Income

Median income, income distribution, and low-income prevalence. — 2021 Census of Population

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Median Household Income

Median total income of households in 2020

Incomes in the 2021 Census are for 2020, when new COVID-19 income-support benefits were paid; Statistics Canada counts them as government transfers.

Distribution by riding

Median household income by federal riding, 2021 Census. Median $84,000; range $55,200 (Sherbrooke) to $145,000 (Fort McMurray—Cold Lake); half of ridings between $74,500 and $96,000. Canada: $84,000.

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Canada $84,000

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Vertical axis: Median household income ($)

Each dot is one federal riding (343 with a figure; 2023 Representation Order), placed by its value and spread across the axis so that dots do not overlap. The line marks the value for Canada as a whole ($84,000). Prairies: Alberta, Saskatchewan and Manitoba. Atlantic: New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island, and Newfoundland and Labrador. North: Yukon, the Northwest Territories and Nunavut.

Source: Statistics Canada, 2021 Census of Population.

Highest and lowest ridings

Median household income by federal riding, 2021 Census. 343 ridings ranked from highest (1) to lowest; tied values share a rank. Bars start at zero on one scale; the vertical line marks the value for Canada ($84,000).

10 highest

The 10 ridings with the highest values: median household income, 2021 Census
Rank	Riding	Value
1	Fort McMurray—Cold LakeAB	$145,000
2	King—VaughanON	$137,000
3	CarletonON	$135,000
4	Brampton EastON	$131,000
4	Oakville EastON	$131,000
6	Burlington North—Milton WestON	$129,000
6	Milton East—Halton Hills SouthON	$129,000
8	Northwest TerritoriesNT	$127,000
8	Vaughan—WoodbridgeON	$127,000
10	Oakville WestON	$126,000

10 lowest

The 10 ridings with the lowest values: median household income, 2021 Census, lowest first
Rank	Riding	Value
343	SherbrookeQC	$55,200
342	Winnipeg CentreMB	$55,600
340	BourassaQC	$56,800
340	Trois-RivièresQC	$56,800
339	PapineauQC	$57,200
338	Québec CentreQC	$58,800
336	Hochelaga—Rosemont-EstQC	$59,200
336	Laurier—Sainte-MarieQC	$59,200
335	Saint-Maurice—ChamplainQC	$59,600
333	Terra Nova—The PeninsulasNL	$60,000

All 343 ridings, ranked

All ridings ranked by median household income, 2021 Census, highest first
Rank	Riding	Province or territory	Value
1	Fort McMurray—Cold Lake	Alberta	$145,000
2	King—Vaughan	Ontario	$137,000
3	Carleton	Ontario	$135,000
4	Brampton East	Ontario	$131,000
4	Oakville East	Ontario	$131,000
6	Burlington North—Milton West	Ontario	$129,000
6	Milton East—Halton Hills South	Ontario	$129,000
8	Northwest Territories	Northwest Territories	$127,000
8	Vaughan—Woodbridge	Ontario	$127,000
10	Oakville West	Ontario	$126,000
11	Pickering—Brooklin	Ontario	$124,000
12	Brampton West	Ontario	$123,000
12	Mississauga—Streetsville	Ontario	$123,000
12	Orléans	Ontario	$123,000
15	Aurora—Oak Ridges—Richmond Hill	Ontario	$122,000
15	Kanata	Ontario	$122,000
17	Nepean	Ontario	$121,000
17	Sherwood Park—Fort Saskatchewan	Alberta	$121,000
19	Brampton North—Caledon	Ontario	$120,000
19	Calgary Shepard	Alberta	$120,000
21	Ajax	Ontario	$119,000
21	Calgary Crowfoot	Alberta	$119,000
23	Dufferin—Caledon	Ontario	$118,000
23	Nunavut	Nunavut	$118,000
25	Brampton South	Ontario	$117,000
25	Flamborough—Glanbrook—Brant North	Ontario	$117,000
25	Markham—Stouffville	Ontario	$117,000
25	Whitby	Ontario	$117,000
29	Wellington—Halton Hills North	Ontario	$115,000
30	Edmonton Riverbend	Alberta	$114,000
31	Airdrie—Cochrane	Alberta	$113,000
31	Bowmanville—Oshawa North	Ontario	$113,000
31	Calgary Signal Hill	Alberta	$113,000
31	Mississauga—Erin Mills	Ontario	$113,000
35	Labrador	Newfoundland and Labrador	$112,000
36	Kitchener—Conestoga	Ontario	$111,000
36	Langley Township—Fraser Heights	British Columbia	$111,000
36	New Tecumseth—Gwillimbury	Ontario	$111,000
36	Newmarket—Aurora	Ontario	$111,000
36	St. Albert—Sturgeon River	Alberta	$111,000
41	Mississauga—Malton	Ontario	$110,000
42	Delta	British Columbia	$108,000
43	Calgary Skyview	Alberta	$107,000
44	Markham—Thornhill	Ontario	$106,000
44	Mont-Saint-Bruno—L’Acadie	Quebec	$106,000
44	Thornhill	Ontario	$106,000
47	Mission—Matsqui—Abbotsford	British Columbia	$105,000
48	Barrie South—Innisfil	Ontario	$104,000
48	Calgary Midnapore	Alberta	$104,000
48	Lac-Saint-Louis	Quebec	$104,000
48	Mississauga—Lakeshore	Ontario	$104,000
48	Pitt Meadows—Maple Ridge	British Columbia	$104,000
48	Port Moody—Coquitlam	British Columbia	$104,000
48	York—Durham	Ontario	$104,000
55	Edmonton West	Alberta	$103,000
55	Essex	Ontario	$103,000
55	Markham—Unionville	Ontario	$103,000
58	Calgary Heritage	Alberta	$102,000
58	Grande Prairie	Alberta	$102,000
58	Middlesex—London	Ontario	$102,000
61	Burlington	Ontario	$101,000
61	Edmonton Gateway	Alberta	$101,000
61	Edmonton Northwest	Alberta	$101,000
61	Edmonton Southeast	Alberta	$101,000
61	Hamilton West—Ancaster—Dundas	Ontario	$101,000
61	Marc-Aurèle-Fortin	Quebec	$101,000
61	Niagara West	Ontario	$101,000
61	Scarborough—Guildwood—Rouge Park	Ontario	$101,000
61	Yellowhead	Alberta	$101,000
70	Burnaby North—Seymour	British Columbia	$100,000
70	Cloverdale—Langley City	British Columbia	$100,000
70	Parkland	Alberta	$100,000
70	Pierre-Boucher—Les Patriotes—Verchères	Quebec	$100,000
70	Yukon	Yukon	$100,000
75	Prescott—Russell—Cumberland	Ontario	$99,000
76	Bow River	Alberta	$98,000
76	Brampton—Chinguacousy Park	Ontario	$98,000
76	Fleetwood—Port Kells	British Columbia	$98,000
79	Eglinton—Lawrence	Ontario	$97,000
79	Etobicoke Centre	Ontario	$97,000
79	La Prairie—Atateken	Quebec	$97,000
79	Leduc—Wetaskiwin	Alberta	$97,000
79	Sackville—Bedford—Preston	Nova Scotia	$97,000
79	Surrey Newton	British Columbia	$97,000
85	Calgary Nose Hill	Alberta	$96,000
85	Coquitlam—Port Coquitlam	British Columbia	$96,000
85	Kitchener South—Hespeler	Ontario	$96,000
85	Regina—Lewvan	Saskatchewan	$96,000
85	West Vancouver—Sunshine Coast—Sea to Sky Country	British Columbia	$96,000
90	Carlton Trail—Eagle Creek	Saskatchewan	$95,000
90	Foothills	Alberta	$95,000
90	Vaudreuil	Quebec	$95,000
93	Edmonton Manning	Alberta	$94,000
93	South Surrey—White Rock	British Columbia	$94,000
93	Terrebonne	Quebec	$94,000
93	Waterloo	Ontario	$94,000
97	Barrie—Springwater—Oro-Medonte	Ontario	$93,000
97	Beloeil—Chambly	Quebec	$93,000
97	North Vancouver—Capilano	British Columbia	$93,000
97	Saanich—Gulf Islands	British Columbia	$93,000
101	Brampton Centre	Ontario	$92,000
101	Calgary McKnight	Alberta	$92,000
101	Saskatoon—University	Saskatchewan	$92,000
101	Spadina—Harbourfront	Ontario	$92,000
101	Thérèse-De Blainville	Quebec	$92,000
101	Toronto—Danforth	Ontario	$92,000
101	Winnipeg South	Manitoba	$92,000
108	Etobicoke—Lakeshore	Ontario	$91,000
108	Lévis—Lotbinière	Quebec	$91,000
108	Ottawa South	Ontario	$91,000
108	Simcoe—Grey	Ontario	$91,000
112	Beaches—East York	Ontario	$90,000
112	Cambridge	Ontario	$90,000
112	Kildonan—St. Paul	Manitoba	$90,000
112	Mirabel	Quebec	$90,000
112	Mississauga Centre	Ontario	$90,000
112	Pierrefonds—Dollard	Quebec	$90,000
112	Prince George—Peace River—Northern Rockies	British Columbia	$90,000
112	Toronto—St. Paul's	Ontario	$90,000
112	Vancouver Quadra	British Columbia	$90,000
112	Winnipeg West	Manitoba	$90,000
122	Alfred-Pellan	Quebec	$89,000
122	Guelph	Ontario	$89,000
122	Lanark—Frontenac	Ontario	$89,000
122	Okanagan Lake West—South Kelowna	British Columbia	$89,000
122	Richmond Hill South	Ontario	$89,000
122	Saskatoon South	Saskatchewan	$89,000
128	Don Valley North	Ontario	$88,000
128	Don Valley West	Ontario	$88,000
128	Esquimalt—Saanich—Sooke	British Columbia	$88,000
128	Hamilton East—Stoney Creek	Ontario	$88,000
128	Laval—Les Îles	Quebec	$88,000
128	Ponoka—Didsbury	Alberta	$88,000
128	Portneuf—Jacques-Cartier	Quebec	$88,000
128	Repentigny	Quebec	$88,000
128	Vancouver Fraserview—South Burnaby	British Columbia	$88,000
128	Vancouver Kingsway	British Columbia	$88,000
138	Calgary Confederation	Alberta	$87,000
138	London West	Ontario	$87,000
138	Northumberland—Clarke	Ontario	$87,000
138	Oxford	Ontario	$87,000
138	Peace River—Westlock	Alberta	$87,000
138	Pontiac—Kitigan Zibi	Quebec	$87,000
138	Regina—Wascana	Saskatchewan	$87,000
138	Scarborough North	Ontario	$87,000
138	Vancouver Granville	British Columbia	$87,000
147	Haldimand—Norfolk	Ontario	$86,000
147	Huron—Bruce	Ontario	$86,000
147	Provencher	Manitoba	$86,000
147	Red Deer	Alberta	$86,000
147	Richmond East—Steveston	British Columbia	$86,000
147	Rivière-des-Mille-Îles	Quebec	$86,000
153	Brossard—Saint-Lambert	Quebec	$85,000
153	Cowichan—Malahat—Langford	British Columbia	$85,000
153	Elgin—St. Thomas—London South	Ontario	$85,000
153	Hamilton Mountain	Ontario	$85,000
153	Montmorency—Charlevoix	Quebec	$85,000
153	Ottawa Centre	Ontario	$85,000
153	Perth—Wellington	Ontario	$85,000
153	Taiaiako'n—Parkdale—High Park	Ontario	$85,000
153	Winnipeg North	Manitoba	$85,000
162	Abitibi—Baie-James—Nunavik—Eeyou	Quebec	$84,000
162	Davenport	Ontario	$84,000
162	Lakeland	Alberta	$84,000
162	Lethbridge	Alberta	$84,000
162	Louis-Saint-Laurent—Akiawenhrahk	Quebec	$84,000
162	Malpeque	Prince Edward Island	$84,000
162	Mississauga East—Cooksville	Ontario	$84,000
162	Montcalm	Quebec	$84,000
162	New Westminster—Burnaby—Maillardville	British Columbia	$84,000
162	Ottawa West—Nepean	Ontario	$84,000
162	Surrey Centre	British Columbia	$84,000
173	Sarnia—Lambton—Bkejwanong	Ontario	$83,000
173	Skeena—Bulkley Valley	British Columbia	$83,000
173	St. Boniface—St. Vital	Manitoba	$83,000
173	Sudbury East—Manitoulin—Nickel Belt	Ontario	$83,000
177	Brantford—Brant South—Six Nations	Ontario	$82,000
177	Châteauguay—Les Jardins-de-Napierville	Quebec	$82,000
177	Etobicoke North	Ontario	$82,000
177	Gatineau	Quebec	$82,000
177	Haliburton—Kawartha Lakes	Ontario	$82,000
177	Leeds—Grenville—Thousand Islands—Rideau Lakes	Ontario	$82,000
177	York Centre	Ontario	$82,000
184	Abbotsford—South Langley	British Columbia	$81,000
184	Calgary East	Alberta	$81,000
184	Cape Spear	Newfoundland and Labrador	$81,000
184	Cariboo—Prince George	British Columbia	$81,000
184	Elmwood—Transcona	Manitoba	$81,000
184	Halifax West	Nova Scotia	$81,000
184	Hastings—Lennox and Addington—Tyendinaga	Ontario	$81,000
184	Kamloops—Shuswap—Central Rockies	British Columbia	$81,000
184	Moose Jaw—Lake Centre—Lanigan	Saskatchewan	$81,000
184	Souris—Moose Mountain	Saskatchewan	$81,000
184	St. John's East	Newfoundland and Labrador	$81,000
184	Willowdale	Ontario	$81,000
184	Winnipeg South Centre	Manitoba	$81,000
197	Algonquin—Renfrew—Pembroke	Ontario	$80,000
197	Battle River—Crowfoot	Alberta	$80,000
197	Chilliwack—Hope	British Columbia	$80,000
197	Edmonton Strathcona	Alberta	$80,000
197	Medicine Hat—Cardston—Warner	Alberta	$80,000
197	Selkirk—Interlake—Eastman	Manitoba	$80,000
203	Kenora—Kiiwetinoong	Ontario	$79,500
203	Oshawa	Ontario	$79,500
203	Portage—Lisgar	Manitoba	$79,500
203	Scarborough Centre—Don Valley East	Ontario	$79,500
203	Thunder Bay—Superior North	Ontario	$79,500
208	Avalon	Newfoundland and Labrador	$79,000
208	Columbia—Kootenay—Southern Rockies	British Columbia	$79,000
208	Dartmouth—Cole Harbour	Nova Scotia	$79,000
208	Kingston and the Islands	Ontario	$79,000
208	Regina—Qu'Appelle	Saskatchewan	$79,000
208	Scarborough Southwest	Ontario	$79,000
208	Vernon—Lake Country—Monashee	British Columbia	$79,000
208	Windsor—Tecumseh—Lakeshore	Ontario	$79,000
216	Scarborough—Agincourt	Ontario	$78,500
216	Sudbury	Ontario	$78,500
216	Thunder Bay—Rainy River	Ontario	$78,500
219	Fredericton—Oromocto	New Brunswick	$78,000
219	Kamloops—Thompson—Nicola	British Columbia	$78,000
219	Kelowna	British Columbia	$78,000
219	Niagara Falls—Niagara-on-the-Lake	Ontario	$78,000
223	Beauséjour	New Brunswick	$77,500
223	Calgary Centre	Alberta	$77,500
223	Charlesbourg—Haute-Saint-Charles	Quebec	$77,500
223	Les Pays-d'en-Haut	Quebec	$77,500
223	Ottawa—Vanier—Gloucester	Ontario	$77,500
223	Parry Sound—Muskoka	Ontario	$77,500
223	Simcoe North	Ontario	$77,500
223	Swift Current—Grasslands—Kindersley	Saskatchewan	$77,500
223	University—Rosedale	Ontario	$77,500
232	Battlefords—Lloydminster—Meadow Lake	Saskatchewan	$77,000
232	Cardigan	Prince Edward Island	$77,000
232	Kapuskasing—Timmins—Mushkegowuk	Ontario	$77,000
232	Peterborough	Ontario	$77,000
232	Scarborough—Woburn	Ontario	$77,000
237	Burnaby Central	British Columbia	$76,500
237	Côte-Nord—Kawawachikamach—Nitassinan	Quebec	$76,500
237	Louis-Hébert	Quebec	$76,500
240	Brandon—Souris	Manitoba	$76,000
240	Churchill—Keewatinook Aski	Manitoba	$76,000
240	Compton—Stanstead	Quebec	$76,000
240	Kitchener Centre	Ontario	$76,000
240	Nanaimo—Ladysmith	British Columbia	$76,000
240	Saint-Jean	Quebec	$76,000
246	Vancouver Centre	British Columbia	$75,500
247	Bay of Quinte	Ontario	$75,000
247	Bruce—Grey—Owen Sound	Ontario	$75,000
247	Fundy Royal	New Brunswick	$75,000
247	North Island—Powell River	British Columbia	$75,000
247	Prince Albert	Saskatchewan	$75,000
252	Argenteuil—La Petite-Nation	Quebec	$74,500
252	Honoré-Mercier	Quebec	$74,500
252	Hull—Aylmer	Quebec	$74,500
252	London—Fanshawe	Ontario	$74,500
252	Nipissing—Timiskaming	Ontario	$74,500
252	Saint John—St. Croix	New Brunswick	$74,500
252	Saskatoon West	Saskatchewan	$74,500
259	Longueuil—Saint-Hubert	Quebec	$74,000
259	Niagara South	Ontario	$74,000
259	Saint-Laurent	Quebec	$74,000
262	Stormont—Dundas—Glengarry	Ontario	$73,500
263	Chatham-Kent—Leamington	Ontario	$73,000
263	Courtenay—Alberni	British Columbia	$73,000
263	Edmonton Griesbach	Alberta	$73,000
263	Humber River—Black Creek	Ontario	$73,000
263	Mount Royal	Quebec	$73,000
268	Abitibi—Témiscamingue	Quebec	$72,500
268	Jonquière	Quebec	$72,500
268	Victoria	British Columbia	$72,500
271	Vancouver East	British Columbia	$72,000
272	Beauharnois—Salaberry—Soulanges—Huntingdon	Quebec	$71,500
272	Bellechasse—Les Etchemins—Lévis	Quebec	$71,500
272	Desnethé—Missinippi—Churchill River	Saskatchewan	$71,500
272	Saint John—Kennebecasis	New Brunswick	$71,500
272	St. Catharines	Ontario	$71,500
272	York South—Weston—Etobicoke	Ontario	$71,500
278	Central Nova	Nova Scotia	$71,000
278	Kings—Hants	Nova Scotia	$71,000
278	Similkameen—South Okanagan—West Kootenay	British Columbia	$71,000
281	Brome—Missisquoi	Quebec	$70,500
281	Notre-Dame-de-Grâce—Westmount	Quebec	$70,500
281	Richmond Centre—Marpole	British Columbia	$70,500
284	Sault Ste. Marie—Algoma	Ontario	$70,000
284	Tobique—Mactaquac	New Brunswick	$70,000
284	Yorkton—Melville	Saskatchewan	$70,000
287	Beauce	Quebec	$69,500
287	Halifax	Nova Scotia	$69,500
289	Chicoutimi—Le Fjord	Quebec	$68,500
289	Moncton—Dieppe	New Brunswick	$68,500
289	Shefford	Quebec	$68,500
289	Windsor West	Ontario	$68,500
293	Cape Breton—Canso—Antigonish	Nova Scotia	$67,500
293	Egmont	Prince Edward Island	$67,500
293	La Pointe-de-l'Île	Quebec	$67,500
293	Rivière-du-Nord	Quebec	$67,500
293	Vimy	Quebec	$67,500
298	Saint-Hyacinthe—Bagot—Acton	Quebec	$67,000
298	Toronto Centre	Ontario	$67,000
300	Berthier—Maskinongé	Quebec	$66,500
300	Edmonton Centre	Alberta	$66,500
300	Lac-Saint-Jean	Quebec	$66,500
303	Charlottetown	Prince Edward Island	$66,000
303	Dorval—Lachine—LaSalle	Quebec	$66,000
303	Longueuil—Charles-LeMoyne	Quebec	$66,000
303	Riding Mountain	Manitoba	$66,000
307	South Shore—St. Margarets	Nova Scotia	$65,500
308	Ahuntsic-Cartierville	Quebec	$64,500
308	Bécancour—Nicolet—Saurel—Alnôbak	Quebec	$64,500
308	Joliette—Manawan	Quebec	$64,500
308	Richmond—Arthabaska	Quebec	$64,500
312	Drummond	Quebec	$64,000
313	Cumberland—Colchester	Nova Scotia	$63,200
313	LaSalle—Émard—Verdun	Quebec	$63,200
313	London Centre	Ontario	$63,200
313	Miramichi—Grand Lake	New Brunswick	$63,200
313	Saint-Léonard—Saint-Michel	Quebec	$63,200
318	Outremont	Quebec	$62,800
319	Central Newfoundland	Newfoundland and Labrador	$62,400
319	Hamilton Centre	Ontario	$62,400
321	Côte-du-Sud—Rivière-du-Loup—Kataskomiq—Témiscouata	Quebec	$62,000
321	Long Range Mountains	Newfoundland and Labrador	$62,000
323	Gaspésie—Les Îles-de-la-Madeleine—Listuguj	Quebec	$61,600
323	Rimouski—La Matapédia	Quebec	$61,600
323	Rosemont—La Petite-Patrie	Quebec	$61,600
326	Acadie—Annapolis	Nova Scotia	$60,800
326	Acadie—Bathurst	New Brunswick	$60,800
326	Laurentides—Labelle	Quebec	$60,800
326	Madawaska—Restigouche	New Brunswick	$60,800
330	Mégantic—L’Érable—Lotbinière	Quebec	$60,400
330	Sydney—Glace Bay	Nova Scotia	$60,400
330	Ville-Marie—Le Sud-Ouest—Île-des-Soeurs	Quebec	$60,400
333	Beauport—Limoilou	Quebec	$60,000
333	Terra Nova—The Peninsulas	Newfoundland and Labrador	$60,000
335	Saint-Maurice—Champlain	Quebec	$59,600
336	Hochelaga—Rosemont-Est	Quebec	$59,200
336	Laurier—Sainte-Marie	Quebec	$59,200
338	Québec Centre	Quebec	$58,800
339	Papineau	Quebec	$57,200
340	Bourassa	Quebec	$56,800
340	Trois-Rivières	Quebec	$56,800
342	Winnipeg Centre	Manitoba	$55,600
343	Sherbrooke	Quebec	$55,200

Value: Median total income of households in 2020. Riding names link to the riding's dissemination-area map for this topic.

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Income — 2021 Census

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Income in Canada

The 2021 Census of Population measured income for the 2020 tax year — the first full year of the COVID-19 pandemic. Median total income for Canadians aged 15 and over was $39,600, but that figure averages across students, retirees, part-time workers, and full-time earners. The riding-level median total income (which aggregates all individuals in a riding) ranged from $58,153 in Papineau to $160,095 in Fort McMurray–Cold Lake — a 2.8-to-1 ratio. The income topic maps metrics including median income, low-income prevalence, the Gini coefficient of inequality, and family-type breakdowns that together reveal where Canada's economic geography concentrates wealth and disadvantage.

Median Total Income

The highest-income ridings in Canada are overwhelmingly suburban and resource-based. Fort McMurray–Cold Lake leads all ridings at $160,095 — nearly triple the national median — driven by oil sands wages that push even entry-level workers into six-figure territory. Behind it, Oakville East ($146,811), King–Vaughan ($141,249), and Oakville West ($140,184) represent the affluent commuter suburbs of western Toronto where dual-income professional households are the norm.

The lowest-income ridings split between downtown Montreal ridings (Papineau, Bourassa, Hochelaga–Rosemont-Est, Laurier–Sainte-Marie) and Atlantic Canadian ridings (Terra Nova, Acadie–Bathurst, Acadie–Annapolis). The Montreal ridings are low-income partly because of their large student and recent-immigrant populations, while the Atlantic ridings reflect genuinely depressed local economies with limited private-sector employment.

Low-Income Prevalence

Statistics Canada's low-income measure (LIM-AT) identifies individuals living below 50 percent of the national median after-tax income, adjusted for household size. Nationally, 11.1 percent of Canadians lived in low income in 2020 — down from 14.2 percent in 2015, largely due to pandemic income supports (CERB, CRB) that temporarily boosted the incomes of many lower-earning Canadians.

The highest low-income rates cluster in downtown ridings with large student and immigrant populations. Ville-Marie–Le Sud-Ouest–Île-des-Soeurs leads at 20.2 percent, followed by Laurier–Sainte-Marie (17.5%) and Outremont (15.9%). These are not necessarily "poor" ridings — Outremont includes one of Montreal's wealthiest neighbourhoods — but they contain large pockets of students and recent immigrants who report low individual incomes.

The lowest low-income ridings are in suburban Quebec and eastern Ontario: Montmorency–Charlevoix and Portneuf–Jacques-Cartier (both 1.9%) and Pierre-Boucher–Les Patriotes–Verchères (2.0%). These are middle-class family ridings with few students and strong employment in the federal public service or Quebec's manufacturing sector.

Income Inequality (Gini Coefficient)

The Gini coefficient measures income inequality from 0 (perfect equality) to 1 (all income to one person). Canada's national Gini was approximately 0.32 in 2020. The riding-level range runs from 0.24 (Charlesbourg–Haute-Saint-Charles, Winnipeg North) to 0.47 (University–Rosedale).

The most unequal ridings are in Canada's wealthiest urban cores: University–Rosedale (0.47), Ville-Marie–Le Sud-Ouest (0.46), and Vancouver Quadra (0.46). These ridings combine extreme wealth (Rosedale, Westmount, Shaughnessy) with large low-income populations (students, social housing, recent immigrants). The inequality is driven not by the absence of wealth but by its concentration alongside poverty.

The most equal ridings are in Quebec City's suburbs (Charlesbourg, 0.24), Winnipeg's working-class north (0.24), and smaller Quebec communities where the income distribution is compressed around the middle class. Quebec's lower income inequality reflects both its more generous social transfers and its relatively compressed private-sector wage structure.

Family Income by Type

Family structure is the strongest predictor of household income in Canada. Couples with children had a national median income of $110,190 in 2020, compared with $59,730 for lone-parent families and $36,200 for unattached individuals.

The geographic pattern for couple-family income follows the overall median closely: Toronto–St. Paul's ($209,361) and Eglinton–Lawrence ($202,409) lead, reflecting the professional dual-income households of midtown Toronto. For lone-parent families, the highest incomes are in Ottawa-area ridings (Carleton, $100,157; Orléans, $99,103) — where federal public-service employment provides stable, well-paid work regardless of family structure.

The lowest lone-parent incomes are in Newfoundland (Terra Nova, $50,888) and northern Indigenous ridings (Desnethé–Missinippi, $54,524), where limited formal employment makes single-parent households especially vulnerable.

Riding Rankings

Highest Median Total Income

Rank	Riding	Median Income
1	Fort McMurray–Cold Lake	$160,095
2	Oakville East	$146,811
3	King–Vaughan	$141,249
4	Oakville West	$140,184
5	Carleton	$139,380
6	Burlington North–Milton West	$136,885
7	Milton East–Halton Hills South	$135,060
8	Brampton East	$134,340
9	Northwest Territories	$133,076
10	Vaughan–Woodbridge	$132,926

Fort McMurray's dominance reflects resource-sector wages: even median incomes are pushed sky-high by the oil sands. The seven Ontario ridings in positions 2–10 are all in the affluent western GTA or Ottawa exurbs, where dual-income professional households are the norm. The Northwest Territories — like Fort McMurray — benefits from resource extraction and a large federal government presence that pays northern isolation premiums.

Lowest Median Total Income

Rank	Riding	Median Income
1	Papineau	$58,153
2	Bourassa	$58,924
3	Winnipeg Centre	$60,052
4	Hochelaga–Rosemont-Est	$60,597
5	Laurier–Sainte-Marie	$62,011
6	Terra Nova–The Peninsulas	$62,061
7	Sherbrooke	$62,412
8	Acadie–Bathurst	$62,493
9	Acadie–Annapolis	$62,513
10	Madawaska–Restigouche	$62,554

Five of the ten lowest-income ridings are in Quebec — but for different reasons. The Montreal ridings (Papineau, Bourassa, Hochelaga, Laurier) have large immigrant, student, and social-housing populations. Sherbrooke includes a major university. The Atlantic ridings (Terra Nova, Acadie–Bathurst, Acadie–Annapolis, Madawaska–Restigouche) reflect genuinely weak local economies with limited private-sector employment and aging populations.

Most Unequal Ridings (Highest Gini)

Rank	Riding	Gini
1	University–Rosedale	0.47
2	Ville-Marie–Le Sud-Ouest–Île-des-Soeurs	0.46
3	Vancouver Quadra	0.46
4	Toronto–St. Paul's	0.44
5	Vancouver Centre	0.42
6	Calgary Centre	0.41
7	Spadina–Harbourfront	0.41
8	Notre-Dame-de-Grâce–Westmount	0.40
9	Eglinton–Lawrence	0.40
10	Calgary Confederation	0.39

Every riding on this list contains both extreme wealth and significant poverty within its boundaries. University–Rosedale, for instance, includes the mansions of Rosedale and the social housing of St. James Town — one of the densest and lowest-income neighbourhoods in Canada — within a few blocks of each other. The Gini coefficient captures this internal contrast better than median income alone.

Most Equal Ridings (Lowest Gini)

Rank	Riding	Gini
1	Charlesbourg–Haute-Saint-Charles	0.24
2	Winnipeg North	0.24
3	Louis-Saint-Laurent–Akiawenhrahk	0.25
4	Montcalm	0.25
5	Lévis–Lotbinière	0.25
6	Terrebonne	0.25
7	Gatineau	0.25
8	Calgary McKnight	0.25
9	Elmwood–Transcona	0.25
10	Brampton–Chinguacousy Park	0.25

The most equal ridings are socially homogeneous — either solidly middle-class suburbs (Charlesbourg, Lévis, Terrebonne, Brampton) or working-class communities where few residents earn very high incomes (Winnipeg North, Elmwood–Transcona). Quebec's compressed wage distribution places four of its ridings in the top ten. The gap between the most and least equal ridings (0.24 vs. 0.47) is substantial — nearly doubling — and maps cleanly onto the difference between homogeneous suburbs and mixed-income urban cores.

Postal Code (FSA) Rankings

FSA-level data reveals extremes that riding boundaries average away. At the postal code level, the richest and poorest areas can be just a few blocks apart.

Highest Median Income (by FSA)

Rank	FSA	Area	Median Income
1	H3Y	Westmount, QC	$240,000
2	T3Z	Bearspaw/Springbank, AB	$216,000
3	T9K	Fort McMurray (Timberlea), AB	$206,000
4	L0J	King City/Nobleton, ON	$198,000
5	T9J	Fort McMurray (Thickwood), AB	$182,000
6	R4G	East St. Paul, MB	$168,000
7	K2R	Stittsville West, ON	$164,000
8	M5M	Toronto (Bedford Park), ON	$164,000
9	L3L	Stouffville, ON	$162,000
10	S4L	White City, SK	$164,000

Westmount (H3Y) is Canada's richest postal code at $240,000 median income — an enclave of Anglo-Montreal wealth surrounded by lower-income francophone neighbourhoods. Fort McMurray claims two spots (T9K, T9J), confirming that the oil sands create broadly shared high incomes rather than concentrated wealth. The suburban Ontario codes (L0J King City, L3L Stouffville) and prairie acreages (T3Z, R4G, S4L) represent the exurban professional class.

Lowest Median Income (by FSA)

Rank	FSA	Area	Median Income
1	H3A	Downtown Montréal (McGill)	$36,400
2	H2X	Montréal (Plateau/Quartier Latin)	$40,800
3	H3H	Montréal (Shaughnessy Village)	$40,800
4	R3B	Downtown Winnipeg	$42,000
5	G9A	Drummondville West, QC	$42,800
6	R3A	Winnipeg (West End)	$42,800
7	R3C	Downtown Winnipeg	$43,600
8	G9N	Shawinigan, QC	$44,400
9	E2L	Downtown Saint John, NB	$44,800
10	J3A	Iberville, QC	$45,200

Montréal's H3A (the McGill University neighbourhood) is Canada's lowest-income postal code — but not its poorest community. The figure is depressed by thousands of students reporting minimal taxable income. The Winnipeg codes (R3B, R3A, R3C) represent genuinely disadvantaged inner-city neighbourhoods with high rates of homelessness and social-service dependency. The small Quebec cities (Drummondville, Shawinigan, Iberville) reflect aging industrial towns where well-paying manufacturing jobs have disappeared.

Source: Statistics Canada, 2021 Census of Population. Income data is for the 2020 tax year. Riding boundaries reflect the 2022 Federal Electoral Districts. Adapted from Statistics Canada; this does not constitute an endorsement by Statistics Canada of this product.

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Source: Statistics Canada, 2021 Census of Population. Adapted from Statistics Canada, Census of Population, 2021. This does not constitute an endorsement by Statistics Canada of this product.