Life in St. John's

St. John's is a mosaic of creativity. We have a vibrant arts community, with many working writers, musicians, actors, painters, sculptors and dancers. The creative and innovative nature of artistic pursuits is one of the elements central to the quality of life in St. John's.

The City supports our arts community with annual grants. We own the Quidi Vidi Artisan Studios, a craft business incubator. We also own a large fine art collection on display in our facilities. Learn more about the many arts programs and opportunities in our Arts section.

Inflation

The Consumer Price Index (CPI) is a measure of the various retail prices of a shopping basket of approximately 300 goods. Services include food, housing, transportation, clothing and recreation. The index is weighted to reflect typical spending patterns. The change in a price index such as the CPI is a measure of inflation. Increases in the CPI are often referred to as increases in the cost of living. In 2023, the CPI for St. John's increased by 3.7 per cent over the previous year. For further information on the CPI, refer to the Statistics Canada website.   

Housing

According to the Newfoundland and Labrador Association of Realtors, the benchmark price for a single-family home in the St. John's metro area was approximately $347,400 in December 2023. This is up 4.3% from December 2022.

Taxes

Residents of Canada must pay both federal and provincial income tax. If they are property owners, residents pay municipal taxes.

Situated on an island carved in rock, St. John's has a fascinating geographical layout. We are the most easterly city in North America.

St. John's is built around a cozy, sheltered harbour which acts as a gateway to the North Atlantic Ocean. Signal Hill overlooks the city and provides stunning views of the city, the coastline and the ocean. The downtown area has steep hills and winding streets. On the coastline, the landscape is quite rugged with many cliffs and crevasses. St. John's has many hiking trails, coastal trails and lookout points carved into the seaside hills.

The City of St. John's covers an area of 446.06 square kilometres. The St. John's metropolitan area covers an area of 931.56 square kilometres.

Climate

St. John's experiences the cool summer breezes and the winter snowfalls of a temperate marine climate. Mean daily temperatures range from 20ºC (68ºF) in the summer to -1ºC (30ºF) in the winter. The City's coastal location also means that wind and fog are common. The wind-chill temperature in the winter months can be very cold and may reach -20ºC or below.

St. John's has the third most temperate climate in Canada (behind Victoria and Vancouver). The weather pattern in St. John's is unique and you can often experience four seasons in one day. St. John's natives are proud of their climate, calling it character-building and invigorating. For further information on St. John's weather, please refer to Environment Canada or the Weather Network.

Our official language in the province of Newfoundland and Labrador is English. In 2021, 94.6% of the total St. John's metro population listed English as their mother tongue. Other immigrant mother tongue languages include:

• French: 0.5%
• Arabic: 0.6%
• Mandarin: 0.4%
• Tagalog (Pilipino, Tilipino): 0.3%
• Bengali: 0.3%
• Spanish: 0.2%

Newfoundland Dialect

The Newfoundland variation of the English language is very unique and interesting.

The use of non-standard English in the province is not surprising. Newfoundland and Labrador remained outside the mainstream of social, political and economic development in North America for most of its early history. By the time of confederation with Canada in 1949, Newfoundland's dialect had 300 years of local development with minimal influence from standard English. Newfoundlanders still preserve their own variations on the English language. There is even a Dictionary of Newfoundland English!

St. John's is made up of many distinct neighbourhoods. Together they create the character of our city. Check out our accessible neighbourhood profile system. A few key neighbourhoods are profiled below.

Downtown

Downtown St. John's is not only a destination for work and entertainment - it is also a place to live. In recent years the downtown has become a desirable neighbourhood with a lively mix of people from all walks of life. The Victorian era houses are typically painted in bright colours. The downtown also offers condominium living.

City Centre

Georgestown is a unique neighbourhood in the heart of old St. John's in the city centre. If you live in or nearby connect with the Georgestown Neighbourhood Association.

The Churchill Square neighbourhood near the city centre was one of the first planned neighbourhoods in Canada after the Second World War. Many properties have been rebuilt or have had extensive renovations as people wish to remain in this established, tree-filled neighbourhood. Churchill Square is on the doorstep of Memorial University, the St. John's Arts and Culture Centre and the A.C. Hunter Public Library.

City East

The east end of St. John's has green space, golf courses, and is close to the St. John's International Airport. New development has been particularly brisk in such subdivisions as Clovelly Trails (Osprey Landing). King Williams Estates is an exclusive, affluent neighbourhood. Some of the properties have their own lake frontage. Prices typically start at $500,000 and reach upwards of $1 million.

City North

Kenmount Terrace is a new subdivision located off Kenmount Road in the north end of the city. The neighbourhood is on the doorstep of a major retail area.

City West

Established in the 1970s, Cowan Heights is a popular neighbourhood located in the west end of St. John's. Cowan Heights is close to schools, churches and shopping. It offers a variety of house styles from entry-level to executive.

Southlands is a growing neighbourhood located in the west end of St. John's. It is home to many young families and is close to schools and recreational pursuits.

You will quickly feel at home in St. John's. Our people are known far and wide for their hospitality and warm, welcoming ways.

Most people living in St. John's are of English or Irish descent. More and more, St. John's is becoming diverse. As of the 2021 census, there were over 9,510 immigrants living in the St. John's metro area. 32.5% of these immigrants arrived between 2016 and 2021.

Multiculturalism

St. John's is increasingly multicultural. A growing number of events celebrate that cultural diversity. Ethnic, religious, and volunteer groups often organize events to celebrate multiculturalism. We aim to be a free-spirited city, allowing individuals to openly express themselves.

The Government of Canada celebrates Multiculturalism Day (June 27). For more information on multiculturalism in Canada, visit Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada.

The Government of Newfoundland and Labrador encourages all residents to welcome newcomers.

To connect with other new Canadians, reach out to the Association of New Canadians.