Data
Oakville by the numbers
Population, age, income, housing, background, language and work, from Statistics Canada.
Summary
Oakville had 213,759 residents at the 2021 Census, up 10.3 per cent in five years. Statistics Canada’s latest estimate is 243,107 on 1 July 2025. The median household income was $128,000 in 2020, about four in ten residents were immigrants, and 58.6% of homes are single-detached houses.
How many people live in Oakville?
213,759 at the 2021 Census, up from 193,832 in 2016. Statistics Canada estimates 243,107 on 1 July 2025 (preliminary). There is no 2026 figure yet: the first 2026 Census results are due on February 10, 2027.
| 2011 | 2016 | 2021 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 182,520 | 193,832 | 213,759 |
| Change over five years | — | +6.2% | +10.3% |
| 2021 | |
|---|---|
| Land area | 138.94 km² |
| Population density | 1,538.5 per km² |
| Private dwellings | 76,179 |
| Occupied by usual residents | 73,558 |
Statistics Canada's annual estimates. They adjust for people the census missed, so they run higher than census counts and should not be compared with them directly.
| Category | Residents |
|---|---|
| 2016 | 199,674 |
| 2017 | 202,934 |
| 2018 | 208,381 |
| 2019 | 214,200 |
| 2020 | 219,028 |
| 2021 | 222,225 |
| 2022 | 226,776 |
| 2023 | 232,240 |
| 2024 | 238,878 |
| 2025 | 243,107 |
How old is Oakville?
The median age was 41.6 in 2021. About one resident in six was 65 or over, and slightly more were under 15.
| 2016 | 2021 | |
|---|---|---|
| Median age | 41.7 | 41.6 |
| Aged 0 to 14 | 18.9% | 18.0% |
| Aged 15 to 64 | 66.5% | 66.3% |
| Aged 65 and over | 14.5% | 15.7% |
| Aged 85 and over | 2.0% | 2.2% |
Households
There were 73,560 households in 2021, with an average of 2.9 people each.
| Share of households | |
|---|---|
| 1 person | 18.3% |
| 2 persons | 27.9% |
| 3 persons | 19.1% |
| 4 persons | 22.6% |
| 5 or more persons | 12.2% |
What is the average household income in Oakville?
The median household income was $128,000 before tax in 2020, and the average was $182,800. The average is pulled up by a smaller number of very high incomes, so the median is the better guide to a typical household.
| 2015 | 2020 | |
|---|---|---|
| Median household income, before tax | $113,666 | $128,000 |
| Median household income, after tax | $95,035 | $108,000 |
| Average household income, before tax | $169,786 | $182,800 |
| Median individual income, age 15+ | $42,152 | $47,200 |
| Low income (LIM-AT) | 9.7% | 8.6% |
Homes and housing costs
77.5% of households owned their home in 2021 and 22.5% rented. Among renters, 45.8% spent 30 per cent or more of their income on shelter.
| Share of households | |
|---|---|
| Single-detached house | 58.6% |
| Semi-detached house | 4.5% |
| Row house | 17.0% |
| Apartment or flat in a duplex | 1.3% |
| Apartment in a building that has fewer than five storeys | 6.4% |
| Apartment in a building that has five or more storeys | 12.2% |
| Owners | Renters | |
|---|---|---|
| Median monthly shelter cost | $2,080 | $2,040 |
| Spending 30%+ of income on shelter | 20.8% | 45.8% |
What a home costs in tax each year is on the property tax calculator.
Where Oakville residents come from
41.2% of residents were immigrants in 2021, up from 35.9% in 2016. The largest countries of birth among them were China, India and the United Kingdom.
| Share | |
|---|---|
| China | 15.3% |
| India | 10.2% |
| United Kingdom | 7.4% |
| Pakistan | 5.7% |
| Philippines | 3.4% |
| Egypt | 3.3% |
| United States of America | 3.2% |
| Poland | 2.7% |
| People | Share | |
|---|---|---|
| Total visible minority population | 90,130 | 42.5% |
| South Asian | 28,685 | 13.5% |
| Chinese | 23,055 | 10.9% |
| Black | 7,020 | 3.3% |
| Filipino | 4,170 | 2.0% |
| Arab | 10,020 | 4.7% |
| Latin American | 4,265 | 2.0% |
| West Asian | 2,480 | 1.2% |
| Korean | 3,440 | 1.6% |
| Multiple visible minorities | 3,445 | 1.6% |
| Not a visible minority | 121,930 | 57.5% |
| Not a visible minority | — | 57.5% |
What percentage of Oakville is Indian?
There is no single census figure for this, because the census asks two different questions. 13.5% of Oakville residents (28,685 people) identified as South Asian in 2021, a group that includes people of Indian, Pakistani, Sri Lankan, Bangladeshi and other South Asian backgrounds. Separately, 7.4% (15,700 people) reported Indian ancestry, either alone or alongside other origins.
Among Oakville residents born outside Canada, 8,875 (10.2% of immigrants) were born in India.
Religion
52.6% of residents were Christian in 2021 and 28.3% reported no religion. 22,015 residents, 10.4%, were Muslim.
| People | Share | |
|---|---|---|
| Christian | 111,530 | 52.6% |
| of which Catholic | 61,055 | 28.8% |
| No religion and secular perspectives | 60,075 | 28.3% |
| Muslim | 22,015 | 10.4% |
| Hindu | 9,510 | 4.5% |
| Sikh | 4,045 | 1.9% |
| Buddhist | 2,390 | 1.1% |
| Jewish | 1,340 | 0.6% |
Languages
English is the mother tongue of 57.4% of residents and the main home language of 73.6%. Mandarin is the most common other language. 11.0% can speak both English and French.
| Share | |
|---|---|
| English | 57.4% |
| Mandarin | 7.0% |
| Arabic | 3.5% |
| Spanish | 2.3% |
| Urdu | 2.2% |
| Portuguese | 1.6% |
| French | 1.4% |
| Polish | 1.4% |
| Share | |
|---|---|
| English | 73.6% |
| Mandarin | 5.5% |
| Arabic | 1.9% |
| Spanish | 1.4% |
| Urdu | 1.2% |
| Korean | 0.8% |
| Portuguese | 0.8% |
| Punjabi (Panjabi) | 0.7% |
Education, work and commuting
61.0% of residents aged 25 to 64 held a bachelor’s degree or higher in 2021. The 2021 work and commuting figures were collected in May 2021 under COVID-19 restrictions, when 44.9% of workers were working from home, so they describe that moment rather than a normal year.
| 2016 | 2021 | |
|---|---|---|
| Participation rate | 68.2% | 65.2% |
| Employment rate | 63.5% | 57.6% |
| Unemployment rate | 6.9% | 11.7% |
| Share of commuters | |
|---|---|
| Car, truck or van | 85.2% |
| Public transit | 7.1% |
| Walked | 3.7% |
| Bicycle | 0.5% |
| Other method | 3.5% |
| Workers | |
|---|---|
| Oakville | 21,685 |
| Mississauga | 8,565 |
| Toronto | 6,515 |
| Burlington | 3,535 |
| Hamilton | 1,405 |
| Brampton | 1,340 |
| Milton | 1,095 |
When the 2026 Census numbers arrive
The 2026 Census was taken in May 2026. Statistics Canada will publish the first results, population and dwelling counts, on February 10, 2027. This page will be updated as each release lands.
| Topics | Release |
|---|---|
| Population and dwelling counts | February 10, 2027 |
| Age, gender, and sex at birth; Type of dwellings | May 5, 2027 |
| Families, households, and marital status; Income | July 14, 2027 |
| Language; Housing; Canadian military experience (limited-product release, no Census Profile) | September 8, 2027 |
| Indigenous Peoples; Mobility; Poverty | September 28, 2027 |
| Immigration, place of birth, and citizenship; Ethnocultural and religious diversity; Sexual orientation; General health (limited-product release, no Census Profile) | October 27, 2027 |
| Labour; Commuting; Language of work; Instruction in the minority official language; Education; Homelessness | December 1, 2027 |
How these numbers work
Every figure is for the Town of Oakville as Statistics Canada draws it, census subdivision 3524001. Counts come from the 2021 and 2016 Census Profiles, which randomly round numbers to multiples of five, so parts may not add exactly to totals. Most social figures come from the long-form questionnaire and cover residents of private households, which leaves out people in collective dwellings such as nursing homes.
There are no neighbourhood figures here. Statistics Canada publishes smaller areas, but none of them line up with the areas on our neighbourhood pages, and splicing them together would produce numbers nobody published. To see the same measures for Burlington, Mississauga, Milton and Toronto, use Oakville compared. For what is changing in Oakville rather than who lives here, see the development tracker and the new schools tracker.
Sources
Statistics Canada
Census Profile, 2016 Census: Oakville, Town, OntarioStatistics Canada
2026 Census: overview and release plans
The OakvilleIQ Brief
When the 2026 Census lands, you will hear first
New Statistics Canada releases for Oakville, and what is changing in town, once a week.