Living in Sault Ste. Marie
In Sault Ste. Marie, unemployment is 13% (2021).
In 2021, Sault Ste. The city covered 221.7 km² in 2021. Population density was 324.6 people per km² in 2021. The unemployment rate was 13% in May 2021. Monthly mean temperatures were −9.8°C in January and 17.9°C in July.
Higher unemployment than 91% of Canadian cities that publish it, less recorded crime than 69% of Canadian cities that publish it and cleaner air than 76% of Canadian cities that publish it.
Which Canada-wide rules apply when you move to Sault Ste. Marie?
National rules stay on the country page instead of being relabelled as city data.
Housing and cost
| Metric | Value | Period | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Internet, 60 Mbps unlimited | 49.79 EUR/month | 30 Sept 2026 | Bell Fibe 500 home internet1Official · national market |
| Mobile plan, 10 GB | 24.27 EUR/month | 30 Sept 2026 | Public Mobile 50GB plan11Official · national market |
| Monthly transport pass | 50.44 EUR/month | 31 Dec 2026 | City of Sault Ste. Marie / Sault Ste. Marie Transit4Official |
| Households spending over 30% of income on rent | 16.1 % | 31 Dec 2021 | Statistics Canada13Official |
| Dwellings | 34,818 dwellings | 31 Dec 2021 | Statistics Canada12Official |
| G05 Main Residential Dwellings | 32,530 dwellings | 31 Dec 2021 | Statistics Canada14Official |
| Average monthly rent (two-bedroom) | 883 EUR/month | 31 Dec 2025 | Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation, average rents for areas with a population of 10,000 and over2Official |
Is Sault Ste. Marie 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.
Work and income
What is the typical salary in Sault Ste. Marie?
The median gross salary is about 3,568 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. the regional series (home-region basis, {period}) is a separate labelled row in the table — shown in the table below.
What is the unemployment rate in Sault Ste. Marie?
The unemployment rate is 13 % (May 2021). Source: Statistics Canada — 2021 Census Profile, unemployment rate at CSD grain18
Sault Ste. Marie 13.0%
Unemployment rate (%)
| Metric | Value | Period | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Employment rate | 47.8 % | 31 Dec 2021 | Statistics Canada14Official |
| Median gross salary | 3,568 EUR/month | 31 Dec 2020 | Statistics Canada15Official |
| Median gross salary (regional) | 2,593 EUR/month | 31 Dec 2020 | www150.statcan.gc.ca22Official |
| Unemployment rate | 13 %country median 8.4% | 11 May 2021 | Statistics Canada — 2021 Census Profile, unemployment rate at CSD grain18Official |
Public employment service
No exact public employment office is currently linked to Sault Ste. Marie. The verified national service may still offer online registration, job search or an official office finder.
Job Bank and public employment services — Public employment service
Country-level service information is not treated as proof of a physical office in Sault Ste. Marie. Sources checked through 12 Aug 2026.
Safety
How safe is Sault Ste. Marie?
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 Police5
| 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 Police5Official · county |
Mobility and administration
Language courses and integration
No exact city-level course record is currently published for Sault Ste. Marie. These verified national programmes may still apply; use the official programme page to check local availability.
IRCC newcomer language-learning services finder — State Language Course
Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada
For newcomers to Canada.
Climate and air quality
Monthly precipitation was 65.1 mm in January and 76.9 mm in July. Annual PM2.5 was 3.17 µg/m³ in 2024.
Is the air quality good in Sault Ste. Marie?
The annual PM2.5 mean is about 3.2 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: 3.17 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.7
Night-time low to daytime high
mm
Within WHO 2021 guidelineAbove WHO, within EU limitAbove EU legal limitCity annual mean · µg/m³
City values from the published air-quality observations. WHO 2021 guidelines and EU limit values are published constants.
Sault Ste. Marie 3.2
Annual PM2.5 (µg/m³)
| Metric | Value | Period | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| NO₂ — annual mean | 3.95 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.8Official |
| PM10 — annual mean | 5 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.6Official |
| PM2.5 — annual mean | 3.17 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.7Official |
| Average daytime high by month | Jan -5 · Feb -4 · Mar 1.4 · Apr 8.7 · May 16.2 · Jun 21.8 · Jul 24.2 · Aug 23.7 · Sep 19.4 · Oct 11.7 · Nov 4.8 · Dec -1 °C | 31 Dec 2020 | Canadian Climate Normals — SAULT STE MARIE A, 1991-20203Official |
| Average night-time low by month | Jan -14.5 · Feb -14.7 · Mar -9.6 · Apr -2 · May 3.5 · Jun 8.5 · Jul 11.6 · Aug 11.5 · Sep 8 · Oct 2.7 · Nov -2.5 · Dec -8.6 °C | 31 Dec 2020 | Canadian Climate Normals — SAULT STE MARIE A, 1991-20203Official |
| Average temperature by month | Jan -9.8 · Feb -9.4 · Mar -4.1 · Apr 3.4 · May 9.9 · Jun 15.2 · Jul 17.9 · Aug 17.7 · Sep 13.7 · Oct 7.2 · Nov 1.2 · Dec -4.8 °C | 31 Dec 2020 | Canadian Climate Normals — SAULT STE MARIE A, 1991-20203Official |
| Average precipitation by month | Jan 65.1 · Feb 45.6 · Mar 52.3 · Apr 71 · May 68.6 · Jun 79.3 · Jul 76.9 · Aug 77.9 · Sep 108.6 · Oct 110.5 · Nov 89 · Dec 69.9 mm | 31 Dec 2020 | Canadian Climate Normals — SAULT STE MARIE A, 1991-20203Official |
Population and city profile
How many people live in Sault Ste. Marie?
The published population was 72,051 people in 2021. Source: Statistics Canada — Census Profile 2021, Sault Ste. Marie (Census subdivision 3557061)20
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 2,095 is not 8.5% of the population. Each row names its source.
By nationality
National passport97.1%
Calculated from the population and foreign-resident facts on this page.
| Metric | Value | Period | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Area | 222 km² | 31 Dec 2021 | Statistics Canada14Official |
| City area | 221.7 km² | 2021 | Statistics Canada — Census Profile 2021 (Sault Ste. Marie, CSD 3557007)19Official |
| Foreign-resident share | 8.48 % | 31 Dec 2021 | Statistics Canada16Official |
| Foreign residents | 2,095 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.21Official |
| Population density | 324.6 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.21Official |
| Population | 72,051 people | 1 Jan 2021 | Statistics Canada — Census Profile 2021, Sault Ste. Marie (Census subdivision 3557061)20Official |
Population fell 2.2% between 2001 and 2022, from 77,370 to 75,673.
International community in Sault Ste. Marie
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 | 5,995 | 100.0% |
| Europe | 3,905 | 65.1% |
| Italy | 1,830 | 30.5% |
| Asia | 945 | 15.8% |
| Americas | 915 | 15.3% |
| United Kingdom | 715 | 11.9% |
| United States of America | 580 | 9.7% |
| Other places of birth in Europe | 495 | 8.3% |
| Germany | 345 | 5.8% |
| India | 300 | 5.0% |
| Other places of birth in Americas | 220 | 3.7% |
Show 35 more groups
| Published group | People | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Africa | 210 | 3.5% |
| China | 170 | 2.8% |
| Other places of birth in Africa | 125 | 2.1% |
| Syria | 115 | 1.9% |
| Poland | 100 | 1.7% |
| Other places of birth in Asia | 85 | 1.4% |
| Portugal | 75 | 1.3% |
| Netherlands | 70 | 1.2% |
| Croatia | 65 | 1.1% |
| Philippines | 65 | 1.1% |
| Romania | 55 | 0.9% |
| France | 45 | 0.8% |
| Hungary | 45 | 0.8% |
| Nigeria | 45 | 0.8% |
| Korea, South | 45 | 0.8% |
| Iran | 35 | 0.6% |
| Mexico | 30 | 0.5% |
| Ukraine | 30 | 0.5% |
| Brazil | 25 | 0.4% |
| Jamaica | 25 | 0.4% |
| Pakistan | 25 | 0.4% |
| Somalia | 20 | 0.3% |
| Trinidad and Tobago | 15 | 0.3% |
| Greece | 15 | 0.3% |
| Egypt | 15 | 0.3% |
| Lebanon | 15 | 0.3% |
| Taiwan | 15 | 0.3% |
| Viet Nam | 15 | 0.3% |
| Sri Lanka | 15 | 0.3% |
| Oceania and other places of birth | 15 | 0.3% |
| Colombia | 10 | 0.2% |
| Guyana | 10 | 0.2% |
| Bosnia and Herzegovina | 10 | 0.2% |
| Afghanistan | 10 | 0.2% |
| Hong Kong | 10 | 0.2% |
Largest published groups; zero-count groups are omitted. Dimensions are source-native and are never merged. Official source13
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 | 70,735 | 100.0% |
| Canadian citizens | 68,640 | 97.0% |
| Canadian citizens aged 18 and over | 56,625 | 80.1% |
| Canadian citizens aged under 18 | 12,010 | 17.0% |
| Not Canadian citizens | 2,095 | 3.0% |
Largest published groups; zero-count groups are omitted. Dimensions are source-native and are never merged. Official source13
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 | 71,235 | 100.0% |
| Single responses | 70,425 | 98.9% |
| Official languages | 68,495 | 96.2% |
| English | 68,080 | 95.6% |
| Non-official languages | 1,935 | 2.7% |
| Non-Indigenous languages | 1,930 | 2.7% |
| Indo-European languages | 1,355 | 1.9% |
| Italic (Romance) languages | 835 | 1.2% |
| Multiple responses | 810 | 1.1% |
| Italian | 640 | 0.9% |
| English and non-official language(s) | 560 | 0.8% |
Show 71 more groups
| Published group | People | Share |
|---|---|---|
| French | 420 | 0.6% |
| Indo-Iranian languages | 400 | 0.6% |
| Indo-Aryan languages | 360 | 0.5% |
| English and French | 225 | 0.3% |
| Punjabi (Panjabi) | 160 | 0.2% |
| Afro-Asiatic languages | 130 | 0.2% |
| Semitic languages | 130 | 0.2% |
| Spanish | 130 | 0.2% |
| Arabic | 125 | 0.2% |
| Dravidian languages | 100 | 0.1% |
| Sino-Tibetan languages | 90 | 0.1% |
| Chinese languages | 90 | 0.1% |
| Uralic languages | 85 | 0.1% |
| Balto-Slavic languages | 80 | 0.1% |
| Finnish | 75 | 0.1% |
| Slavic languages | 75 | 0.1% |
| Mandarin | 70 | 0.1% |
| Gujarati | 70 | 0.1% |
| Hindi | 70 | 0.1% |
| Austronesian languages | 65 | 0.1% |
| Malayalam | 60 | 0.1% |
| Portuguese | 60 | 0.1% |
| Tagalog (Pilipino, Filipino) | 45 | 0.1% |
| Germanic languages | 45 | 0.1% |
| Iranian languages | 40 | 0.1% |
| Sign languages | 35 | 0.0% |
| High German languages | 35 | 0.0% |
| German | 35 | 0.0% |
| American Sign Language | 30 | 0.0% |
| Polish | 30 | 0.0% |
| Kurdish | 30 | 0.0% |
| Tamil | 25 | 0.0% |
| Serbo-Croatian | 25 | 0.0% |
| Bengali | 25 | 0.0% |
| Urdu | 25 | 0.0% |
| Korean | 20 | 0.0% |
| Niger-Congo languages | 20 | 0.0% |
| Yue (Cantonese) | 15 | 0.0% |
| English, French and non-official language(s) | 15 | 0.0% |
| Telugu | 15 | 0.0% |
| Croatian | 15 | 0.0% |
| Ukrainian | 15 | 0.0% |
| Persian languages | 15 | 0.0% |
| Sign languages, n.i.e. | 10 | 0.0% |
| Hungarian | 10 | 0.0% |
| Aramaic languages | 10 | 0.0% |
| Aramaic, n.o.s. | 10 | 0.0% |
| Austro-Asiatic languages | 10 | 0.0% |
| Vietnamese | 10 | 0.0% |
| Iranian Persian | 10 | 0.0% |
| Swahili | 5 | 0.0% |
| Turkic languages | 5 | 0.0% |
| Turkish | 5 | 0.0% |
| Multiple non-official languages | 5 | 0.0% |
| Indigenous languages | 5 | 0.0% |
| Algonquian languages | 5 | 0.0% |
| Ojibway-Potawatomi languages | 5 | 0.0% |
| Ojibway languages | 5 | 0.0% |
| Ojibway, n.o.s. | 5 | 0.0% |
| Austronesian languages, n.i.e. | 5 | 0.0% |
| Baltic languages | 5 | 0.0% |
| Lithuanian | 5 | 0.0% |
| Russian | 5 | 0.0% |
| Serbian | 5 | 0.0% |
| Slovene (Slovenian) | 5 | 0.0% |
| Low Saxon-Low Franconian languages | 5 | 0.0% |
| Greek | 5 | 0.0% |
| Nepali | 5 | 0.0% |
| Sinhala (Sinhalese) | 5 | 0.0% |
| Japanese | 5 | 0.0% |
| Akan (Twi) | 5 | 0.0% |
Largest published groups; zero-count groups are omitted. Dimensions are source-native and are never merged. Official source13
Additional context
Alternatives for people set on Sault Ste. Marie
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.
Aurora as a Sault Ste. Marie alternative in the same country
A move, not a commute, at 475 km, better on 4 of 7 metrics measured the same way, worse on 2.
- Foreign residents: 36.8% Aurora vs 8.5% Sault Ste. Marie+333%
- Nearest airport: 39.5 km Aurora vs 15.0 km Sault Ste. Marie+163%
- Median gross pay, city: €4,357 Aurora vs €3,568 Sault Ste. Marie+22%
- Median gross pay, region: €3,094 Aurora vs €2,593 Sault Ste. Marie+19%
- Unemployment: 11.8% Aurora vs 13.0% Sault Ste. Marie−9%
- Annual PM2.5: 3.6 µg/m³ Aurora vs 3.2 µg/m³ Sault Ste. Marie+12%
- Residents: 62,057 Aurora vs 72,051 Sault Ste. Marie−14%
Alternative cities in Canada
Other cities in Canada to compare with Sault Ste. Marie, nearest in population first.
How does Sault Ste. Marie compare?
Pick a city. The answer appears here and the address bar keeps it, so the comparison can be shared; the page stays Sault Ste. Marie's.
Sault Ste. Marie in rankings
Yes — migrants can receive medical care in Sault Ste. Marie 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 guideCommon questions
Answered from the published values on this page, each with its source and date.
How many people live in Sault Ste. Marie?
The published population was 72,051 people in 2021. Source: Statistics Canada — Census Profile 2021, Sault Ste. Marie (Census subdivision 3557061).
Is the air quality good in Sault Ste. Marie?
The annual PM2.5 mean is about 3.2 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 Sault Ste. Marie?
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 Police.
What is the typical salary in Sault Ste. Marie?
The median gross salary is about 3,568 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 Sault Ste. Marie?
The unemployment rate is 13 % (May 2021). Source: Statistics Canada — 2021 Census Profile, unemployment rate at CSD grain.
What is the typical salary around Sault Ste. Marie?
The median gross salary is 2,593 EUR/month. Source: www150.statcan.gc.ca.
Is Sault Ste. Marie a good place to live?
Sault Ste. Marie 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 Sault Ste. Marie?
The official country of birth distribution records 5,995 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 29). Sault Ste. Marie, Canada: population, rent, salary, jobs [ImmigrationDB compilation; version 2a777894a67e813996971bbb7a51f90a]. ImmigrationDB. https://immigrationdb.com/cities/ca/sault-ste-marie/ Retrieved 2026-09-29. Compilation license: CC BY 4.0, https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/BibTeX citation
@misc{immigrationdb_immigrationdb_sault-ste-marie-canada-population-rent-salary-jobs_ca90eb180f44,
author = {ImmigrationDB},
title = {Sault Ste. Marie, Canada: population, rent, salary, jobs},
publisher = {ImmigrationDB},
year = {2026},
date = {2026-09-29},
version = {2a777894a67e813996971bbb7a51f90a},
url = {https://immigrationdb.com/cities/ca/sault-ste-marie/},
note = {Retrieved 2026-09-29. ImmigrationDB compilation. Compilation license: CC BY 4.0, https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/},
}Markdown citation
[Sault Ste. Marie, Canada: population, rent, salary, jobs](https://immigrationdb.com/cities/ca/sault-ste-marie/) — ImmigrationDB; ImmigrationDB; version 2a777894a67e813996971bbb7a51f90a; retrieved 2026-09-29; built 2026-09-29.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
- Bell Fibe 500 home internet bell.ca · checked 2026-09-15
- 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 — SAULT STE MARIE A, 1991-2020 Canadian Climate Normals · climate.weather.gc.ca · checked 2026-07-26
- City of Sault Ste. Marie / Sault Ste. Marie Transit saultstemarie.ca · checked 2026-09-15
- 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
Show 12 more sources
- Public Mobile 50GB plan publicmobile.ca · checked 2026-09-15
- Statistics Canada www150.statcan.gc.ca · checked 2026-08-07
- Statistics Canada www12.statcan.gc.ca · checked 2026-08-07
- 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 — 2021 Census Profile, unemployment rate at CSD grain Statistics Canada · api.statcan.gc.ca · checked 2026-07-26
- Statistics Canada — Census Profile 2021 (Sault Ste. Marie, CSD 3557007) Statistics Canada · www12.statcan.gc.ca · checked 2026-07-14
- Statistics Canada — Census Profile 2021, Sault Ste. Marie (Census subdivision 3557061) 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
- 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.