Living in Shawinigan
In Shawinigan, unemployment is 7.5% (2021).
In May 2021, the unemployment rate was 7.5%.
Lower unemployment than 62% of Canadian cities that publish it, less recorded crime than 91% of Canadian cities that publish it and dirtier air than 61% of Canadian cities that publish it.
Which Canada-wide rules apply when you move to Shawinigan?
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 plan10Official · national market |
| Households spending over 30% of income on rent | 14 % | 31 Dec 2021 | Statistics Canada12Official |
| Dwellings | 27,444 dwellings | 31 Dec 2021 | Statistics Canada11Official |
| Main residence dwellings | 25,060 dwellings | 31 Dec 2021 | Statistics Canada13Official |
| Average monthly rent (two-bedroom) | 486.4 EUR/month | 31 Oct 2023 | CMHC Urban Rental Market Survey — Average Rents in Urban Centres (CSD table), October 20233Official |
| Average monthly rent (whole dwelling) | 525.7 EUR/month | 31 Dec 2025 | CMHC Rental Market Survey: average rents for areas with population 10,000 and over, table 34-10-0133-012Official · metropolitan-area figure |
Is Shawinigan 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 Shawinigan?
The median gross salary is about 2,658 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.
What is the unemployment rate in Shawinigan?
The unemployment rate is 7.5 % (May 2021). Source: Statistics Canada — 2021 Census Profile, unemployment rate at CSD grain17
Shawinigan 7.5%
Unemployment rate (%)
| Metric | Value | Period | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Employment rate | 48.2 % | 31 Dec 2021 | Statistics Canada13Official |
| Median gross salary | 2,658 EUR/month | 31 Dec 2020 | Statistics Canada14Official |
| Median gross salary (regional) | 1,983 EUR/month | 31 Dec 2020 | www150.statcan.gc.ca19Official |
| Unemployment rate | 7.5 %country median 8.4% | 11 May 2021 | Statistics Canada — 2021 Census Profile, unemployment rate at CSD grain17Official |
What does a salary buy in Shawinigan?
Take-home pay after tax, minus rent and the everyday bills this city publishes. Each line names its source.
RentInternetMobileLeft 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. | €2,137 |
| Rentaverage rent of a whole dwelling · official · CMHC Rental Market Survey: average rents for areas with population 10,000 and over, table 34-10-0133-01 · 2025-12-31 | − €526 |
| Internet€50 · official · Bell Fibe 500 home internet · 2026-09-30 | − €50 |
| Mobile plan€24 · official · Public Mobile 50GB plan · 2026-09-30 | − €24 |
| Other everyday billsnot published for this city: public transport pass, utilities | — |
| Left overbefore the bills this city does not publish | €1,537 |
Public employment service
No exact public employment office is currently linked to Shawinigan. 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 Shawinigan. Sources checked through 12 Aug 2026.
Safety
How safe is Shawinigan?
Police recorded about 3,673 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
| Metric | Value | Period | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Recorded incidents per 100,000 residents | 3,673 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
Language courses and integration
No exact city-level course record is currently published for Shawinigan. 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
Annual PM2.5 was 4.33 µg/m³ in 2024.
Is the air quality good in Shawinigan?
The annual PM2.5 mean is about 4.3 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: 4.33 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
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.
Shawinigan 4.3
Annual PM2.5 (µg/m³)
| Metric | Value | Period | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| PM2.5 — annual mean | 4.33 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 |
| Monthly extreme high temperature | Jan 4.31 · Feb 3 · Mar 21.25 · Apr 23.01 · May 29.62 · Jun 34.02 · Jul 32.68 · Aug 30.46 · Sep 29.98 · Oct 24.67 · Nov 18.25 · Dec 11.83 °C | 31 Dec 2001 | NASA POWER / NASA Langley Research Center5Official |
| Monthly extreme low temperature | Jan -42.12 · Feb -38.74 · Mar -33.68 · Apr -17.73 · May -4.47 · Jun 1.67 · Jul 6.95 · Aug 5.71 · Sep -1.63 · Oct -8.18 · Nov -22.15 · Dec -34.19 °C | 31 Dec 2001 | NASA POWER / NASA Langley Research Center5Official |
| Average temperature by month | Jan -13.43 · Feb -11.69 · Mar -5.83 · Apr 3.44 · May 11.65 · Jun 16.99 · Jul 19.78 · Aug 18.71 · Sep 14.6 · Oct 7.19 · Nov -0.1 · Dec -8.64 °C | 31 Dec 2001 | NASA POWER / NASA Langley Research Center5Official |
Population and city profile
The city covered 730.0 km² in 2021. Population density was 71 people per km² in 2025.
How many people live in Shawinigan?
The published population was 51,739 people in July 2025. Source: Population estimates, July 1, by census subdivision, 2021 boundaries (Table 17-10-0155-01)9
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 705 is not 2.1% of the population. Each row names its source.
By nationality
National passport98.6%
Calculated from the population and foreign-resident facts on this page.
| Metric | Value | Period | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Area | 730 km² | 31 Dec 2021 | Statistics Canada13Official |
| City area | 730 km² | 31 Dec 2021 | Population and dwelling counts, 2021 Census (Table 98-10-0015-01)11Official |
| Foreign-resident share | 2.12 % | 31 Dec 2021 | Statistics Canada15Official |
| Foreign residents | 705 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.18Official |
| Population density | 70.88 people/km² | 1 Jul 2025 | Population estimates, July 1, by census subdivision, 2021 boundaries (Table 17-10-0155-01) plus 2021 Census land area9Official |
| Population | 51,739 people | 1 Jul 2025 | Population estimates, July 1, by census subdivision, 2021 boundaries (Table 17-10-0155-01)9Official |
International community in Shawinigan
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 | 1,010 | 100.0% |
| Europe | 360 | 35.6% |
| Americas | 270 | 26.7% |
| Africa | 255 | 25.2% |
| France | 230 | 22.8% |
| Other places of birth in Africa | 145 | 14.4% |
| Asia | 130 | 12.9% |
| Other places of birth in Americas | 110 | 10.9% |
| Morocco | 60 | 5.9% |
| Haiti | 45 | 4.5% |
| Other places of birth in Europe | 45 | 4.5% |
Show 20 more groups
| Published group | People | Share |
|---|---|---|
| United States of America | 35 | 3.5% |
| Algeria | 30 | 3.0% |
| China | 25 | 2.5% |
| Other places of birth in Asia | 25 | 2.5% |
| Peru | 20 | 2.0% |
| Lebanon | 20 | 2.0% |
| Brazil | 15 | 1.5% |
| Mexico | 15 | 1.5% |
| Greece | 15 | 1.5% |
| Italy | 15 | 1.5% |
| Romania | 15 | 1.5% |
| Congo, Democratic Republic of the | 15 | 1.5% |
| Iran | 15 | 1.5% |
| Colombia | 10 | 1.0% |
| Jamaica | 10 | 1.0% |
| Portugal | 10 | 1.0% |
| United Kingdom | 10 | 1.0% |
| Syria | 10 | 1.0% |
| Philippines | 10 | 1.0% |
| Viet Nam | 10 | 1.0% |
Largest published groups; zero-count groups are omitted. Dimensions are source-native and are never merged. Official source12
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 | 47,640 | 100.0% |
| Canadian citizens | 46,935 | 98.5% |
| Canadian citizens aged 18 and over | 39,600 | 83.1% |
| Canadian citizens aged under 18 | 7,335 | 15.4% |
| Not Canadian citizens | 705 | 1.5% |
Largest published groups; zero-count groups are omitted. Dimensions are source-native and are never merged. Official source12
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 | 48,640 | 100.0% |
| Single responses | 48,175 | 99.0% |
| Official languages | 47,865 | 98.4% |
| French | 47,410 | 97.5% |
| Multiple responses | 460 | 0.9% |
| English | 455 | 0.9% |
| English and French | 315 | 0.6% |
| Non-official languages | 310 | 0.6% |
| Non-Indigenous languages | 305 | 0.6% |
| Indo-European languages | 165 | 0.3% |
| Italic (Romance) languages | 125 | 0.3% |
Show 33 more groups
| Published group | People | Share |
|---|---|---|
| French and non-official language(s) | 105 | 0.2% |
| Spanish | 85 | 0.2% |
| Afro-Asiatic languages | 65 | 0.1% |
| Semitic languages | 55 | 0.1% |
| Arabic | 55 | 0.1% |
| Sino-Tibetan languages | 30 | 0.1% |
| Chinese languages | 30 | 0.1% |
| Mandarin | 25 | 0.1% |
| English, French and non-official language(s) | 25 | 0.1% |
| Portuguese | 25 | 0.1% |
| Sign languages | 15 | 0.0% |
| Balto-Slavic languages | 15 | 0.0% |
| Slavic languages | 15 | 0.0% |
| Greek | 15 | 0.0% |
| Quebec Sign Language | 10 | 0.0% |
| Indigenous languages | 10 | 0.0% |
| Russian | 10 | 0.0% |
| Indo-Iranian languages | 10 | 0.0% |
| Iranian Persian | 10 | 0.0% |
| Italian | 10 | 0.0% |
| Niger-Congo languages | 10 | 0.0% |
| Sign languages, n.i.e. | 5 | 0.0% |
| Turkic languages | 5 | 0.0% |
| Turkish | 5 | 0.0% |
| English and non-official language(s) | 5 | 0.0% |
| Inuktut (Inuit) languages | 5 | 0.0% |
| Inuktitut | 5 | 0.0% |
| Austro-Asiatic languages | 5 | 0.0% |
| Vietnamese | 5 | 0.0% |
| Iranian languages | 5 | 0.0% |
| Persian languages | 5 | 0.0% |
| Romanian | 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 source12
Additional context
Alternatives for people set on Shawinigan
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.
Mascouche as a Shawinigan alternative in the same country
Better on 5 of 6 metrics measured the same way, worse on 1. Recorded crime, per 100k cannot be compared like for like.
- Foreign residents: 7.6% Mascouche vs 2.1% Shawinigan+257%
- Median gross pay, region: €2,658 Mascouche vs €1,983 Shawinigan+34%
- Median gross pay, city: €3,377 Mascouche vs €2,658 Shawinigan+27%
- Unemployment: 5.0% Mascouche vs 7.5% Shawinigan−33%
- Nearest airport: 29.2 km Mascouche vs 106.2 km Shawinigan−73%
- Recorded crime, per 100k: 2,673 Mascouche vs 3,673 Shawiniganno percentage
- Annual PM2.5: 5.2 µg/m³ Mascouche vs 4.3 µg/m³ Shawinigan+21%
Alternative cities in Canada
Other cities in Canada to compare with Shawinigan, nearest in population first.
How does Shawinigan compare?
Pick a city. The answer appears here and the address bar keeps it, so the comparison can be shared; the page stays Shawinigan's.
Yes — migrants can receive medical care in Shawinigan 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 Shawinigan?
The published population was 51,739 people in July 2025. Source: Population estimates, July 1, by census subdivision, 2021 boundaries (Table 17-10-0155-01).
Is the air quality good in Shawinigan?
The annual PM2.5 mean is about 4.3 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 Shawinigan?
Police recorded about 3,673 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 Shawinigan?
The median gross salary is about 2,658 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 Shawinigan?
The unemployment rate is 7.5 % (May 2021). Source: Statistics Canada — 2021 Census Profile, unemployment rate at CSD grain.
What is the typical salary around Shawinigan?
The median gross salary is 1,983 EUR/month. Source: www150.statcan.gc.ca.
Is Shawinigan a good place to live?
Shawinigan 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 Europe live in Shawinigan?
The official country of birth distribution records 360 people (35.6%) 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). Shawinigan, Canada: population, rent, salary, cost of living [ImmigrationDB compilation; version 97e1e0be20188172fa50375e2e3e915f]. ImmigrationDB. https://immigrationdb.com/cities/ca/shawinigan/ Retrieved 2026-10-16. Compilation license: CC BY 4.0, https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/BibTeX citation
@misc{immigrationdb_immigrationdb_shawinigan-canada-population-rent-salary-cost-of-living_b99aef322fe1,
author = {ImmigrationDB},
title = {Shawinigan, Canada: population, rent, salary, cost of living},
publisher = {ImmigrationDB},
year = {2026},
date = {2026-10-16},
version = {97e1e0be20188172fa50375e2e3e915f},
url = {https://immigrationdb.com/cities/ca/shawinigan/},
note = {Retrieved 2026-10-16. ImmigrationDB compilation. Compilation license: CC BY 4.0, https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/},
}Markdown citation
[Shawinigan, Canada: population, rent, salary, cost of living](https://immigrationdb.com/cities/ca/shawinigan/) — ImmigrationDB; ImmigrationDB; version 97e1e0be20188172fa50375e2e3e915f; 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
- Bell Fibe 500 home internet bell.ca · checked 2026-09-15
- CMHC Rental Market Survey: average rents for areas with population 10,000 and over, table 34-10-0133-01 www150.statcan.gc.ca · checked 2026-09-23
- CMHC Urban Rental Market Survey — Average Rents in Urban Centres (CSD table), October 2023 CMHC Urban Rental Market Survey · assets.cmhc-schl.gc.ca · checked 2026-09-18
- 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
- NASA POWER / NASA Langley Research Center power.larc.nasa.gov · checked 2026-08-03
- 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
- OpenFlights — routes.dat OpenFlights · raw.githubusercontent.com · checked 2026-07-14
- OurAirports — airports.csv OurAirports · davidmegginson.github.io · checked 2026-07-14
- Population estimates, July 1, by census subdivision, 2021 boundaries (Table 17-10-0155-01) www150.statcan.gc.ca · checked 2026-09-25
- Public Mobile 50GB plan publicmobile.ca · checked 2026-09-15
Show 9 more sources
- 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 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.