Income of families and individuals: Sub-provincial data from the T1 Family File, 2017

Released: 2019-07-11

Canadian median incomes rose from 2016 to 2017, with most census metropolitan areas posting increases

Median after-tax income of families and individuals not in families was $52,090 (correction) in 2017, up 1.3% (correction) from $51,410 in 2016. Median incomes increased in all census metropolitan areas (CMAs) with the exception of St. John's (-1.5% to $55,480), Calgary (-1.1% to $63,830), Oshawa (-0.9% to $60,810) and Saskatoon (-0.1% to $58,410). St. John's, Calgary and Saskatoon also experienced decreases in their median income from 2015 to 2016 due in part to the fact that natural resource sector industries comprised a larger portion of the local economy.

All Quebec CMAs recorded strong growth in median after-tax incomes from 2016 to 2017, including Saguenay (+2.5%) (correction), Québec (+2.3%) (correction), Montréal (+2.0%) (correction), Trois-Rivières (+2.0%) (correction) and Sherbrooke (+1.8%) (correction). This was also true for the Quebec portion of Ottawa–Gatineau, which grew by 3.2% (correction). Other CMAS that reported strong growth in median after-tax income included Victoria (+2.1%), Kelowna (+2.0%) and Vancouver (+1.8%). According to the previously released Annual review of the labour market, 2017, the province of Quebec had experienced the largest increase of weekly earnings in 2017, while British Columbia had the biggest decline in unemployment rate. Both provinces also had above average annual employment growth in that year.

Median incomes increases over five years, but growth rate varies across census metropolitan areas

Over a five-year period, the median after-tax income of families and individuals not in families increased 4.1%(correction), from $50,040 in 2012 to $52,090(correction) in 2017. Median after-tax income increased in all CMAs except Calgary (-1.0%), while Edmonton experienced relatively slow growth (+0.1%). The highest five-year growth was observed in the CMA of Lethbridge (+8.5%), followed by Vancouver (+7.5%) and Victoria (+6.1%) (correction). Among Alberta CMAs, Lethbridge has less reliance on the mining, quarrying, and oil and gas extraction sector and the associated professional scientific and technical services industry, and therefore was not affected by the slowdown of the natural resource sector to the same degree as Calgary and Edmonton.

The number of individuals in low income has fallen at the national level

Based on the Census Family After-tax Low-income Measure (CFLIM-AT), persons are in low income if their after-tax income is below 50% of the median after-tax income, adjusted for census family size (see note to readers).

Accordingly, 16.6% (correction) of individuals were low income in 2017, a slight improvement from the rate of 16.8% in 2016. More than half of CMAs recorded a change of less than 0.2 percentage points. Larger declines in the low-income rate were observed in Lethbridge (down from 12.7% in 2016 to 12.0% [correction] in 2017) and Saint John (down from 17.0% in 2016 to 16.5% [correction] in 2017). The biggest increases were in Saskatoon (up from 15.5% in 2016 to 16.0% [correction] in 2017), Regina (up from 14.2% in 2016 to 14.6% [correction] in 2017) and Oshawa (up from 12.9% in 2016 to 13.3% in 2017).

Over a longer period, the proportion of individuals in low income fell at the national level, from 17.5% in 2012 to 16.6% (correction) in 2017. CMAs in Southern Ontario experienced sizable declines in their low-income rates over this period, with the CMA of Belleville having the largest decline, from 16.8% in 2012 to 14.3% (correction) in 2017. Large declines were also seen in Windsor (down 2.2 percentage points [correction]), Toronto (down 2.0 percentage points [correction]), St. Catharines–Niagara (down 1.6 percentage points [correction]) and Hamilton (down 1.5 percentage points [correction]). Elsewhere, Lethbridge (down 2.4 percentage points [correction]) and Vancouver (down 1.4 percentage points [correction]) also had larger than average declines in their low-income rates over the 2012 to 2017 period. The biggest increases of the low-income rate were in Saskatoon (up from 15.1% in 2012 to 16.0% [correction] in 2017), Edmonton (up from 12.1% in 2012 to 12.8% [correction] in 2017) and Calgary (up from 13.0% in 2012 to 13.5% [correction] in 2017), although these CMAs were still below the national low-income rate in 2017.

Looking at sub-provincial data

Sub-provincial data tables for 35 CMAs and 117 census agglomerations (CAs) are linked to this release. The most recent sub-provincial income information for families and individuals can also be explored in an interactive format by visiting the Sources of family income by family type, sub-provincial regions, T1 Family File: Interactive tool and the Income of men and women, sub-provincial regions, T1 Family File: Interactive tool.

Presented below is a sample of sub-provincial information for two mid-size areas, along with the relevant table numbers. When accessing these tables, users can select the geography and then modify the table content by using the "Add/Remove data" feature.

The latest 2017 data for the CA of Rouyn-Noranda (Quebec) shows that the median after-tax income of families and individuals not in families in this area was $51,010 (correction) (table 11-10-0017-01). These families were made up of 41,860 tax filers and dependants (table 11-10-0004-01). When looking at the source of income of all families and individuals not in families, 71.1% came from employment income, while 15.3% came from government transfers (derived from table 11-10-0014-01). According to the CFLIM-AT, the low-income rate for the area was 11.8% (correction) (table 11-10-0018-01). Of the 10,230 couple families in this area, half (5,130 couple families) had a total income (before tax) greater than $100,000 (table 11-10-0012-01).

For the CA of Parksville (British Columbia), the 2017 median after-tax income of families and individuals not in families was $53,780 (table 11-10-0017-01). These families were made up of 30,050 tax filers and dependants (table 11-10-0004-01). When looking at the source of income of all families and individuals not in families, 42.4% came from employment income, while 21.6% came from government transfers (derived from table 11-10-0014-01). According to the CFLIM-AT, the low-income rate for the area was 11.7% (correction) (table 11-10-0018-01). Of the 9,050 couple families in this area, a third (3,170 couple families) had a total income (before tax) greater than $100,000 (table 11-10-0012-01).

Products

The Technical Reference Guide for the Annual Income Estimates for Census Families, Individuals and Seniors, T1 Family File, Final Estimates (Catalogue number72-212-X), presents information about the methodology, concepts and data quality for the data available in this release.

Data for Income of Families (Catalogue number13C0016, various prices), Income of Individuals (Catalogue number13C0015, various prices), and Income of Seniors (Catalogue number89C0022, various prices) are available for Canada, the provinces and territories, federal electoral districts, economic regions, census divisions, census metropolitan areas, census agglomerations, census tracts, and postal-based geographies. These custom services are available upon request.

Contact information

For more information, or to enquire about the concepts, methods or data quality of this release, contact us (toll-free 1-800-263-1136; 514-283-8300; STATCAN.infostats-infostats.STATCAN@canada.ca) or Media Relations (613-951-4636; STATCAN.mediahotline-ligneinfomedias.STATCAN@canada.ca).