Census family income

2004

For the second year in a row, couple families in Oshawa had the highest median total family income among all census metropolitan areas. The median is the point where half of the families' incomes are higher and half are lower.

The median for couple families in Oshawa reached $83,100 in 2004, up 1.6% over 2003, after adjusting for inflation. Oshawa remained slightly ahead of Ottawa–Gatineau, where couple families had a median total income of $82,100, up 1.2% from the previous year.

Nationally, the median total income for couple families rose 1.6% to $64,800 in 2004. Among census metropolitan areas, the largest increases were observed in Greater Sudbury/Grand Sudbury (+3.7%) and Abbotsford (+2.9%), followed by Edmonton (+2.8%) and Calgary (+2.5%).

Among census agglomerations, the median total income for couple families in Wood Buffalo in northern Alberta remained the highest at $120,100 in 2004, up 2.6% from 2003. Dominated by the population living in Fort McMurray, this area is recognized for its involvement in oil sands development.

Couple families in the census agglomeration of Yellowknife ranked second with a median total income of $116,400 (+2.5%), followed by couple families in Thompson, Manitoba at $91,700 (+5.6%).

Among lone-parent families in census metropolitan areas, those in Ottawa–Gatineau again showed the highest median family total income in 2004, at $35,900. The median total income of lone-parent families in Calgary moved ahead of those in Oshawa in 2004, although both followed closely behind Ottawa–Gatineau, at $35,800 and $35,700 respectively. The national median total income for lone-parent families was $29,500, up 1.2% from 2003.

Employment income remained the main source of income for couple families in 2004, accounting for 79 cents of each dollar of total income, a contribution that has remained stable since 2000. Among census metropolitan areas, couple families in Calgary derived the highest proportion of their total income from employment, 84 cents of each dollar of total income. The lowest proportion was in Victoria, where 72 cents of each dollar of total income was derived from employment. The different nature of these two census metropolitan areas can further be illustrated by the contribution of private pensions to the total income of couple families. In Calgary, 3 cents of every dollar of total family income came from private pensions while the comparative figure was 10 cents in Victoria.

Note: Data in this release were obtained primarily from income tax returns filed in the spring of 2005. Data are defined according to census family definitions. Couple families consist of a couple living together, whether married or common law, at the same address and any children living at the same address. A lone-parent family is a family with only one parent, male or female, and with at least one child.

Income data in this release are after receipt of government transfers and before the payment of income tax; income data are also available after the payment of tax. All figures for previous years have been adjusted for inflation, as measured by the Consumer Price Index.

A census metropolitan area (CMA) or a census agglomeration (CA) is formed by one or more adjacent municipalities centered on a large urban area (known as the urban core). The census population count of the urban core must have reached at least 10,000 to form a census agglomeration and at least 100,000 to form a census metropolitan area. To be included in the CMA or CA, other adjacent municipalities must have a high degree of integration with the central urban area, as measured by commuting flows derived from census place of work data.

Available on CANSIM: tables 111-0009 to 111-0023 and 111-0032 to 111-0035.

Definitions, data sources and methods: survey number 4105.

Data for census family income (13C0016, various prices) and seniors' income (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), Small Area and Administrative Data Division.