Oshawa Profile

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

National Rank:29 of 688

Level:Census subdivision

Oshawa Population

Total Population (2021)

175,383

Total Population (2016)

159,458

Population Growth

+10.0% (+15,925)

Growth Rank

#132 of 688Same geo level

Male

49.0%85,980

Female

51.0%89,400

Male-to-Female Ratio

0.962

Average Age

40.3

Median Age

39.2

Age Rank

#171 of 688Same geo level

Population Age Distribution

0–4

9,965(5.7%)

5–9

10,500(6.0%)

10–14

10,345(5.9%)

15–19

9,680(5.5%)

20–24

10,800(6.2%)

25–29

12,465(7.1%)

30–34

13,165(7.5%)

35–39

12,370(7.1%)

40–44

11,325(6.5%)

45–49

10,680(6.1%)

50–54

11,015(6.3%)

55–59

12,610(7.2%)

60–64

11,140(6.4%)

65–69

8,850(5.0%)

70–74

7,720(4.4%)

75–79

5,220(3.0%)

80–84

3,705(2.1%)

85+

3,825(2.2%)

Oshawa Households

Household Size

Average Household Size

2.6

Total Private Dwellings

69,324

Occupied Private Dwellings

66,634

Size Distribution

1 Person

16,845 (25.3%)

2 Persons

21,080 (31.6%)

3 Persons

11,490 (17.2%)

4 Persons

10,010 (15.0%)

5+ Persons

7,205 (10.8%)

Household Composition

Couples with children

17,395(26.1%)

Couples without children

13,855(20.8%)

One-parent families

8,155(12.2%)

One-person households

16,850(25.3%)

Multigenerational

3,245(4.9%)

Multiple-family

645(1.0%)

Oshawa Incomes

Summary

Avg. Household Income

$86,200After tax

Median Household Income

$76,000After tax

Avg. Individual Income

$41,840After tax

Median Individual Income

$36,400After tax

Income Rank

#318 of 688Same geo level

Income Composition

Market Income

77.8%

Employment Income

63.4%

Government Transfers

22.2%

Individual Income Distribution

Under $10k

11,170(8.2%)

$10k–$20k

17,490(12.8%)

$20k–$30k

22,030(16.1%)

$30k–$40k

18,220(13.3%)

$40k–$50k

16,405(12.0%)

$50k–$60k

13,055(9.5%)

$60k–$70k

9,640(7.0%)

$70k–$80k

7,530(5.5%)

$80k–$90k

5,470(4.0%)

$90k–$100k

4,275(3.1%)

$100k+

11,760(8.6%)

Oshawa Employment

Labour Force

Employment Rate

51.8%

Unemployment Rate

15.2%

Total Labour Force

87,550

Employed

74,250

Unemployed

13,300

Not in Labour Force

55,685

Low Income Prevalence

Overall Low-Income Rate

10.2%

Children (0–17)

13.3%

Adults (18–64)

9.2%

Seniors (65+)

10.2%

Gini Coefficient (Total)

0.2990 = perfect equality

Gini Coefficient (After-Tax)

0.263

Oshawa Languages

Language Knowledge

English Only

161,340 (92.5%)

French Only

235 (0.1%)

English & French

11,200 (6.4%)

Neither

1,615 (0.9%)

Mother Tongue

English

138,675 (79.5%)

French

2,880 (1.7%)

Non-official languages

26,865 (15.4%)

Top Mother Tongue Languages

English

138,675(79.5%)

French

2,880(1.7%)

Urdu

2,560(1.5%)

Tamil

2,100(1.2%)

Tagalog

1,710(1.0%)

Spanish

1,685(1.0%)

Polish

1,400(0.8%)

Mandarin

1,260(0.7%)

Italian

1,245(0.7%)

Persian

1,175(0.7%)

Oshawa Dwellings

Dwelling Type

Single-detached

37,000(55.5%)

Semi-detached

5,330(8.0%)

Row house

6,445(9.7%)

Duplex

3,650(5.5%)

Apt. < 5 storeys

6,475(9.7%)

Apt. ≥ 5 storeys

7,590(11.4%)

Other attached

145(0.2%)

Movable

5(0.0%)

Community snapshot

About Oshawa

Oshawa is on Lake Ontario east of Toronto, in Durham Region. It is a historic General Motors auto city with a downtown inland from the harbour. Ontario Tech University and Durham College occupy a north-end campus. About 175,000 people live in Oshawa.

Known for

General Motors assembly and auto-parts history
Ontario Tech University
Lake Ontario harbour and waterfront trail
Canadian Automotive Museum
Eastern GTA industrial and commuter city

See & do

Canadian Automotive Museum
Collection of historic cars downtown.
Parkwood Estate
Former McLaughlin family mansion and gardens.
Lakeview Park
Waterfront park on Lake Ontario.
The Robert McLaughlin Gallery
Civic art gallery downtown.
Oshawa Valley Botanical Gardens
Formal gardens in the Oshawa Creek valley.

Data source → Census methodology & attribution

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Data source → Census methodology & attribution