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Hamilton Profile

Explore population, households, income, employment, languages, and dwellings for Hamilton. Compare trends since 2016 and dig into the full demographic profile below.

National Rank:10 of 688
Level:Census subdivision

Hamilton Population

Total Population (2021)
569,353
Total Population (2016)
536,917
Population Growth
+6.0% (+32,436)
Growth Rank
#271 of 688Same geo level
Male
49.1%279,640
Female
50.9%289,715
Male-to-Female Ratio
0.965
Average Age
41.5
Median Age
40.8
Age Rank
#250 of 688Same geo level

Population Age Distribution

0–4
29,100(5.1%)
5–9
30,695(5.4%)
10–14
31,450(5.5%)
15–19
31,795(5.6%)
20–24
36,405(6.4%)
25–29
40,525(7.1%)
30–34
41,330(7.3%)
35–39
38,940(6.8%)
40–44
35,025(6.2%)
45–49
34,155(6.0%)
50–54
36,665(6.4%)
55–59
40,930(7.2%)
60–64
38,045(6.7%)
65–69
31,630(5.6%)
70–74
26,700(4.7%)
75–79
18,290(3.2%)
80–84
12,990(2.3%)
85+
14,685(2.6%)

Hamilton Households

Household Size

Average Household Size
2.5
Total Private Dwellings
233,564
Occupied Private Dwellings
222,807

Size Distribution

1 Person
62,110 (27.9%)
2 Persons
71,460 (32.1%)
3 Persons
35,325 (15.9%)
4 Persons
32,690 (14.7%)
5+ Persons
21,220 (9.5%)

Household Composition

Couples with children
60,520(27.2%)
Couples without children
50,885(22.8%)
One-parent families
23,015(10.3%)
One-person households
62,110(27.9%)
Multigenerational
8,140(3.7%)
Multiple-family
1,570(0.7%)

Hamilton Incomes

Summary

Avg. Household Income
$92,100After tax
Median Household Income
$75,500After tax
Avg. Individual Income
$45,520After tax
Median Individual Income
$36,800After tax
Income Rank
#318 of 688Same geo level

Income Composition

Market Income
81.4%
Employment Income
67.2%
Government Transfers
18.7%

Individual Income Distribution

Under $10k
36,650(8.1%)
$10k–$20k
55,620(12.3%)
$20k–$30k
71,615(15.9%)
$30k–$40k
58,470(13.0%)
$40k–$50k
50,680(11.2%)
$50k–$60k
40,980(9.1%)
$60k–$70k
32,600(7.2%)
$70k–$80k
25,035(5.6%)
$80k–$90k
18,820(4.2%)
$90k–$100k
14,970(3.3%)
$100k+
45,215(10.0%)

Hamilton Employment

Labour Force

Employment Rate
54.3%
Unemployment Rate
12.3%
Total Labour Force
290,990
Employed
255,075
Unemployed
35,915
Not in Labour Force
178,805

Low Income Prevalence

Overall Low-Income Rate
10.8%
Children (0–17)
13.0%
Adults (18–64)
9.7%
Seniors (65+)
12.0%
Gini Coefficient (Total)
0.3320 = perfect equality
Gini Coefficient (After-Tax)
0.292

Hamilton Languages

Language Knowledge

English Only
520,350 (92.3%)
French Only
410 (0.1%)
English & French
32,630 (5.8%)
Neither
10,435 (1.9%)

Mother Tongue

English
402,740 (71.4%)
French
6,195 (1.1%)
Non-official languages
133,065 (23.6%)

Top Mother Tongue Languages

English
402,740(71.4%)
Arabic
12,560(2.2%)
Italian
12,490(2.2%)
Spanish
9,930(1.8%)
Portuguese
7,405(1.3%)
Polish
6,665(1.2%)
Punjabi
6,280(1.1%)
French
6,195(1.1%)
Mandarin
5,215(0.9%)
Urdu
5,150(0.9%)

Hamilton Dwellings

Dwelling Type

Single-detached
125,130(56.2%)
Semi-detached
6,770(3.0%)
Row house
27,455(12.3%)
Duplex
7,380(3.3%)
Apt. < 5 storeys
19,045(8.5%)
Apt. ≥ 5 storeys
36,465(16.4%)
Other attached
415(0.2%)
Movable
145(0.1%)

Community snapshot

About Hamilton

Hamilton sits at the western end of Lake Ontario, below the Niagara Escarpment in southern Ontario. It is a historic steel city that has diversified into health care, education, and a rebuilding downtown. The harbour, escarpment waterfalls, and older neighbourhoods define its geography. About 570,000 people live in Hamilton.

Known for

  • Steelmaking and Hamilton Harbour
  • Niagara Escarpment waterfalls
  • McMaster University and a large hospital sector
  • James Street North arts district
  • Royal Botanical Gardens on the city’s west edge

See & do

  • Dundurn Castle

    Nineteenth-century estate overlooking Burlington Bay.

  • Art Gallery of Hamilton

    Major civic gallery downtown.

  • Webster’s Falls

    Escarpment waterfall park in the Dundas area.

  • HMCS Haida

    Historic destroyer at Pier 9 on the harbour.

  • Bayfront Park

    Harbourfront park on Hamilton Harbour.

Data source → Census methodology & attribution

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Data source → Census methodology & attribution