Hamilton by the Numbers
Discover data about Hamilton, Ontario on:
Development, Dwellings, Economy, Households, Residents, Business Climate, Workforce
Value of Building Permits
City of Hamilton – (CDN Dollars)
Despite the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on Hamilton, and the world at large, the value of 2020’s building permits out performed 2018’s permit values by 9.4%. Industrial permits in Hamilton have seen an almost five-fold increase between 2016 and 2020. Our preliminary data for 2021 are reflecting a potential return to pre-pandemic growth trends.
| Permit Type | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Residential | 739,731,994 | 803,770,785 | 836,963,130 | 862,400,068 | 967,984,531 |
| Commercial | 165,871,501 | 116,251,917 | 124,800,222 | 138,369,667 | 121,723,102 |
| Institutional/Government | 85,221,749 | 250,696,894 | 149,998,645 | 154,492,289 | 31,767,942 |
| Industrial | 49,724,272 | 172,044,198 | 140,016,829 | 225,306,551 | 242,848,809 |
| Miscellaneous | 15,688,230 | 21,381,624 | 12,978,303 | 27,953,189 | 19,156,180 |
Source: City of Hamilton
Employment by Sector
Hamilton CMA – 2019 & 2020
Statistics Canada’s Labour Force Survey reports on the number of people who are employed in the Hamilton Census Metropolitan Area (CMA). Annual data from 2020 reports that there were there were 384,900 employed residents in the Hamilton CMA. This figure is down 6.4% from 2019, and is largely due to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. As of September 2021, monthly labour force survey data report 412,300 people employed in the Hamilton CMA – a 7.1% increase on the 2020 employment level.
| Employment Sector | 2019 | 2020 |
|---|---|---|
| Wholesale and retail | 65200 | 60400 |
| Health care | 56600 | 55500 |
| Manufacturing | 49300 | 46000 |
| Construction | 27900 | 38100 |
| Education | 33100 | 31000 |
| Finance and insurance | 26900 | 26200 |
| Professional services | 30000 | 23700 |
| Public administration | 13700 | 19400 |
| Transportation and warehousing | 20600 | 18100 |
| Support services | 20600 | 18100 |
| Accommodation & food services | 25900 | 16300 |
| Other services | 16100 | 15000 |
| Information & culture | 18300 | 12600 |
| Agriculture | 3700 | 1700 |
Source: Statistics Canada. 2016 and 2017 Labour Force Survey
Business Counts
City of Hamilton (CSD)
As of December 2020, Hamilton was home to approximately 15,782 businesses (including registered charities and not-for-profit organizations). Approximately 56.3% of Hamilton’s employers employ fewer than four people, and 74.6% of employers employ nine or fewer people. There are approximately 34,653 businesses operating without employees (i.e. establishments providing self-employment) in Hamilton.
| Micro (1-4 employees) | 8,888 |
|---|---|
| Small (5-99 employees) | 6,569 |
| Medium (100-499 employees) | 293 |
| Large (500+ employees) | 32 |
Source: Canadian Business Counts, December 2020
Click here for a detailed breakdown of Hamilton’s businesses by business size.
Annual Unemployment Rate (in December) for Canada, Ontario and Hamilton CMA
(% rate)
| 2012 December | 2013 December | 2014 December | 2015 December | 2016 December | 2017 December | 2018 December | 2019 December | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hamilton | 6.1 | 6.6 | 5.4 | 6 | 6 | 4.7 | 4.3 | 4.5 |
| Ontario | 8.1 | 7.5 | 7 | 6.8 | 6.4 | 5.6 | 5.5 | 5.4 |
| Canada | 7.3 | 7.1 | 6.7 | 7.1 | 6.9 | 6 | 5.7 | 5.7 |
Source: Statistics Canada – Labour force characteristics by census metropolitan area, three-month moving average. Table 14-10-0294-01 (formerly CANSIM 282-0135)
Annual Real Estate Sales
(# of units)
| Quarters | 2012 | 2013 | 2014 | 2015 | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Q1 | 1,877 | 1,637 | 1,567 | 1,797 | 2,008 | 2,359 | 1,586 |
| Q2 | 2,424 | 2,481 | 2,643 | 3,112 | 3,030 | 2,901 | 2,240 |
| Q3 | 1,863 | 2,010 | 2,233 | 2,404 | 2,492 | 1,867 | 1,996 |
| Q4 | 1,512 | 1,654 | 1,804 | 1,929 | 2,129 | 1,952 | 1,636 |
Source: The Real Estate Association of Hamilton-Burlington
Annual Housing Starts
(# of units)
| Quarters | 2012 | 2013 | 2014 | 2015 | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Q1 | 462 | 405 | 379 | 140 | 472 | 576 | 291 |
| Q2 | 716 | 532 | 655 | 541 | 572 | 367 | 984 |
| Q3 | 640 | 494 | 676 | 425 | 546 | 443 | 770 |
| Q4 | 391 | 397 | 426 | 356 | 529 | 581 | 452 |
Source: Canadian Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC)
Economic Structure
| 2011 | 2012 | 2013 | 2014 | 2015 | 2016 | 2017 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0.92 | 0.94 | 0.94 | 0.95 | 0.92 | 0.94 | 0.95 |
Highly diverse = 1
Not diverse = 0
Source: The Conference Board of Canada
Average Daily Rate – ADR
| 2014 | 2015 | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 110.48 | 114.74 | 119.36 | 129.2 | 146.99 | 157.01 |
Values in $
Source: 2019 STR, Inc. / STR Global, LTD
Opportunities Map
This interactive map shows all of our Community Improvement Project Areas, Business Improvement Areas, future Light Rail Transit investment, and Business Parks in Hamilton. Toggle the areas within the legend and see the associated description when you click on the highlighted areas.
