Living in Yellowknife
In Yellowknife, unemployment is 5.8% (2021).
For Yellowknife, the unemployment rate was 5.8% in May 2021.
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
Supplemental estimate lane; these items are not official statistics.
| Metric | Value | Period | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fitness club membership, monthly | 64.08 EUR/month | 31 Dec 2025 | Numbeo — Cost of Living in Yellowknife (Wayback capture 20250118151653)20Supplemental estimate · Supplemental context |
| Internet, 60 Mbps unlimited | 93.11 EUR/month | 31 Dec 2025 | Numbeo — Cost of Living in Yellowknife (Wayback capture 20250118151653)20Supplemental estimate · Supplemental context |
| Private kindergarten, monthly | 519.4 EUR/month | 31 Dec 2025 | Numbeo — Cost of Living in Yellowknife (Wayback capture 20250118151653)20Supplemental estimate · Supplemental context |
| Mobile plan, 10 GB | 51 EUR/month | 31 Dec 2025 | Numbeo — Cost of Living in Yellowknife (Wayback capture 20250118151653)20Supplemental estimate · Supplemental context |
| Monthly transport pass | 46.51 EUR/month | 31 Dec 2025 | Numbeo — Cost of Living in Yellowknife (Wayback capture 20250118151653)20Supplemental estimate · Supplemental context |
| Basic utilities, 85 m² home | 327.4 EUR/month | 31 Dec 2025 | Numbeo — Cost of Living in Yellowknife (Wayback capture 20250118151653)20Supplemental estimate · Supplemental context |
| Households spending over 30% of income on rent | 15.8 % | 31 Dec 2021 | Statistics Canada10Official |
| Dwellings | 7,975 dwellings | 31 Dec 2021 | Statistics Canada9Official |
| G05 Main Residential Dwellings | 7,519 dwellings | 31 Dec 2021 | Statistics Canada11Official |
| Average monthly rent (two-bedroom) | 1,291 EUR/month | 31 Oct 2023 | CMHC Urban Rental Market Survey — Average Rents in Urban Centres (CSD table), October 20232Official |
| Average monthly rent (whole dwelling) | 1,336 EUR/month | 31 Dec 2025 | CMHC 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.
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.
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
Yellowknife 5.8%
Unemployment rate (%)
| Metric | Value | Period | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Employment rate | 74.4 % | 31 Dec 2021 | Statistics Canada11Official |
| Median gross salary | 5,392 EUR/month | 31 Dec 2020 | Statistics Canada12Official |
| Median gross salary (regional) | 4,466 EUR/month | 31 Dec 2020 | www150.statcan.gc.ca19Official |
| Unemployment rate | 5.8 %country median 8.4% | 11 May 2021 | Statistics 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.
RentUtilitiesTransportInternetMobileLeft 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 overbefore the bills this city does not publish | €2,124 |
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.
Job Bank and public employment services — Public employment service
Country-level service information is not treated as proof of a physical office in Yellowknife. Sources checked through 12 Aug 2026.
Mobility and administration
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.
IRCC newcomer language-learning services finder — State Language Course
Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada
For newcomers to Canada.
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
Within WHO 2021 guidelineAbove WHO, within EU limitAbove EU legal limitCity annual mean · µg/m³
City values from the published air-quality observations. WHO 2021 guidelines and EU limit values are published constants.
Yellowknife 18.0
Annual PM2.5 (µg/m³)
| Metric | Value | Period | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| NO₂ — annual mean | 5.57 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.6Official |
| PM10 — annual mean | 10 µg/m³country median 10.5 | 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 |
| PM2.5 — annual mean | 17.99 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.5Official |
| Climate Monthly Extreme High C | Jan -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 °C | 31 Dec 2001 | NASA POWER / NASA Langley Research Center3Official |
| Climate Monthly Extreme Low C | Jan -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 °C | 31 Dec 2001 | NASA POWER / NASA Langley Research Center3Official |
| Average temperature by month | Jan -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 °C | 31 Dec 2001 | NASA 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.
By nationality
National passport92.6%
Calculated from the population and foreign-resident facts on this page.
| Metric | Value | Period | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Area | 103.4 km² | 31 Dec 2021 | Statistics Canada11Official |
| City area | 105.4 km² | 2021 | Statistics Canada — Census Profile 2021 (Yellowknife, CSD 6101023)16Official |
| Foreign-resident share | 16.37 % | 31 Dec 2021 | Statistics Canada13Official |
| Foreign residents | 1,515 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.18Official |
| Population density | 196.8 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.18Official |
| Population | 20,340 people | 1 Jan 2021 | Statistics Canada — Census Profile 2021, Yellowknife (Census subdivision 6106023)17Official |
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 group | People | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Total - Place of birth for the immigrant population in private households - 25% sample data | 3,260 | 100.0% |
| Asia | 1,800 | 55.2% |
| Philippines | 965 | 29.6% |
| Africa | 635 | 19.5% |
| Europe | 545 | 16.7% |
| Other places of birth in Africa | 315 | 9.7% |
| Americas | 240 | 7.4% |
| United Kingdom | 200 | 6.1% |
| India | 200 | 6.1% |
| Viet Nam | 160 | 4.9% |
| Other places of birth in Asia | 125 | 3.8% |
Show 31 more groups
| Published group | People | Share |
|---|---|---|
| United States of America | 110 | 3.4% |
| Germany | 95 | 2.9% |
| Other places of birth in Europe | 90 | 2.8% |
| South Africa, Republic of | 75 | 2.3% |
| China | 75 | 2.3% |
| Somalia | 65 | 2.0% |
| Bangladesh | 65 | 2.0% |
| Pakistan | 60 | 1.8% |
| Eritrea | 50 | 1.5% |
| Other places of birth in Americas | 45 | 1.4% |
| Hong Kong | 45 | 1.4% |
| Ethiopia | 40 | 1.2% |
| Oceania and other places of birth | 40 | 1.2% |
| Syria | 35 | 1.1% |
| Korea, South | 35 | 1.1% |
| France | 30 | 0.9% |
| Netherlands | 30 | 0.9% |
| Algeria | 30 | 0.9% |
| Morocco | 30 | 0.9% |
| Jamaica | 25 | 0.8% |
| Italy | 25 | 0.8% |
| Romania | 25 | 0.8% |
| Nigeria | 20 | 0.6% |
| El Salvador | 15 | 0.5% |
| Mexico | 15 | 0.5% |
| Hungary | 15 | 0.5% |
| Iran | 15 | 0.5% |
| Bosnia and Herzegovina | 10 | 0.3% |
| Russian Federation | 10 | 0.3% |
| Taiwan | 10 | 0.3% |
| Sri Lanka | 10 | 0.3% |
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 group | People | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Total - Citizenship for the population in private households - 25% sample data | 19,910 | 100.0% |
| Canadian citizens | 18,390 | 92.4% |
| Canadian citizens aged 18 and over | 13,750 | 69.1% |
| Canadian citizens aged under 18 | 4,640 | 23.3% |
| Not Canadian citizens | 1,515 | 7.6% |
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 group | People | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Total - Language spoken most often at home for the total population excluding institutional residents - 100% data | 20,015 | 100.0% |
| Single responses | 19,345 | 96.7% |
| Official languages | 17,860 | 89.2% |
| English | 17,360 | 86.7% |
| Non-official languages | 1,490 | 7.4% |
| Non-Indigenous languages | 1,415 | 7.1% |
| Multiple responses | 665 | 3.3% |
| French | 505 | 2.5% |
| Austronesian languages | 490 | 2.4% |
| English and non-official language(s) | 485 | 2.4% |
| Tagalog (Pilipino, Filipino) | 400 | 2.0% |
Show 72 more groups
| Published group | People | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Indo-European languages | 370 | 1.8% |
| Indo-Iranian languages | 250 | 1.2% |
| Indo-Aryan languages | 235 | 1.2% |
| Afro-Asiatic languages | 170 | 0.8% |
| English and French | 155 | 0.8% |
| Semitic languages | 130 | 0.6% |
| Sino-Tibetan languages | 125 | 0.6% |
| Chinese languages | 125 | 0.6% |
| Punjabi (Panjabi) | 120 | 0.6% |
| Austro-Asiatic languages | 105 | 0.5% |
| Vietnamese | 105 | 0.5% |
| Indigenous languages | 75 | 0.4% |
| Arabic | 75 | 0.4% |
| Athabaskan languages | 60 | 0.3% |
| Northern Athabaskan languages | 60 | 0.3% |
| Mandarin | 55 | 0.3% |
| Yue (Cantonese) | 55 | 0.3% |
| Dravidian languages | 55 | 0.3% |
| Tigrigna | 50 | 0.2% |
| Bengali | 50 | 0.2% |
| Cushitic languages | 40 | 0.2% |
| Somali | 40 | 0.2% |
| Italic (Romance) languages | 40 | 0.2% |
| Ilocano | 35 | 0.2% |
| Balto-Slavic languages | 35 | 0.2% |
| Slavic languages | 35 | 0.2% |
| Spanish | 35 | 0.2% |
| Japanese | 35 | 0.2% |
| Cebuano | 30 | 0.1% |
| Germanic languages | 30 | 0.1% |
| Tlicho (Dogrib) | 25 | 0.1% |
| Malayalam | 25 | 0.1% |
| Urdu | 25 | 0.1% |
| Niger-Congo languages | 25 | 0.1% |
| Slavey-Hare languages | 20 | 0.1% |
| Satuotine Yati (North Slavey) | 20 | 0.1% |
| Telugu | 20 | 0.1% |
| Low Saxon-Low Franconian languages | 20 | 0.1% |
| Hindi | 20 | 0.1% |
| Armenian | 15 | 0.1% |
| Russian | 15 | 0.1% |
| Gujarati | 15 | 0.1% |
| Iranian languages | 15 | 0.1% |
| Korean | 15 | 0.1% |
| Shona | 10 | 0.0% |
| American Sign Language | 10 | 0.0% |
| English, French and non-official language(s) | 10 | 0.0% |
| Multiple non-official languages | 10 | 0.0% |
| Dene, n.o.s. | 10 | 0.0% |
| Amharic | 10 | 0.0% |
| Bisaya, n.o.s. | 10 | 0.0% |
| Tamil | 10 | 0.0% |
| Polish | 10 | 0.0% |
| Slovak | 10 | 0.0% |
| High German languages | 10 | 0.0% |
| German | 10 | 0.0% |
| Afrikaans | 10 | 0.0% |
| Persian languages | 10 | 0.0% |
| Iranian Persian | 10 | 0.0% |
| Sign languages | 5 | 0.0% |
| Chinese, n.o.s. | 5 | 0.0% |
| Turkic languages | 5 | 0.0% |
| Turkish | 5 | 0.0% |
| French and non-official language(s) | 5 | 0.0% |
| Slavey, n.o.s. | 5 | 0.0% |
| Inuktut (Inuit) languages | 5 | 0.0% |
| Inuktitut | 5 | 0.0% |
| Hiligaynon | 5 | 0.0% |
| Creole languages | 5 | 0.0% |
| Bulgarian | 5 | 0.0% |
| Nepali | 5 | 0.0% |
| Persian (Farsi), n.o.s. | 5 | 0.0% |
Largest published groups; zero-count groups are omitted. Dimensions are source-native and are never merged. Official source10
Additional context
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.
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 guideCommon 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
- 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
- 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 2026-08-07
- Statistics Canada www12.statcan.gc.ca · checked 2026-08-07
Show 10 more sources
- Statistics Canada api.statcan.gc.ca · checked 2026-08-07
- Statistics Canada www12.statcan.gc.ca · checked 2026-09-13
- Statistics Canada www150.statcan.gc.ca · checked 2026-08-03
- Statistics Canada www150.statcan.gc.ca · checked 2026-08-07
- Statistics Canada — 2021 Census Profile, unemployment rate at CSD grain Statistics Canada · api.statcan.gc.ca · checked 2026-07-26
- Statistics Canada — Census Profile 2021 (Yellowknife, CSD 6101023) Statistics Canada · www12.statcan.gc.ca · checked 2026-07-14
- Statistics Canada — Census Profile 2021, Yellowknife (Census subdivision 6106023) Statistics Canada · api.statcan.gc.ca · checked 2026-08-13
- 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
- www150.statcan.gc.ca www150.statcan.gc.ca · checked 2026-08-27
- 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.