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Official Canadian Data

Northwest, Ontario

Economic region · Population 251,871
15 Sources Updated July 13, 2026
251,871
Population
$79,118
Median Income (CAD)
$84,000 national
4.5%
Unemployment
$1,197B
Provincial GDP (CAD)
107,300
Total Employment
27%
Bachelor's+
25% national
Community Data / Canada / Ontario / Northwest

Demographics & Population

Statistics Canada · 2021 Census of Population

Household Income

Source: Statistics Canada · 2021 Census of Population
Median Household Income
$79,118
Poverty Rate (LIM-AT)
12.7%
Low Income Measure, after tax · Ontario 2024 · Canada: 12.5%
Median Income Comparison (CAD)
Northwest$79,118
National$84,000

Community Snapshot

Source: Statistics Canada · 2021 Census of Population
251,871
Population
116,103
Total Dwellings
Total Employment
107,300
Unemployment Rate StatCan LFS 2024 annual
4.5% 0.2 pts YoY
Industry Sectors
10
Age Distribution
0-14: 15.7% (39,496 residents) 15-54: 49.8% (125,506 residents) 55-64 (near retirement): 13.1% (32,911 residents) 65+: 21.4% (53,958 residents) 41.0 Avg Age
0-14: 39,496
15-54: 125,506
55-64: 32,911
65+: 53,958
Visible Minority Composition
South Asian 1.6%
Black 0.7%
Filipino 0.5%
Chinese 0.5%
Southeast Asian 0.4%
Japanese 0.2%
Not a visible minority(complement) 95.3%
"Visible minority" is a Statistics Canada classification defined by the Employment Equity Act and refers to "persons, other than Aboriginal peoples, who are non-Caucasian in race or non-white in colour." "Not a visible minority" is the complement to the total visible minority population. Top 6 groups shown; smaller groups are included in totals but not charted.
Indigenous Identity
26.9% identify as Indigenous
First Nations 21.9%
Métis 4.4%
Indigenous responses, n.i.e. 0.3%
Multiple Indigenous responses 0.2%
Indigenous identity per Statistics Canada Census 2021 (Table 98-10-0293): First Nations (North American Indian), Métis, and Inuk (Inuit), plus multiple and other Indigenous responses. Counts use census random rounding, so categories may not sum exactly to the total.
Northwest's median household income sits 6% below the Canadian national median across 251,871 residents with a senior-skewed age structure (65+: 21.4%, 0-14: 15.7%).
Source: Statistics Canada 2021 Census of Population via CensusMapper.ca
Key Takeaways
  • Income near the national median: Median household income tracks the Canadian median, indicating a broad-based consumer market.
  • Aging population: Seniors (65+) outnumber youth (0-14); succession and senior-services demand.

Educational Attainment

Source: Statistics Canada · Table 37-10-0130 · Ontario province-wide (ages 25-64)
94%
High School+
Canada: 93%
+1.0 pts
27%
Bachelor's+
Canada: 25%
+2.0 pts
16%
Graduate+
Canada: 14%
+2.0 pts

Economy & Industry

Statistics Canada · Labour Force Survey · Provincial GDP

$1,197B
Provincial Gross Domestic Product (CAD)
Source: Statistics Canada · Provincial Economic Accounts
107,300
Total Employment
$79,118
Median Income
107,300
Total Employment
Source: StatCan Labour Force Survey
$79,118
Median Income (CAD)
Source: Statistics Canada · 2021 Census

Top Industries by Employment

Source: Statistics Canada · Labour Force Survey
IndustryEmploymentShare of Top Sectors
1Health care and social assistance		 24,400 26.5%
2Wholesale and retail trade		 14,700 16%
3Educational services		 9,700 10.5%
4Public administration		 9,200 10%
5Construction		 8,400 9.1%
6Transportation and warehousing		 5,800 6.3%
7Accommodation and food services		 5,700 6.2%
8Professional, scientific and technical services		 5,300 5.8%
9Forestry, fishing, mining, quarrying, oil and gas		 5,000 5.4%
10Other services (except public administration)		 3,800 4.1%
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Key Takeaways
  • Largest sector: Health care and social assistance employs 24,400 workers (26.5% of the tracked sectors).
  • Diversified base: Top 5 sectors are Health care and social assistance, Wholesale and retail trade, Educational services, Public administration, and Construction.
Source: Statistics Canada Labour Force Survey.

Northwest's Top Sectors by Workforce Share

Each rectangle's area is proportional to that sector's share of the top sectors. Hover for exact employment.
Source: Statistics Canada Labour Force Survey · NAICS supersectors

Housing & Rental Market

Statistics Canada Table 34-10-0133 (Rents) - Table 34-10-0127 (Vacancy) - Reference year 2025

Note: figures are single-year vintages. StatCan and CMHC do not publish ACS-style rolling 5-year housing averages, the long-form Census of Population every 5 years (2016, 2021) plays the equivalent precision role.

CMHC Average Rents by Bedroom

Source: Statistics Canada Table 34-10-0133 - 2025
22.6%
Annual Rent (2BR) as % of Median Household Income - Affordable
30% threshold = "cost-burdened" (CMHC / HUD convention). Computed from $1,493 average 2BR rent × 12 / $79,118 household income.
Bachelor
$976/mo
1 Bedroom
$1,089/mo
2 Bedroom
$1,493/mo
3+ Bedroom
$1,794/mo
30% of monthly median household income (~$1,978/mo), rents above this line are typically considered cost-burdened.
Note: CMHC Rental Market Survey figures cover the metropolitan area (CMA/CA) within this economic region, not the full region. CMHC surveys urban centres only.

Vacancy & Housing Stock

Source: Statistics Canada Table 34-10-0127 · CMHC Rental Market Survey
4.3%
CMHC Vacancy Rate (apartment structures of 6+ units)
Near the 3% balanced-market benchmark.
Total Dwellings
116,103
Avg 2BR Rent
$1,493/mo
Vacancy Rate
4.3%
Key Takeaways
  • Affordable rental market: Annual 2BR rent eats 22.6% of median household income, well below the 30% cost-burdened threshold; supports talent attraction.
Source: CMHC RMS rent data and StatCan median household income.

Workforce & Labour

Labour force composition from Statistics Canada population estimates and employment data

Source: StatCan Table 17-10-0137
158,417
Working Age (15-64)
Employment rate: 68% of working-age population (15-64) 68% Employment Rate

Labour Summary

Source: StatCan LFS + Population Estimates
Total Employment
107,300
Working Age Pop
158,417
Youth (0-14)
39,496
Seniors (65+)
53,958

Dependency & Aging

Source: StatCan population estimates
21%
Seniors (65+) Share
Senior population exceeds youth, aging workforce risk. Succession planning and talent attraction recommended.
Youth / Senior Ratio
73:100

Aging Workforce

Source: StatCan 17-10-0150 · Population estimates by economic region, age
20.8%
55-64 of working-age (15-64)
Elevated retirement risk, above the 20% threshold. Succession planning recommended.

Workforce by Occupation

Source: Statistics Canada Table 14-10-0416 NOC 2021 broad categories (2025 - province-level)
Management / Professional
59.9%
Sales & Service
21%
Trades / Transport
13.4%
Natural Resources
1.1%
Manufacturing
4.5%
Bars scaled 2x for visual differentiation; percentage labels show actual share of 8,227,000 employed workers across Ontario. Economic Region-level occupation data is not published by StatCan; this provincial breakdown is the closest available proxy.

Commute

Source: StatCan 2021 Census Table 98-10-0457
Mean Commute 5.8 min below national avg
17.9 min

Work From Home

Source: StatCan 2021 Census Table 98-10-0455
Worked At Home vs 24.3% national
16%
Census 2021 long-form: percent of employed labour force aged 15+ whose place of work is "at home".

Local Institutions

Source: Statistics Canada · Table 37-10-0277 · Postsecondary Enrolments
Named post-secondary institutions
Total students enrolled in the 2023/2024 academic year (StatCan Table 37-10-0277).
Lakehead University · Thunder Bay 9,051students
Enrolment figures from Statistics Canada Table 37-10-0277 (2023/2024 academic year). Coverage limited to institutions in the ExecutivePulse crosswalk; smaller community colleges may not be listed.
Key Takeaways
  • Working-age base: 158,417 residents aged 15-64 (62.9% of population) form the labour pool.
  • Employment rate: 68% of working-age residents are employed (107,300 workers).
  • Succession risk: Seniors (65+) outnumber youth (0-14); plan for retirements alongside attraction strategy.
Source: Statistics Canada Census 2021 + Labour Force Survey.

AI Insights

AI-assisted analysis, drawn from 15 Canadian data sources

Sample AI Insight

Northwest's industrial base is anchored by Health care and social assistance with 24,400 workers, followed by Wholesale and retail trade and Educational services. The region skews older: seniors outnumber youth, which has implications for succession planning and workforce transition strategy.

Illustrative example

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Data Sources

All data from official Canadian government APIs. Updated from official Canadian government data.

Statistics Canada Census 20212021
StatCan Labour Force Survey2025
StatCan LFS Unemployment Rate (14-10-0393)2024
StatCan GDP Tables2024
CMHC Rental Market2025
CensusMapper.ca2021
StatCan Education (37-10-0130)2025
StatCan Population (17-10-0150)2025
StatCan Postsecondary Enrolments (37-10-0277)2024
StatCan Top Occupations (14-10-0416)2025
StatCan Commute (98-10-0457/0458)2021
StatCan Place of Work (98-10-0455/0456)2021
StatCan Low Income (11-10-0135)2024
StatCan Visible Minority (98-10-0352)2021
StatCan Indigenous Identity (98-10-0293)2021

Frequently Asked Questions

Key economic and demographic figures for Northwest, Ontario, from Statistics Canada.

What is the population of Northwest, Ontario?

251,871 (Statistics Canada, Population Estimates, Table 17-10-0150).

What is the median household income in Northwest, Ontario?

$79,118 (Statistics Canada, Census 2021).

What is the unemployment rate in Northwest, Ontario?

4.5% (Statistics Canada, Labour Force Survey, Table 14-10-0393).