Family income and individuals income, related variables: Sub-provincial data

View the most recent version.

According to family income data derived from 2008 personal income tax returns, Calgary was the census metropolitan area (CMA) with the highest median total family income ($91,570), followed by Edmonton ($88,190), Ottawa–Gatineau ($87,160) and Oshawa ($83,220).

The largest percentage increases in median total family income between 2007 and 2008 were not concentrated in any particular part of Canada. CMAs with the largest gains were Saskatoon (+4.1%), St. John's (+4.0%) and Greater Sudbury (+3.9%). Declines were observed in some CMAs in southern Ontario, due in part to the importance of the manufacturing industry in that region.

Among CMAs, the largest increases in median total family income for couple families were recorded in St. John's (+4.1%) and Saskatoon (+3.8%). As for the median total family income of lone-parent families and persons not in census families, the largest increases occurred in Saskatoon (+6.5% and +5.8% respectively) and Edmonton (+4.2% and +4.4% respectively).

Among census agglomerations, the biggest advance in median total family income for couple families was observed in Bay Roberts, Newfoundland and Labrador (+7.8%). For lone-parent families, Williams Lake, British Columbia (+15.5%), had the largest increase in median total family income, while for persons not in census families, the largest gain was in Estevan, Saskatchewan (+13.8%).

Note: The 2008 data on family income and related variables derived from personal income tax returns filed in the spring of 2009 are now available for various sub-provincial geographic areas. Total income includes employment income, investment income, government transfers, pension income and other income. The median is the point where half of the families' incomes are higher and half are lower.

All the income data in this release refer to income before the payment of income tax. After-tax income data are also available. All figures for previous years have been adjusted for inflation, as measured by the Consumer Price Index.

In this release, the census family concept is used for families. It differs from the economic family concept, which was used for the release of 2006 Census and Survey of Labour and Income Dynamics data. In this release, data for families and persons not in census families are derived from income tax data and are not adjusted on the basis of Statistics Canada's population estimates.

All data in this release have been tabulated according to the 2006 Standard Geographical Classification used for the 2006 Census.

Available on CANSIM: tables 111-0004 to 111-0022, 111-0024 to 111-0026, 111-0032 to 111-0035, 111-0043 and 111-0044.

Definitions, data sources and methods: survey number 4105.

Data for census Family Income (13C0016, various prices) and Seniors' Income (89C0022, various prices), as well as for the income of individuals including Neighbourhood Income and Demographics (13C0015, various prices), Labour Income Profiles (71C0018, various prices) and Economic Dependency Profiles (13C0017, 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 (toll-free 1-866-652-8443; 613-951-9720; saadinfo@statcan.gc.ca), Income Statistics Division.