Workforce and demographics
Located in the Toronto-Waterloo Region Innovation Corridor, Waterloo boasts a recognized knowledge economy and is home to think tanks, finance and insurance companies, a FinTech sector, a start-up culture and two universities and a college.
People move and stay here for several reasons: neighbourhoods, recreation facilities and events, parks and trails, library services, galleries, museums and festivals.
Our uptown is an urban escape with Waterloo Public Square at its core. The square is a gathering space for the community to host and participate in events and festivals. Cultural institutions such as the Clay & Glass Gallery and Button Factory bring the arts together, while the stories of our heritage are captured at the City of Waterloo Museum.
To learn more about our community, visit the community profile produced annually by Waterloo EDC.
Top three employers in Waterloo:
- Sun Life
- University of Waterloo
- Manulife Financial Corporation
Population
The numbers provided below represent the workforce in Waterloo. The numbers are based on data from Statistics Canada, and include adjustments for new homes and apartments, students and temporary residents, census undercount and vacancy rates.
As of 2021:
- the population of Waterloo is 147,520 (includes students and temporary residents)
- the median age is 36
- percent of population between 20 and 34 years old is 27.6%
As of 2016 (2021 data has yet to be released);
- number born outside of Canada is 26,155
- median household income (before tax) is $83,045
For more detailed data, visit our Planning and land use data page.