See where a yearly income ranks, by region.
How this calculator works
Enter a yearly income, choose a region -- Canada as a whole, a
province, or a territory -- and whether the number is one person's
income or a whole household's, and the calculator estimates what
percentile that income falls at. A result of 27, for example, means
the income is higher than roughly 27 out of every 100 people (or
households) in that region, and lower than the rest.
Individual vs. household income
Individual income is a single person's total income. Household
income is every income in a household added together, so it's
typically much higher than any one person's income within it. The
two are compared against separate regional distributions, so the
same dollar amount can land at very different percentiles depending
on which one you pick.
Filling the gaps between census data points
Statistics Canada's published 2021 Census income tables give exact
figures at only a few fixed points (median and average, in this
case). To turn that into a percentile for any income you type in,
this calculator fits a log-normal distribution -- the standard
statistical model for personal and household income, which is
always positive and skews toward higher values -- to each region's
real median and average income. The result is a smooth estimate at
any income level, not an official Statistics Canada percentile
figure.
Frequently asked questions
What does this calculator show?
It estimates where a yearly income ranks compared to everyone else
in a chosen region -- Canada as a whole, a province, or a
territory -- as a percentile. For example, a result of 27 means the
income is higher than about 27 out of every 100 people (or
households) in that region.
What income figure should I enter?
Total income before tax -- what most people mean by their yearly
income (gross salary plus other income sources, before
deductions), matching how Statistics Canada reports its headline
income figures.
Why do individual and household results differ so much for the same number?
Individual income is one person's total income. Household income
adds up every income in a household, so it's typically much
higher -- a $75,000 individual income and a $75,000 household
income sit at very different percentiles because they're being
compared against different distributions.
How is the percentile calculated between census data points?
Statistics Canada's published income tables only give a handful of
fixed percentile points (such as the 10th, 25th, 50th, 75th, and
90th). To produce a smooth result at any income, this calculator
fits a log-normal distribution -- the standard statistical model
for income data -- to each region's actual 2021 Census median and
average income, then uses that distribution to estimate the
percentile for any amount. This is a modeled estimate, not an
official Statistics Canada percentile figure.
Where does the underlying data come from?
Statistics Canada's 2021 Census of Population, reference year 2020:
table 98-10-0070 for individual total income and table 98-10-0060
for household total income, for Canada, each province, and each
territory.
Is my income information saved anywhere?
No. The calculator has no database and no accounts -- your numbers
are sent to the calculation service only to compute a result and
are not stored.