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Living in Kemi

In Kemi, unemployment is 15.9% (2024).

At the end of 2024, the foreign population was 1,027.

Last checked 2026-09-2325 sources

Population19,402people31 Dec 2024Official source · Tilastokeskus PxWeb table 11ra: population on 31 December by municipality and year.
Median gross salary (region)3,467EUR/month31 Dec 2024Official source · pxweb2.stat.fi
Unemployment rate15.9%country median 10.6% — 50% aboveOfficial source · Statistics Finland
Recorded crime14,411incidents per 100,000country median 9,016 — 60% aboveOfficial source · statfin.stat.fi
PM2.5, annual mean5.3µg/m³country median 4.9 — 8% aboveOfficial source · FMI PM2.5 annual station statistics 2024

Higher unemployment than 90% of Finnish cities that publish it, more recorded crime than 98% of Finnish cities that publish it and dirtier air than 85% of Finnish cities that publish it.

Which Finland-wide rules apply when you move to Kemi?

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

Housing and cost

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

What recurs every month2 published recurring costs, € per month
Kemi recurring monthly costs, € per month

€ / month

Internet, 60 Mbps€30
Mobile plan, 10 GB€25
Net rent across major citiesKemi highlighted among comparable cities
Net rent across major cities with Kemi highlighted

net rent, € / m² / month

Järvenpää€16.41
Kerava€15.72
Porvoo€13.87
Riihimäki€13.02
Rauma€10.94
Kouvola€10.83
Show the other 3 cities
Kajaani€12.27
Kokkola€12.19
Kotka€12.17
MetricValuePeriodSource
Internet, 60 Mbps unlimited29.9 EUR/month30 Sept 2026DNA fixed broadband1Official · national market
Mobile plan, 10 GB24.93 EUR/month30 Sept 2026Telia Finland mobile plan16Official · national market
Dwellings10,790 dwellings31 Dec 2024Statistics Finland7Official

Is Kemi 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 worker59%strong on work, weak on housing · range 49–69%
Skilled employee58%strong on work, weak on housing · range 49–67%
Student47%strong on cost, weak on housing · range 39–55%
Family46%strong on family, weak on housing · range 37–55%
Retirement59%strong on air quality, weak on admin · range 48–70%

Work and income

What is the unemployment rate in Kemi?

The unemployment rate is 15.9 % (2024). Source: Statistics Finland9

Unemployment across cities in FinlandUnemployment in Kemi is 15.9%. Of 144 cities with data, 36 have unemployment of 8 to under 10%.

Unemployment rate (%)

MetricValuePeriodSource
People in employment6,814 people31 Dec 2024Statistics Finland8Official
Employment rate66.6 %31 Dec 2024Statistics Finland7Official
Median gross salary (regional)3,467 EUR/month31 Dec 2024pxweb2.stat.fi5Official
Unemployment rate15.9 %country median 10.6%31 Dec 2024Statistics Finland9Official

Public employment service

No exact public employment office is currently linked to Kemi. The verified national service may still offer online registration, job search or an official office finder.

Country-level information

Job Market Finland — Public employment service

Finnish public employment services

Job SearchRegistration

Country-level service information is not treated as proof of a physical office in Kemi. Sources checked through 10 Aug 2026.

Family and education

MetricValuePeriodSource
Residents with high school education or higher72.9 %31 Dec 2024Statistics Finland7Official

School for children who move here. School is compulsory from age 6 to 18, and public school is free. Newly arrived pupils get support in the school language: suomi/ruotsi toisena kielenä (S2) + valmistava opetus (preparatory education) + mother-tongue subsidies. How to enrol a child (oph.fi).

A country-wide rule for Finland; Kemi's school authority applies it locally.

Sources: eurydice.eacea.ec.europa.eu · 2025–2026.

Safety

How safe is Kemi?

Police recorded about 14,411 incidents per 100,000 (2024). This counts all offences, so it is not comparable with a violent-crime-only rate from another source. Source: statfin.stat.fi6

Recorded crime across major citiesKemi highlighted among comparable cities
Recorded crime across major cities with Kemi highlighted

recorded incidents per 100k residents

Kemi14,411
Vantaa13,982
Helsinki12,307
Turku11,977
Kouvola10,948
Tampere10,243
Lahti9,882
Jyväskylä9,685
Kuopio9,025
Joensuu9,008
Oulu8,794
Espoo7,549
MetricValuePeriodSource
Recorded incidents per 100,000 residents14,411 incidents per 100,000country median 9,01631 Dec 2024statfin.stat.fi6Official

Mobility and administration

The nearest airport was KEM, 5.1 km away, with 1 listed destinations in June 2026.

MetricValuePeriodSource
Destinations from nearest airport1 count13 Jun 2026OpenFlights — routes.dat3Official
Nearest airportKEM13 Jun 2026OurAirports — airports.csv4Official
Distance to nearest airport5.1 km13 Jun 2026OurAirports — airports.csv4Official

Language courses and integration

No exact city-level course record is currently published for Kemi. These verified national programmes may still apply; use the official programme page to check local availability.

Country-level information

Municipal integration services and integration training — Integration course

Municipalities and employment services in Finland

For immigrants needing an integration plan.

Finnish, SwedishIn Person, Online
National programme information is not treated as proof of a course location in Kemi.

Find courses near Kemi

Climate and air quality

Is the air quality good in Kemi?

The annual PM2.5 mean is 5.3 µg/m³ (2024) — above the WHO 2021 guideline of 5 µg/m³ but within the EU limit of 25 µg/m³. Source: FMI PM2.5 annual station statistics 20242

Annual mean at the measuring site(s) serving the city; current-day readings differ.

Temperature through the yearAverage daytime high and night-time low, °C
Rainfall through the yearAverage monthly precipitation, mm
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 FinlandAnnual PM2.5 in Kemi is 5.3 µg/m³. Of 39 cities with data, 16 have annual PM2.5 of 5 to under 6 µg/m³.

Annual PM2.5 (µg/m³)

MetricValuePeriodSource
PM2.5 — annual mean5.3 µg/m³country median 4.931 Dec 2024FMI PM2.5 annual station statistics 20242Official
Average daytime high by monthJan -5.7 · Feb -5.7 · Mar -0.9 · Apr 4.4 · May 11.4 · Jun 17.2 · Jul 20.6 · Aug 18 · Sep 12.6 · Oct 5.2 · Nov 0.3 · Dec -3 °C31 Dec 1991World Meteorological Organization / NOAA NCEI17Official
Average night-time low by monthJan -14.1 · Feb -14.4 · Mar -10.3 · Apr -3.9 · May 1.5 · Jun 7.3 · Jul 11 · Aug 9.1 · Sep 4.7 · Oct -1 · Nov -5.5 · Dec -10.4 °C31 Dec 1991World Meteorological Organization / NOAA NCEI18Official
Average temperature by monthJan -9.6 · Feb -9.7 · Mar -5.4 · Apr 0.4 · May 6.8 · Jun 12.8 · Jul 16 · Aug 13.9 · Sep 8.8 · Oct 2.4 · Nov -2.6 · Dec -6.6 °C31 Dec 1991World Meteorological Organization / NOAA NCEI19Official
Average precipitation by monthJan 52.1 · Feb 43 · Mar 37.1 · Apr 32.5 · May 44.8 · Jun 50.7 · Jul 63.2 · Aug 60.8 · Sep 61.9 · Oct 61.2 · Nov 66.8 · Dec 58.3 mm31 Dec 1991World Meteorological Organization / NOAA NCEI20Official

Similar climate. In Finland: Oulu ±1.2 °C. Elsewhere: Jönköping (Sweden) ±4.3 °C, Gatineau (Canada) ±4.8 °C, Barrie (Canada) ±4.9 °C, Huddinge (Sweden) ±4.2 °C, Tartu linn (Estonia) ±4.4 °C. Twenty closest, compared month by month

Monthly highs and lows against the 1991–2020 station normals of the nearest station; ± is the average monthly difference.

Population and city profile

How many people live in Kemi?

The published population was 19,402 people in 2024. Source: Tilastokeskus PxWeb table 11ra: population on 31 December by municipality and year.14

Who lives hereResidents by nationality, % of population

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

MetricValuePeriodSource
City area95.38 km²1 Jan 2024www.maanmittauslaitos.fi21Official
Foreign-resident share5.6 %31 Dec 2025Statistics Finland7Official
Foreign residents1,027 people31 Dec 2024Statistics Finland official municipality key figures (11ra)14Official
Population density203.4 people/km²31 Dec 2024Statistics Finland official municipality key figures (11ra)14Official
Population19,402 people31 Dec 2024Tilastokeskus PxWeb table 11ra: population on 31 December by municipality and year.14Official
Population covered by crime statistics19,339 people31 Dec 2025Statistics Finland StatFin vaerak/11ra (Key figures on population)15Official

People and communities

MetricValuePeriodSource
No religion or other, share36.9 %31 Dec 2025Statistics Finland10Official

International community in Kemi

Named groups from exact city-grain official distributions. Citizenship, birthplace, language and ancestry answer different questions and stay separate.

Country of birth

Population at the end of the statistical reference period; Statistics Finland population structure; total sex · 2025

Published groupPeopleShare
TOTAL19,339100.0%
Finland17,73691.7%
FOREIGN COUNTRIES, TOTAL1,6038.3%
EUROPE7694.0%
ASIA5873.0%
Sweden2391.2%
Myanmar1951.0%
Former Soviet Union1921.0%
AFRICA1891.0%
Ukraine1110.6%
Thailand930.5%
Show 22 more groups
Published groupPeopleShare
Russia560.3%
Zambia550.3%
Syria500.3%
Nepal420.2%
Somalia340.2%
Democratic Republic of the Congo330.2%
Iraq330.2%
Unknown330.2%
Estonia320.2%
Philippines310.2%
Sri Lanka280.1%
Nigeria260.1%
Turkey260.1%
AMERICA250.1%
Vietnam210.1%
Afghanistan190.1%
China180.1%
Iran150.1%
Norway130.1%
Bangladesh120.1%
United States110.1%
Germany100.1%

Largest published groups; zero-count groups are omitted. Dimensions are source-native and are never merged. Official source12

Citizenship

Population at the end of the statistical reference period; Statistics Finland population structure; total sex · 2025

Published groupPeopleShare
TOTAL19,339100.0%
Finland18,24894.4%
FOREIGN COUNTRIES, TOTAL1,0915.6%
EUROPE4732.4%
ASIA4002.1%
Ukraine2321.2%
AFRICA1951.0%
Myanmar1200.6%
Democratic Republic of the Congo920.5%
Sweden520.3%
Syria470.2%
Show 19 more groups
Published groupPeopleShare
Russia460.2%
Nepal420.2%
Somalia410.2%
Estonia320.2%
Sri Lanka290.1%
Thailand290.1%
Philippines280.1%
Iraq270.1%
Nigeria240.1%
Latvia180.1%
Turkey180.1%
AMERICA160.1%
China150.1%
Afghanistan120.1%
Bangladesh120.1%
Vietnam110.1%
Zimbabwe110.1%
Poland100.1%
OCEANIA10.0%

Largest published groups; zero-count groups are omitted. Dimensions are source-native and are never merged. Official source11

Language spoken at home

Population at the end of the statistical reference period; Statistics Finland population structure; total sex · 2025

Published groupPeopleShare
Total19,339100.0%
NATIONAL LANGUAGES, TOTAL17,89292.5%
Finnish17,85892.3%
FOREIGN LANGUAGES, TOTAL1,4477.5%
Other language2171.1%
Ukrainian1981.0%
Russian1780.9%
Arabic920.5%
Burmese920.5%
Swahili760.4%
Somali470.2%
Show 21 more groups
Published groupPeopleShare
English450.2%
Thai440.2%
Nepali410.2%
Persian, Farsi380.2%
Estonian350.2%
Swedish310.2%
Tagalog280.1%
Turkish250.1%
Sinhala; Sinhalese240.1%
Vietnamese240.1%
Kurdish180.1%
Albanian180.1%
Chinese160.1%
Latvian130.1%
Bengali, (Bangla)120.1%
Yoruba120.1%
Bulgarian100.1%
German100.1%
Spanish; Castilian100.1%
Polish100.1%
Kinyarwanda100.1%

Largest published groups; zero-count groups are omitted. Dimensions are source-native and are never merged. Official source13

Additional context

MetricValuePeriodSource
Residents with a bachelor's degree or higher25.2 %31 Dec 2024Statistics Finland7Official
Households10,790 households31 Dec 2024Statistics Finland8Official
Residents with a migration background7.8 %31 Dec 2025Statistics Finland10Official

Alternatives for people set on Kemi

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.

Tornio as a Kemi alternative in the same region

23 km away, better on 2 of 6 metrics measured the same way, worse on 2.

  • Nearest airport: 21.5 km Tornio vs 5.1 km Kemi+322%
  • Unemployment: 9.5% Tornio vs 15.9% Kemi−40%
  • Recorded crime, per 100k: 11,885 Tornio vs 14,411 Kemi−18%
  • Foreign residents: 4.0% Tornio vs 5.6% Kemi−29%
  • Residents: 20,959 Tornio vs 19,402 Kemi+8%
  • Median gross pay, region: €3,467 Tornio vs €3,467 Kemisame level

Kotka as a Kemi alternative in the same country

A move, not a commute, at 598 km, better on 2 of 7 metrics measured the same way, worse on 2.

  • Nearest airport: 91.5 km Kotka vs 5.1 km Kemi+1694%
  • Residents: 50,210 Kotka vs 19,402 Kemi+159%
  • Recorded crime, per 100k: 10,177 Kotka vs 14,411 Kemi−29%
  • Foreign residents: 7.1% Kotka vs 5.6% Kemi+27%
  • Annual PM2.5: 5.6 µg/m³ Kotka vs 5.3 µg/m³ Kemi+5%
  • Median gross pay, region: €3,547 Kotka vs €3,467 Kemisame level
  • Unemployment: 16.0% Kotka vs 15.9% Kemisame level

Cities near Kemi

Published cities within 25 km, nearest first. Distances are straight-line.

Haparanda Sweden · 23.2 km away
Rent
9.02 EUR/m²/monthAverage net rent (nettokalt) · 2025-12-31

Alternative cities in Finland

Other cities in Finland to compare with Kemi, nearest in population first.

All Finland cities

How does Kemi compare?

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

Yes — migrants can receive medical care in Kemi 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 Kemi?

The published population was 19,402 people in 2024. Source: Tilastokeskus PxWeb table 11ra: population on 31 December by municipality and year..

Is the air quality good in Kemi?

The annual PM2.5 mean is 5.3 µg/m³ (2024) — above the WHO 2021 guideline of 5 µg/m³ but within the EU limit of 25 µg/m³. Source: FMI PM2.5 annual station statistics 2024.

How safe is Kemi?

Police recorded about 14,411 incidents per 100,000 (2024). This counts all offences, so it is not comparable with a violent-crime-only rate from another source. Source: statfin.stat.fi.

What is the unemployment rate in Kemi?

The unemployment rate is 15.9 % (2024). Source: Statistics Finland.

What is the typical salary around Kemi?

The median gross salary is 3,467 EUR/month. Source: pxweb2.stat.fi.

How many foreign residents live in Kemi?

1,027 residents hold a foreign nationality. Source: Statistics Finland official municipality key figures (11ra).

Is Kemi a good place to live?

Kemi 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.

Which cities are near Kemi?

Tornio, Haparanda are near Kemi. Typed relationship labels are shown where published; other rows use straight-line distance from admitted coordinates.

How many people born in Finland live in Kemi?

The official country of birth distribution records 17,736 people (91.7%) in the source-defined population for 2025. 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, October 16). Kemi, Finland: population, salary, cost of living, jobs [ImmigrationDB compilation; version 90dce687a30aebf572fa9453b29f1edb]. ImmigrationDB. https://immigrationdb.com/cities/fi/kemi/ Retrieved 2026-10-16. Compilation license: CC BY 4.0, https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
BibTeX citation
@misc{immigrationdb_immigrationdb_kemi-finland-population-salary-cost-of-living-jobs_9081e2cf2ef8,
  author = {ImmigrationDB},
  title = {Kemi, Finland: population, salary, cost of living, jobs},
  publisher = {ImmigrationDB},
  year = {2026},
  date = {2026-10-16},
  version = {90dce687a30aebf572fa9453b29f1edb},
  url = {https://immigrationdb.com/cities/fi/kemi/},
  note = {Retrieved 2026-10-16. ImmigrationDB compilation. Compilation license: CC BY 4.0, https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/},
}
Markdown citation
[Kemi, Finland: population, salary, cost of living, jobs](https://immigrationdb.com/cities/fi/kemi/) — ImmigrationDB; ImmigrationDB; version 90dce687a30aebf572fa9453b29f1edb; 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
  1. DNA fixed broadband dna.fi · checked 2026-09-15
  2. FMI PM2.5 annual station statistics 2024 assets.ctfassets.net · checked 2026-09-23
  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. pxweb2.stat.fi pxweb2.stat.fi · checked 2026-08-27
  6. statfin.stat.fi statfin.stat.fi · checked 2026-08-26
  7. Statistics Finland pxweb2.stat.fi · checked 2026-08-07
  8. Statistics Finland pxweb2.stat.fi · checked 2026-08-07
  9. Statistics Finland pxdata.stat.fi · checked 2026-08-05
  10. Statistics Finland pxweb2.stat.fi · checked 2026-08-07
Show 15 more sources
  1. Statistics Finland citizenship distribution pxdata.stat.fi · checked 2026-08-28
  2. Statistics Finland country of birth distribution pxdata.stat.fi · checked 2026-08-28
  3. Statistics Finland language spoken at home distribution pxdata.stat.fi · checked 2026-08-28
  4. Statistics Finland official municipality key figures (11ra) pxdata.stat.fi · checked 2026-07-14
  5. Statistics Finland StatFin vaerak/11ra (Key figures on population) statfin.stat.fi · checked 2026-09-05
  6. Telia Finland mobile plan telia.fi · checked 2026-09-15
  7. World Meteorological Organization / NOAA NCEI nodc.noaa.gov · checked 2026-08-03
  8. World Meteorological Organization / NOAA NCEI nodc.noaa.gov · checked 2026-08-03
  9. World Meteorological Organization / NOAA NCEI nodc.noaa.gov · checked 2026-08-03
  10. World Meteorological Organization / NOAA NCEI nodc.noaa.gov · checked 2026-08-03
  11. www.maanmittauslaitos.fi maanmittauslaitos.fi · checked 2026-07-14
  12. www.statistikdatabasen.scb.se statistikdatabasen.scb.se · checked 2026-08-11
  13. Coordinate identity evidence wikidata.org · checked 2026-09-06
  14. Coordinate identity evidence wikidata.org · checked 2026-09-06
  15. Coordinate identity evidence wikidata.org · checked 2026-09-06

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.