Explore Census Data on PickYourPlace

Finding the right home isn’t just about four walls and a roof—it’s about the community you’ll be part of once you move in. Census data plays a vital role in helping us understand the social, economic, cultural, and demographic makeup of neighborhoods across the city. It offers insights that go far beyond property values, letting you see the real character and lifestyle of the places you’re considering.

At its core, census data helps you discover whether a neighborhood aligns with your personal preferences—whether you prioritize a certain age demographic, cultural community, income level, or style of living. For example, some might look for areas with a high proportion of families with children, while others might want a neighborhood that reflects a particular ethnic background or language community. By understanding these trends, you can narrow your search to neighborhoods where you’ll feel most at home.

Introducing the Census Lens

We’ve integrated 2021 census data from Statistics Canada into PickYourPlace to give you richer, more detailed insights into the neighborhoods you’re exploring. When you select a property, our "Census" lens presents data for the relevant dissemination area—the smallest geographic unit for which Statistics Canada releases census data—so you can be sure these insights are specific to the local community.

Within the Census lens, you’ll find information in five main categories:

1. Demographics
2. Housing
3. Economics
4. Culture
5. Commute to Work

Demographics

This category provides a snapshot of the people who live in the selected dissemination area:

• Population and density: Shows the total population and how densely populated the area is (people per square kilometer).
• Age distribution: Breaks down the population by age groups (e.g., 0–14 years, 15–64 years, 65+), highlighting the most common group.
• Average age: Gives you a quick sense of the average resident’s age.
• Marital status: Displays percentages of those who are married, common-law, never married, separated, divorced, or widowed.
• Family size: Indicates the most common household size (e.g., 2-person households) and shows the average number of children per family with children.

Housing

This category provides insights into the local housing market:

• Total housing units: Shows how many residential units exist in that dissemination area.
• Average housing value: Provides a rough estimate of typical property values.
• Costs of ownership and renting: Shows average monthly costs for both owning and renting.
• Common housing type: Breaks down the share of single-detached homes, semi-detached, apartments, row houses, and more.
• Ownership rate: Indicates the percentage of owner-occupied vs. renter-occupied homes.
• Construction year distribution: Reveals when most homes were built (e.g., 1961–1980).
• Number of bedrooms: Highlights the most common number of bedrooms (e.g., 4 or more).
• Household type: Shows whether households are one-family, multigenerational, non-family, single-person, etc.
• Average household size: Displays how many people typically share a household.

Economics

This category offers a snapshot of residents’ earnings and economic factors:

• Median income: Offers an overview of residents’ typical earnings in the area.
• Income equality: Uses Statistics Canada’s Gini Index to classify the area as having low, moderate, or high income equality.
• Income group distribution: Breaks down the share of households earning under $50K, $50K–$100K, $100K–$150K, $150K–$200K, or over $200K.
• Common occupations: Shows the most prevalent job sectors (e.g., natural and applied sciences, education, sales and service).
• Unemployment rate: Indicates the percentage of people who are unemployed in that area.
• Education levels: Displays the distribution of education, from no formal schooling up to postgraduate degrees.

Culture

This category provides insights into the area’s cultural diversity:

• Immigration status: Tells you what percentage of residents are immigrants.
• Immigrant generation status: Breaks down whether residents are first, second, or third-plus generation Canadians.
• Citizenship status: Shows the percentage of the population that holds Canadian citizenship.
• Common ethnicity: Highlights the most commonly reported ethnic backgrounds (e.g., Scottish, English, Chinese).
• Mother tongue: Displays which languages are most often spoken at home (e.g., English, Urdu, Mandarin).
• Religion: Shows the distribution of religious affiliations in the area (e.g., Christianity, Secularism).

Commute to Work

This category provides insights into residents’ commuting habits:

• Common mode of transportation: Shows how most people in the area get to work—by car, truck, or van, or via other methods (e.g., walking, cycling, public transit).
• Common commute time: Breaks down typical travel times, such as less than 15 minutes, 15–29 minutes, and so on.

Why It Matters

Having census data at your fingertips means you’re no longer guessing about whether a neighborhood "feels right". Instead, you can explore social and demographic factors—like family size, cultural diversity, income equality, and occupation trends—to see if a community aligns with your lifestyle and values. This is especially useful if you’re new to a city, moving from another province, or simply need a reliable snapshot of your future neighborhood. After all, who lives in a neighborhood can be just as important as its property values or commute times.

Here are a few ways our new Census lens can help:

• Relocation: If you’re moving from another city or province (for example, Ontario or B.C. to Calgary), you can quickly gauge whether the neighborhood fits your preferences for cultural diversity, age demographics, or the local housing market.
• Community fit: Some people might be looking for areas with a specific community presence or a common language. Others might focus on income equality or the occupations commonly found there.
• Informed decisions: By combining demographics with our other lenses—"Property Value", "Safety", and "Access"—you get a well-rounded view of what living in a neighborhood really looks like.

With these insights, you’ll be better equipped to choose a community that feels like home—one where you’ll feel comfortable and supported in the long run.

What’s Next

At PickYourPlace, our goal is to provide a comprehensive tool that goes beyond the usual property search. We hope the new Census lens will empower you to make decisions you feel confident about—because choosing a home isn’t just about the building, it’s about the community you become a part of.

As always, we welcome your feedback. Let us know what you think of the Census lens, and stay tuned for more updates as we continue to evolve PickYourPlace.