Average and Median Income in Ottawa

Ottawa-Gatineau is Canada’s capital region; this page compares its household income and housing costs with Toronto and other major cities. The federal government provides a stable, well-compensated employment base, complemented by a large tech sector.

Household income data on this page is from Statistics Canada’s 2021 Census, Focus on Geography Series, which reports median after-tax household income by Census Metropolitan Area (CMA) for the 2020 reference year — the most recent year Statistics Canada has published this figure at the city level. Note that the Ottawa-Gatineau CMA spans both Ontario and Quebec. For province-wide figures, see our Ontario and Quebec income guides.

Median household income in Ottawa-Gatineau

Source: Statistics Canada, 2021 Census of Population, Focus on Geography Series, “Median after-tax income of households,” Ottawa - Gatineau (CMA), 2015 to 2020 (2020 constant dollars).

Ottawa-Gatineau’s median household income of $84,000 (2020) compares with Toronto’s $85,000; the affordability table below compares home prices. For a more recent (but differently defined) figure, Statistics Canada’s Canadian Income Survey puts the median after-tax income of economic families and unattached individuals combined at $85,500 for Ottawa-Gatineau in 2024. Ontario’s province-wide figure on the same basis was $79,500; see our Ontario income guide for that figure.

Income vs. housing affordability in Ottawa

This ratio compares a 2020 household income figure to an August 2026 home price and should be read as directional. Ottawa’s ratio is lower than Toronto’s (~11.5×, City of Toronto average), lower than Hamilton’s (~9.1×, MLS HPI benchmark) and lower than Vancouver’s (~13.6×, MLS HPI benchmark).

How Ottawa compares to other major cities

Prices are each board’s own published measure: an average (all sales divided by the number of sales) for Calgary, Ottawa and Toronto, and the MLS HPI benchmark (the price of a typical home) for Vancouver. Montreal’s board publishes neither, so its figure is a single third-party estimate and only approximate.

On these figures, Ottawa’s price-to-income ratio is lower than Toronto’s, lower than Vancouver’s, lower than Montreal’s and higher than Calgary’s. Use our mortgage affordability calculator to see what you can afford today.

Key industries driving Ottawa income

• Federal government — The Government of Canada is Ottawa’s largest employer, providing stable and well-compensated positions across hundreds of departments and agencies.
• Technology — Ottawa’s tech sector is one of Canada’s largest, anchored by Shopify (headquartered here), BlackBerry QNX, Nokia, Ciena, and hundreds of startups.
• Defence and security — DND headquarters and CSIS, plus defence contractors like General Dynamics and L3Harris.
• Healthcare and research — Ottawa Hospital, CHEO, and the National Research Council.
• Bilingual professional services — The capital region’s bilingual requirement creates a premium for French-English professionals in consulting, translation, and government relations.
• Embassies and international organizations — Dozens of diplomatic missions provide unique employment opportunities.

Ottawa’s unique advantages

• Income stability: government employment cushioned the 2020 downturn. Ottawa-Gatineau’s unemployment rate averaged 7.6% in 2020, against 11% in Toronto and 10.1% in Montreal, although local employment still fell 6.3% from 2019, similar to the declines in other large CMAs. In 2024, Ottawa’s rate was 5.8%, against 8% in Toronto and 6.3% in Montreal, and its rate for August 2026 (three-month moving average, June to August) was 7.1%, against Toronto’s 6.8% and Canada’s 6.5%.
• Gatineau option: Living on the Quebec side gives access to Quebec’s reduced-contribution childcare ($9.65 a day in 2026) while working in Ontario. Many capital-region families strategically choose this arrangement.
• Lower commuting costs — Ottawa’s downtown is more compact than Toronto’s, with many government offices accessible by transit.

Rental affordability in Ottawa

The average rent for a 1-bedroom apartment in purpose-built structures of six or more units in Ottawa (the Ontario part of Ottawa-Gatineau) was $1,604/month as of the CMHC Rental Market Survey (October 2025). The vacancy rate for those buildings was 3.1% in October 2025 (against 2.5% a year earlier). See our Ottawa rental market page for the full breakdown, and our rent affordability calculator for a personalized estimate.

Income trends in Ottawa

• 2015–2018 — Steady growth aligned with federal government hiring
• 2020–2021 — Ottawa was relatively resilient during the pandemic. Government workers transitioned to remote work with minimal income disruption.
• 2022–2025: The tech sector experienced some contraction, but government stability helped maintain overall income levels.

Ottawa’s income stability is a defining characteristic — the city rarely experiences the boom-bust cycles seen in resource-dependent economies. Estimate your Ottawa take-home pay with our income tax calculator or salary calculator.

Related tools and resources

• Ottawa Mortgage Rates — Find the best mortgage rates
• Ottawa Housing Market — Current home prices and trends
• Ottawa Rental Market — Current average rents and vacancy rates
• Income Percentile Calculator — See where your income ranks
• Ontario Land Transfer Tax Calculator — Calculate closing costs
• Mortgage Affordability Calculator — How much home can you afford