Median income of people living in four major Ontario cities revealed

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The latest Canadian census data has revealed the median after-tax household income of people living in four major cities in Ontario.

The data, released Wednesday, revealed that the median after-tax income increased between 2015 and 2020 in four major cities, including Toronto, Ottawa-Gatineau, Hamilton and London.

Toronto is leading the pack with a median household income of $85,000 in 2020. The latest figure is a jump from the $74,500 reported back in 2015.

The data showed that Ottawa-Gatineau has the second highest median after-tax household income, which stands at $84,000. Ottawa used to have the highest figure in 2015 at $75,500.

The third highest median income for 2020 was reported in Hamilton at $80,000, followed by London at $71,000, both cities reported incomes that jumped by almost $10,000 from 2015.

The data found the proportion of Canadians receiving employment income fell in most provinces and territories, but that some provinces and territories, including Ontario, reported higher median employment income in 2020, as lower-earning jobs disappeared due to the pandemic.

The data reported that while fewer Canadians received employment income in 2020, particularly women, lower-income earners and older workers, benefits from COVID-19 income supports offset losses in employment income among low-wage earners.

The census data also reported that income inequality fell in all provinces since 2015, but that it remained highest in Nunavut, Ontario and Alberta.

The cities with the highest income inequality included Toronto, Vancouver and Calgary, the data found.