from its 2016 population of . With a land area of , the city has a population density of . As of 2021, the median age is 36.0 years old, as compared to 37.7 in 2016. Waterloo's median age is 13% lower than Ontario's median age, which is 41.6 years old. At the census metropolitan area (CMA) level in the 2021 census, the Kitchener–Cambridge–Waterloo CMA had a population of living in of its total private dwellings, a change of from its 2016 population of . With a land area of , it had a population density of in 2021. Ethnicity The most common ethnic or cultural origins reported in Waterloo in 2021 were German (17.9%), English (17.0%), Scottish (14.6%), Irish (14.3%), Canadian (10.2%), Chinese (8.9%), Indian (6.4%), French (6.0%), British Isles (4.1%), Polish (4.1%), Dutch (3.9%), Italian (3.3%), and Ukrainian (2.4%). Indigenous people made up 1.3% of the population, mostly First Nations (0.7%) and Métis (0.5%). Ethnocultural backgrounds in the city included European (63.7%), South Asian (10.7%), Chinese (9.2%), Black (3.1%), Arab (2.7%), Latin American (1.9%), West Asian (1.7%), Southeast Asian (1.4%), Korean (1.4), and Filipino (1.0%). Note: Totals greater than 100% due to multiple origin responses. Religion In 2021, 45.8% of the population identified as Christian, with Catholics (17.9%) making up the largest denomination, followed by United Church (3.3%), Lutheran (3.2%), Anglican (2.8%), Orthodox (2.4%), and other denominations. 37.7% of the population reported no religious affiliation. Others identified as Muslim (8.1%), Hindu (4.7%), Sikh (1.2%), Buddhist (1.1%), and with other religions. Language English was the mother tongue of 64.6% of the population in 2021. This was followed by Mandarin (6.2%), Arabic (2.2%), German (1.5%), Spanish (1.5%), Hindi (1.3%), Punjabi (1.2%), Korean (1.1%), Iranian Persian (1.0%), Urdu (1.0%), Serbo-Croatian (1.0%), Cantonese (0.9%), and French (0.9%). Of the official languages, 98.2% of the population reported knowing English and 8.8% French. Economy According to the 2016 Canadian Census, Waterloo has a median household income (after tax) of $72,239. This is significantly higher than the national median of $61,348. The unemployment rate in Waterloo (6.9%) is lower than the national rate of 7.7%. The median value of a dwelling in Waterloo ($399,997) is higher than the national median of $341,556. The Intelligent Community Forum named Waterloo the Top Intelligent Community of 2007. Waterloo has a strong knowledge and service-based economy with significant insurance and high-tech sectors as well as two universities. The city's