Living in St. John's
Monthly mean temperatures were −4.2°C in January and 16°C in July. The city covered 446 km² in 2021. Population density was 247.8 people per km² in 2021. The unemployment rate was 11.5% in May 2021. 21.9% of renter households spent at least 30% of income on housing in May 2021. St.
Higher unemployment than 79% of Canadian cities that publish it, less recorded crime than 63% of Canadian cities that publish it and dirtier air than 79% of Canadian cities that publish it.
Which Canada-wide rules apply when you move to St. John's?
National rules stay on the country page instead of being relabelled as city data.
Housing and cost
No city-level rent or cost figure is published for St. John's yet. We do not infer one from another place.
| Metric | Value | Period | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Households spending over 30% of income on rent | 21.9 % | 11 May 2021 | Statistics Canada Census Profile downloads, 2021 Census of Population13Official |
| Dwellings | 54,067 dwellings | 31 Dec 2021 | Statistics Canada5Official |
| G05 Main Residential Dwellings | 49,298 dwellings | 31 Dec 2021 | Statistics Canada6Official |
| Safety City Property Crime Count | 8,410 violations/year | 31 Dec 2024 | Statistics Canada 35-10-0177-01 (incident-based crime, by CMA)11Official |
Work and income
What is the unemployment rate in St. John's?
The unemployment rate is 11.5 % (May 2021). Source: Statistics Canada Census Profile downloads, 2021 Census of Population13
Unemployment rate (%)
Public employment service
No exact public employment office is currently linked to St. John's. 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 St. John's. Sources checked through 12 Aug 2026.
Safety
How safe is St. John's?
Police recorded 6,484 incidents per 100,000 (2024). This counts all offences, so it is not comparable with a violent-crime-only rate from another source.
- Recorded incidents per 100,000 residents: 6,484 offences per 100,000 · Statistics Canada — Police-reported Crime Severity Index and crime rate, by census metropolitan area, 202416
| Metric | Value | Period | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Recorded incidents per 100,000 residents | 6,484 offences per 100,000country median 7,108 | 31 Dec 2024 | Statistics Canada — Police-reported Crime Severity Index and crime rate, by census metropolitan area, 202416Independent |
| Safety City Violent Crime Count | 4,389 violations/year | 31 Dec 2024 | Statistics Canada 35-10-0177-01 (incident-based crime, by CMA)11Official |
Mobility and administration
| Metric | Value | Period | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| G09 Bicycle Commute Share Pct | 0.2 % | 11 May 2021 | Statistics Canada Census Profile downloads, 2021 Census of Population13Official |
| G09 Transit Commute Share Pct | 5.4 % | 11 May 2021 | Statistics Canada Census Profile downloads, 2021 Census of Population13Official |
| G09 Walk Commute Share Pct | 7 % | 11 May 2021 | Statistics Canada Census Profile downloads, 2021 Census of Population13Official |
| Destinations from nearest airport | 13 count | 13 Jun 2026 | OpenFlights — routes.dat3Official |
| Nearest airport | YYT | 13 Jun 2026 | OurAirports — airports.csv4Official |
| Distance to nearest airport | 7 km | 13 Jun 2026 | OurAirports — airports.csv4Official |
Language courses and integration
No exact city-level course record is currently published for St. John's. 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 153 mm in January and 100.1 mm in July. Annual PM2.5 was 5.42 µg/m³ at the end of 2024.
Is the air quality good in St. John's?
The annual PM2.5 mean is about 5.4 µg/m³ (2024) — above the WHO 2021 guideline of 5 µg/m³ but within the EU limit of 25 µg/m³.
Annual mean at the measuring site(s) serving the city; current-day readings differ.
- PM2.5 — annual mean: 5.42 µg/m³ · Environment and Climate Change Canada NAPS — 2024 annual PM2.5 daily-mean summaries2
City values from the published air-quality observations. WHO 2021 guidelines and EU limit values are published constants.
Annual PM2.5 (µg/m³)
| Metric | Value | Period | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| PM2.5 — annual mean | 5.42 µg/m³country median 3.7 | 31 Dec 2024 | Environment and Climate Change Canada NAPS — 2024 annual PM2.5 daily-mean summaries2Official |
| Average daytime high by month | Jan -0.7 · Feb -1 · Mar 1.2 · Apr 5.6 · May 11 · Jun 15.7 · Jul 20.9 · Aug 20.8 · Sep 17 · Oct 11.2 · Nov 6.7 · Dec 2.1 °C | 31 Dec 2020 | Canadian Climate Normals — ST. JOHN'S INTL A, 1991-20201Official |
| Average night-time low by month | Jan -7.8 · Feb -8.4 · Mar -5.7 · Apr -1.9 · May 1.6 · Jun 5.9 · Jul 11.2 · Aug 12.1 · Sep 8.5 · Oct 4.3 · Nov 0 · Dec -4.1 °C | 31 Dec 2020 | Canadian Climate Normals — ST. JOHN'S INTL A, 1991-20201Official |
| Average temperature by month | Jan -4.2 · Feb -4.7 · Mar -2.2 · Apr 1.8 · May 6.3 · Jun 10.8 · Jul 16 · Aug 16.5 · Sep 12.8 · Oct 7.8 · Nov 3.4 · Dec -1 °C | 31 Dec 2020 | Canadian Climate Normals — ST. JOHN'S INTL A, 1991-20201Official |
| Average precipitation by month | Jan 153 · Feb 122.8 · Mar 140.1 · Apr 121.6 · May 98.1 · Jun 88.2 · Jul 100.1 · Aug 99.8 · Sep 125.8 · Oct 158.1 · Nov 157.4 · Dec 173.9 mm | 31 Dec 2020 | Canadian Climate Normals — ST. JOHN'S INTL A, 1991-20201Official |
Cities of a similar size in Canada
Closest published populations, for a like-for-like comparison.
Population and city profile
How many people live in St. John's?
The published population was 110,525 people in 2021. Source: Statistics Canada — Census Profile 2021, St. John's (Census subdivision 1001519)10
Calculated from the population and foreign-resident facts on this page.
| Metric | Value | Period | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Area | 446 km² | 31 Dec 2021 | Statistics Canada6Official |
| City area | 446 km² | 2021 | Statistics Canada — Census Profile 2021 (St. John's, CSD 1001519)9Official |
| Foreign-resident share | 6.98 % | 31 Dec 2021 | Statistics Canada7Official |
| Foreign residents | 7,510 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.12Official |
| Population density | 247.8 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.12Official |
| Population | 110,525 people | 1 Jan 2021 | Statistics Canada — Census Profile 2021, St. John's (Census subdivision 1001519)10Official |
| Safety City Crime Covered Population | 231,746 people | 31 Dec 2024 | Statistics Canada 35-10-0177-01 (incident-based crime, by CMA)11Official |
Population rose 12.2% between 2001 and 2022, from 101,149 to 113,468.
International community in St. John's
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 | 7,510 | 100.0% |
| Asia | 3,300 | 43.9% |
| Europe | 1,795 | 23.9% |
| Africa | 1,380 | 18.4% |
| Americas | 985 | 13.1% |
| United Kingdom | 805 | 10.7% |
| Philippines | 625 | 8.3% |
| Other places of birth in Africa | 540 | 7.2% |
| United States of America | 505 | 6.7% |
| India | 480 | 6.4% |
| Syria | 450 | 6.0% |
Show 44 more groups
| Published group | People | Share |
|---|---|---|
| China | 415 | 5.5% |
| Other places of birth in Asia | 405 | 5.4% |
| Other places of birth in Europe | 375 | 5.0% |
| Nigeria | 315 | 4.2% |
| Bangladesh | 195 | 2.6% |
| Other places of birth in Americas | 175 | 2.3% |
| Eritrea | 155 | 2.1% |
| Pakistan | 150 | 2.0% |
| France | 125 | 1.7% |
| Iraq | 110 | 1.5% |
| Colombia | 105 | 1.4% |
| Egypt | 105 | 1.4% |
| Russian Federation | 100 | 1.3% |
| Germany | 95 | 1.3% |
| Iran | 95 | 1.3% |
| Jamaica | 90 | 1.2% |
| Congo, Democratic Republic of the | 75 | 1.0% |
| Ethiopia | 75 | 1.0% |
| Hong Kong | 75 | 1.0% |
| South Africa, Republic of | 70 | 0.9% |
| Viet Nam | 70 | 0.9% |
| Lebanon | 65 | 0.9% |
| Romania | 55 | 0.7% |
| Korea, South | 50 | 0.7% |
| Oceania and other places of birth | 50 | 0.7% |
| Ukraine | 45 | 0.6% |
| Bosnia and Herzegovina | 40 | 0.5% |
| Netherlands | 40 | 0.5% |
| Sri Lanka | 40 | 0.5% |
| Brazil | 35 | 0.5% |
| Taiwan | 35 | 0.5% |
| Italy | 30 | 0.4% |
| Algeria | 30 | 0.4% |
| Trinidad and Tobago | 25 | 0.3% |
| Croatia | 25 | 0.3% |
| Poland | 25 | 0.3% |
| Turkey | 20 | 0.3% |
| El Salvador | 15 | 0.2% |
| Portugal | 15 | 0.2% |
| Somalia | 15 | 0.2% |
| Guyana | 10 | 0.1% |
| Peru | 10 | 0.1% |
| Hungary | 10 | 0.1% |
| Serbia | 10 | 0.1% |
Largest published groups; zero-count groups are omitted. Dimensions are source-native and are never merged. Official source14
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 | 107,655 | 100.0% |
| Canadian citizens | 100,150 | 93.0% |
| Canadian citizens aged 18 and over | 83,585 | 77.6% |
| Canadian citizens aged under 18 | 16,560 | 15.4% |
| Not Canadian citizens | 7,510 | 7.0% |
Largest published groups; zero-count groups are omitted. Dimensions are source-native and are never merged. Official source14
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 | 108,065 | 100.0% |
| Single responses | 106,625 | 98.7% |
| Official languages | 102,535 | 94.9% |
| English | 102,210 | 94.6% |
| Non-official languages | 4,090 | 3.8% |
| Non-Indigenous languages | 4,085 | 3.8% |
| Indo-European languages | 1,670 | 1.5% |
| Multiple responses | 1,440 | 1.3% |
| English and non-official language(s) | 1,255 | 1.2% |
| Indo-Iranian languages | 1,170 | 1.1% |
| Afro-Asiatic languages | 1,035 | 1.0% |
Show 107 more groups
| Published group | People | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Semitic languages | 995 | 0.9% |
| Arabic | 865 | 0.8% |
| Indo-Aryan languages | 845 | 0.8% |
| Sino-Tibetan languages | 615 | 0.6% |
| Chinese languages | 600 | 0.6% |
| Mandarin | 475 | 0.4% |
| French | 320 | 0.3% |
| Iranian languages | 320 | 0.3% |
| Bengali | 300 | 0.3% |
| Austronesian languages | 290 | 0.3% |
| Italic (Romance) languages | 285 | 0.3% |
| Persian languages | 275 | 0.3% |
| Tagalog (Pilipino, Filipino) | 255 | 0.2% |
| Iranian Persian | 240 | 0.2% |
| Punjabi (Panjabi) | 210 | 0.2% |
| Spanish | 200 | 0.2% |
| English and French | 145 | 0.1% |
| Dravidian languages | 125 | 0.1% |
| Balto-Slavic languages | 120 | 0.1% |
| Slavic languages | 120 | 0.1% |
| Niger-Congo languages | 120 | 0.1% |
| Tigrigna | 110 | 0.1% |
| Urdu | 110 | 0.1% |
| Yue (Cantonese) | 105 | 0.1% |
| Hindi | 85 | 0.1% |
| Russian | 70 | 0.1% |
| Portuguese | 70 | 0.1% |
| Germanic languages | 65 | 0.1% |
| Sign languages | 60 | 0.1% |
| American Sign Language | 55 | 0.1% |
| Gujarati | 55 | 0.1% |
| Malayalam | 50 | 0.0% |
| Cushitic languages | 45 | 0.0% |
| Austro-Asiatic languages | 45 | 0.0% |
| Vietnamese | 45 | 0.0% |
| Tamil | 45 | 0.0% |
| Korean | 45 | 0.0% |
| Swahili | 40 | 0.0% |
| Sinhala (Sinhalese) | 40 | 0.0% |
| Creole languages | 35 | 0.0% |
| Nepali | 35 | 0.0% |
| Kurdish | 35 | 0.0% |
| Turkic languages | 30 | 0.0% |
| Yoruba | 25 | 0.0% |
| Albanian | 25 | 0.0% |
| High German languages | 25 | 0.0% |
| German | 25 | 0.0% |
| Low Saxon-Low Franconian languages | 25 | 0.0% |
| Akan (Twi) | 25 | 0.0% |
| Turkish | 20 | 0.0% |
| Oromo | 20 | 0.0% |
| Telugu | 20 | 0.0% |
| Persian (Farsi), n.o.s. | 20 | 0.0% |
| Tibeto-Burman languages | 15 | 0.0% |
| French and non-official language(s) | 15 | 0.0% |
| English, French and non-official language(s) | 15 | 0.0% |
| Multiple non-official languages | 15 | 0.0% |
| Morisyen | 15 | 0.0% |
| Polish | 15 | 0.0% |
| Afrikaans | 15 | 0.0% |
| Scandinavian languages | 15 | 0.0% |
| Rundi (Kirundi) | 10 | 0.0% |
| Nilo-Saharan languages | 10 | 0.0% |
| Min Nan (Chaochow, Teochow, Fukien, Taiwanese) | 10 | 0.0% |
| Chinese, n.o.s. | 10 | 0.0% |
| Uralic languages | 10 | 0.0% |
| Hungarian | 10 | 0.0% |
| Bilen | 10 | 0.0% |
| Somali | 10 | 0.0% |
| Cebuano | 10 | 0.0% |
| Armenian | 10 | 0.0% |
| Bulgarian | 10 | 0.0% |
| Ukrainian | 10 | 0.0% |
| Norwegian | 10 | 0.0% |
| Pashto | 10 | 0.0% |
| Dari | 10 | 0.0% |
| Romanian | 10 | 0.0% |
| Japanese | 10 | 0.0% |
| Shona | 5 | 0.0% |
| Niger-Congo languages, n.i.e. | 5 | 0.0% |
| Nuer | 5 | 0.0% |
| Burmese | 5 | 0.0% |
| Kuki-Chin languages | 5 | 0.0% |
| Karenic languages | 5 | 0.0% |
| S'gaw Karen | 5 | 0.0% |
| Azerbaijani | 5 | 0.0% |
| Turkic languages, n.i.e. | 5 | 0.0% |
| Indigenous languages | 5 | 0.0% |
| Amharic | 5 | 0.0% |
| Aramaic languages | 5 | 0.0% |
| Aramaic, n.o.s. | 5 | 0.0% |
| Bikol | 5 | 0.0% |
| Bisaya, n.o.s. | 5 | 0.0% |
| Hiligaynon | 5 | 0.0% |
| Ilocano | 5 | 0.0% |
| Sango | 5 | 0.0% |
| Creole languages, n.i.e. | 5 | 0.0% |
| Kannada | 5 | 0.0% |
| Baltic languages | 5 | 0.0% |
| Czech | 5 | 0.0% |
| Serbo-Croatian | 5 | 0.0% |
| Croatian | 5 | 0.0% |
| Dutch | 5 | 0.0% |
| Greek | 5 | 0.0% |
| Marathi | 5 | 0.0% |
| Italian | 5 | 0.0% |
| Ganda | 5 | 0.0% |
Largest published groups; zero-count groups are omitted. Dimensions are source-native and are never merged. Official source14
Is St. John's 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.
Additional context
| Metric | Value | Period | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Residents born abroad | 11.6 % | 11 May 2021 | Statistics Canada Census Profile downloads, 2021 Census of Population13Official |
| Households | 49,295 households | 31 Dec 2021 | Statistics Canada6Official |
| Labour force participation rate | 61.7 % | 31 Dec 2021 | Statistics Canada6Official |
| Median age | 42 years | 31 Dec 2021 | Statistics Canada8Official |
Yes — migrants can receive medical care in St. John's 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 St. John's?
The published population was 110,525 people in 2021. Source: Statistics Canada — Census Profile 2021, St. John's (Census subdivision 1001519).
Is the air quality good in St. John's?
The annual PM2.5 mean is about 5.4 µg/m³ (2024) — above the WHO 2021 guideline of 5 µg/m³ but within the EU limit of 25 µg/m³. Source: Environment and Climate Change Canada NAPS — 2024 annual PM2.5 daily-mean summaries.
How safe is St. John's?
Police recorded 6,484 incidents per 100,000 (2024). This counts all offences, so it is not comparable with a violent-crime-only rate from another source. Source: Statistics Canada — Police-reported Crime Severity Index and crime rate, by census metropolitan area, 2024.
What is the unemployment rate in St. John's?
The unemployment rate is 11.5 % (May 2021). Source: Statistics Canada Census Profile downloads, 2021 Census of Population.
What is the typical salary around St. John's?
The median gross salary is 2,148 EUR/month. Source: www150.statcan.gc.ca.
How many foreign residents live in St. John's?
7,510 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 St. John's a good place to live?
St. John's 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 St. John's?
The official country of birth distribution records 7,510 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). St. John's, Canada: rent, salary, jobs [ImmigrationDB compilation; snapshot approved-static-d7ed373c115d60d0; version approved-static-d7ed373c115d60d0]. ImmigrationDB. https://immigrationdb.com/cities/ca/st-john-s/ Retrieved 2026-09-12. Compilation license: CC BY 4.0, https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/BibTeX citation
@misc{immigrationdb_immigrationdb_st-john-s-canada-rent-salary-jobs_40b6ce4ed314,
author = {ImmigrationDB},
title = {St. John's, 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/st-john-s/},
note = {Retrieved 2026-09-12. ImmigrationDB compilation. Compilation license: CC BY 4.0, https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/},
}Markdown citation
[St. John's, Canada: rent, salary, jobs](https://immigrationdb.com/cities/ca/st-john-s/) — 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
- Canadian Climate Normals — ST. JOHN'S INTL A, 1991-2020 Canadian Climate Normals · climate.weather.gc.ca · checked 2026-07-26
- Environment and Climate Change Canada NAPS — 2024 annual PM2.5 daily-mean summaries Environment and Climate Change Canada NAPS · data-donnees.az.ec.gc.ca · checked 2026-07-27
- 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
- Statistics Canada api.statcan.gc.ca · checked 2026-08-07
- 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 (St. John's, CSD 1001519) Statistics Canada · www12.statcan.gc.ca · checked 2026-07-14
- Statistics Canada — Census Profile 2021, St. John's (Census subdivision 1001519) Statistics Canada · api.statcan.gc.ca · checked 2026-08-13
Show 6 more sources
- Statistics Canada 35-10-0177-01 (incident-based crime, by CMA) www150.statcan.gc.ca · checked 2026-09-05
- 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
- Statistics Canada — Police-reported Crime Severity Index and crime rate, by census metropolitan area, 2024 Statistics Canada · www150.statcan.gc.ca · checked 2026-07-26
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