According to the mid-2001 census, there were 146,838 people residing in the greater Kingston area; the city proper has a population base of 114,000.The  average age is 38.1 years of age as compared to 37.6 years of age for all of Canada. Kingston has a reputation as a suitable place for retirees to settle. In the five years between 1996 and 2001, the population of Kingston grew by 1.6 %, compared with an increase of 6.1 % for Ontario as a whole.

It’s important to note that the population of Kingston shows significant turnover because of its relatively large student population (about 10%) and the number of military residents associated with Canadian Forces Base Kingston.

The racial makeup of Kingston is predominantly white with  95.7% (chiefly British, Irish, Portuguese, French, and Italian). South Asian, Chinese and mixed race each represents 1% of the population. Blacks, almost exclusively Jamaican, is .4% of the people.

Religious make-up is Protestant: 43.6% and Roman Catholic: 33.1%.