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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.

MetricValuePeriodSource
Households spending over 30% of income on rent21.9 %11 May 2021Statistics Canada Census Profile downloads, 2021 Census of Population13Official
Dwellings54,067 dwellings31 Dec 2021Statistics Canada5Official
G05 Main Residential Dwellings49,298 dwellings31 Dec 2021Statistics Canada6Official
Safety City Property Crime Count8,410 violations/year31 Dec 2024Statistics 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 across cities in CanadaUnemployment in St. John's is 11.5%. 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%7510–12St. John's 11.5%51 cities: 12% to under 14%5112–1418 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 rate54.6 %31 Dec 2021Statistics Canada6Official
Median gross salary (regional)2,148 EUR/month31 Dec 2020www150.statcan.gc.ca15Official
Unemployment rate11.5 %country median 8.3%11 May 2021Statistics Canada Census Profile downloads, 2021 Census of Population13Official

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.

Country-level information

Job Bank and public employment services — Public employment service

Government of Canada

Job SearchMigrant Support

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
Recorded crime across major citiesSt. John's highlighted among comparable cities
Recorded crime across major cities with St. John's highlighted8,922Kelowna7,953Saskatoon7,894Winnipeg7,503Regina7,108Edmonton6,867Thunder Bay6,484St. John's5,404Brantford4,743London4,142Guelph3,920Barrie3,366Saguenayrecorded incidents per 100k residents
MetricValuePeriodSource
Recorded incidents per 100,000 residents6,484 offences per 100,000country median 7,10831 Dec 2024Statistics Canada — Police-reported Crime Severity Index and crime rate, by census metropolitan area, 202416Independent
Safety City Violent Crime Count4,389 violations/year31 Dec 2024Statistics Canada 35-10-0177-01 (incident-based crime, by CMA)11Official

Mobility and administration

MetricValuePeriodSource
G09 Bicycle Commute Share Pct0.2 %11 May 2021Statistics Canada Census Profile downloads, 2021 Census of Population13Official
G09 Transit Commute Share Pct5.4 %11 May 2021Statistics Canada Census Profile downloads, 2021 Census of Population13Official
G09 Walk Commute Share Pct7 %11 May 2021Statistics Canada Census Profile downloads, 2021 Census of Population13Official
Destinations from nearest airport13 count13 Jun 2026OpenFlights — routes.dat3Official
Nearest airportYYT13 Jun 2026OurAirports — airports.csv4Official
Distance to nearest airport7 km13 Jun 2026OurAirports — 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.

Country-level information

IRCC newcomer language-learning services finder — State Language Course

Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada

For newcomers to Canada.

English, Frenchfree
National programme information is not treated as proof of a course location in St. John's.

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
Temperature through the yearAverage daytime high and night-time low, °C
St. John's average monthly daytime high and night-time low temperature, °C-10°10°20°30°JFMAMJJASOND21°-8°Daytime highNight-time low
Rainfall through the yearAverage monthly precipitation, mm
St. John's average monthly precipitation, mm045901351801531231401229888100100126158157174JFMAMJJASONDmm
Air quality vs health guidelinesAnnual means against WHO 2021 guidelines and EU legal limits
St. John's annual air pollutant levels against WHO 2021 guidelines and EU legal limitsCity valueWHO guidelineEU limit5255.4PM2.5µg/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 St. John's is 5.4 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/m³333–413 cities: 4 µg/m³ to under 5 µg/m³134–512 cities: 5 µg/m³ to under 6 µg/m³125–6St. John's 5.41 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
PM2.5 — annual mean5.42 µg/m³country median 3.731 Dec 2024Environment and Climate Change Canada NAPS — 2024 annual PM2.5 daily-mean summaries2Official
Average daytime high by monthJan -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 °C31 Dec 2020Canadian Climate Normals — ST. JOHN'S INTL A, 1991-20201Official
Average night-time low by monthJan -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 °C31 Dec 2020Canadian Climate Normals — ST. JOHN'S INTL A, 1991-20201Official
Average temperature by monthJan -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 °C31 Dec 2020Canadian Climate Normals — ST. JOHN'S INTL A, 1991-20201Official
Average precipitation by monthJan 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 mm31 Dec 2020Canadian 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.

All Canada cities

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

Who lives hereResidents by nationality, % of population
St. John's residents by nationalityBy nationalityNational passport93.2%Foreign residents 6.8%

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

MetricValuePeriodSource
Area446 km²31 Dec 2021Statistics Canada6Official
City area446 km²2021Statistics Canada — Census Profile 2021 (St. John's, CSD 1001519)9Official
Foreign-resident share6.98 %31 Dec 2021Statistics Canada7Official
Foreign residents7,510 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.12Official
Population density247.8 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.12Official
Population110,525 people1 Jan 2021Statistics Canada — Census Profile 2021, St. John's (Census subdivision 1001519)10Official
Safety City Crime Covered Population231,746 people31 Dec 2024Statistics Canada 35-10-0177-01 (incident-based crime, by CMA)11Official
Population over time22 published observations, 2001–2022
Population in St. John's by year, residents100,163104,927109,690114,45420012005200920152022113,468residents

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 groupPeopleShare
Total - Place of birth for the immigrant population in private households - 25% sample data7,510100.0%
Asia3,30043.9%
Europe1,79523.9%
Africa1,38018.4%
Americas98513.1%
United Kingdom80510.7%
Philippines6258.3%
Other places of birth in Africa5407.2%
United States of America5056.7%
India4806.4%
Syria4506.0%
Show 44 more groups
Published groupPeopleShare
China4155.5%
Other places of birth in Asia4055.4%
Other places of birth in Europe3755.0%
Nigeria3154.2%
Bangladesh1952.6%
Other places of birth in Americas1752.3%
Eritrea1552.1%
Pakistan1502.0%
France1251.7%
Iraq1101.5%
Colombia1051.4%
Egypt1051.4%
Russian Federation1001.3%
Germany951.3%
Iran951.3%
Jamaica901.2%
Congo, Democratic Republic of the751.0%
Ethiopia751.0%
Hong Kong751.0%
South Africa, Republic of700.9%
Viet Nam700.9%
Lebanon650.9%
Romania550.7%
Korea, South500.7%
Oceania and other places of birth500.7%
Ukraine450.6%
Bosnia and Herzegovina400.5%
Netherlands400.5%
Sri Lanka400.5%
Brazil350.5%
Taiwan350.5%
Italy300.4%
Algeria300.4%
Trinidad and Tobago250.3%
Croatia250.3%
Poland250.3%
Turkey200.3%
El Salvador150.2%
Portugal150.2%
Somalia150.2%
Guyana100.1%
Peru100.1%
Hungary100.1%
Serbia100.1%

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 groupPeopleShare
Total - Citizenship for the population in private households - 25% sample data107,655100.0%
Canadian citizens100,15093.0%
Canadian citizens aged 18 and over83,58577.6%
Canadian citizens aged under 1816,56015.4%
Not Canadian citizens7,5107.0%

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 groupPeopleShare
Total - Language spoken most often at home for the total population excluding institutional residents - 100% data108,065100.0%
Single responses106,62598.7%
Official languages102,53594.9%
English102,21094.6%
Non-official languages4,0903.8%
Non-Indigenous languages4,0853.8%
Indo-European languages1,6701.5%
Multiple responses1,4401.3%
English and non-official language(s)1,2551.2%
Indo-Iranian languages1,1701.1%
Afro-Asiatic languages1,0351.0%
Show 107 more groups
Published groupPeopleShare
Semitic languages9950.9%
Arabic8650.8%
Indo-Aryan languages8450.8%
Sino-Tibetan languages6150.6%
Chinese languages6000.6%
Mandarin4750.4%
French3200.3%
Iranian languages3200.3%
Bengali3000.3%
Austronesian languages2900.3%
Italic (Romance) languages2850.3%
Persian languages2750.3%
Tagalog (Pilipino, Filipino)2550.2%
Iranian Persian2400.2%
Punjabi (Panjabi)2100.2%
Spanish2000.2%
English and French1450.1%
Dravidian languages1250.1%
Balto-Slavic languages1200.1%
Slavic languages1200.1%
Niger-Congo languages1200.1%
Tigrigna1100.1%
Urdu1100.1%
Yue (Cantonese)1050.1%
Hindi850.1%
Russian700.1%
Portuguese700.1%
Germanic languages650.1%
Sign languages600.1%
American Sign Language550.1%
Gujarati550.1%
Malayalam500.0%
Cushitic languages450.0%
Austro-Asiatic languages450.0%
Vietnamese450.0%
Tamil450.0%
Korean450.0%
Swahili400.0%
Sinhala (Sinhalese)400.0%
Creole languages350.0%
Nepali350.0%
Kurdish350.0%
Turkic languages300.0%
Yoruba250.0%
Albanian250.0%
High German languages250.0%
German250.0%
Low Saxon-Low Franconian languages250.0%
Akan (Twi)250.0%
Turkish200.0%
Oromo200.0%
Telugu200.0%
Persian (Farsi), n.o.s.200.0%
Tibeto-Burman languages150.0%
French and non-official language(s)150.0%
English, French and non-official language(s)150.0%
Multiple non-official languages150.0%
Morisyen150.0%
Polish150.0%
Afrikaans150.0%
Scandinavian languages150.0%
Rundi (Kirundi)100.0%
Nilo-Saharan languages100.0%
Min Nan (Chaochow, Teochow, Fukien, Taiwanese)100.0%
Chinese, n.o.s.100.0%
Uralic languages100.0%
Hungarian100.0%
Bilen100.0%
Somali100.0%
Cebuano100.0%
Armenian100.0%
Bulgarian100.0%
Ukrainian100.0%
Norwegian100.0%
Pashto100.0%
Dari100.0%
Romanian100.0%
Japanese100.0%
Shona50.0%
Niger-Congo languages, n.i.e.50.0%
Nuer50.0%
Burmese50.0%
Kuki-Chin languages50.0%
Karenic languages50.0%
S'gaw Karen50.0%
Azerbaijani50.0%
Turkic languages, n.i.e.50.0%
Indigenous languages50.0%
Amharic50.0%
Aramaic languages50.0%
Aramaic, n.o.s.50.0%
Bikol50.0%
Bisaya, n.o.s.50.0%
Hiligaynon50.0%
Ilocano50.0%
Sango50.0%
Creole languages, n.i.e.50.0%
Kannada50.0%
Baltic languages50.0%
Czech50.0%
Serbo-Croatian50.0%
Croatian50.0%
Dutch50.0%
Greek50.0%
Marathi50.0%
Italian50.0%
Ganda50.0%

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.

Try your profile
Remote worker44%strong on work, weak on safety · range 36–52%
Skilled employee49%strong on work, weak on education · range 40–58%
Student47%strong on cost, weak on education · range 37–57%
Family39%strong on housing, weak on education · range 30–48%
Retirement53%strong on air quality, weak on admin · range 43–63%
Foreign residents7,510 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.
Population110,525 people1 Jan 2021Official source · Statistics Canada — Census Profile 2021, St. John's (Census subdivision 1001519)
Households spending over 30% of income on rent21.9 %11 May 2021Official source · Statistics Canada Census Profile downloads, 2021 Census of Population
Dwellings54,067 dwellings31 Dec 2021Official source · Statistics Canada
Employment rate54.6 %31 Dec 2021Official source · Statistics Canada
Median gross salary (regional)2,148 EUR/month31 Dec 2020Official source · www150.statcan.gc.ca
Every value keeps its source, geographic scope and verification date · Last checked 2026-09-05

Additional context

MetricValuePeriodSource
Residents born abroad11.6 %11 May 2021Statistics Canada Census Profile downloads, 2021 Census of Population13Official
Households49,295 households31 Dec 2021Statistics Canada6Official
Labour force participation rate61.7 %31 Dec 2021Statistics Canada6Official
Median age42 years31 Dec 2021Statistics 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 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 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

JSON Markdown
  1. Canadian Climate Normals — ST. JOHN'S INTL A, 1991-2020 Canadian Climate Normals · climate.weather.gc.ca · checked 2026-07-26
  2. 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
  3. OpenFlights — routes.dat OpenFlights · raw.githubusercontent.com · checked 2026-07-14
  4. OurAirports — airports.csv OurAirports · davidmegginson.github.io · checked 2026-07-14
  5. Statistics Canada www150.statcan.gc.ca · checked 2026-08-07
  6. Statistics Canada api.statcan.gc.ca · checked 2026-08-07
  7. Statistics Canada www150.statcan.gc.ca · checked 2026-08-03
  8. Statistics Canada www150.statcan.gc.ca · checked 2026-08-07
  9. Statistics Canada — Census Profile 2021 (St. John's, CSD 1001519) Statistics Canada · www12.statcan.gc.ca · checked 2026-07-14
  10. 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
  1. Statistics Canada 35-10-0177-01 (incident-based crime, by CMA) www150.statcan.gc.ca · checked 2026-09-05
  2. 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
  3. Statistics Canada Census Profile downloads, 2021 Census of Population www12.statcan.gc.ca · checked 2026-07-16
  4. Statistics Canada language_spoken_at_home www12.statcan.gc.ca · checked 2026-08-29
  5. www150.statcan.gc.ca www150.statcan.gc.ca · checked 2026-08-27
  6. 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

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.