T1 Family File, Final Estimates, 2021
Section 4 - Geography

The data are available for the following geographic areas. See “Statistical Tables - Footnotes and Historical Availability” for further details. The mailing address at the time of filing is the basis for the geographic information in the tables.

Addresses used for defining T1FF geography

In the T1FF, the Postal Code is used to derive the different levels of census or postal geography. Postal Codes do not respect census boundaries, hence for low levels of census geography, such as census tracts or census subdivisions, this has an impact on the precision of the geographic coverage. This is most problematic in areas where Postal Codes cover vast rural areas.

It is also important to note that the main source for the address data is the T1 tax forms. Addresses used for filing taxes are not always residential addresses. Most tax filers use their residential address, but some use an address different than their true residential address on their T1 form. In the ‘Help’ function of some electronic tax software packages, it states that non-residential addresses can be used if it is more convenient for individuals to receive mail regarding their tax returns elsewhere than their home.

The reliance on mailing addresses also has an impact on the geographic precision of the data in some areas. When filing their taxes, some individuals use the address of their accountant, financial advisor or lawyer while other individuals with more unique circumstances file through businesses which offer employment services (ex. temporary foreign workers who file Canadian taxes) or through the offices of provincial Public Guardian and Trustee. Another issues is that in urban business district, some tax filers use an address linked to a business that offers P.O. Box services. In rural areas, mail delivery is also often done by P.O. Box. For rural areas, this means that the mailing address of a tax filer can actually be in a neighbouring community of the tax filer’s true residential address.

Standard areas:

User-defined areas:

For cost recovery tabulations, users may select specific areas of interest which do not correspond to standard areas. To obtain aggregated data for such areas, users can provide a list of lower level postal or census geography (Postal Codes, forward sortation areas, census tracts, census subdivisions, etc.) grouped according to their defined areas. These areas must satisfy our confidentiality requirements. See the "Special Geography" section for further information.

Geographic Levels – Census Geography

Data are also available for the following levels of the Census geography; the following table shows the coded designators for these geographies, as well as a brief description of each.

Level of Geography (L.O.G.): 12
Area: Canada
Description:

Level of Geography (L.O.G.): 11
Area: Province or Territory Total
Description:

Level of Geography (L.O.G.): 71
Area: Census Subdivision
Description:

Level of Geography (L.O.G.): 61
Area: Census Tract
Description:

Level of Geography (L.O.G.): 51
Area: Economic Region
Description:

Level of Geography (L.O.G.): 42
Area: Census Agglomeration
Description:

Level of Geography (L.O.G.): 41
Area: Census Metropolitan Area
Description:

Level of Geography (L.O.G.): 31
Area: Federal Electoral District
Description:

Level of Geography (L.O.G.): 21
Area: Census Division
Description:

Changes in Census Geography – 2021 boundaries as compared to 2016 boundaries

When comparing data between the 2020 and 2021 reference years, users should consider that some of the changes in the data can be due to census boundary changes. The data for the 2020 reference year are produced according to the 2016 Census boundaries, while the data for the 2021 reference year are based on the 2021 Census boundaries.

Changes to Census Metropolitan Areas (CMA)

As of the 2021 Census, Canada has 41 CMAs, as opposed to 35 CMAs in the 2016 Census. Fredericton (NB), Drummondville (QC), Red Deer (AB), Chilliwack (BC), Kamloops (BC), and Nanaimo (BC), which were previously census agglomerations (CAs), became census metropolitan areas (CMAs) according to the 2021 Census.

One CMA from the previous census changed its name: Belleville became Belleville-Quinte West.

As of 2021, Arnprior (ON) and Carleton Place (ON) are no longer CAs as they have been merged into the Ottawa-Gatineau CMA. Similarly, the CA of Leamington has been merged into the Windsor CMA. Table I list the census subdivisions (CSDs) which were added to Ottawa-Gatineau and Windsor CMAs according to the above-mentioned mergers.



In addition, CSDs previously considered to be outside CMAs were added in twelve CMAs (Table J). Census subdivision is the general term for municipalities (as determined by provincial/territorial legislation) or areas treated as municipal equivalents for statistical purposes ( e.g., Indian reserves, Indian settlements and unorganized territories).



Many CSDs within CMAs have experienced minor boundary changes which may also alter the area they cover within the 2021 Census CMAs.

Changes to Census Agglomerations (CA)

As of the 2021 Census, Canada has 111 CAs, as opposed to 117 CAs in the 2016 Census.

As previously mentioned, six CAs were promoted to CMAs and three were merged with existing CMAs. In addition, five new CAs (Table K) have been added according to the 2021 Census: Amos (QC), Sainte-Agathe-des-Monts (QC), Essa (ON), Ladysmith (BC), and Trail (BC). Amos (QC) regained its CA status in 2021 which it last had in the 2011 Census. The names of all these new CAs were based on the largest municipality (census subdivisions) within the CA.

As of 2021, the CAs of Bay Roberts (NL) and Cold Lake (AB) were retired because the population of their cores dropped below 10,000.



Although all CMAs are subdivided into census tracts, based on the 2021 Census only nine CAs currently meet the census tract creation threshold of having a core population above 50,000: Granby (QC), Saint-Hyacinthe (QC), North Bay (ON), Sarnia (ON), Sault Ste. Marie (ON), Grande Prairie (AB), Medicine Hat (AB), Wood Buffalo (AB), and Prince George (BC). As compared previous years, Saint-Hyacinthe (QC) is the only CA which previously was not subdivided into census tracts.

In addition, there are twenty eight census agglomerations (Table L) which exist in both the 2016 Census and 2021 Census where additions and deletions of CSDs, or boundary changes of CSDs which have altered the area covered within a CA. In some cases, these types of changes had no significant impact on the population covered within the CA. The list in Table L only includes the CA for which changes in CSDs had an impact on the population included in the CA.



Problematic Census Tracts

Caution should be used when using T1FF data at the census tract level (neighbourhoods in large urban areas) for the areas listed in Table M. In these CTs, there appears to be a significant quantity of tax filers who supplied an address which is a P.O. Box, an address of a business that offers personal income tax services (addresses of accountants, lawyers, financial advisors or labour related groups), or a provincial government office responsible for providing public guardian and trustee services. For these areas the counts of individuals according to the T1FF 2021 are significantly higher than what can be observed in the 2021 Census.



Changes to Census Divisions (CD)

According to the 2021 Census, three CDs (Table N) have had a name change.



In Prince Edward Island, boundary changes occurred in two adjacent CDs: CD 1101 Kings and CD 1102 Queens. A series of CSDs found in the 2016 versions of these CDs were amalgamated to create a new 2021 CSD, and that CSD (CSD 1101045 Three Rivers, C) is as of 2021 only located within CD 1101 Kings. The following list of 2016 CSD were amalgamated to form CSD 1101045 Three Rivers, C in 2021.

• CSD 1101023 Georgetown, FD
• CSD 1102007 Valleyfield, Part 2, RM
• CSD 1101010 Valleyfield, Part 1, RM
• CSD 1101013 Montague, Part 1, FD
• CSD 1101018 Montague, C
• CSD 1101007 Lower Montague, RM
• CSD 1101017 Brudenell, RM
• CSD 1101024 Georgetown, C
• CSD 1101021 Cardigan, RM
• CSD 1101015 Lorne Valley, RM
• CSD 1101020 part of Cardigan, FD

Changes to Census Subdivisions (CSD)

Between the 2016 Census and 2021 Census, some CSDs have had a name change or a CSD type change, without having had a reference code change or a land area change. Creation of new CSDs and deletions of others have also occurred. For a complete list of CSD changes, users can consult Table 1 of “Interim List of Changes to Municipal Boundaries, Status, and Names” for the Standard Geographical Classification (SGC) 2021.

Additional Information for Census Subdivisions

Census Subdivision Type

CSDs are classified into 57 types according to official designations adopted by provincial/territorial or federal authorities. Two exceptions are 'subdivision of unorganized' (SNO) in Newfoundland and Labrador, and 'subdivision of county municipality' (SC) in Nova Scotia, which are geographic areas created as equivalents for municipalities by Statistics Canada, in cooperation with those provinces, for the purpose of disseminating statistical data. The full list of CSD types is available in Table O.

The CSD type accompanies the census subdivision name to distinguish CSDs from each other—for example, Balmoral, VL (for the village of Balmoral) and Balmoral, P (for the parish / paroisse (municipalité de) of Balmoral).



Precision of Census Subdivision:

Since Postal Codes are used to derive the CSDs, and since Postal Codes do not respect census boundaries, the precision of the geographic coverage in T1FF data tables for CSDs varies across the country. This is most problematic in areas where Postal Codes cover vast rural areas. For example, if a Postal Code crosses two or more CSD boundaries (this is common in rural areas), all the population associated with that Postal Code will be assigned to the CSD which contains the most addresses associated to the Postal Code.

It is also important to note that although most tax filers provide their residential address on their tax forms, some use an address different than their true residential address on their T1 form. Non-residential addresses are sometime used by tax filers if it is more convenient for them to receive mail regarding their tax returns elsewhere than their home. For example, some tax filers use a P. O. Box address when filing their taxes instead of their true residential address. The reliance on mailing addresses can have an impact on the geographic precision of the T1FF data in some areas.

Table P presents a summary of the CSD coverage differences between T1FF 2021 and the annual population estimates of July 2022. At Statistics Canada, the Centre for Demography produces official annual population estimates for various levels of geography. Their estimates for CSDs are coming from the provincial/territorial bureau of statistics for Quebec (l'Institut de la statistique du Québec), Alberta (Alberta’s Office of Statistics and Information), Yukon (Yukon Bureau of Statistics) and Northwest Territories (Northwest Territories Bureau of Statistics). When purchasing T1FF data tables at the CSD level, a more detailed coverage table for the complete list of CSDs is available upon request from Statistics Canada’s Data Service Centres.



Geographic Levels – Postal Geography

The various data compiled from the tax file are available for different levels of the postal geography. Coded geographic indicators appearing on the data tables are shown below with a brief description.

Level of Geography (L.O.G.): 12
Postal Area: Canada
Description:

Level of Geography (L.O.G.): 11
Postal Area: Province or Territory Total
Description:

Level of Geography (L.O.G.): 10
Postal Area: Other Provincial Total ("P" Pot)
Description:

Level of Geography (L.O.G.): 09
Postal Area: Rural Communities (Not in City)
Description:

Level of Geography (L.O.G.): 08
Postal Area: City Total (Postal city)
Description:

Level of Geography (L.O.G.): 07
Postal Area: Other Urban Area (Non-residential within city - "E" Pot)
Description:

Level of Geography (L.O.G.): 06
Postal Area: Rural Postal Code Areas (Within City)
Description:

Level of Geography (L.O.G.): 05
Postal Area: Suburban Service
Description:

Level of Geography (L.O.G.): 04
Postal Area: Rural Route
Description:

Level of Geography (L.O.G.): 03
Postal Area: Partial Urban FSA (Partial FSA in Residential Area)
Description:

Adding postal areas without duplication

Data files according to the postal geography will often contain subtotals and totals. Many data users need to add certain geographies in order to come up with a total for their particular area of interest. However, including subtotals during this process results in double-counting some populations, and this leads to an erroneous total. The following is a summary of which postal areas are aggregations in the standard postal geography.

Urban FSAs (LOG 3), Rural Routes (LOG 4), Suburban Services (LOG 5), Rural Postal Code areas within a city (LOG 6) and Other Urban Areas (LOG 7) add up to City Totals (LOG 8).

City Totals (LOG 8), Rural Communities not in a city (LOG 9) and Other Provincial Totals (LOG 10) add up to provincial/territorial totals (LOG 11).

Provincial/territorial totals (LOG 11) add up to the Canada total (LOG 12).

Thus, using the Level of geography codes:
3 + 4 + 5 + 6 + 7 = 8
8 + 9 + 10 = 11

City identification number (CityID)

The CityID is created for postal cities. This concept of cities does not correspond to the official boundaries of municipalities.

As of 2007, CityID has been modified.

Previous to 2007:

• CityID was a 4 digits number
• Each postal city had a unique number between 1 and 9999
• Almost every number was allocated to a postal city. Few numbers remained available for future new postal cities.

Starting with 2007 data:
To create more possibilities without changing the CityID length in our systems:

• CityID number is now combined with 1st letter of Postal Code
• Each 1st letter of Postal Code has a possibility of numbers, ranged from 1 to 9999 (Table R)
• Old numbers have been kept for existing postal city and 1st letters of Postal Code have been added to them (Table Q)
• New postal cities have been assigned a new CityID number in new format (Table Q)

 

Therefore, it is now essential to identify a postal city by adding the Postal Code 1st letter to the number in order to get the proper postal city in the proper province (Table S):



Hierarchy of postal geography

Description for Figure 1

Hierarchy of postal geography. The various data compiled from the taxfile are available for different levels of the postal geography. Canada (12) is divided into Provinces and Territories (11), which are subsequently divided into City Totals (08), Rural Communities (09) and Other Provincial Totals (10). City Totals (08) is then broken down into Urban Forward Sortation Areas (03), Rural Routes (04), Sub-urban Services (05), Rural Postal Code Areas (06) and Other Urban Areas (07).

Geographic Levels - Special Geography

Clients may select geographical areas of their own definition; areas that are not part of the standard areas listed here (for example, bank service areas, retail store catchment areas). For this, clients must submit a list of lower level geographies such as Postal Codes or census tracts that make up their user defined areas. We will then aggregate the micro data to correspond to that area of interest. If there is more than one level of geography within the areas submitted by the client, this must be clearly indicated. A list of low level geographies which rollup into user defined areas is commonly referred to as a conversion file and is usually supplied to us in an Excel format.