Ontario · Census Metropolitan Area
Kitchener by the numbers
Kitchener is Canada's 10th largest metro area, home to about 702K people, growing faster than the country since 2021 (+16.5% vs +9.3%). A two-bedroom rents for about $1,816, the median age is 38.0 and January averages -6°C.
People
Population of Kitchener
The Kitchener census metropolitan area had an estimated 701,568 people on July 1, 2025, up +16.5% since 2021 (Canada grew +9.3%). The 2021 Census counted 575,847 people, +9.9% more than in 2016.
The City of Kitchener itself had an estimated 323,917 residents in 2025.
Municipalities in the Kitchener area
| Municipality | 2025 estimate | 2021 Census | 2016–21 growth | People / km² |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kitchener | 323,917 | 256,885 | +10.1% | 1,878 |
| Cambridge | 165,354 | 138,479 | +6.6% | 1,226 |
| Waterloo | 142,450 | 121,436 | +15.7% | 1,896 |
| Woolwich | 31,382 | 26,999 | +8.0% | 83 |
| Wilmot | 22,890 | 21,429 | +4.3% | 81 |
| North Dumfries | 13,051 | 10,619 | +4.0% | 56 |
Sources: Statistics Canada, Table 17-10-0148-01, Statistics Canada, Table 17-10-0155-01, Statistics Canada, Table 98-10-0003-01
2021 Census
Who lives in Kitchener
Age
Median age is 38.0 (Canada: 41.6). 15.6% of residents are 65 or older and 17.1% are under 15.
Languages
6.4% can speak both official languages. At home, 80.5% speak mostly English, 0.3% mostly French and 15.0% mostly another language.
Immigration
25.8% of residents are immigrants (Canada: 23.0%), and 4.9% arrived between 2016 and 2021.
Education: 35.4% of 25 to 64 year olds hold a bachelor's degree or higher; 24.0% have a college or CEGEP diploma and 5.3% a trades certificate.
Sources: Statistics Canada, Table 98-10-0030-01, Statistics Canada, Table 98-10-0223-01, Statistics Canada, Table 98-10-0227-01, Statistics Canada, Table 98-10-0302-01, Statistics Canada, Table 98-10-0384-01
Money
Income and jobs in Kitchener
Half of Kitchener households made more than $92,000 in 2020 and half made less. Across Canada the median was $84,000.
Unemployment rate
In September 2026, the unemployment rate was 7.6% and 64.9% of adults had a job.
Sources: Statistics Canada, Table 98-10-0061-01, Statistics Canada, Table 14-10-0459-01
Housing
Housing in Kitchener
Average rent (October 2025)
A two-bedroom apartment rented for $1,816 a month on average, +3.9% from a year earlier and +41.1% over five years. The rental vacancy rate was 4.2%. Within the City of Kitchener itself, a two-bedroom averaged $1,747.
New homes being built
Builders started 3,715 new homes in the Kitchener area in the 12 months to September 2026, -19.0% from the year before. That is 5.3 new homes per 1,000 residents. Source: Statistics Canada, Table 34-10-0154-01 (CMHC housing starts)
Sources: Statistics Canada, Table 98-10-0258-01, Statistics Canada, Table 98-10-0256-01, Statistics Canada, Table 98-10-0253-01, Statistics Canada, Table 34-10-0133-01, Statistics Canada, Table 34-10-0127-01
Commuting
Getting around Kitchener
Census day 2021 fell during the COVID-19 pandemic, so transit use is lower than in normal years.
Safety
Crime in Kitchener
The Crime Severity Index weighs each police-reported crime by how serious it is. Canada in 2006 = 100. Kitchener's index fell -8.6% in the latest year.
Source: Statistics Canada, Table 35-10-0026-01
Every crime type in Kitchener → Car theft, break-ins, fraud, homicides and more.
Climate
Kitchener weather and climate
30-year averages (1981–2010) from the Roseville weather station, 7.2 km from the city centre.
Source: Environment and Climate Change Canada, Canadian Climate Normals 1981–2010
Official city data
Kitchener open data & fun facts
Cambridge GeoHub · 58 datasets
- Road Closures Lines that represent traffic closures on City Owned Roads.
- Residential Parking Program Cambridge has three parking programs for residential streets: Lower Driveway Boulevard Parking (LDBP), permits residents to park vehicles on the paved or concrete portion of their driveway between the.
- Business Improvement Areas A Business Improvement Area, or B.I.A., is a simple idea: business people in a designated area uniting with the help of municipal government to organize, finance and carry out physical improvements, b.
- Sports Fields Locations of sports fields in the City.
Kitchener GeoHub · 150 datasets
- Tree Inventory Inventory of City of Kitchener trees with species, size and status.
- Traffic_Closures Traffic Closures (Update Frequency: Hourly) Summary: City of Kitchener Current and Future Traffic Closures.
- Planning_Applications_Active Planning Applications Active (Update Frequency: Hourly) Summary: Active planning applications.
- Leaf_Collection_Areas Leaf Collection Areas (Update Frequency: Daily) Summary: Kitchener Leaf Collection Areas.
City of Waterloo Open Data · 116 datasets
- Street Tree Inventory Inventory of City of Waterloo street trees with species, size and status.
- Buildings Building rooftop outlines for all significant structures in the City, represented by polygons.
- Traffic Closures Lines that represent traffic closures.
- Water Distribution Mains The pipeline system that conveys municipal drinking water through a network of distribution mains.
Out of all Canadian metro areas with data
How Kitchener ranks
Compare
Municipality profiles
Cities and towns in the Kitchener area
Cities near Kitchener
FAQ
Kitchener questions, answered
What is the population of Kitchener?
The Kitchener metro area had an estimated 701,568 people on July 1, 2025 (Statistics Canada). The City of Kitchener itself had about 323,917.
How much is rent in Kitchener?
In October 2025 the average rent in Kitchener was $1,546 for a one-bedroom and $1,816 for a two-bedroom apartment (CMHC Rental Market Survey).
What is the average household income in Kitchener?
The median household income in Kitchener was $92,000 before tax in 2020 ($81,000 after tax), according to the 2021 Census. The average was $112,100.
What is the unemployment rate in Kitchener?
The unemployment rate in Kitchener was 7.6% in September 2026 (Labour Force Survey, three-month moving average, seasonally adjusted).
How cold does it get in Kitchener?
January averages -6.5°C, with average lows of -10.2°C. Kitchener gets about 134 cm of snow a year, and in July the average daily high is 26.2°C (1981–2010 climate normals).
Is Kitchener bilingual?
6.4% of people in Kitchener can speak both English and French; 91.7% speak English only and 0.0% French only (2021 Census).
What is the median age in Kitchener?
The median age in Kitchener was 38.0 in the 2021 Census, compared with 41.6 for Canada.
Is Kitchener safe?
Kitchener had a Crime Severity Index of 66.8 in 2025, compared with 75.0 for Canada as a whole. A lower number means less, and less serious, police-reported crime.
Built October 30, 2026 from the latest published official data.