St. John'sNewfoundland and Labrador

It is a town of 128,693 residents in Newfoundland and Labrador. Its census division is Division No. 1.

6 places within 19 kmMap →

Photo: Quintin Soloviev · CC BY 4.0

Population

128,693

people, 2025 estimate

Median age

years · Newfoundland and Labrador’s towns: 49.4

Postsecondary

62%

of residents 15 and over hold a postsecondary certificate, diploma or degree · Canadian towns: 56%

Walk, cycle, transit

13%

walk, cycle or take transit to work · Canadian towns: 8%

TownGrade

C⁺

#1,726 of 2,556

Is St. John's a good place to live?

Real strengths, and real weak spots. Homes are dear (C−). On walkability it is strong (A). Overall, that makes a C+, better than 37% of Canadian towns. Its place in the ranking is #13 of 32 in Newfoundland and Labrador. Its other grades sit near the middle: B− for health and B− for jobs & income.

Rents here are the metro area's average, shared by every town and neighbourhood in it. Safety is the regional police service's figure, shared with its other towns. No School Grade: this province doesn't publish comparable results school by school. Health is graded on the health region's survey figures and life expectancy, with the distance to hospital giving the town its own spread.

StrongestAHazard risk AWalkabilityWeakestC⁻Cost of living

What makes St. John's stand out

The 3 things St. John's does most differently from other towns.

Picked automatically from the data

Hazard risk

Better than 93%

of Canadian towns on hazard risk

Its hazard risk grade: A.

Households renting

Housing

39% rent their home

Half of Canadian towns are above 25%, half below

Statistics Canada, Census 2021

Walkability

Better than 90%

of Canadian towns on walkability

Its walkability grade: A.

How St. John's grades

Each subject compares St. John's with Canadian towns of 2,500 or more, ordered by how far it is from the middle. Towns in other countries are graded separately.

How grading works

Hazard riskNear the top of the towns comparedAOpen →WalkabilityBased on walking, cycling and transit to everyday placesAOpen →Cost of livingHomes are among the least affordable for local incomesC⁻Open →SafetyWeaker than most of the towns comparedCOpen →HealthGraded on how healthy residents areB⁻Open →Jobs & incomeClose to the middle of the towns comparedB⁻Open →

SchoolsThe province publishes no results school by school, which leaves towns in Newfoundland and Labrador without a schools grade.–

How TownRatings grades Canadian towns →

Nearby attractions

Signal Hill and 30 more in and around St. John's

A first look at St. John's’s museums, historic sites and days out, and a few just outside town.

All attractions →

Museum · Parks CanadaSignal Hillin town

MuseumThe Roomsin town · 87K visitors a year (2017)

ChurchBasilica of St. John the Baptistin town

MuseumFormer Newfoundland Railway Headquartersin town

CathedralSt. John the Baptist Anglican Cathedralin town

MuseumJohnson Geo Centrein town

Places: © OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL) · Wikidata · ODCAF · federal and Québec heritage registers · CPCAD

Photos: each place’s Wikidata image, from Wikimedia Commons under the licence below (our copy, resized).

Photo credits (6)

Signal Hill: Tolivero~commonswiki, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
The Rooms: David P Janes, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
Basilica of St. John the Baptist: Paul from Hacketts Cove, Canada, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons
Former Newfoundland Railway Headquarters: The original uploader was Jcmurphy at English Wikipedia ., CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
St. John the Baptist Anglican Cathedral: Jcmurphy at English Wikipedia, Public domain, Wikimedia Commons
Johnson Geo Centre: HJKeats, Public domain, Wikimedia Commons

The data

Data highlights are ordered by what stands out in St. John's.

Natural hazardsHazard risk A

St. John's earns an A for hazard risk

Area-wide: radon tests, counted over the Eastern Regional Integrated Health Authority

In Health Canada’s survey, just 4% of homes tested in the area exceeded 200 Bq/m³ (6.6% typical). GNL Department of Environment, Conservation and Climate Change has mapped the flood hazard here, one of 5 studies on the national inventory. Burn scars are few around St. John's, with 0.7% of the land within 25 km touched by fire since 1986 (0.02% a year).

Lowwildfire bandAHazard risk Grade

Radon tests above the guideline · share of tested homes, 200 Bq/m³

St. John's4%

Newfoundland and Labrador’s towns4%

Canadian towns6.6%

Hazards	St. John's	Newfoundland and Labrador	Canada
Radon tests above the guideline	4%	4%	6.6%
Earthquake loss per $1,000 of buildings a year	$0.011	$0.011	$0.030

Low

wildfire band

3.2 km

to the nearest land burned since 1986

flood studies on the national inventory

Full pageSt. John's’ flood & hazards pageOpen the full Flood & hazards page

WildfireLow wildfire band · 0.7% of the land within 25 km burned since 1986 Flood5 flood studies on record Earthquakes$0.011 a year per $1,000 · Canadian towns: $0.030 Radon4% of tests above the guideline Be readyAlerts, FireSmart and radon tests

NRCan seismic risk model and burned areas, Health Canada radon survey, the Flood Hazard Map Inventory

HousingCost of living C⁻

Measured against local pay, St. John's costs more to live in than four in five Canadian towns

22% of households spent 30% or more of their income on shelter, above both Newfoundland and Labrador’s towns (15%) and Canadian towns (18%). Owners put the median home at $306,000, higher than Newfoundland and Labrador’s towns ($215,000) yet lower than Canadian towns ($406,000).

$306,000median home value, 2021C⁻Cost of living Grade

What homes were worth · The median owner’s estimate at the 2021 census

St. John's$306,000

Newfoundland and Labrador$215,000

Canadian towns$406,000

Census 2021	St. John's	Newfoundland and Labrador	Canada
Households spending 30%+ on shelter	22%	15%	18%
Rent as a share of income	22%	17%	20%
Median home value, 2021	$306,000	$215,000	$406,000

$1,348

monthly rent for a two-bedroom

$1,290

median monthly shelter cost for owners, 2021

Full pageSt. John's’ cost of living pageOpen the full Cost of living page

Cost of living4.1 times household income · The median owner’s estimate, $306,000, against the median household income Renting$1,348 a month · A two-bedroom apartment, CMHC’s survey Owners and renters61% own their home

Statistics Canada, Census 2021; CMHC Rental Market Survey via Statistics Canada · Home values are owners’ own estimates at the May 2021 census, and incomes are for 2020. · Rent as a share of income and monthly rent for a two-bedroom: the St. John's metro area

Climate

Winters are mild in St. John's: January nights hold at −7.2°C, above Newfoundland and Labrador’s towns and Canadian towns

December is the wettest month, with 161 mm of rain and snow on average. Frosty days number 154 in a normal year, lower than Newfoundland and Labrador’s towns (171) and near Canadian towns (159). Also worth knowing: july afternoons in St. John's average 21.3°C. Snow peaks in January: 95 cm in a normal year.

21.3°CJuly afternoons

Average high by season · ECCC normals, 1991–2020

Winter0.8°C

Spring6.5°C

Summer19.7°C

Autumn12.1°C

Normals, 1991–2020	St. John's	Newfoundland and Labrador	Canada
Snowfall a year	363 cm	363 cm	141 cm
July afternoon high	21.3°C	21.2°C	25.5°C
Precipitation a year	1,381 mm	1,305 mm	883 mm
January night low	−7.2°C	−8.7°C	−13.5°C

363 cm

of snow a year

154

days with frost a year

155

days with precipitation a year

Full pageSt. John's’ climate pageOpen the full Climate page

The yearJuly highs 21.3°C, January lows −7.2°C Rain and snow1,381 mm a year · Canadian towns: 883 mm Snow363 cm of snow a year Weather station4.9 km to the station · St. John's (West)

Environment and Climate Change Canada, Canadian Climate Normals 1991–2020 (St. John's (West))

SafetySafety C

St. John's earns a C for safety

Source area for Crime Severity Index, Violent Crime Severity Index, violent crime and property crime per 1,000: the St. John's service area

The violent index for its police area came to 104, above both Newfoundland and Labrador’s towns (82) and Canadian towns (86). For every 1,000 residents of its police area, 17.9 violent incidents are reported each year.

81Crime Severity Index

Year by year · Crime Severity Index for each year

202382

202481

202579

2023–2025	St. John's	Newfoundland and Labrador	Canada
Violent crime	17.9	16.7	12
Violent Crime Severity Index	104	82	86

non-violent Crime Severity Index

31%

of incidents cleared, 2023–25

Full pageSt. John's’ safety reportOpen the full Safety report

Safety81 Crime Severity Index · The index weighs each crime St. John's’s police recorded by how serious it is.Questions“Is St. John's safe?”

Statistics Canada, Uniform Crime Reporting Survey, 2023–2025 average

Weather

St. John's in November: highs near 7°C, lows near 1°C

Snowfall in a normal November: 22 cm. A normal December brings highs of 3°C, lows of −4°C. Precipitation in November averages 138 mm. The year peaks in July (21°C) and bottoms out in February (−8°C).

7°Ca normal November afternoon

Normal highs, the months ahead · ECCC normals, 1991–2020

November7°C

December3°C

January0°C

February0°C

Season	High	Low	Rain and snow
Winter	1°C	−6°C	431 mm
Spring	7°C	−1°C	317 mm
Summer	20°C	10°C	248 mm
Autumn	12°C	5°C	385 mm

1°C

a normal November night

138 mm

of rain and snow in a normal November

Full pageSt. John's’ weather pageOpen the full Weather page

Next 24 hoursTemperature and chance of rain, hour by hour The week aheadECCC’s days ahead, beside the normals The yearWarmest July, coldest February

ECCC normals, 1991–2020 (St. John's (West)); the forecast is on the Weather page

Town hall

3 MPs share St. John's, which straddles St. John's East and Cape Spear

For local government, St.

Full pageSt. John's’ town hall & politics pageOpen the full Town hall & politics page

Who runs itCity Member of ParliamentJoanne Thompson

Wikidata, MAMH, MMAH, Statistics Canada

Library & civic lifeCivic life grade B⁺

3 public library branches serve St. John's

By name: A.C.

Full pageSt. John's’ library & civic life pageOpen the full Library & civic life page

Places to belong2.3 charities per 1,000 residents

Provincial library statistics, OpenStreetMap, the CRA and Statistics Canada

Who lives here

St. John's has more immigrants than Newfoundland and Labrador’s towns or Canadian towns: 7% of residents

13% are under 15, close to Newfoundland and Labrador’s towns (13%) and below Canadian towns (16%). People 65 and over make up a fifth of the town.

42median age

St. John'sNewfoundland and LabradorCanada

Newfoundland and LabradorCanada

Ages · Share of residents in each age group, Census 2021

13%

Schooling · Highest qualification, residents 15 and over

No certificate, diploma or degree12%

Postsecondary qualification62%

Women and men · all residents

Women make up 51.6% of St. John's

Here the census found 57,010 women and 53,515 men; across Canada the share of women is 50.9%.

Who lives in St. John's
	St. John's	Newfoundland and Labrador	Canada
Under 15	13%	13%	16%
15 to 64	67%	61%	64%
65+	20%	26%	19%
No certificate, diploma or degree	12%	21%	16%
Postsecondary qualification	62%	53%	56%

Full pageSt. John's’ Who lives here pageOpen the full Who lives here page

Immigrants7% are immigrants · 10% belong to a visible minority Ages42 median age · 20% are 65 or over Households49,295 households · 2.2 people per household English and French9% speak both · 0% speak French but not English

Statistics Canada, Census 2021; Newfoundland and Labrador and Canada: medians of towns of 2,500+

HealthHealth B⁻

54% of adults around St. John's rate their health very good or excellent

The health survey and life expectancy numbers here cover the Eastern Urban Zone

Lives in the region last 80.2 years on average (2022/2024): 82.1 for women, 78.2 for men. The region has fewer smokers than Newfoundland and Labrador, 13% of adults to 15%. Chronic conditions run at nearly a fifth of adults, age-standardised, below Newfoundland and Labrador’s towns (22%) but above Canadian towns (17%). For St. John's itself the measure is access: 3.0 km to the nearest hospital, much like the typical 3.7 km.

54%very good or excellent healthB⁻Health Grade

Very good or excellent health · adults, age-standardised

St. John's54%

Newfoundland and Labrador’s towns50%

Canadian towns52%

Health	St. John's	Newfoundland and Labrador	Canada
Chronic conditions (average share)	19%	22%	17%
Very good or excellent health	54%	50%	52%
Life expectancy at birth	80.2	78.6	81.5
Smokers	13%	15%	12%

80.2

years of life expectancy, 2022/2024

3.0 km

from homes to a hospital, on average

13%

of adults smoke, age-standardised

1.3 km

from homes to a pharmacy, on average

Full pageSt. John's’ health pageOpen the full Health page

Health survey54% very good or excellent health · adults, age-standardised Getting care3.0 km to a hospital · A pharmacy 1.3 km away on average The wider areaLife expectancy: women 82.1, men 78.2 Conditions and habits19% with chronic conditions · adults, age-standardised

Statistics Canada, Canadian Community Health Survey 2023/2024 and life expectancy 2022/2024; Open Database of Healthcare Facilities

Outdoors

Beaches near St. John's: 41 within 5 km

National parks are all over 100 km off. OpenStreetMap shows one walking route nearby, the East Coast Trail. For a provincial park, Butter Pot Provincial Park lies 2.7 km off. 6.4 km out lies the largest, Witless Bay Ecological Reserve, at 3,100 ha.

2.2%of the land within 10 km protected

Protected land · of the land within 10 km

St. John's2.2%

Newfoundland and Labrador’s towns0.4%

Canadian towns2.3%

Outdoors	St. John's	Newfoundland and Labrador	Canada
Protected land within 10 km	2.2%	0.4%	2.3%
Public protected areas within 10 km	3	1	4

2.7 km

to Butter Pot Provincial Park

beaches within 5 km

Full pageSt. John's’ outdoors pageOpen the full Outdoors page

Footpaths & routes1 named route · East Coast Trail Protected landof the land within 10 km Protected areas6 protected areas within 10 km · Witless Bay Ecological Reserve National & provincial parks2.7 km to a provincial park · Butter Pot Provincial Park

Canadian Protected and Conserved Areas Database (CPCAD), OpenStreetMap routes and beaches

Work & commuteJobs & income B⁻

Commuters in St. John's have a short way to work, 17 min on average, less than in Newfoundland and Labrador’s towns and across Canadian towns

84% of commuters took the car to work at the census.

13%walk, cycle or take transit

How working residents got to work · census 2021

Car or van84%

Walk7%

Public transit5%

Bicycle0%

Census 2021	St. John's	Newfoundland and Labrador	Canada
Average trip	17 min	19 min	26 min
Car or van	84%	92%	89%

$75,000

median household income, 2020

20%

worked from home, May 2021

85%

of commuters work inside the municipality

Full pageSt. John's’ work & commute pageOpen the full Work & commute page

Unemployment12% unemployed · Of the labour force · Canadian towns: 9.9%Getting to work13% walk, cycle or take transit Where people commute to2,860 commuters · The biggest flow out: to Mount Pearl

Statistics Canada, Census 2021 (labour and commuting) · Census day was in May 2021, mid-pandemic, so commuting and work figures carry the lockdowns’ mark.

Schools

Schools in St. John's: 3 boards, side by side

Counting a 3 km margin, St. John's has 25 elementary schools, 11 secondary schools and 2 schools for every grade. 2 of the 38 teach in French, against 2% of schools in Newfoundland and Labrador.

38schools within 3 km

School	Level	Students	System
Anchor AcademyIn St. John'sElementary	Elementary	–	English public
Beaconsfield Junior HighIn St. John'sSecondary	Secondary	–	English public
École des Grands-Vents FrenchTeaches in FrenchElementary	Elementary	–	French public

See all 38 schools →

Schools by system · Schools within 3 km

English public36

French public2

Schools within 3 km	St. John's	Newfoundland and Labrador	Canada
School boards	3	1	3

0.8 km

to the nearest secondary school

Full pageSt. John's’ schools pageOpen the full Schools page

The boards3 school boards · NLESD - Eastern Region Every school38 schools within 3 km · 25 elementary schools, 11 secondary schools and 2 schools for every grade Language2 of 38 teach in French · 2% of schools in Newfoundland and Labrador Questions“What schools are there in St. John's?”

Statistics Canada’s Open Database of Educational Facilities · Towns in Newfoundland and Labrador aren’t in the schools rankings: the province publishes no results school by school.

History

St. John's’s record starts in 1697 with Fort William

Among the places are 7 provincial or municipal listings, 2 Recognized Federal Heritage Buildings and a heritage lighthouse. Inside the town the registers count 35 historic places; 25 are top designations.

35historic places

Historic places by designation · inside the town

Highest designations25

Other federal designations3

Provincial and local listings7

Among them

1697

oldest construction date on the record

22%

of homes built before 1961 · Canadian towns 18%

Heritage	St. John's	Newfoundland and Labrador	Canada
Homes built before 1961	22%	17%	18%

Full pageSt. John's’ history pageOpen the full History page

On the registers35 historic places inside the town Highest designations25 top designations · Fort William Older homes22% built before 1961 · Canadian towns: 18%Questions“How many historic places does St. John's have?”

Canadian Register of Historic Places, Directory of Federal Heritage Designations, Québec’s Répertoire du patrimoine culturel, Wikidata; Census 2021 homes by period

Keep exploring

Everything we know about St. John's

15pages on St. John's

The big questions

SafetyCCrime Severity Index 81 Housing & costC⁻Homes 4.1 × income Property pricesSchools38 schools within 3 km HealthB⁻Life expectancy 80.2 in its region Work & commuteB⁻55% of adults in work Natural hazardsAWildfire band: low

Out and about

Outdoors2.2% of the land within 10 km protected AttractionsClimateJuly afternoons around 21°C WeatherECCC’s forecast, beside the normals

The story

Who lives hereMedian age 42 History35 places on the heritage registers Town hallFamous people

Famous people from St. John's

267 notable people were born in St. John's.

See all 267 →

Percy Hynes WhiteCanadian actor · born 2001

Shannon TweedCanadian actress and model · born 1957

Brad GushueCanadian male curler · born 1980

Harry WatsonIce hockey player · 1898–1957

Mark O'BrienCanadian actor and director · born 1984

Maurice PrendergastAmerican-Canadian artist · 1858–1924

Photo credits

Percy Hynes White: Raboe001, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Shannon Tweed: Glenn Francis, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Brad Gushue: Krazytea, CC BY-SA 4.0 · Harry Watson: Unknown author, Public domain · Mark O'Brien: Canadian Film Centre, CC BY 2.0 · Maurice Prendergast: Gertrude Käsebier, Public domain

St. John's’ neighbours

The nearest places of 1,000 or more. Statistics Canada

Mount PearlPetty Harbour-Maddox CovePortugal Cove-St. Philip'sParadiseLogy Bay-Middle Cove-Outer CoveTorbaySt. John's

How the neighbours grade

Town	People	km	Overall	Cost	Safety	Health
St. John's	128,693	—	C⁺	C⁻	C	B⁻
Mount Pearl	24,266	6.6	C⁺	C	C	B⁻
Petty Harbour-Maddox Cove	1,005	9.4	—	B⁻	C	B⁻
Portugal Cove-St. Philip's	9,167	9.7	B⁺	B⁺	C	B⁻
Paradise	26,155	9.8	B⁺	A⁻	C	C⁺
Logy Bay-Middle Cove-Outer Cove	2,601	10	B⁺	A⁻	C	B⁻
Torbay	8,297	11	B	B⁺	C	C⁺

People: Statistics Canada, Census 2021. Distances: centre to centre.

Questions about St. John's

What kind of homes are in St. John's?

42% of homes are single-detached houses, against 64% for the median of Canadian towns, and 1% are in apartment buildings of five storeys or more. A household averages 2.2 people; 34% are one person living alone.

Who are the people of St. John's?

10% of residents belong to a visible minority, against 15% for the median of Canadian towns; 3% have an Indigenous identity and 7% are immigrants.

Has St. John's grown?

Yes: the census counted 108,860 in 2016 and 110,525 in 2021, a rise of 1.5%, against 4.1% for the median of Canadian towns. The 2025 estimate is 128,693.

How old are the people of St. John's?

At 42, its median age compares with 45.2 across Canadian towns.

About St. John's

Town in Newfoundland and Labrador

TownRatings follows Statistics Canada’s map: St. John's is one municipality in Newfoundland and Labrador, figures and all.

Statistics Canada: population estimates 2025 (17-10-0155), Census of Population 2021, 2021 census boundaries.

Population: 128,693 (people, 2025 estimate)
Province or territory: Newfoundland and Labrador
Census division: Division No. 1
Census subdivision: 1001519

Sources: Statistics Canada, Census of Population 2021 · population estimates 2025 (17-10-0155) and 2021 census boundaries · Uniform Crime Reporting Survey 2023–25 (35-10-0026, 35-10-0183 to 35-10-0190) · CMHC rents as published by Statistics Canada (34-10-0133) · grades by TownRatings. Under the Statistics Canada Open Licence.

Adapted from Statistics Canada (Census of Population 2021, population estimates 2025, 2021 census boundaries) under the Statistics Canada Open Licence; this does not constitute an endorsement by Statistics Canada. Neighbourhood names in some cities © OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL).