canada7Official
G05 Main Residential Dwellings32,188 dwellings31 Dec 2021Statistics Canada8Official

Work and income

What is the unemployment rate in Sarnia?

The unemployment rate is 13 % (May 2021). Source: Statistics Canada Census Profile downloads, 2021 Census of Population14

Unemployment across cities in CanadaUnemployment in Sarnia is 13.0%. 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%5112–14Sarnia 13.0%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 rate47.6 %31 Dec 2021Statistics Canada8Official
Median gross salary (regional)2,129 EUR/month31 Dec 2020www150.statcan.gc.ca16Official
Unemployment rate13 %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 Sarnia. 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 Sarnia. Sources checked through 12 Aug 2026.

Mobility and administration

MetricValuePeriodSource
G09 Bicycle Commute Share Pct0.8 %11 May 2021Statistics Canada Census Profile downloads, 2021 Census of Population14Official
G09 Transit Commute Share Pct2.1 %11 May 2021Statistics Canada Census Profile downloads, 2021 Census of Population14Official
G09 Walk Commute Share Pct4.1 %11 May 2021Statistics Canada Census Profile downloads, 2021 Census of Population14Official
Destinations from nearest airport5 count13 Jun 2026OpenFlights — routes.dat5Official
Nearest airportYXU13 Jun 2026OurAirports — airports.csv6Official
Distance to nearest airport94.4 km13 Jun 2026OurAirports — airports.csv6Official

Language courses and integration

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

Climate and air quality

Monthly mean temperatures were −4.6°C in January and 21.3°C in July. Monthly precipitation was 56.5 mm in January and 80.4 mm in July.

Is the air quality good in Sarnia?

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: 3.31 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.3
Temperature through the yearAverage daytime high and night-time low, °C
Sarnia average monthly daytime high and night-time low temperature, °C-10°0°10°20°30°JFMAMJJASOND27°-8°Daytime highNight-time low
Rainfall through the yearAverage monthly precipitation, mm
Sarnia average monthly precipitation, mm0255075100574857798593807184788060JFMAMJJASONDmm
Air quality vs health guidelinesAnnual means against WHO 2021 guidelines and EU legal limits
Sarnia annual air pollutant levels against WHO 2021 guidelines and EU legal limitsCity valueWHO guidelineEU limit5253.3PM2.5154012.0PM1010404.9NO₂µg/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 Sarnia is 3.3 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/m³333–4Sarnia 3.313 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 mean4.94 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 mean12 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 mean3.31 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
Average daytime high by monthJan -0.9 · Feb 0 · Mar 5 · Apr 11.9 · May 18.7 · Jun 24 · Jul 26.5 · Aug 25.5 · Sep 22.2 · Oct 15.4 · Nov 8 · Dec 2.1 °C31 Dec 2020Canadian Climate Normals — SARNIA, 1991-20201Official
Average night-time low by monthJan -8.2 · Feb -7.9 · Mar -3.7 · Apr 1.5 · May 7.4 · Jun 13 · Jul 16 · Aug 15.3 · Sep 11.3 · Oct 6 · Nov 0.4 · Dec -4.4 °C31 Dec 2020Canadian Climate Normals — SARNIA, 1991-20201Official
Average temperature by monthJan -4.6 · Feb -4 · Mar 0.6 · Apr 6.7 · May 13.1 · Jun 18.6 · Jul 21.3 · Aug 20.4 · Sep 16.7 · Oct 10.7 · Nov 4.2 · Dec -1.2 °C31 Dec 2020Canadian Climate Normals — SARNIA, 1991-20201Official
Average precipitation by monthJan 56.5 · Feb 47.7 · Mar 56.9 · Apr 79.3 · May 85.2 · Jun 92.5 · Jul 80.4 · Aug 70.9 · Sep 84.1 · Oct 78.4 · Nov 79.5 · Dec 60 mm31 Dec 2020Canadian Climate Normals — SARNIA, 1991-20201Official

Cities of a similar size in Canada

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

All Canada cities
Sault Ste. Marie72,051 residentsFort McMurray72,326 residentsAirdrie74,100 residentsGranby69,025 residentsSt. Albert68,232 residentsPrince George76,708 residents

Population and city profile

How many people live in Sarnia?

The published population was 72,047 people in 2021. Source: Statistics Canada — Census Profile 2021, Sarnia (Census subdivision 3538030)12

Who lives hereResidents by nationality, % of population
Sarnia residents by nationalityBy nationalityNational passport95.8%Foreign residents 4.2%

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

MetricValuePeriodSource
Area163.9 km²31 Dec 2021Statistics Canada8Official
City area163.6 km²2021Statistics Canada — Census Profile 2021 (Sarnia, CSD 3538003)11Official
Foreign-resident share12.08 %31 Dec 2021Statistics Canada9Official
Foreign residents3,040 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 density439.6 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
Population72,047 people1 Jan 2021Statistics Canada — Census Profile 2021, Sarnia (Census subdivision 3538030)12Official
Population over time22 published observations, 2001–2022
Population in Sarnia by year, residents71,78973,03574,28075,5262001200520092015202275,268residents

Population rose 2.3% between 2001 and 2022, from 73,593 to 75,268.

International community in Sarnia

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 data8,570100.0%
Europe4,52552.8%
Asia2,05023.9%
United Kingdom1,99023.2%
Americas1,62519.0%
United States of America86010.0%
Italy5506.4%
India5456.4%
Netherlands5005.8%
Philippines4004.7%
Other places of birth in Europe3504.1%
Show 42 more groups
Published groupPeopleShare
Africa3203.7%
Germany2803.3%
Other places of birth in Americas2252.6%
Portugal2252.6%
China2052.4%
Poland1952.3%
Other places of birth in Asia1702.0%
Jamaica1451.7%
Pakistan1251.5%
Iraq1201.4%
Greece1151.3%
Trinidad and Tobago1051.2%
El Salvador951.1%
Korea, South951.1%
South Africa, Republic of901.1%
Other places of birth in Africa901.1%
Syria851.0%
Hungary800.9%
Nigeria750.9%
Iran700.8%
Lebanon650.8%
Romania600.7%
Guyana550.6%
Colombia500.6%
Russian Federation500.6%
Viet Nam500.6%
Oceania and other places of birth500.6%
Mexico450.5%
Egypt450.5%
Croatia400.5%
Brazil350.4%
Hong Kong350.4%
France300.4%
Bosnia and Herzegovina250.3%
Serbia200.2%
Turkey200.2%
Taiwan200.2%
Bangladesh200.2%
Sri Lanka150.2%
Peru100.1%
Ukraine100.1%
Ethiopia100.1%

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 data70,935100.0%
Canadian citizens67,89595.7%
Canadian citizens aged 18 and over55,43578.1%
Canadian citizens aged under 1812,46017.6%
Not Canadian citizens3,0404.3%

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% data71,265100.0%
Single responses70,27598.6%
Official languages67,82095.2%
English67,45594.7%
Non-official languages2,4553.4%
Non-Indigenous languages2,4453.4%
Indo-European languages1,6502.3%
Multiple responses9851.4%
English and non-official language(s)7951.1%
Italic (Romance) languages6700.9%
Indo-Iranian languages6650.9%
Show 81 more groups
Published groupPeopleShare
Indo-Aryan languages6100.9%
French3600.5%
Spanish2750.4%
Portuguese2150.3%
Gujarati2050.3%
Sino-Tibetan languages1950.3%
Chinese languages1850.3%
Punjabi (Panjabi)1800.3%
Balto-Slavic languages1700.2%
Slavic languages1700.2%
English and French1650.2%
Dravidian languages1650.2%
Italian1600.2%
Mandarin1250.2%
Austronesian languages1200.2%
Afro-Asiatic languages1150.2%
Semitic languages1050.1%
Arabic1000.1%
Malayalam900.1%
Hindi900.1%
Tagalog (Pilipino, Filipino)850.1%
Greek800.1%
Polish750.1%
Urdu750.1%
Austro-Asiatic languages600.1%
Vietnamese600.1%
Iranian languages600.1%
Yue (Cantonese)450.1%
Russian450.1%
Tamil400.1%
Germanic languages400.1%
Persian languages400.1%
Iranian Persian400.1%
Korean400.1%
Sign languages300.0%
Serbo-Croatian300.0%
Low Saxon-Low Franconian languages300.0%
Ilocano250.0%
Telugu250.0%
American Sign Language200.0%
Uralic languages200.0%
Bengali200.0%
Tibeto-Burman languages150.0%
Burmese150.0%
Hungarian150.0%
English, French and non-official language(s)150.0%
Croatian150.0%
Slovak150.0%
Dutch150.0%
Marathi150.0%
Nepali150.0%
Romanian150.0%
Niger-Congo languages150.0%
Chinese, n.o.s.100.0%
Turkic languages100.0%
Indigenous languages100.0%
Aramaic languages100.0%
Albanian100.0%
Serbian100.0%
High German languages100.0%
German100.0%
Afrikaans100.0%
Kurdish100.0%
Japanese100.0%
Swahili50.0%
Sign languages, n.i.e.50.0%
Tai-Kadai languages50.0%
Thai50.0%
Turkish50.0%
Multiple non-official languages50.0%
Cushitic languages50.0%
Bisaya, n.o.s.50.0%
Creole languages50.0%
Kannada50.0%
Armenian50.0%
Bulgarian50.0%
Czech50.0%
Bosnian50.0%
Ukrainian50.0%
Sinhala (Sinhalese)50.0%
Pashto50.0%

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

Is Sarnia 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 worker47%strong on work, weak on safety · range 38–56%
Skilled employee51%strong on work, weak on safety · range 42–60%
Student53%strong on cost, weak on safety · range 42–64%
Family44%strong on housing, weak on safety · range 33–55%
Retirement61%strong on air quality, weak on admin · range 50–72%
Foreign residents3,040 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.
Population72,047 people1 Jan 2021Official source · Statistics Canada — Census Profile 2021, Sarnia (Census subdivision 3538030)
Households spending over 30% of income on rent18 %11 May 2021Official source · Statistics Canada Census Profile downloads, 2021 Census of Population
Dwellings33,902 dwellings31 Dec 2021Official source · Statistics Canada
Employment rate47.6 %31 Dec 2021Official source · Statistics Canada
Median gross salary (regional)2,129 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 abroad14.8 %11 May 2021Statistics Canada Census Profile downloads, 2021 Census of Population14Official
Households32,190 households31 Dec 2021Statistics Canada8Official
Labour force participation rate54.7 %31 Dec 2021Statistics Canada8Official
Median age46 years31 Dec 2021Statistics Canada10Official

Yes — migrants can receive medical care in Sarnia 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 Sarnia?

The published population was 72,047 people in 2021. Source: Statistics Canada — Census Profile 2021, Sarnia (Census subdivision 3538030).

Is the air quality good in Sarnia?

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..

What is the unemployment rate in Sarnia?

The unemployment rate is 13 % (May 2021). Source: Statistics Canada Census Profile downloads, 2021 Census of Population.

What is the typical salary around Sarnia?

The median gross salary is 2,129 EUR/month. Source: www150.statcan.gc.ca.

How many foreign residents live in Sarnia?

3,040 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 Sarnia a good place to live?

Sarnia 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 Sarnia?

The official country of birth distribution records 8,570 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). Sarnia, Canada: rent, salary, jobs, climate [ImmigrationDB compilation; snapshot approved-static-d7ed373c115d60d0; version approved-static-d7ed373c115d60d0]. ImmigrationDB. https://immigrationdb.com/cities/ca/sarnia/ Retrieved 2026-09-12. Compilation license: CC BY 4.0, https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
BibTeX citation
@misc{immigrationdb_immigrationdb_sarnia-canada-rent-salary-jobs-climate_419f5f449c84,
  author = {ImmigrationDB},
  title = {Sarnia, Canada: rent, salary, jobs, climate},
  publisher = {ImmigrationDB},
  year = {2026},
  date = {2026-09-12},
  version = {approved-static-d7ed373c115d60d0},
  snapshot = {approved-static-d7ed373c115d60d0},
  url = {https://immigrationdb.com/cities/ca/sarnia/},
  note = {Retrieved 2026-09-12. ImmigrationDB compilation. Compilation license: CC BY 4.0, https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/},
}
Markdown citation
[Sarnia, Canada: rent, salary, jobs, climate](https://immigrationdb.com/cities/ca/sarnia/) — 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. Canadian Climate Normals — SARNIA, 1991-2020 Canadian Climate Normals · climate.weather.gc.ca · checked 2026-07-26
  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 6 more sources
  1. Statistics Canada — Census Profile 2021 (Sarnia, CSD 3538003) Statistics Canada · www12.statcan.gc.ca · checked 2026-07-14
  2. Statistics Canada — Census Profile 2021, Sarnia (Census subdivision 3538030) 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. 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.