Located just 20 minutes from Toronto, Ontario, Canada, Ajax is part of the Greater Toronto Area, home to over 6.5 million people. Ajax is within a day's drive to over 120 million customers who represent over one-third of the North American marketplace. Here you can find data on our 127,000 population and why nearly 2,000 businesses choose Ajax, by the Lake.

 Demographics
Location

Ajax is located in Durham Region in Southern Ontario, Canada, located in the eastern part of the Greater Toronto Area.

Distance to Major US Centres:

New York – 818 km or 508 miles

Boston – 906 km or 563 miles

Detroit - 412 km or 256 miles

Chicago - 867 km or 538 miles

Washington - 947 km or 588 miles
Education and Schools

The Durham District School Board (DDSB) and Durham Catholic District School Board (DCDSB) are responsible for public education in Ajax and other municipalities in Durham Region.
Healthcare

Ajax is home to Lakeridge Health Ajax Pickering Hospital, as well as a number of medical clinics, specialty clinics and laboratories.

Visit the Hospitals and Walk-in Clinics page for more information.
Housing

Ajax offers a range of housing options that are affordable and part of safe and active communities.

Housing market

Housing availability
Incentives

Learn more about incentives in Ajax:

Federal and Provincial Funding: Mentorworks

PriorityPATH

Community Improvement Plans
Workforce

With a population of nearly 120,000, Ajax offers employers a local labour force of approximately 91,480 people. Within a 30 minute drive, an expanded labour force of over one million lives in the Greater Toronto Area (GTA). The people behind these numbers are highly educated and diversely skilled.

Labour Force Statistics

Durham Workforce Authority
Maps

Visit the Maps page for available maps of Ajax.
Population and Demographics

Based on the 2021 census, Ajax has a population of 126,666 people, and is one of the fastest growing municipalities in Ontario.

For more statistics, visit Ajax Data Portal on on the Durham Workforce Authority website. The data is available for download.

 

Statistics Canada Census Profile, 2021 Census of Population      
       
Characteristic Ajax, Town (T)
Ontario
[Census Subdivision]
Counts
Total Men + Women +
Population and Dwellings      
Population, 2021 126,666 … …
Population, 2016 119,677 … …
Population percentage change, 2016 to 2021 5.8 … …
Total private dwellings 40,275 … …
Private dwellings occupied by usual residents 39,488 … …
Population density per square kilometre 1,900.6 … …
Land area in square kilometres 66.64 … …
Age characteristics      
Total - Age groups of the population - 100% data 126,665 61,645 65,020
  0 to 14 years 23,805 12,265 11,535
    0 to 4 years 7,185 3,705 3,480
    5 to 9 years 8,050 4,110 3,940
    10 to 14 years 8,565 4,455 4,115
  15 to 64 years 86,275 41,905 44,370
    15 to 19 years 8,305 4,315 3,990
    20 to 24 years 8,180 4,170 4,010
    25 to 29 years 8,240 4,145 4,090
    30 to 34 years 8,565 4,055 4,510
    35 to 39 years 9,235 4,380 4,850
    40 to 44 years 8,990 4,165 4,825
    45 to 49 years 8,660 4,115 4,550
    50 to 54 years 8,700 4,140 4,560
    55 to 59 years 9,355 4,505 4,845
    60 to 64 years 8,050 3,915 4,135
  65 years and over 16,585 7,480 9,105
    65 to 69 years 5,675 2,720 2,955
    70 to 74 years 4,490 2,085 2,405
    75 to 79 years 2,890 1,335 1,550
    80 to 84 years 1,785 720 1,070
    85 years and over 1,745 615 1,130
      85 to 89 years 1,120 420 695
      90 to 94 years 495 170 335
      95 to 99 years 110 20 90
      100 years and over 15 5 10
Total - Distribution (%) of the population by broad age groups - 100% data 100.0 100.0 100.0
  0 to 14 years 18.8 19.9 17.7
  15 to 64 years 68.1 68.0 68.2
  65 years and over 13.1 12.1 14.0
    85 years and over 1.4 1.0 1.7
Average age of the population 38.6 37.6 39.5
Median age of the population 38.4 37.2 39.6
Household and dwelling characteristics      
Total - Occupied private dwellings by structural type of dwelling - 100% data 39,485 … …
  Single-detached house 25,560 … …
  Semi-detached house 2,265 … …
  Row house 6,020 … …
  Apartment or flat in a duplex 1,385 … …
  Apartment in a building that has fewer than five storeys 1,610 … …
  Apartment in a building that has five or more storeys 2,635 … …
  Other single-attached house 10 … …
  Movable dwelling 5 … …
Total - Private households by household size - 100% data 39,490 … …
  1 person 5,555 … …
  2 persons 9,810 … …
  3 persons 7,925 … …
  4 persons 8,980 … …
  5 or more persons 7,220 … …
Number of persons in private households 126,245 61,510 64,740
Average household size 3.2 … …
       
Symbol legend      
…    not applicable      
       
Source:  Statistics Canada, 2021 Census of Population      

 Site Selection
 
Finding a Location

The Economic Development Office works closely with local landowners, brokers and developers. These established relationships allow for the up to date information about available land for development and existing vacant space. This helps to ensure that all prospective Ajax locations are included when undertaking a site search on your behalf. Contact us for a custom report.
 Setting up a Business
Moving or establishing a new business may present unique demands on financial and human capital. The Economic Development Office can provide suggestions for identifying funding sources, local suppliers, business associations, utilities, initial hiring fairs, logistics, ground-breaking ceremonies, and links to post secondary institutions.
 Establishing a Local Presence

Businesses can quickly and easily make initial connections and linkages through the Economic Development Office, and may also be able to provide assistance with lead generation, help setup an announcement of your arrival with a ribbon-cutting ceremony, and assist you with the coordination of local dignitaries.
 Development Charges and Fees
Visit the Development Charges and Applications page for more information on Ajax's development process, charges and fees.
Key Sectors

Based on key attributes, The Economic Development and Tourism Strategy has identified five key sectors that demonstrate the greatest potential for growth in Ajax:

Manufacturing

Durham Region has traditionally been a centre of manufacturing with strength in the automotive (i.e. General Motors in Oshawa), aerospace (i.e. Safran Landing Systems Canada Inc.) and automation (i.e. Siemens in Ajax) sectors. These industries have continued to thrive by developing and implementing sophisticated manufacturing methods and structures that allow them to better manufacture and deliver their products to market.

Business and Information Technology Services

Business and information technology services represent a significant business and labour force attraction and retention opportunity for the Town of Ajax.

Ajax has an excellent base for expansion of this sector and a strong regional economy to support businesses in the professional services sector. Continued population growth should also foster growth in several sub-sectors including legal services, accounting and tax preparation or services supporting local industries, like architectural, energy and engineering services.

Healthcare

The health care and services sector represents a significant business attraction and expansion opportunity for the Town of Ajax.Successful regional economies need the availability of high quality health care. Hospitals and related healthcare institutions are major employers with employees contributing to the local economy through wages and spending.

Tourism

Tourism is a sector that is quickly gaining momentum as Town of Ajax grows. As the population continues to increase, so too are tourism related products and services that cater to residents, businesses and visitors. To date, Ajax is proud to be home to a number of significant Tourism attractions that draw visitors into the Region on a regular basis.

Logistics and Warehousing

The Town has experienced considerable growth in several sub-sectors of importance to the wholesale trade and transportation wholesale trade industries. These include strong labour force growth in personal and household goods wholesalers/distributors and local job growth in machinery, equipment and supplies, motor vehicle parts and building material and supplies. The importance of strength in this sector is the advantage it provides to other sectors, especially manufacturing and retail trade.

Not only do these sectors represent key areas of focus both locally and provincially, they reflect emerging trends that are shaping industries of the future.
Major Employers

Major employers in Ajax include:

•           Lakeridge Health Ajax Pickering Hospital

•           Loblaw Companies Limited

•           Amazon Fulfillment Centre

•           Safran Landing Systems Canada Inc.

•           Lear Corporation

•           Casino Ajax

•           Walmart Supercentre

•           Costco Wholesale

•           Westrock Packaging Systems Ltd.

•           Volkswagen Canada Inc.

•           Lifetime Athletic

•           Intact Insurance

•           Real Canadian Superstore

•           Durham Region Transit

•           Elexicon Energy
 Transportation, Logistics
Ajax strives to provide businesses and residents a safe and efficient transportation network.

Ajax is also accessible by air, rail and water and public transit via the following providers:
Utilities
Providers:

Electricity: Veridian Connections

Natural Gas: Enbridge

Water and Sewer: Region of Durham Works

Historical Rate data