Family income

Median total income for families in Canada increased 7.7% from 1997 to 2001, after adjustment for inflation. Nunavut had the largest increase at 13.2%, followed by the Northwest Territories, Alberta and Newfoundland and Labrador.

The increase to $44,800 in Nunavut happened mostly between 2000 and 2001, a turnaround from previous years when median total income declined in that territory. However, this amount was still well below that of the Northwest Territories, which was highest among all provinces and territories in 2001 at $70,300, followed by Yukon at $61,000 and Alberta at $59,900.

From 2000 to 2001, median total income increased for both couple families and single-parent families in all provinces and territories, the only time that happened between 1997 and 2001. In 2001, the median for couple families reached $59,600, and $27,200 for lone-parent families.

Among census metropolitan areas during the period 1997 to 2001, Edmonton saw the highest increase in median family total income, at 11.8%. Next highest were increases of 11.0% in Ottawa-Gatineau, 10.0% in Calgary, 9.6% in St. John's and 8.5% in Kitchener.

When median total income of families is ranked from highest to lowest for 2001, Ottawa-Gatineau topped the list at $68,500, followed by Oshawa at $67,700 and Windsor at $65,600. Calgary gained ground in 2001. Its median of $65,100 moved it ahead of Kitchener, at $63,400.

The median is the point where exactly one half of incomes are higher and half are lower.

Data for this release were obtained primarily from income tax returns filed in the spring of 2002. All income data are before the payment of tax and after receipt of transfers.

Available on CANSIM: tables 111-0009 to 111-0013.

Definitions, data sources and methods: survey number 4105.

Data for family income (Family Data, 13C0016, various prices) and seniors' income (Seniors, 89C0022, various prices) are available for letter carrier routes, census tracts, urban forward sortation areas (the first three characters of the postal code), cities, towns, federal electoral districts, census agglomerations, census divisions, census metropolitan areas, economic regions, provinces, territories and Canada.

For more information, or to enquire about the concepts, methods or data quality of this release, contact Client Services (1-866-652-8443; 613-951-9720; fax: 1-866-652-8444 or 613-951-4745; saadinfo@statcan.gc.ca), Small Area and Administrative Data Division.