Analysis series Income of Canadian families

Sub-provincial

Median family income highest in Ottawa-Hull, Oshawa
Windsor experiences biggest increase in median family income
Family income most unequally distributed in Toronto and Vancouver
Government transfer share of family income highest in St. John’s

• Highlights of selected census metropolitan areas

Median family income highest in Ottawa-Hull, Oshawa

Among the census metropolitan areas with the ten highest median family incomes in 2000, eight are located in Ontario. The remaining two are Calgary and Edmonton. The highest median family income was in Ottawa-Hull (now known as Ottawa-Gatineau) at $69,518, followed by Oshawa, which was only slightly lower at $68,800. The ranking of Ottawa-Hull, followed by Oshawa, is unchanged from 1990.

In addition to Ottawa-Hull and Oshawa, median family income was above $60,000 in Windsor ($65,649), Calgary ($65,488), Toronto ($63,700), Kitchener ($63,477), Hamilton ($63,031), and Edmonton ($60,817). Rounding out the top ten are London and Thunder Bay.

With the exception of Trois-Rivieres ($47,571) and Sherbrooke ($48,969), median family income was above $50,000 in all of Canada’s 27 large urban areas.

Windsor experiences biggest increase in median family income

Between 1990 and 2000, median family income in Windsor increased by 13.3% from $57,967 to $65,649. This represents the largest increase among all census metropolitan areas. The median at the national level was essentially unchanged over this period.

The only other census metropolitan areas to experience increases above 5% were Calgary (+6.6%), Kitchener (+6.5%), and Sherbrooke (+5.8%).

Median family incomes decreased over the past decade in 11 census metropolitan areas. The decreases were above 2% in Sudbury (-7.7%), Toronto (-4.2%), and Vancouver (-3.9%).

Census families' median income, Canada and census metropolitan areas, 1990 and 2000

Family income most unequally distributed in Toronto and Vancouver

To provide an overview of how incomes varied within census metropolitan areas, families in each CMA were sorted into 10 groups based on their incomes. The average income of the 10% of families with the highest incomes was then compared to the average for the 10% with the lowest incomes.

In Toronto, the lowest 10% had an average income of $9,600, while those in the highest 10% had an average of $261,000. The average income of the top 10% was higher in Toronto than in any other census metropolitan area in the country.

This means that for every $1 of income of the 10% of Toronto families with the lowest incomes, the 10% with the highest had $27.30.

Next to Toronto, family incomes were most unequal in Vancouver where the bottom 10% of families had an average income of $8,700 and the top 10% had $205,200 on average. The average income of the bottom 10% was lower only in Saint John.

This means that for every $1 of income of the 10% of Vancouver families with the lowest incomes, the 10% with the highest had $23.50.

Family incomes were most equally distributed in Quebec City ($12.00 for the top 10% for every $1 of the bottom), Oshawa ($12.20 to $1), Sherbrooke ($12.50 to $1), and Victoria ($12.90 to $1).

Average income of census families in the lowest and highest income deciles, Canada and census metropolitan areas, 2000

Government transfer share of family income highest in St. John’s

On average, families in St. John’s received $5,100 in government transfer payments in 2000. Together these payments represented 8.1% of all family income in St. John’s, the highest proportion among Canada’s 27 large urban areas.

The proportion of family income that comes from government transfers exceeded 7% in four other census metropolitan areas: Trois-Rivieres (8.0%), Saint John (7.5%), Chicoutimi-Jonquière (7.4%), and Sherbrooke (7.4%).

Average government transfers received were less than $3,000 in three census metropolitan areas: Toronto ($2,900), Calgary ($2,900), and Oshawa ($2,900). Government transfers represented 3.4% of all family income in Toronto, 3.4% in Calgary, and 3.7% in Oshawa.

The average value and share of government transfers in the income of working-age census families, Canada and census metropolitan areas, 2000