Living in Whistler

In Whistler, unemployment is 17.4% (2021).

Whistler had a population of 13,537 at the end of 2022. The unemployment rate was 17.41% at the end of 2021. The foreign population count was 3,320 at the end of 2021.

Last checked 2026-09-2613 sources

Population13,537people31 Dec 2022Official source · Statistics Canada

Median gross salary (region)2,200EUR/month31 Dec 2020Official source · www150.statcan.gc.ca

Unemployment rate17.41%country median 8.4% — 107% aboveOfficial source · Statistics Canada

Recorded crime6,600incidents per 100,000country median 4,873 — 35% aboveOfficial source · Incident-based crime statistics, by detailed violations, police services in British Columbia

PM2.5, annual mean4.42µg/m³31 Dec 2024Nearest stationOfficial source · Environment and Climate Change Canada (ECCC), NAPS

Higher unemployment than any other Canadian city that publishes it, more recorded crime than 69% of Canadian cities that publish it and dirtier air than 63% of Canadian cities that publish it.

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

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 Whistler.Healthcare eligibilityCountry-wide insurance and residence conditions.

Housing and cost

Whistler counted 10,065 dwellings at the end of 2021.

No city-level rent figure is published for Whistler. The available city-level cost figures remain below.

What recurs every month2 published recurring costs, € per month

€ / month

Internet, 60 Mbps€50

Mobile plan, 10 GB€24

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 plan⁶Official · national market
Dwellings	10,065 dwellings	31 Dec 2021	Statistics Canada⁸Official
Main residence dwellings	5,597 dwellings	31 Dec 2021	Statistics Canada¹⁰Official

Is Whistler 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 worker49%strong on work, weak on housing · range 39–59%

Skilled employee53%strong on work, weak on education · range 43–63%

Student45%strong on cost, weak on education · range 34–56%

Family41%strong on family, weak on education · range 31–51%

Retirement51%strong on air quality, weak on admin · range 39–63%

Work and income

Whistler's employment rate reached 66.8% at the end of 2021. Labour force participation in Whistler stood at 81% at the end of 2021.

What is the unemployment rate in Whistler?

The unemployment rate is about 17.4 % (2021).

Unemployment rate: 17.41 % · Statistics Canada¹¹

Unemployment across cities in CanadaUnemployment in Whistler is 17.4%. 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

Whistler 17.4%

Unemployment rate (%)

Metric	Value	Period	Source
Employment rate	66.8 %	31 Dec 2021	Statistics Canada¹⁰Official
Median gross salary (regional)	2,200 EUR/month	31 Dec 2020	www150.statcan.gc.ca¹³Official
Unemployment rate	17.41 %country median 8.4%	31 Dec 2021	Statistics Canada¹¹Official

Public employment service

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

Safety

How safe is Whistler?

Police recorded about 6,600 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, police services in British Columbia³

Recorded crime across major citiesWhistler highlighted among comparable cities

recorded incidents per 100k residents

Winnipeg7,894

Edmonton7,108

Halifax6,020

Vancouver5,438

Calgary4,796

London4,743

Québec4,630

Ottawa4,298

Hamilton4,257

Toronto4,177

Gatineau3,756

Montreal3,674

Metric	Value	Period	Source
Recorded incidents per 100,000 residents	6,600 incidents per 100,000country median 4,873	31 Dec 2025	Incident-based crime statistics, by detailed violations, police services in British Columbia³Official

Mobility and administration

Metric	Value	Period	Source
Distance to the nearest major airport	3 km	3 Aug 2026	OurAirports⁵Official
Nearest major airport (IATA code)	YWS	3 Aug 2026	OurAirports⁵Official

Language courses and integration

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

Find courses near Whistler

Climate and air quality

Annual PM2.5 levels for Whistler stood at 4.4 µg/m³ at the end of 2024.

Is the air quality good in Whistler?

The annual PM2.5 mean is about 4.4 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: 4.42 µg/m³ · Environment and Climate Change Canada (ECCC), NAPS²

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

PM2.54.4WHO 5 · EU 25

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 Whistler is 4.4 µg/m³. Of 123 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

Whistler 4.4

Annual PM2.5 (µg/m³)

Metric	Value	Period	Source
PM2.5 — annual mean	4.42 µg/m³	31 Dec 2024	Environment and Climate Change Canada (ECCC), NAPS²Official · nearest-station reading
Monthly extreme high temperature	Jan 4.79 · Feb 5.21 · Mar 5.55 · Apr 11.52 · May 23.56 · Jun 30.48 · Jul 30.18 · Aug 29.58 · Sep 28.84 · Oct 22.35 · Nov 9.18 · Dec 3.8 °C	31 Dec 2001	NASA POWER / NASA Langley Research Center⁴Official · coordinate grid
Monthly extreme low temperature	Jan -29.82 · Feb -29.04 · Mar -30.02 · Apr -16.17 · May -11.4 · Jun -3.19 · Jul 1.41 · Aug -0.13 · Sep -4.52 · Oct -15.02 · Nov -31.64 · Dec -32.64 °C	31 Dec 2001	NASA POWER / NASA Langley Research Center⁴Official · coordinate grid
Average temperature by month	Jan -5.6 · Feb -6.38 · Mar -3.96 · Apr -1.56 · May 3.76 · Jun 9.26 · Jul 13 · Aug 12.81 · Sep 8.86 · Oct 2.69 · Nov -3.2 · Dec -6.88 °C	31 Dec 2001	NASA POWER / NASA Langley Research Center⁴Official · coordinate grid

Population and city profile

An area of 240 km² comprised Whistler at the end of 2021. The city had 5,595 households at the end of 2021. The population density of Whistler stood at 58.3 people per km² at the end of 2021.

How many people live in Whistler?

The published population was 13,537 people in 2022. Source: Statistics Canada⁹

Who lives hereResidents by nationality, % of population

By nationality

National passport75.5%
Foreign residents24.5%

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

Metric	Value	Period	Source
Area	240 km²	31 Dec 2021	Statistics Canada¹⁰Official
City area	240 km²	31 Dec 2021	Statistics Canada¹²Official
Foreign-resident share	24.73 %	31 Dec 2021	Statistics Canada⁷Official
Foreign residents	3,320 people	31 Dec 2021	Statistics Canada⁷Official
Population density	58.3 people/km²	31 Dec 2021	Statistics Canada¹²Official
Population	13,537 people	31 Dec 2022	Statistics Canada⁹Official

Population over time22 published observations, 2001–2022

8,771

10,776

12,780

14,785

13,53720012005200920152022

Population rose 43.6% between 2001 and 2022, from 9,427 to 13,537.

Additional context

Metric	Value	Period	Source
Households	5,595 households	31 Dec 2021	Statistics Canada¹⁰Official
Labour force participation rate	81 %	31 Dec 2021	Statistics Canada¹⁰Official

Alternatives for people set on Whistler

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.

Blainville as a Whistler alternative in the same country

A move, not a commute, at 3625 km, better on 3 of 5 metrics measured the same way, worse on 1.

Residents: 62,700 Blainville vs 13,537 Whistler+363%
Recorded crime, per 100k: 2,099 Blainville vs 6,600 Whistler−68%
Unemployment: 5.6% Blainville vs 17.4% Whistler−68%
Median gross pay, region: €2,789 Blainville vs €2,200 Whistler+27%
Foreign residents: 11.7% Blainville vs 24.7% Whistler−53%

Full comparison More about Blainville

Alternative cities in Canada

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

All Canada cities

Sainte-Marie13,523 residents Saint-Amable13,564 residents Terrace13,384 residents Thompson13,707 residents Warman13,771 residents Dawson Creek13,220 residents

How does Whistler compare?

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

Open the full comparison

Yes — migrants can receive medical care in Whistler 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.

Put Whistler's key facts on your site — a card with this page's figures and a link back, free under CC BY 4.0.

Common questions

Answered from the published values on this page, each with its source and date.

How many people live in Whistler?

The published population was 13,537 people in 2022. Source: Statistics Canada.

Is the air quality good in Whistler?

The annual PM2.5 mean is about 4.4 µg/m³ (2024) — within the WHO 2021 guideline. Source: Environment and Climate Change Canada (ECCC), NAPS.

How safe is Whistler?

What is the unemployment rate in Whistler?

The unemployment rate is about 17.4 % (2021). Source: Statistics Canada.

What is the typical salary around Whistler?

The median gross salary is 2,200 EUR/month. Source: www150.statcan.gc.ca.

How many foreign residents live in Whistler?

3,320 residents hold a foreign nationality. Source: Statistics Canada.

Is Whistler a good place to live?

Whistler 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, October 16). Whistler, Canada: population, salary, cost of living, jobs [ImmigrationDB compilation; version 9115bc5d7c869b836489a25109ea4d9c]. ImmigrationDB. https://immigrationdb.com/cities/ca/whistler/ Retrieved 2026-10-16. Compilation license: CC BY 4.0, https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

BibTeX citation

@misc{immigrationdb_immigrationdb_whistler-canada-population-salary-cost-of-living-jobs_6a8d581ec873,
  author = {ImmigrationDB},
  title = {Whistler, Canada: population, salary, cost of living, jobs},
  publisher = {ImmigrationDB},
  year = {2026},
  date = {2026-10-16},
  version = {9115bc5d7c869b836489a25109ea4d9c},
  url = {https://immigrationdb.com/cities/ca/whistler/},
  note = {Retrieved 2026-10-16. ImmigrationDB compilation. Compilation license: CC BY 4.0, https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/},
}

Markdown citation

[Whistler, Canada: population, salary, cost of living, jobs](https://immigrationdb.com/cities/ca/whistler/) — ImmigrationDB; ImmigrationDB; version 9115bc5d7c869b836489a25109ea4d9c; 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

JSON Markdown

Bell Fibe 500 home internet bell.ca · checked 2026-09-15
Environment and Climate Change Canada (ECCC), NAPS data-donnees.az.ec.gc.ca · checked 2026-08-05
Incident-based crime statistics, by detailed violations, police services in British Columbia www150.statcan.gc.ca · checked 2026-09-24
NASA POWER / NASA Langley Research Center power.larc.nasa.gov · checked 2026-08-05
OurAirports davidmegginson.github.io · checked 2026-08-03
Public Mobile 50GB plan publicmobile.ca · checked 2026-09-15
Statistics Canada www150.statcan.gc.ca · checked 2026-08-03
Statistics Canada www150.statcan.gc.ca · checked 2026-08-07
Statistics Canada www150.statcan.gc.ca · checked 2026-08-03
Statistics Canada api.statcan.gc.ca · checked 2026-08-07

Show 3 more sources

Statistics Canada www150.statcan.gc.ca · checked 2026-08-03
Statistics Canada www150.statcan.gc.ca · checked 2026-08-03
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.