YellowknifeNorthwest Territories
22,858 people call this town in the Northwest Territories home. Its census division is Region 6.
Is Yellowknife a good place to live?
Yellowknife’s strongest is jobs & income (A+). It is strong on walkability as well (A+). Crime runs high (D−). Homes were valued at a median $448,000 at the 2021 census, 3 times the typical household’s income. Health outcomes fall short of most towns (C−). The overall grade lands at B−, better than 53% of Canadian towns. In the ranking it comes #1,243 of 2,556 Canadian towns.
Figures: home values and income: Statistics Canada, Census 2021.
Safety is the police detachment's figure, shared with the towns and countryside around it. 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.
How Yellowknife grades
Each subject compares Yellowknife 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 TownRatings grades Canadian towns →
What makes Yellowknife stand out
The 3 things Yellowknife does most differently from other towns.
The data
Data highlights are ordered by what stands out in Yellowknife.
Commuters in Yellowknife have a short way to work, 14 min on average, less than in Canadian towns
Driving is how 73% of commuters got to work at the census.
How working residents got to work · census 2021
| Census 2021 | Yellowknife | Northwest Territories | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average trip | 14 min | – | 26 min |
| Car or van | 73% | – | 89% |
Statistics Canada, Census 2021 (labour and commuting) · The 2021 census was taken in May 2021, during COVID-19 restrictions: more people than usual worked from home or were off work.
Few places are as safe from hazards as Yellowknife: it beats almost every Canadian town
In Health Canada’s survey, 5.4% of homes tested in Yellowknife’s area exceeded 200 Bq/m³, close to the typical 6.6%. Burn scars are few around Yellowknife, with 1.3% of the land within 25 km touched by fire since 1986 (0.03% a year). Flood mapping: none on the national inventory of the town.
Radon tests above the guideline · share of tested homes, 200 Bq/m³
| Hazards | Yellowknife | Northwest Territories | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Earthquake loss per $1,000 of buildings a year | $0.003 | – | $0.030 |
| Radon tests above the guideline | 5.4% | – | 6.6% |
NRCan seismic risk model and burned areas, Health Canada radon survey, the Flood Hazard Map Inventory
The force covering Yellowknife records more serious violence than Canadian towns, at 362
Source area for Crime Severity Index, Violent Crime Severity Index, violent crime and property crime per 1,000: the Yellowknife detachment area
Its police area records 213.5 property incidents per 1,000 residents a year. Violent incidents in its police area came to 71.2 per 1,000 residents a year, higher than Canadian towns (12).
Year by year · Crime Severity Index for each year
| 2023–2025 | Yellowknife | Northwest Territories | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Crime Severity Index | 305 | – | 67 |
| Violent Crime Severity Index | 362 | – | 86 |
| Violent crime | 71.2 | – | 12 |
| Property crime per 1,000 | 213.5 | – | 31.2 |
Statistics Canada, Uniform Crime Reporting Survey, 2023–2025 average
Winter nights bite in Yellowknife: January lows of −29.4°C, colder than Canadian towns
Frost comes on 222 days a year, higher than Canadian towns (159). The frost-free season runs from 24 May to 21 September, 119 days. Yellowknife sees July afternoons of 21.5°C on average. Most of the snow comes in November, about 37 cm.
Average high by season · ECCC normals, 1991–2020
| Normals, 1991–2020 | Yellowknife | Northwest Territories | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| January night low | −29.4°C | – | −13.5°C |
| July afternoon high | 21.5°C | – | 25.5°C |
| Precipitation a year | 294 mm | – | 883 mm |
| Days with frost a year | 222 | – | 159 |
Environment and Climate Change Canada, Canadian Climate Normals 1991–2020 (Yellowknife (Airport))
Expect 76.4 years of life in the region around Yellowknife, 5.1 under the typical Canadian town
Shared with the rest of the Northwest Territories health region: health survey and life expectancy
The survey finds 43% of adults in very good or excellent health, lower than Canadian towns (52%). Measured from where Yellowknife’s residents live, the nearest hospital is 1.7 km away, under the typical 3.7 km. A pharmacy is nearer: 1.0 km on average, with 3.4 within 3 km of the typical home.
Very good or excellent health · adults, age-standardised
| Health | Yellowknife | Northwest Territories | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Smokers | 25% | – | 12% |
| Life expectancy at birth | 76.4 | – | 81.5 |
| Very good or excellent health | 43% | – | 52% |
| Chronic conditions (average share) | 17% | – | 17% |
Statistics Canada, Canadian Community Health Survey 2023/2024 and life expectancy 2022/2024; Open Database of Healthcare Facilities
More of Yellowknife’s residents have an Indigenous identity than in Canadian towns: 24%
17% speak both English and French, above Canadian towns (7.5%). Immigrants make up 16% of residents, higher than Canadian towns (6.4%).
Ages · Share of residents in each age group, Census 2021
Schooling · Highest qualification, residents 15 and over
Women and men · all residents
Women make up 50.1% of Yellowknife
The 2021 census counted 10,185 women and 10,160 men here, where women make up 50.9% of Canada.
| Yellowknife | Northwest Territories | Canada | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 15 | 20% | – | 16% |
| 15 to 64 | 72% | – | 64% |
| 65+ | 7.8% | – | 19% |
| No certificate, diploma or degree | 14% | – | 16% |
| Postsecondary qualification | 59% | – | 56% |
Statistics Canada, Census 2021; Northwest Territories and Canada: medians of towns of 2,500+
Fewer households own their home in Yellowknife than in Canadian towns: 57%
Rent took 17% of household income, below Canadian towns (20%). Shelter took 30% or more of income for 16% of households, lower than Canadian towns (18%). Nobody publishes rent as a share of income and monthly rent for a two-bedroom for Yellowknife alone, so this card uses the figure for the Yellowknife metro area.
What homes were worth · The median owner’s estimate at the 2021 census
| Census 2021 | Yellowknife | Northwest Territories | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Households owning their home | 57% | – | 74% |
| Rent as a share of income | 17% | – | 20% |
| Households spending 30%+ on shelter | 16% | – | 18% |
Statistics Canada, Census 2021; CMHC Rental Market Survey via Statistics Canada · The 2021 census asked owners what their home was worth; those values, and 2020 incomes, are what this compares.
What November brings in Yellowknife: −16°C at night, −9°C by day
The forecast on the Weather page is ECCC’s for Yellowknife. A normal December brings highs of −18°C, lows of −26°C. At the extremes, July afternoons reach 22°C and January nights −29°C.
Normal highs, the months ahead · ECCC normals, 1991–2020
| Season | High | Low | Rain and snow |
|---|---|---|---|
| Winter | −19°C | −27°C | 41 mm |
| Spring | 0°C | −11°C | 42 mm |
| Summer | 20°C | 11°C | 113 mm |
| Autumn | 1°C | −5°C | 98 mm |
ECCC normals, 1991–2020 (Yellowknife (Airport)); the forecast is on the Weather page
Northwest Territories, which takes in Yellowknife, is held by Rebecca Alty (Liberal Party of Canada)
Locally, Yellowknife is run as a city.
Wikidata, MAMH, MMAH, Statistics Canada
Yellowknife’s public library is Yellowknife Public Library
The library is 1.2 km from the centre of Yellowknife.
Provincial library statistics, OpenStreetMap, the CRA and Statistics Canada
7 named trails run within 2 km of Yellowknife
National parks are all over 100 km off. Within 5 km lie 4 beaches, unnamed on the map.
Protected land · of the land within 10 km
| Outdoors | Yellowknife | Northwest Territories | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Protected land within 10 km | 0% | – | 2.3% |
| Public protected areas within 10 km | 0 | – | 4 |
Canadian Protected and Conserved Areas Database (CPCAD), OpenStreetMap routes and beaches
Schools in Yellowknife: 3 boards, side by side
One of the 10 teaches in French, against 4% of schools in the Northwest Territories. Taken together, Yellowknife and its 3 km edge hold 7 elementary schools, 2 secondary schools and 1 school for every grade.
| School | Level | Students | System |
|---|---|---|---|
| École J.H. Sissons SchoolIn YellowknifeElementary | Elementary | – | English public |
| École Allain St-Cyr FrenchIn YellowknifeAll grades | All grades | – | French public |
Schools by system · Schools within 3 km
| Schools within 3 km | Yellowknife | Northwest Territories | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| School boards | 3 | – | 3 |
Statistics Canada’s Open Database of Educational Facilities · Schools grade in the Northwest Territories: none (the province publishes no results school by school).
The registers record 9 historic places in Yellowknife
The earliest construction date, 1936, belongs to Weaver & Devore Trading. Homes from before 1961 make up 3.6% of the stock, below Canadian towns (18%).
Historic places by designation · inside the town
Among them
| Heritage | Yellowknife | Northwest Territories | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| Homes built before 1961 | 3.6% | – | 18% |
Canadian Register of Historic Places, Directory of Federal Heritage Designations, Québec’s Répertoire du patrimoine culturel, Wikidata; Census 2021 homes by period
Everything we know about Yellowknife
Prince of Wales Northern Heritage Centre and 9 more in and around Yellowknife
What there is to see in Yellowknife and within a short drive, starting with the places most people have heard of.
Famous people from Yellowknife
23 notable people were born in Yellowknife.
Photo credits
Margot Kidder: Peters & Carroll, Public domain · Dustin Milligan: Toddgolf, CC BY-SA 4.0 · Jesse Cockney: Cephas, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Shane Koyczan: Brenda Lee, CC BY 2.0 · Greg Vaydik: Chicago Blackhawks / NHL, Public domain · Blake Ward: Photo by Lucinda Holland. Sculpture by Blake, Public domain
About Yellowknife
Town in Northwest Territories
The boundary here is Statistics Canada’s: Yellowknife is one census subdivision in the Northwest Territories, and TownRatings describes all of it.
Statistics Canada: population estimates 2025 (17-10-0155), Census of Population 2021, 2021 census boundaries.
- Population
- 22,858 (people, 2025 estimate)
- Province or territory
- Northwest Territories
- Census division
- Region 6
- Census subdivision
- 6106023
Questions about Yellowknife
How old are the people of Yellowknife?
Its median age is 35.2, where Canadian towns sit at 45.2. Under-15s are 20% of residents; over-65s, 8%.
Do people in Yellowknife speak French?
English and French are both spoken by 17% of residents, where the median of Canadian towns is 8%. French alone: 0.4%.
Who are the people of Yellowknife?
Visible minorities are 20% of the population, where the middle of Canadian towns is 15%. Immigrants make up 16%, and Indigenous people 24%.
What kind of homes are in Yellowknife?
Single-detached houses make up 44% of the homes here, where Canadian towns sit at 64%; 4% are in high-rise apartments. 24% of households are one person, and the average is 2.7.
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).