Kingston's 2026 population is now estimated at 152,403. In 2001, the population of Kingston was 118,842. Kingston has grown by 2,876 in the last year, which represents a 1.92% annual change. These population values and projections come from Statistics Canada Table 17-10-0155-01: Population estimates, July 1, by census subdivision, 2021 boundaries and World Population Review Internal Projections .
As the first capital of Canada in 1841, Kingston has a long history. However, authorities decided that the location was not quite right and so Kingston was only a capital city for three years. Located directly on Lake Ontario and the sources of two rivers, the St. Lawrence and the Cataraqui, Kingston is still a growing city with a lot to offer and remains an integral part of military operations in Ontario.
The population of Kingston, according to the numbers in 2016, is 172,411. Although the numbers for 2017 are not definitive, the estimated population, according to the average rate of growth, puts the 2017 population at approximately 175,018.
The population density of the Kingston metro area is about 82.3 people residing for every kilometer in the area. The city covers a total surface area of 451.19 square kilometers (174.21 square miles).
From the most current numbers, it is known that female residents outnumber males. Females make up 51.3% of the overall population of Kingston and males 48.7%.
Other numbers for demographics show that Kingston is a hot spot for retirees, as 14.1% of the total population is at or above the retirement age.
It is also known that 94.2% of the population identifies as Caucasian. Minorities include 1.7% Chinese, 1.2% black, and .8% South Asian. The remaining 2.1% of the population is a combination of several other races and those that identify as one or more different races.
The city of Kingston is quite diverse in its education levels. Within Kingston, 18.8% of the overall population does not have a high school diploma. 27% of the population have at least obtained a high school diploma, while 8% have chosen apprenticeship or trades after high school and 21.5% have attended a non-university college and received a certificate of completion.
The smallest numbers are those that have received a degree from a university that is below bachelor level. Those numbers make up just 3% of the population, while those that have attended and earned a bachelor’s degree or higher from a university represent 21.7% of the population of Kingston.
Transportation in and around Kingston is primarily by privately owned personal vehicles. 69.1% of the population of the city owns and regularly drives their own vehicle everywhere they go. There is, however, a growing number of people turning to public transportation. Currently, this totals only 5% of the population, while 14.5% of people choose to bike or walk to where they want to go. 9.7% of the population claim to be passengers without the legal ability to drive, and just 1.7% of the population claims that they regularly use other forms of transportation to get to and from their destinations.
| City | 2026 Pop. ↓ | Growth |
|---|---|---|
| Toronto | 3,358,275 | 2.64% |
| Montreal | 1,943,903 | 1.49% |
| Calgary | 1,678,073 | 4.04% |
| Edmonton | 1,284,480 | 3.73% |
| Ottawa | 1,218,903 | 2.59% |
| Winnipeg | 870,032 | 2.33% |
| Brampton | 801,732 | 3.08% |
| Mississauga | 768,794 | 0.55% |
| Vancouver | 751,644 | 1.51% |
| Surrey | 731,630 | 3.99% |
| Hamilton | 652,266 | 1.84% |
| Quebec | 602,025 | 1.58% |
| Halifax | 532,856 | 3.1% |
| London | 508,883 | 2.85% |
| Laval | 466,247 | 1.03% |
| Markham | 376,096 | 1.24% |
| Vaughan | 364,031 | 1.53% |
| Kitchener | 338,883 | 4.62% |
| Saskatoon | 328,613 | 3.32% |
| Burnaby | 309,694 | 3.34% |