KugaarukNunavut

With 1,250 residents, it is a town in Nunavut. It is part of the Territories (outside CAs, Nvt.) / Territoires (à l'extérieur des AR, Nt) metro area.

Photo: Northern Pix - https://www.flickr.com/people/northernpix/ · CC BY 2.0

Population

1,250

people, 2025 estimate

Median age

years · Canadian towns: 45.2

Postsecondary

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

Walk, cycle, transit

57%

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

Is Kugaaruk a good place to live?

Floods and other hazards weigh less here (A). Jobs & income is a strength too (B+). Its weakest is health (D−). Crime is the sore point (C−). A median home here was worth $200,000 at the census, or 2 times what the middle household earns in a year.

Figures: home values and income: Statistics Canada, Census 2021. With fewer than 2,500 residents, Kugaaruk gets subject grades but no overall one among Canadian towns.

This town's rent is the 2021 census rent scaled to 2025 by its province's ratio of surveyed to census rents: no rental survey covers it, so its Cost Grade is less sure. No Cost Grade: fewer than 30% of households own their home here, so neither the home value nor the rent is a market price. 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.

StrongestAHazard riskWeakestD⁻Health C⁻Safety

How Kugaaruk grades

Each subject compares Kugaaruk 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

With fewer than 2,500 residents, Kugaaruk gets subject grades but no overall one among Canadian towns.

HealthBased on how healthy residents are for their agesD⁻Open →Hazard riskNatural hazards pose little risk hereAOpen →SafetyNear the bottom of the towns comparedC⁻Open →Jobs & incomeGraded on incomes, poverty and employmentB⁺Open →WalkabilityEasier than most to get around on footBOpen →

Cost of livingNot graded: not enough data–

SchoolsIn Nunavut, there’s no schools grade: the province publishes no results school by school.–

How TownRatings grades Canadian towns →

What makes Kugaaruk stand out

The 3 things Kugaaruk does most differently from other towns.

Picked automatically from the data

Postsecondary certificate, diploma or degree

Education

9% have a postsecondary qualification

Midway across Canadian towns: 56%

Statistics Canada, Census 2021

Residents 65 and over

Who lives here

Only 3% are 65 or over

The median of Canadian towns: 19%

Statistics Canada, Census 2021

Immigrants

Who lives here

1% are immigrants

Half of Canadian towns are above 6%, half below

Statistics Canada, Census 2021

The data

Data highlights are ordered by what stands out in Kugaaruk.

Housing

Renting in Kugaaruk costs 3% of household income, less than in Canadian towns

$200,000median home value, 2021

Owners make up 9% of households. 5% of households spent 30% or more of their income on shelter, lower than Canadian towns (18%).

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

Kugaaruk$200,000

Canadian towns$406,000

Census 2021	Kugaaruk	Nunavut	Canada
Rent as a share of income	3%	–	20%
Households owning their home	9%	–	74%
Households spending 30%+ on shelter	5%	–	18%
Median home value, 2021	$200,000	–	$406,000

$210

monthly rent for a two-bedroom

$468

median monthly shelter cost for owners, 2021

Full pageKugaaruk’s cost of living pageOpen the full Cost of living page

Renting$210 a month · The median rent at the 2021 census Cost of livingThe median owner’s estimate, $200,000, against the median household income Owners and renters9% 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.

HealthHealth D⁻

Health in Kugaaruk trails almost every Canadian town

39%very good or excellent healthD⁻Health Grade

The health survey and life expectancy numbers here cover the Nunavut health region

Arthritis, diabetes and high blood pressure affect a fifth of the region’s adults on average, above Canadian towns (17%). The region’s 2022/2024 life expectancy is 70.9, with women at 72.4 and men at 69.4; what’s more, in the health survey, 39% of adults in the region rate their health very good or excellent, close to Nunavut’s 39%. Closer to home, a hospital is 613 km from the average resident of Kugaaruk, and 100% live more than 30 km away.

Very good or excellent health · adults, age-standardised

Kugaaruk39%

Canadian towns52%

Health	Kugaaruk	Nunavut	Canada
Very good or excellent health	39%	–	52%
Smokers	63%	–	12%
Life expectancy at birth	70.9	–	81.5
Chronic conditions (average share)	20%	–	17%

70.9

years of life expectancy, 2022/2024

613 km

from homes to a hospital, on average

63%

of adults smoke, age-standardised

644 km

from homes to a pharmacy, on average

Full pageKugaaruk’s health pageOpen the full Health page

Health survey39% very good or excellent health · adults, age-standardised Getting care613 km to a hospital · A pharmacy 644 km away on average The wider areaLife expectancy: women 72.4, men 69.4 Conditions and habits20% with chronic conditions · adults, age-standardised

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

Natural hazardsHazard risk A

Few places are as safe from hazards as Kugaaruk: it beats 94% of Canadian towns

Lowwildfire bandAHazard risk Grade

Earthquake risk in Kugaaruk is ordinary: NRCan’s model puts building losses at $0.023 a year per $1,000 of value, close to the typical town’s $0.030. The national flood inventory has no study of the town.

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

Kugaaruk0%

Canadian towns6.6%

Hazards	Kugaaruk	Nunavut	Canada
Radon tests above the guideline	0%	–	6.6%
Earthquake loss per $1,000 of buildings a year	$0.023	–	$0.030

Low

wildfire band

Full pageKugaaruk’s flood & hazards pageOpen the full Flood & hazards page

WildfireLow wildfire band · No land burned within 25 km since 1986 FloodNo flood study on record Earthquakes$0.023 a year per $1,000 · Canadian towns: $0.030 Radon0% 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

Who lives here

More of Kugaaruk’s residents have an Indigenous identity than in Canadian towns: 94%

23median age

1% of residents belong to a visible minority, lower than Canadian towns (15%).

KugaarukNunavutCanada

NunavutCanada

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

36%

Schooling · Highest qualification, residents 15 and over

No certificate, diploma or degree77%

Postsecondary qualification9%

Women and men · all residents

49.8% of Kugaaruk’s residents are women

Here the census found 520 men and 515 women; the figure for women across Canada is 50.9%.

Who lives in Kugaaruk
	Kugaaruk	Nunavut	Canada
Under 15	36%	–	16%
15 to 64	60%	–	64%
65+	3.4%	–	19%
No certificate, diploma or degree	77%	–	16%
Postsecondary qualification	9.4%	–	56%

Full pageKugaaruk’s Who lives here pageOpen the full Who lives here page

Immigrants1% belong to a visible minority Ages23 median age · 3% are 65 or over Households210 households · 4.7 people per household English and French1% speak both · 0% speak French but not English

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

Schools

The nearest high school to Kugaaruk is 848 km away

1school within 3 km

School	Level	Students	System
Arviligruaq IlinniarvikIn KugaarukElementary	Elementary	–	English public

Schools within 3 km	Kugaaruk	Nunavut	Canada
Nearest secondary school	848 km	–	1.2 km
Nearest elementary school	848 km	–	0.5 km

848 km

to the nearest secondary school

848 km

to the nearest elementary school

Full pageKugaaruk’s schools pageOpen the full Schools page

Every school1 elementary school Language0 of 1 teach in French · 2% of schools in Nunavut Questions“What schools are there in Kugaaruk?”

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

Climate

Winter nights bite in Kugaaruk: January lows of −35.5°C, colder than Canadian towns

14.4°CJuly afternoons

A normal August brings 44 mm of precipitation, more than any other month. Frosty days number 283 in a normal year, higher than Canadian towns (159). Kugaaruk sees July afternoons of 14.4°C on average. Most of the snow comes in October, about 27 cm.

Average high by season · ECCC normals, 1991–2020

Winter−26.8°C

Spring−14.2°C

Summer10.6°C

Autumn−6.0°C

Normals, 1991–2020	Kugaaruk	Nunavut	Canada
July afternoon high	14.4°C	–	25.5°C
January night low	−35.5°C	–	−13.5°C
Days with frost a year	283	–	159
Precipitation a year	240 mm	–	883 mm

283

days with frost a year

days with precipitation a year

Full pageKugaaruk’s climate pageOpen the full Climate page

The yearJuly highs 14.4°C, January lows −35.5°C Rain and snow240 mm a year · Canadian towns: 883 mm Snow146 cm of snow a year Weather station1.4 km to the station · Kugaaruk

Environment and Climate Change Canada, Canadian Climate Normals 1991–2020 (Kugaaruk)

SafetySafety C⁻

Crime runs heavier where Kugaaruk is policed than in Canadian towns, at an index of 118

118Crime Severity Index

Its police area recorded 25.3 violent incidents per 1,000 residents a year, higher than Canadian towns (12). Across its police area, there are 119.6 property incidents per 1,000 residents a year.

Year by year · Crime Severity Index for each year

202389

2024131

2025135

2023–2025	Kugaaruk	Nunavut	Canada
Property crime per 1,000	119.6	–	31.2
Violent crime	25.3	–	12
Crime Severity Index	118	–	67

129

non-violent Crime Severity Index

24%

of incidents cleared, 2023–25

Full pageKugaaruk’s safety reportOpen the full Safety report

Safety118 Crime Severity Index · The index weighs each crime Kugaaruk’s police recorded by how serious it is.Questions“Is Kugaaruk safe?”

Statistics Canada, Uniform Crime Reporting Survey, 2023–2025 average · Crime Severity Index, Violent Crime Severity Index, violent crime and property crime per 1,000: one figure for all of the Kugaaruk detachment area

Work & commuteJobs & income B⁺

Trips to work from Kugaaruk are shorter than from Canadian towns: 8 min on average

57%walk, cycle or take transit

19% of commuters drove, lower than Canadian towns (89%).

How working residents got to work · census 2021

Walk57%

Car or van19%

Census 2021	Kugaaruk	Nunavut	Canada
Car or van	19%	–	89%
Average trip	8 min	–	26 min

$99,000

median household income, 2020

worked from home, May 2021

68%

of commuters work inside the municipality

Full pageKugaaruk’s work & commute pageOpen the full Work & commute page

Unemployment23% unemployed · Of the labour force · Canadian towns: 9.9%Getting to work57% walk, cycle or take transit Where people commute to15 commuters · The biggest flow out: to Gjoa Haven

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

Weather

Kugaaruk in November: highs near −16°C, lows near −24°C

−16°Ca normal November afternoon

ECCC’s forecast for Kugaaruk is on the Weather page, hour by hour. December follows at −23°C by day and −31°C by night. Expect around 18 cm of snow in November. Precipitation in November averages 13 mm.

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

November−16°C

December−23°C

January−28°C

February−29°C

Season	High	Low	Rain and snow
Winter	−27°C	−34°C	28 mm
Spring	−14°C	−23°C	43 mm
Summer	11°C	3°C	105 mm
Autumn	−6°C	−12°C	64 mm

−24°C

a normal November night

13 mm

of rain and snow in a normal November

Full pageKugaaruk’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 (Kugaaruk); the forecast is on the Weather page

Town hall

Only 34% of electors voted in Nunavut in 2021, fewer than in 99% of Canada’s ridings

Without an open map of the Legislative Assembly of Nunavut’s ridings, this page can’t say which one Kugaaruk is in.

Full pageKugaaruk’s town hall & politics pageOpen the full Town hall & politics page

Who runs itHamlet Member of ParliamentLori Idlout

Wikidata, MAMH, MMAH, Statistics Canada

Library & civic life

No public library is mapped in or near Kugaaruk

Visits and loans aren’t published as open data in Nunavut, so this page has none for Kugaaruk.

Full pageKugaaruk’s library & civic life pageOpen the full Library & civic life page

Places to belong0 charities per 1,000 residents

Provincial library statistics, OpenStreetMap, the CRA and Statistics Canada

Outdoors

Protected land is absent from the 10 km around Kugaaruk

0%of the land within 10 km protected

Within 100 km there is no national park.

Protected land · of the land within 10 km

Kugaaruk0%

Canadian towns2.3%

Outdoors	Kugaaruk	Nunavut	Canada
Protected land within 10 km	0%	–	2.3%
Public protected areas within 10 km	0	–	4

Full pageKugaaruk’s outdoors pageOpen the full Outdoors page

Protected landof the land within 10 km Protected areas0 protected areas within 10 km

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

Keep exploring

Everything we know about Kugaaruk

15pages on Kugaaruk

The big questions

SafetyC⁻Crime Severity Index 118 Housing & costHomes 2 × income Property pricesSchoolsOne school within 3 km HealthD⁻Life expectancy 70.9 in its region Work & commuteB⁺34% of adults in work Natural hazardsAWildfire band: low

Out and about

OutdoorsAttractionsClimateJuly afternoons around 14°C WeatherECCC’s forecast, beside the normals

The story

Who lives hereMedian age 23 HistoryTown hallFamous people

About Kugaaruk

Town in Nunavut

TownRatings follows Statistics Canada’s map: Kugaaruk is one municipality in Nunavut, figures and all.

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

Population: 1,250 (people, 2025 estimate)
Province or territory: Nunavut
Census division: Kitikmeot
Metro area: Territories (outside CAs, Nvt.) / Territoires (à l'extérieur des AR, Nt)
Census subdivision: 6208047

Questions about Kugaaruk

Is Kugaaruk growing?

Yes: the census counted 933 in 2016 and 1,033 in 2021, a rise of 10.7%, against 4.1% for the median of Canadian towns. The 2025 estimate is 1,250.

Is Kugaaruk a young town or an old one?

The median resident is 23 years old, against 45.2 for the median of Canadian towns. 36% are under 15 and 3% are 65 or over.

What kind of homes are in Kugaaruk?

Single-detached houses make up 42% of the homes here, where Canadian towns sit at 64%; 0% are in high-rise apartments. 7% of households are one person, and the average is 4.7.

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).