Living in Waterloo

In Waterloo, unemployment is 12% (2021).

Foreign-born residents accounted for 37.2% of the population in 2021. The bachelor’s-or-higher share was 43.6% in 2021. Annual NO₂ was 6.14 µg/m³ in 2024. The unemployment rate was 12% in May 2021. Annual PM2.5 was 3.48 µg/m³ in 2024. In May 2021, 24% of renter households spent at least 30% of income on housing.

Last checked 2026-09-2416 sources

Population129,054people1 Jul 2022Official source · Statistics Canada

Median gross salary4,058EUR/month31 Dec 2020Official source · Statistics Canada, 2021 Census Profile (98-10-0002 bulk CSD CSV, province file)

Unemployment rate12%country median 8.4% — 43% aboveOfficial source · Statistics Canada Census Profile downloads, 2021 Census of Population

PM2.5, annual mean3.48µg/m³country median 3.6 — 4% belowOfficial 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.

Higher unemployment than 83% of Canadian cities that publish it and cleaner air than 63% of Canadian cities that publish it.

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

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 Waterloo.Healthcare eligibilityCountry-wide insurance and residence conditions.

Housing and cost

What recurs every month6 published recurring costs, € per month

€ / month

Private kindergarten€793

Utilities, 85 m² flat€142

Transport pass€63

Internet, 60 Mbps€44

Fitness club€32

Mobile plan, 10 GB€25

Supplemental estimate lane; these items are not official statistics.

Metric	Value	Period	Source
Fitness club membership, monthly	31.84 EUR/month	31 Dec 2022	Global Cost of Living — Kaggle snapshot v2¹⁶Supplemental estimate · Supplemental context
Internet, 60 Mbps unlimited	44.33 EUR/month	31 Dec 2022	Global Cost of Living — Kaggle snapshot v2¹⁶Supplemental estimate · Supplemental context
Private kindergarten, monthly	793.3 EUR/month	31 Dec 2022	Global Cost of Living — Kaggle snapshot v2¹⁶Supplemental estimate · Supplemental context
Meal at an inexpensive restaurant	12.25 EUR	31 Dec 2022	Global Cost of Living — Kaggle snapshot v2¹⁶Supplemental estimate · Supplemental context
Mobile plan, 10 GB	24.64 EUR/month	31 Jul 2026	Cost of Living in Waterloo. Jun 2026. Prices in Waterloo¹⁵Commercial estimate · Supplemental context
Monthly transport pass	62.99 EUR/month	31 Dec 2022	Global Cost of Living — Kaggle snapshot v2¹⁶Supplemental estimate · Supplemental context
Basic utilities, 85 m² home	142 EUR/month	31 Dec 2022	Global Cost of Living — Kaggle snapshot v2¹⁶Supplemental estimate · Supplemental context
Households spending over 30% of income on rent	24 %	11 May 2021	Statistics Canada Census Profile downloads, 2021 Census of Population¹²Official
Average monthly rent (two-bedroom)	1,282 EUR/month	31 Oct 2023	CMHC Urban Rental Market Survey — Average Rents in Urban Centres (CSD table), October 2023¹Official

Is Waterloo 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 worker30%strong on work, weak on safety · range 21–39%

Skilled employee58%strong on work, weak on safety · range 50–66%

Student43%strong on education, weak on safety · range 35–51%

Family55%strong on family, weak on safety · range 46–64%

Retirement38%strong on air quality, weak on admin · range 27–49%

Work and income

What is the typical salary in Waterloo?

The median gross salary is about 4,058 EUR/month (2020). Source: Statistics Canada, 2021 Census Profile (98-10-0002 bulk CSD CSV, province file)¹⁴

City-scope median, gross, before tax and social contributions.

What is the unemployment rate in Waterloo?

The unemployment rate is 12 % (May 2021). Source: Statistics Canada Census Profile downloads, 2021 Census of Population¹²

Unemployment across cities in CanadaUnemployment in Waterloo is 12.0%. Of 515 cities with data, 125 have unemployment of 6 to under 8%.

125

108

0–22–44–66–88–1010–1212–1414–1616–1818–2020–22

Waterloo 12.0%

Unemployment rate (%)

Metric	Value	Period	Source
Median gross salary	4,058 EUR/month	31 Dec 2020	Statistics Canada, 2021 Census Profile (98-10-0002 bulk CSD CSV, province file)¹⁴Official
Unemployment rate	12 %country median 8.4%	11 May 2021	Statistics Canada Census Profile downloads, 2021 Census of Population¹²Official

Public employment service

No exact public employment office is currently linked to Waterloo. 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 Waterloo. Sources checked through 12 Aug 2026.

Mobility and administration

Metric	Value	Period	Source
G09 Bicycle Commute Share Pct	1.3 %	11 May 2021	Statistics Canada Census Profile downloads, 2021 Census of Population¹²Official
G09 Transit Commute Share Pct	6.5 %	11 May 2021	Statistics Canada Census Profile downloads, 2021 Census of Population¹²Official
G09 Walk Commute Share Pct	5.6 %	11 May 2021	Statistics Canada Census Profile downloads, 2021 Census of Population¹²Official
Destinations from nearest airport	2 count	13 Jun 2026	OpenFlights — routes.dat⁶Official
Nearest airport	YKF	13 Jun 2026	OurAirports — airports.csv⁷Official
Distance to nearest airport	11.5 km	13 Jun 2026	OurAirports — airports.csv⁷Official

Language courses and integration

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

Find courses near Waterloo

Climate and air quality

Is the air quality good in Waterloo?

The annual PM2.5 mean is about 3.5 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: 3.48 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.⁴

Air quality vs health guidelinesAnnual means against WHO 2021 guidelines and EU legal limits

Within WHO 2021 guidelineAbove WHO, within EU limitAbove EU legal limitCity annual mean · µg/m³

PM2.53.5WHO 5 · EU 25

PM1010.5WHO 15 · EU 40

NO₂6.1WHO 10 · EU 40

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 Waterloo is 3.5 µg/m³. Of 122 cities with data, 46 have annual PM2.5 of 3 to under 4 µg/m³.

1–22–33–44–55–66–77–88–99–1010–1113–1415–1616–1717–1820–2140–41

Waterloo 3.5

Annual PM2.5 (µg/m³)

Metric	Value	Period	Source
NO₂ — annual mean	6.14 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.⁵Official
PM10 — annual mean	10.5 µg/m³country median 10.5 — about the same	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.³Official
PM2.5 — annual mean	3.48 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.⁴Official
Climate Monthly Extreme High C	Jan 12.39 · Feb 15.29 · Mar 25.75 · Apr 24.72 · May 32.2 · Jun 35.23 · Jul 36.05 · Aug 36.47 · Sep 35.3 · Oct 29.72 · Nov 22.44 · Dec 15.99 °C	31 Dec 2001	NASA POWER / NASA Langley Research Center²Official
Climate Monthly Extreme Low C	Jan -25.9 · Feb -28.48 · Mar -25.93 · Apr -18.16 · May -4.04 · Jun 1.88 · Jul 6.36 · Aug 7.05 · Sep 1.53 · Oct -4.86 · Nov -13.88 · Dec -24.65 °C	31 Dec 2001	NASA POWER / NASA Langley Research Center²Official
Average temperature by month	Jan -6.43 · Feb -6.28 · Mar -1.12 · Apr 5.33 · May 12.23 · Jun 17.91 · Jul 21.33 · Aug 20.62 · Sep 16.77 · Oct 9.21 · Nov 2.7 · Dec -2.97 °C	31 Dec 2001	NASA POWER / NASA Langley Research Center²Official

Population and city profile

The city covered 64 km² in 2021. Population density was 1,895.8 people per km² in 2021.

How many people live in Waterloo?

The published population was 129,054 people in 2022. Source: Statistics Canada⁸

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 20,435 is not 27.5% of the population. Each row names its source.

Who lives hereResidents by nationality, % of population

By nationality

National passport84.2%
Foreign residents15.8%

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

Metric	Value	Period	Source
City area	64 km²	2021	Statistics Canada — Census Profile 2021 (Waterloo, CSD 3530016)¹⁰Official
Foreign-resident share	27.48 %	31 Dec 2021	Statistics Canada⁹Official
Foreign residents	20,435 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.¹¹Official
Population density	1,896 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.¹¹Official
Population	129,054 people	1 Jul 2022	Statistics Canada⁸Official

Additional context

Metric	Value	Period	Source
Residents born abroad	37.2 %	11 May 2021	Statistics Canada Census Profile downloads, 2021 Census of Population¹²Official
G07 Bachelors Or Higher Share Pct	43.6 %	11 May 2021	Statistics Canada Table 98-10-0387-04: highest certificate, diploma or degree¹³Official

Alternatives for people set on Waterloo

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.

Saanich as a Waterloo alternative in the same country

Better on 4 of 7 metrics measured the same way, worse on 3.

Unemployment: 6.8% Saanich vs 12.0% Waterloo−43%
Nearest airport: 21.2 km Saanich vs 11.5 km Waterloo+84%
Annual PM2.5: 2.4 µg/m³ Saanich vs 3.5 µg/m³ Waterloo−32%
Basic utilities, 85 m²: €82 Saanich vs €142 Waterloo−42%
Median gross pay, city: €3,676 Saanich vs €4,058 Waterloo−9%
Foreign residents: 22.5% Saanich vs 27.5% Waterloo−18%
A meal out: €11 Saanich vs €12 Waterloo−14%

Full comparison More about Saanich

Alternative cities in Canada

Other cities in Canada to compare with Waterloo, nearest in population first.

All Canada cities

Ajax126,666 residents Saanich125,853 residents Milton132,979 residents Brantford123,521 residents Terrebonne122,102 residents St. Catharines136,803 residents

How does Waterloo compare?

Pick a city. The answer appears here and the address bar keeps it, so the comparison can be shared; the page stays Waterloo's.

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Waterloo in rankings

#20 of 30 in Most international cities in Canada

Yes — migrants can receive medical care in Waterloo 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 Waterloo?

The published population was 129,054 people in 2022. Source: Statistics Canada.

Is the air quality good in Waterloo?

The annual PM2.5 mean is about 3.5 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 typical salary in Waterloo?

The median gross salary is about 4,058 EUR/month (2020). Source: Statistics Canada, 2021 Census Profile (98-10-0002 bulk CSD CSV, province file).

What is the unemployment rate in Waterloo?

The unemployment rate is 12 % (May 2021). Source: Statistics Canada Census Profile downloads, 2021 Census of Population.

How many foreign residents live in Waterloo?

20,435 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..

How much is public transport in Waterloo?

A monthly transport pass is 62.99 EUR/month. This is a supplemental estimate, not an official municipal measurement. Source: Global Cost of Living — Kaggle snapshot v2.

Is Waterloo a good place to live?

Waterloo 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.

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 24). Waterloo, Canada: population, rent, salary, cost of living [ImmigrationDB compilation; version 8c76ce9ad9895a16ca6fa12adbbc89cb]. ImmigrationDB. https://immigrationdb.com/cities/ca/waterloo/ Retrieved 2026-09-24. Compilation license: CC BY 4.0, https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

BibTeX citation

@misc{immigrationdb_immigrationdb_waterloo-canada-population-rent-salary-cost-of-living_ad65e97e8cd0,
  author = {ImmigrationDB},
  title = {Waterloo, Canada: population, rent, salary, cost of living},
  publisher = {ImmigrationDB},
  year = {2026},
  date = {2026-09-24},
  version = {8c76ce9ad9895a16ca6fa12adbbc89cb},
  url = {https://immigrationdb.com/cities/ca/waterloo/},
  note = {Retrieved 2026-09-24. ImmigrationDB compilation. Compilation license: CC BY 4.0, https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/},
}

Markdown citation

[Waterloo, Canada: population, rent, salary, cost of living](https://immigrationdb.com/cities/ca/waterloo/) — ImmigrationDB; ImmigrationDB; version 8c76ce9ad9895a16ca6fa12adbbc89cb; retrieved 2026-09-24; built 2026-09-24.

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

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
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
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
Statistics Canada www150.statcan.gc.ca · checked 2026-08-03
Statistics Canada www150.statcan.gc.ca · checked 2026-08-03
Statistics Canada — Census Profile 2021 (Waterloo, CSD 3530016) Statistics Canada · www12.statcan.gc.ca · checked 2026-07-14

Show 6 more sources

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 Table 98-10-0387-04: highest certificate, diploma or degree www150.statcan.gc.ca · checked 2026-07-16
Statistics Canada, 2021 Census Profile (98-10-0002 bulk CSD CSV, province file) www12.statcan.gc.ca · checked 2026-09-19
Cost of Living in Waterloo. Jun 2026. Prices in Waterloo numbeo.com · checked 2026-07-27
Global Cost of Living — Kaggle snapshot v2 Global Cost of Living · kaggle.com · checked 2026-07-27

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