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Living in Yellowknife

In Yellowknife, unemployment is 5.8% (2021).

For Yellowknife, the unemployment rate was 5.8% in May 2021.

Last checked 2026-09-2320 sources

Population20,340people1 Jan 2021Official source · Statistics Canada — Census Profile 2021, Yellowknife (Census subdivision 6106023)
Median gross salary5,392EUR/month31 Dec 2020Official source · Statistics Canada
Average rent1,336EUR/month31 Dec 2025Metro-area figureOfficial source · CMHC Rental Market Survey: average rents for areas with population 10,000 and over, table 34-10-0133-01
Unemployment rate5.8%country median 8.4% — 31% belowOfficial source · Statistics Canada — 2021 Census Profile, unemployment rate at CSD grain
PM2.5, annual mean17.99µg/m³country median 3.6 — 396% aboveOfficial 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.

Lower unemployment than 82% of Canadian cities that publish it and dirtier air than 98% of Canadian cities that publish it.

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

National rules stay on the country page instead of being relabelled as city data.

Housing and cost

What recurs every month6 published recurring costs, € per month
Yellowknife recurring monthly costs, € per month

€ / month

Private kindergarten€519
Utilities, 85 m² flat€327
Internet, 60 Mbps€93
Fitness club€64
Mobile plan, 10 GB€51
Transport pass€47

Supplemental estimate lane; these items are not official statistics.

MetricValuePeriodSource
Fitness club membership, monthly64.08 EUR/month31 Dec 2025Numbeo — Cost of Living in Yellowknife (Wayback capture 20250118151653)20Supplemental estimate · Supplemental context
Internet, 60 Mbps unlimited93.11 EUR/month31 Dec 2025Numbeo — Cost of Living in Yellowknife (Wayback capture 20250118151653)20Supplemental estimate · Supplemental context
Private kindergarten, monthly519.4 EUR/month31 Dec 2025Numbeo — Cost of Living in Yellowknife (Wayback capture 20250118151653)20Supplemental estimate · Supplemental context
Mobile plan, 10 GB51 EUR/month31 Dec 2025Numbeo — Cost of Living in Yellowknife (Wayback capture 20250118151653)20Supplemental estimate · Supplemental context
Monthly transport pass46.51 EUR/month31 Dec 2025Numbeo — Cost of Living in Yellowknife (Wayback capture 20250118151653)20Supplemental estimate · Supplemental context
Basic utilities, 85 m² home327.4 EUR/month31 Dec 2025Numbeo — Cost of Living in Yellowknife (Wayback capture 20250118151653)20Supplemental estimate · Supplemental context
Households spending over 30% of income on rent15.8 %31 Dec 2021Statistics Canada10Official
Dwellings7,975 dwellings31 Dec 2021Statistics Canada9Official
G05 Main Residential Dwellings7,519 dwellings31 Dec 2021Statistics Canada11Official
Average monthly rent (two-bedroom)1,291 EUR/month31 Oct 2023CMHC Urban Rental Market Survey — Average Rents in Urban Centres (CSD table), October 20232Official
Average monthly rent (whole dwelling)1,336 EUR/month31 Dec 2025CMHC Rental Market Survey: average rents for areas with population 10,000 and over, table 34-10-0133-011Official · metropolitan-area figure

Is Yellowknife 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 worker41%strong on work, weak on safety · range 32–50%
Skilled employee63%strong on work, weak on safety · range 54–72%
Student40%strong on cost, weak on safety · range 29–51%
Family51%strong on family, weak on safety · range 40–62%
Retirement36%strong on legal route, weak on admin · range 25–47%

Work and income

What is the typical salary in Yellowknife?

The median gross salary is about 5,392 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. the regional series (home-region basis, {period}) is a separate labelled row in the table — shown in the table below.

  • Median gross salary: 5,392 EUR/month · Statistics Canada12
  • Median gross salary (regional): 4,466 EUR/month · 2026-09-17 · www150.statcan.gc.ca19

What is the unemployment rate in Yellowknife?

The unemployment rate is 5.8 % (May 2021). Source: Statistics Canada — 2021 Census Profile, unemployment rate at CSD grain15

Unemployment across cities in CanadaUnemployment in Yellowknife is 5.8%. Of 515 cities with data, 125 have unemployment of 6 to under 8%.

Unemployment rate (%)

MetricValuePeriodSource
Employment rate74.4 %31 Dec 2021Statistics Canada11Official
Median gross salary5,392 EUR/month31 Dec 2020Statistics Canada12Official
Median gross salary (regional)4,466 EUR/month31 Dec 2020www150.statcan.gc.ca19Official
Unemployment rate5.8 %country median 8.4%11 May 2021Statistics Canada — 2021 Census Profile, unemployment rate at CSD grain15Official

What does a salary buy in Yellowknife?

Take-home pay after tax, minus rent and the everyday bills this city publishes. Each line names its source.

Yellowknife median gross pay: €5,392 (Statistics Canada, 2020-12-31).
Left over each month€2,124of €3,978 take-home
  • Rent
  • Utilities
  • Transport
  • Internet
  • Mobile
  • Left 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.€3,978
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− €1,336
Public transport pass€47 · market price · Numbeo · 2025-12-31− €47
Utilities, 85 m²€327 · market price · Numbeo · 2025-12-31− €327
Internet€93 · market price · Numbeo · 2025-12-31− €93
Mobile plan€51 · market price · Numbeo · 2025-12-31− €51
Left over€2,124
Take-home pay for other salaries and households

Public employment service

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

Mobility and administration

MetricValuePeriodSource
Destinations from nearest airport18 count13 Jun 2026OpenFlights — routes.dat7Official
Nearest airportYZF13 Jun 2026OurAirports — airports.csv8Official
Distance to nearest airport3.6 km13 Jun 2026OurAirports — airports.csv8Official

Language courses and integration

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

Find courses near Yellowknife

Climate and air quality

Annual PM2.5 was 18 µg/m³ in 2024. Annual NO₂ was 5.57 µg/m³ in 2024. Annual PM10 was 10 µg/m³ in 2024.

Is the air quality good in Yellowknife?

The annual PM2.5 mean is about 18 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: 17.99 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.5
Air quality vs health guidelinesAnnual means against WHO 2021 guidelines and EU legal limits

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 Yellowknife is 18.0 µg/m³. Of 122 cities with data, 46 have annual PM2.5 of 3 to under 4 µg/m³.

Annual PM2.5 (µg/m³)

MetricValuePeriodSource
NO₂ — annual mean5.57 µg/m³country median 7.02024Official 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.6Official
PM10 — annual mean10 µg/m³country median 10.52024Official 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
PM2.5 — annual mean17.99 µg/m³country median 3.62024Official 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.5Official
Climate Monthly Extreme High CJan -0.11 · Feb 0.36 · Mar 0.85 · Apr 17.25 · May 24.41 · Jun 28.72 · Jul 30.49 · Aug 29.81 · Sep 23.4 · Oct 12.86 · Nov 1.53 · Dec -0.97 °C31 Dec 2001NASA POWER / NASA Langley Research Center3Official
Climate Monthly Extreme Low CJan -55.68 · Feb -52.56 · Mar -48.25 · Apr -35.09 · May -18.75 · Jun -0.15 · Jul 4.18 · Aug 0.45 · Sep -8.37 · Oct -24.84 · Nov -45.78 · Dec -52.51 °C31 Dec 2001NASA POWER / NASA Langley Research Center3Official
Average temperature by monthJan -29.51 · Feb -26.54 · Mar -18.49 · Apr -6.41 · May 5.9 · Jun 14.49 · Jul 17.52 · Aug 14.48 · Sep 7.1 · Oct -4.3 · Nov -20.31 · Dec -27.17 °C31 Dec 2001NASA POWER / NASA Langley Research Center3Official

Population and city profile

The city covered 105.4 km² in 2021. Population density was 196.8 people per km² in 2021.

How many people live in Yellowknife?

The published population was 20,340 people in 2021. Source: Statistics Canada — Census Profile 2021, Yellowknife (Census subdivision 6106023)17

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 1,515 is not 16.4% of the population. Each row names its source.

Who lives hereResidents by nationality, % of population

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

MetricValuePeriodSource
Area103.4 km²31 Dec 2021Statistics Canada11Official
City area105.4 km²2021Statistics Canada — Census Profile 2021 (Yellowknife, CSD 6101023)16Official
Foreign-resident share16.37 %31 Dec 2021Statistics Canada13Official
Foreign residents1,515 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.18Official
Population density196.8 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.18Official
Population20,340 people1 Jan 2021Statistics Canada — Census Profile 2021, Yellowknife (Census subdivision 6106023)17Official
Population over time22 published observations, 2001–2022

Population rose 22.2% between 2001 and 2022, from 17,776 to 21,720.

International community in Yellowknife

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 data3,260100.0%
Asia1,80055.2%
Philippines96529.6%
Africa63519.5%
Europe54516.7%
Other places of birth in Africa3159.7%
Americas2407.4%
United Kingdom2006.1%
India2006.1%
Viet Nam1604.9%
Other places of birth in Asia1253.8%
Show 31 more groups
Published groupPeopleShare
United States of America1103.4%
Germany952.9%
Other places of birth in Europe902.8%
South Africa, Republic of752.3%
China752.3%
Somalia652.0%
Bangladesh652.0%
Pakistan601.8%
Eritrea501.5%
Other places of birth in Americas451.4%
Hong Kong451.4%
Ethiopia401.2%
Oceania and other places of birth401.2%
Syria351.1%
Korea, South351.1%
France300.9%
Netherlands300.9%
Algeria300.9%
Morocco300.9%
Jamaica250.8%
Italy250.8%
Romania250.8%
Nigeria200.6%
El Salvador150.5%
Mexico150.5%
Hungary150.5%
Iran150.5%
Bosnia and Herzegovina100.3%
Russian Federation100.3%
Taiwan100.3%
Sri Lanka100.3%

Largest published groups; zero-count groups are omitted. Dimensions are source-native and are never merged. Official source10

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 data19,910100.0%
Canadian citizens18,39092.4%
Canadian citizens aged 18 and over13,75069.1%
Canadian citizens aged under 184,64023.3%
Not Canadian citizens1,5157.6%

Largest published groups; zero-count groups are omitted. Dimensions are source-native and are never merged. Official source10

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% data20,015100.0%
Single responses19,34596.7%
Official languages17,86089.2%
English17,36086.7%
Non-official languages1,4907.4%
Non-Indigenous languages1,4157.1%
Multiple responses6653.3%
French5052.5%
Austronesian languages4902.4%
English and non-official language(s)4852.4%
Tagalog (Pilipino, Filipino)4002.0%
Show 72 more groups
Published groupPeopleShare
Indo-European languages3701.8%
Indo-Iranian languages2501.2%
Indo-Aryan languages2351.2%
Afro-Asiatic languages1700.8%
English and French1550.8%
Semitic languages1300.6%
Sino-Tibetan languages1250.6%
Chinese languages1250.6%
Punjabi (Panjabi)1200.6%
Austro-Asiatic languages1050.5%
Vietnamese1050.5%
Indigenous languages750.4%
Arabic750.4%
Athabaskan languages600.3%
Northern Athabaskan languages600.3%
Mandarin550.3%
Yue (Cantonese)550.3%
Dravidian languages550.3%
Tigrigna500.2%
Bengali500.2%
Cushitic languages400.2%
Somali400.2%
Italic (Romance) languages400.2%
Ilocano350.2%
Balto-Slavic languages350.2%
Slavic languages350.2%
Spanish350.2%
Japanese350.2%
Cebuano300.1%
Germanic languages300.1%
Tlicho (Dogrib)250.1%
Malayalam250.1%
Urdu250.1%
Niger-Congo languages250.1%
Slavey-Hare languages200.1%
Satuotine Yati (North Slavey)200.1%
Telugu200.1%
Low Saxon-Low Franconian languages200.1%
Hindi200.1%
Armenian150.1%
Russian150.1%
Gujarati150.1%
Iranian languages150.1%
Korean150.1%
Shona100.0%
American Sign Language100.0%
English, French and non-official language(s)100.0%
Multiple non-official languages100.0%
Dene, n.o.s.100.0%
Amharic100.0%
Bisaya, n.o.s.100.0%
Tamil100.0%
Polish100.0%
Slovak100.0%
High German languages100.0%
German100.0%
Afrikaans100.0%
Persian languages100.0%
Iranian Persian100.0%
Sign languages50.0%
Chinese, n.o.s.50.0%
Turkic languages50.0%
Turkish50.0%
French and non-official language(s)50.0%
Slavey, n.o.s.50.0%
Inuktut (Inuit) languages50.0%
Inuktitut50.0%
Hiligaynon50.0%
Creole languages50.0%
Bulgarian50.0%
Nepali50.0%
Persian (Farsi), n.o.s.50.0%

Largest published groups; zero-count groups are omitted. Dimensions are source-native and are never merged. Official source10

Additional context

MetricValuePeriodSource
Residents born abroad16.4 %31 Dec 2021Statistics Canada10Official
Households7,520 households31 Dec 2021Statistics Canada11Official
Labour force participation rate79 %31 Dec 2021Statistics Canada11Official
Median age35.2 years31 Dec 2021Statistics Canada14Official

Alternatives for people set on Yellowknife

Nothing here reaches an argued comparison yet: no other published city shares enough metrics with Yellowknife from the same source, period and grain. What is collected is below.

Alternative cities in Canada

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

All Canada cities

How does Yellowknife compare?

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

Yellowknife in rankings

Yes — migrants can receive medical care in Yellowknife 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 Yellowknife?

The published population was 20,340 people in 2021. Source: Statistics Canada — Census Profile 2021, Yellowknife (Census subdivision 6106023).

Is the air quality good in Yellowknife?

The annual PM2.5 mean is about 18 µg/m³ (2024) — above the WHO 2021 guideline of 5 µg/m³ but within the EU limit of 25 µg/m³. 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 Yellowknife?

The median gross salary is about 5,392 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 Yellowknife?

The unemployment rate is 5.8 % (May 2021). Source: Statistics Canada — 2021 Census Profile, unemployment rate at CSD grain.

What is the typical salary around Yellowknife?

The median gross salary is 4,466 EUR/month. Source: www150.statcan.gc.ca.

How many foreign residents live in Yellowknife?

1,515 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 Yellowknife a good place to live?

Yellowknife 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 Yellowknife?

The official country of birth distribution records 3,260 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 29). Yellowknife, Canada: population, rent, salary, jobs, climate [ImmigrationDB compilation; version ef7d1478c10e1e55830dc95f06730f47]. ImmigrationDB. https://immigrationdb.com/cities/ca/yellowknife/ Retrieved 2026-09-29. Compilation license: CC BY 4.0, https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
BibTeX citation
@misc{immigrationdb_immigrationdb_yellowknife-canada-population-rent-salary-jobs-climate_8216e70a8e67,
  author = {ImmigrationDB},
  title = {Yellowknife, Canada: population, rent, salary, jobs, climate},
  publisher = {ImmigrationDB},
  year = {2026},
  date = {2026-09-29},
  version = {ef7d1478c10e1e55830dc95f06730f47},
  url = {https://immigrationdb.com/cities/ca/yellowknife/},
  note = {Retrieved 2026-09-29. ImmigrationDB compilation. Compilation license: CC BY 4.0, https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/},
}
Markdown citation
[Yellowknife, Canada: population, rent, salary, jobs, climate](https://immigrationdb.com/cities/ca/yellowknife/) — ImmigrationDB; ImmigrationDB; version ef7d1478c10e1e55830dc95f06730f47; retrieved 2026-09-29; built 2026-09-29.

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. 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
  2. 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
  3. NASA POWER / NASA Langley Research Center power.larc.nasa.gov · checked 2026-08-03
  4. 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
  5. 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
  6. 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
  7. OpenFlights — routes.dat OpenFlights · raw.githubusercontent.com · checked 2026-07-14
  8. OurAirports — airports.csv OurAirports · davidmegginson.github.io · checked 2026-07-14
  9. Statistics Canada www150.statcan.gc.ca · checked 2026-08-07
  10. Statistics Canada www12.statcan.gc.ca · checked 2026-08-07
Show 10 more sources
  1. Statistics Canada api.statcan.gc.ca · checked 2026-08-07
  2. Statistics Canada www12.statcan.gc.ca · checked 2026-09-13
  3. Statistics Canada www150.statcan.gc.ca · checked 2026-08-03
  4. Statistics Canada www150.statcan.gc.ca · checked 2026-08-07
  5. Statistics Canada — 2021 Census Profile, unemployment rate at CSD grain Statistics Canada · api.statcan.gc.ca · checked 2026-07-26
  6. Statistics Canada — Census Profile 2021 (Yellowknife, CSD 6101023) Statistics Canada · www12.statcan.gc.ca · checked 2026-07-14
  7. Statistics Canada — Census Profile 2021, Yellowknife (Census subdivision 6106023) Statistics Canada · api.statcan.gc.ca · checked 2026-08-13
  8. 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
  9. www150.statcan.gc.ca www150.statcan.gc.ca · checked 2026-08-27
  10. Numbeo — Cost of Living in Yellowknife (Wayback capture 20250118151653) Numbeo · web.archive.org · checked 2026-08-01

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.