Get to know Niagara
Looking for at-a-glance information to get to know Niagara? This collection of Regional Quick Facts is a perfect place to start. Begin with a quick scroll through key data highlights and then link through to more detailed reports for additional background.
Location
Location and Distance to Markets
| Metropolitan Area | Distance | Population |
| Toronto | 100 km | 5.9 million |
| Detroit | 350 km | 4.3 million |
| Columbus | 565 km | 2.1 million |
| New York | 650 km | 20 million |
| Philadelphia | 650 km | 6.1 million |
| Boston | 775 km | 4.6 million |
| Chicago | 830 km | 9.5 million |
Transportation Infrastructure
4 major highways
5 international border crossings into US
2 commercial vehicle border crossings
1 million truck crossings each year
7 airports within 10 to 100km
Welland Canal and nearby access to Ontario's largest port
Business
Niagara Business Counts
| 2015 | 2016 | 2017 | |
| Businesses with Employees | 12,211 | 12,448 | 12,567 |
| Non Employers - Business without Employees | 24,347 | 24,556 | 26,289 |
| Total Businesses | 36,558 | 37,004 | 38,856 |
Business Size Range
| Employees | Companies | % of total |
| 1-4 | 6,280 | 50.7 |
| 5-9 | 2,567 | 20.8 |
| 10-20 | 1,704 | 13.8 |
| 20-49 | 1,186 | 9.6 |
| 50-99 | 377 | 3.0 |
| 100-199 | 175 | 1.4 |
| 200-499 | 68 | 0.6 |
| 500+ | 24 | 0.2 |
Employment
Total Jobs
| 2015 | 2016 | 2017 |
| 209,590 | 212,247 | 216,186 |
Top 40 Largest Employers (Full and Part Time)
| District School Board of Niagara | 6,160 |
| Brock University | 5,965 |
| Niagara Health System | 4,914 |
| Niagara Region | 3,644 |
| Niagara Fallsview Casino Resort | 3,630 |
| Niagara College | 2,658 |
| Niagara Catholic District School Board | 2,011 |
| Hilton Hotels and Suites | 2,000 |
| Four Points by Sheraton Niagara Falls Fallsview | 2,000 |
| General Motors of Canada | 1,445 |
| Outlet Collection at Niagara | 1,400 |
| Canadian Tire Financial Services | 1,161 |
| City of St. Catharines | 975 |
| City of Niagara Falls | 837 |
| Canada Border Service Agency | 773 |
| Great Wolf Lodge | 716 |
| Sitel | 623 |
| Concentrix | 566 |
| White Oaks Resort | 526 |
| Casino Niagara | 456 |
| Shaw Festival Theatre | 446 |
| Stanpac Inc. | 420 |
| Royal LePage Real Estate | 415 |
| Family and Childrens Services Niagara | 390 |
| Meridian Credit Union (Corporate Office) | 348 |
| Fort Erie Live Racing Consortium | 340 |
| Welded Tube of Canada Corp. | 284 |
| Livingston International Inc. | 280 |
| PVS Contractors | 280 |
| Cabico | 277 |
| Walker Industries Inc. | 267 |
| BVGlazing Systems | 254 |
| St. Lawrence Seaway Management Corporation | 252 |
| Rich Products of Canada Ltd. | 250 |
| Convergys Limited | 250 |
| OneTouch Direct | 228 |
| Airbus Helicopters Ltd. | 220 |
| Silverline Group Inc. | 220 |
| Tabor Manor | 220 |
| Henry Schein Canada | 218 |
| Andrew Peller Ltd. | 217 |
Top 5 Sectors by Employment
| Retail Trade | 27,091 |
| Health care and social services | 25,143 |
| Accommodation and food service | 25,026 |
| Manufacturing | 17,637 |
| Construction | 15,429 |
Top 5 Sectors by Employment Growth (2011-2017)
| Health care and social assistance | 2,964 |
| Accommodation and food service | 2,417 |
| Professional, scientific, technical service | 1,522 |
| Retail trade | 1,224 |
| Construction | 1,139 |
Top 5 Sectors by Employment Growth Rate
| Real estate | 20.5% |
| Professional, scientific, technical service | 19.8% |
| Health care and social assistance | 13.4% |
| Accommodation and food service | 10.7% |
| Arts, entertainment and recreation | 9.8% |