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Earnings and Incomes of Canadians Over the Past Quarter Century, 2006 Census: Incomes of families
Largest growth in median income in Alberta, Newfoundland and Labrador, and the North
This section provides a provincial and territorial view of median incomes, in 2005 constant dollars, for economic families in Canada. The 2000 to 2005 growth rate of family income varied across the provinces and territories, following the same pattern noted for individual earnings, that is, growth tended to be high in areas affected by booming commodity markets.
Among the provinces, family income increased the fastest in the oil-driven economies of Alberta (+10.0%) and Newfoundland and Labrador (+7.1%). Family income growth was also strong in the two provinces with smaller hydrocarbon industries, Saskatchewan and Nova Scotia.
Family income growth rates in New Brunswick, Prince Edward Island, Quebec and Manitoba were clustered very close to the national average of 3.7%.
British Columbia (1.8%) and Ontario (1.4%) trailed other provinces in terms of family income growth.
With its oil-driven boom, Alberta also surpassed Ontario as the highest family income province. In 2005, the median Albertan family brought in $76,526 and their Ontarian counterparts, $72,734. British Columbia, at $65,787, was just below the national family income median of $66,343.
Elsewhere, family incomes were clustered around the $60,000 mark in Quebec, Manitoba and Saskatchewan. Family incomes remained somewhat lower in the Atlantic Provinces, ranging from a median of $51,791 in Newfoundland and Labrador to $57,078 in Nova Scotia.
In 2005, economic families in the Northwest Territories had the highest median income in the country, $90,865, a 10.4% increase. Families in the Yukon Territory also exceeded the national median, bringing in $78,583 in 2005. Nunavut was below the national median, at $62,592.
However, the median family income grew faster in Nunavut than in any other province or territory, rising 19.0%, from 2000 to 2005. The growth rate of family income was somewhat lower in the Northwest Territories (10.4%) and the Yukon Territory (8.7%).
Table 12
Median total income, in 2005 constant dollars, of economic families, Canada, provinces and territories, 2000 and 2005
