Average and Median Income in Montreal

Montreal’s household incomes are best read against Quebec rather than against Toronto or Calgary, because Quebec residents pay a different provincial tax and use different provincial programs. In the 2021 Census, the Montreal CMA’s median after-tax household income for 2020 was $65,500, $2,300 above the Quebec median of $63,200 and $7,500 below the national median. This page belongs to our average and median income in Canada guide; the provincial picture is on average income in Quebec, and the Quebec side of the capital region is covered on median income in Ottawa-Gatineau.

Montreal household income in the 2021 Census

The source is Statistics Canada’s 2021 Census income table (98-10-0061-01) for the Montréal CMA, which restates 2015 incomes in 2020 dollars. Two more recent sources measure income differently. The Canadian Income Survey, which measures economic families and unattached individuals rather than households, puts Montreal’s median after-tax income at $70,100 in 2024, against $68,800 for Quebec. And tax returns show the median Montreal CMA resident with income receiving $45,640 in total income in 2023, against $45,410 for Quebec and $45,000 for Canada (Table 11-10-0008-01).

Montreal’s unemployment rate since 2015

Household income depends on work, so the job market is part of the picture. Annual unemployment rates for the Montreal CMA from the Labour Force Survey (Table 14-10-0385-01):

How Quebec taxes and programs change the comparison

A Montreal salary is taxed under Quebec’s own provincial system, with a 2026 top provincial rate of 25.75%. Purchases carry the 9.975% QST on top of the 5% GST, 14.975% in all, and workers contribute to the Quebec Pension Plan (QPP) instead of the CPP. On the other side of the ledger is child care. In Quebec, a child admitted to a subsidized child care centre costs the reduced contribution of $9.65 a day in 2026, indexed every January 1, for a parent who lives in Quebec with an eligible status such as citizen or permanent resident; non-subsidized centres charge more. The Quebec income tax guide covers the brackets, and the income tax calculator shows what a given Montreal salary leaves after tax.

Montreal home prices against income

Montreal’s real estate board (QPAREB) publishes median prices by property type, not an average or an MLS HPI benchmark. The price here is the total sales volume in its monthly statistics divided by the number of sales, an average that moves with the mix of homes sold, so the ratio is only approximate; it also pairs a price from September 2026 with 2020 income. Our Montreal housing market page has the board’s figures, and average income by city in Canada sets income against home prices across the major metros.

Montreal rents

CMHC’s October 2025 survey of purpose-built buildings with six or more units put the average one-bedroom rent in Montreal at $1,200 a month, with a vacancy rate of 3.3% (against 2.5% a year earlier). Rents by unit size are on our Montreal rental market page.

Related tools and resources

• Montreal housing market: board median prices by property type
• Montreal rental market: rents and vacancy by unit size
• Montreal income percentiles: where an income ranks in the city
• Quebec mortgage rates: current rates for Quebec buyers
• Salary calculator: Quebec take-home pay from a salary