What is the average household income in Canada?

The average household income in Canada is approximately $105,000 to $110,000 per year (2026). The median household income is around $75,000 to $80,000. The median is more representative as the average is pulled up by high earners.

What is considered a high household income in Canada?

A household income above $150,000 puts you in the top 20% of Canadian households. Above $200,000 is the top 10%, and above $300,000 is approximately the top 5%.

What is the difference between household income and family income?

Household income includes all people living at the same address, including roommates and boarders. Family income includes only related individuals (spouse, children) living together. Economic families typically have higher incomes than the broader household measure.

Which province has the highest household income?

Alberta has the highest average household income at approximately $125,000, followed by Ontario at $115,000. The territories (Yukon, NWT, Nunavut) have higher averages but also significantly higher costs of living.

Average Household Income in Canada 2026 | By Province & Family Type

Average Household Income in Canada

Metric	Amount
Average household income	~$107,000
Median household income	~$78,000
Average individual income	~$58,000
Median individual income	~$45,000

Why use median? The median (middle value) is more representative than the average because high earners pull the average up. Half of Canadian households earn below the median, half above.

Household Income by Province

Province	Average	Median	After-Tax Median
Alberta	$125,000	$95,000	$82,000
Ontario	$115,000	$85,000	$72,000
British Columbia	$110,000	$80,000	$68,000
Saskatchewan	$105,000	$82,000	$70,000
Manitoba	$95,000	$75,000	$65,000
Quebec	$92,000	$72,000	$62,000
Newfoundland	$90,000	$70,000	$60,000
Nova Scotia	$88,000	$68,000	$58,000
New Brunswick	$85,000	$65,000	$56,000
PEI	$85,000	$68,000	$58,000

Territories

Territory	Average	Median	Note
Yukon	$135,000	$105,000	Higher salaries, higher cost of living
Northwest Territories	$145,000	$115,000	Resource sector premium
Nunavut	$130,000	$100,000	Remote work premium

Household Income by Family Type

Different household compositions have significantly different incomes.

Household Type	Average Income	Median Income
Couple with children	$145,000	$115,000
Couple without children	$115,000	$90,000
Lone-parent (female)	$62,000	$52,000
Lone-parent (male)	$78,000	$65,000
Single person	$52,000	$42,000
Other family type	$95,000	$75,000

Two-Income vs Single-Income Households

Earners	Average Income	% of Households
Dual-income couple	$155,000	45%
Single-income couple	$85,000	15%
Single person working	$52,000	25%
Retired/no earners	$45,000	15%

Household Income by Age of Primary Earner

Age Group	Average	Median
Under 25	$45,000	$38,000
25–34	$85,000	$72,000
35–44	$125,000	$95,000
45–54	$140,000	$105,000
55–64	$120,000	$90,000
65+	$65,000	$52,000

Peak earning years are typically 45–54 when careers are established and dual incomes are common.

Household Income Percentiles

Where does your household rank?

Percentile	Household Income	Interpretation
10th	$28,000	Bottom 10%
25th	$48,000	Lower quartile
50th (Median)	$78,000	Middle
75th	$125,000	Upper quartile
90th	$185,000	Top 10%
95th	$250,000	Top 5%
99th	$400,000+	Top 1%

Use our income percentile calculator to see exactly where your household ranks.

Average vs Median: Why It Matters

Metric	Value	What It Shows
Average (mean)	$107,000	Pulled up by high earners
Median (50th percentile)	$78,000	Typical household
Mode (most common)	~$60,000	Most frequently reported

The average household income is 37% higher than the median because wealthy households significantly skew the average. For most comparisons, look at the median.

Household Income by City

City	Average	Median
Calgary	$135,000	$105,000
Ottawa	$130,000	$100,000
Edmonton	$125,000	$95,000
Toronto	$120,000	$90,000
Vancouver	$115,000	$85,000
Winnipeg	$100,000	$78,000
Montreal	$95,000	$75,000
Halifax	$95,000	$72,000
Quebec City	$92,000	$73,000

Household Income Trends

Year	Median Household Income	Change
2019	$69,000	—
2020	$70,000	+1.4%
2021	$71,000	+1.4%
2022	$73,000	+2.8%
2023	$75,000	+2.7%
2024	$76,500	+2.0%
2025	$77,500	+1.3%
2026	$78,000	+0.6%

After-inflation (real) income growth has been modest, averaging about 1% per year.

What Is a Good Household Income?

“Good” depends on where you live and your household size:

City	“Comfortable” Income	“High” Income
Toronto	$120,000+	$200,000+
Vancouver	$120,000+	$200,000+
Calgary	$100,000+	$175,000+
Ottawa	$100,000+	$175,000+
Montreal	$90,000+	$150,000+
Winnipeg	$80,000+	$140,000+
Halifax	$85,000+	$145,000+
Smaller cities	$70,000+	$120,000+

Methodology

Data is compiled from Statistics Canada’s Survey of Labour and Income Dynamics, Canadian Income Survey, and Census data. “Household” includes all persons sharing a dwelling, regardless of relationship. Figures are estimated for 2026 based on historical growth rates and current economic indicators.