Edmonton Economy · Census 2006–2021
How Edmonton has changed
Since the 2006 census, the City of Edmonton has added 280,527 residents — about 38.4% — to reach 1,010,899 people in 2021, while the wider metro grew to 1,418,118. But growth is only part of it: nearly one in three Edmontonians is now an immigrant, home ownership has held near two-thirds, and inflation-adjusted incomes climbed through the oil boom before easing after 2014. Here's what four censuses show — for the City of Edmonton and the Edmonton census metropolitan area (CMA).
Population, 2021
1,010,899
City of Edmonton · +38.4% since 2006
Growth since 2006
+280,527
more residents than in 2006 (City)
Renter share
36.4%
of City households rent · about 63.6% own
Immigrant share
32.5%
of City residents · up from 22.9% in 2006
What "how Edmonton has changed" means here
Every five years the Census of Population counts everyone in Canada. By lining up four censuses — 2006, 2011, 2016 and 2021 — we can see the long-run shifts that a single year can't show: who's here, how many own versus rent, and how incomes have moved once inflation is stripped out. Each chart below compares the City of Edmonton (the city proper) with the Edmonton CMA (the city plus surrounding communities like St. Albert, Sherwood Park, Leduc and Spruce Grove).
Six measures, four censuses
Each panel tracks one measure for the City of Edmonton (teal) against the Edmonton metro (sand). Watch the direction and the gap between the two lines.
Population
Number of residentsMandatory short-form census, so 2011 is included. The 2021 City figure includes land annexed on Jan 1, 2019.
Median age
The age that splits the population in halfA higher line means an older population. Edmonton stayed relatively young through the 2010s boom, then aged by 2021.
Home ownership rate
Share of households that own (vs rent)2011 omitted — it comes from the voluntary National Household Survey, which overstated ownership. Roughly two-thirds of households own.
Median household income
Constant 2020 dollars (inflation-adjusted)Shown for the year before each census (2005 / 2015 / 2020). Real incomes rose through the oil boom, then gave back ground after 2014.
Immigrant share
Share of residents who are immigrants2011 omitted (NHS). Nearly one in three City residents was an immigrant by 2021 — one of the clearest long-run shifts.
What kind of homes
Share of occupied dwellings by structural typeCity of Edmonton
Edmonton metro (CMA)
Single-detached houses are still about half the City's homes, but their share has slipped since 2006 as row houses and semi-detached homes gained ground. 2011 omitted (dwelling detail isn't comparable across the NHS).
The numbers, by census year
Every figure on this page, in one place. Dashes mark 2011 on the measures drawn from the voluntary National Household Survey, which isn't comparable with the mandatory censuses.
City of Edmonton
| Census | Population | Median age | Own | Immigrant | Median incomeconstant 2020 $ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006 | 730,372 | 36.1 | 62.9% | 22.9% | $73,100 |
| 2011* | 812,201 | 36 | — | — | — |
| 2016 | 932,546 | 35.7 | 64.3% | 30% | $94,400 |
| 2021 | 1,010,899 | 36.8 | 63.6% | 32.5% | $90,000 |
Edmonton metro (CMA)
| Census | Population | Median age | Own | Immigrant | Median incomeconstant 2020 $ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006 | 1,034,945 | 36.4 | 69.4% | 18.5% | $80,800 |
| 2011* | 1,159,869 | 36.5 | — | — | — |
| 2016 | 1,321,426 | 36.3 | 69.7% | 23.8% | $102,200 |
| 2021 | 1,418,118 | 37.6 | 68.8% | 26% | $96,000 |
* 2011 figures come from the voluntary National Household Survey (NHS); only population and median age (mandatory short form) are shown for 2011.
How to read these numbers
- City and metro only. Comparisons are at the City of Edmonton and Edmonton census metropolitan area (CMA) levels only. Neighbourhood boundaries are redrawn every census, so there is no honest long-run neighbourhood series.
- 2011 is the NHS. The 2011 figures come from the voluntary National Household Survey (NHS), which had a 25.4% non-response rate in the Edmonton area. Only population and median age — collected on the mandatory census short form — are shown for 2011; income, ownership, immigration and dwelling type are compared on the 2006, 2016 and 2021 census points instead.
- Incomes are inflation-adjusted. Household incomes are shown in constant 2020 dollars — adjusted for inflation with Statistics Canada's annual all-items Consumer Price Index for Canada — so the figures are directly comparable across years. Income is reported for the year before each census (2005, 2015 and 2020). Beginning in 2016 the census drew income from Canada Revenue Agency tax records rather than self-reporting, so read the 2005-to-2015 income change as broadly indicative rather than exact.
- The 2019 annexation. On January 1, 2019 the City of Edmonton annexed 8,260 hectares from Leduc County, so the 2021 City boundary is larger than in 2006–2016. The annexed land is largely undeveloped, so its effect on these totals is small.
How Edmonton has changed — FAQ
How much has Edmonton grown since 2006?
The City of Edmonton grew from 730,372 people in 2006 to 1,010,899 in 2021 — an increase of 280,527 residents, or about 38.4%. The wider Edmonton metropolitan area (CMA) grew about 37% over the same period.
Are more Edmontonians renting now than before?
Not really — home ownership has held remarkably steady. About 63.6% of City of Edmonton households owned their home in 2021 and roughly 36.4% rented, close to where the split sat in 2006. Ownership stayed near two-thirds across all three comparable censuses.
How has Edmonton’s immigrant population changed?
It has risen sharply. Immigrants made up 22.9% of City of Edmonton residents in 2006 and 32.5% by 2021 — close to one in three. The trend is the same across the metro, where the immigrant share climbed from 18.5% to 26%.
Have household incomes in Edmonton actually risen?
Adjusted for inflation (constant 2020 dollars), the median City of Edmonton household earned about $73,100 in 2005, peaked near $94,400 in 2015, then eased to $90,000 by 2020 as the post-2014 oil downturn worked through the economy. So real incomes are higher than in 2005, but below their mid-2010s peak.
What kinds of homes make up Edmonton’s housing?
Single-detached houses are still about half of all homes in the City (49.6% in 2021) and a clear majority across the metro (56.5%). Their share has slipped slightly since 2006 as row houses and semi-detached homes gained ground, while apartments held near a third of City homes.
Why isn’t 2011 shown for income, ownership and immigration?
The 2011 census long-form was replaced by the voluntary National Household Survey, which had a 25.4% non-response rate in the Edmonton area and is not reliably comparable with the mandatory censuses. So 2011 appears only for population and median age (collected on the mandatory short form); income, ownership, immigration and dwelling type are compared on the 2006, 2016 and 2021 census points.
Does this show how individual Edmonton neighbourhoods have changed?
No. These comparisons are for the City of Edmonton and the Edmonton metropolitan area as a whole. Neighbourhood (census tract) boundaries are redrawn every census, so there is no honest way to chart a single neighbourhood across 15 years — which is why this page stays at the city and metro level.
Sources & licence
- Adapted from Statistics Canada, Census Profiles (2006, 2016 and 2021 Censuses and 2011 National Household Survey) and the Consumer Price Index (table 18-10-0004), 2006–2021. This does not constitute an endorsement by Statistics Canada of this product.
- Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Canada.
Stitched from Statistics Canada Census Profiles for the City of Edmonton (census subdivision 4811061) and the Edmonton census metropolitan area (835): the 2006 Census (Cat. 92-591), 2011 Census, and the 2016 and 2021 Censuses (98-316-X), plus the 2011 National Household Survey. Household incomes are deflated to constant 2020 dollars using Statistics Canada's annual all-items Consumer Price Index for Canada (table 18-10-0004). Data verified 2026-06-19; refreshed roughly every five years as new census results are released.
Content on this site does not constitute financial or investment advice. Trevor Tardif is a licensed REALTOR® with REAL Broker AB Ltd, Edmonton, Alberta.
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