Average and Median Income in Winnipeg

Winnipeg is Manitoba’s capital and economic centre. Its 2020 median household income was $71,500, against $85,000 in Toronto and $87,000 in Calgary, and the tables below compare its home prices with other major cities.

Household income data on this page is from Statistics Canada’s 2021 Census, Table 98-10-0061-01, which reports median after-tax household income by Census Metropolitan Area (CMA) for the 2020 reference year, the most recent Census household figure. (Statistics Canada’s Canadian Income Survey, which measures families and unattached individuals rather than households, reports a more recent Winnipeg CMA median after-tax income of $71,800 for 2024.) For the province-wide figure, see our Manitoba income guide.

Median household income in Winnipeg

Source: Statistics Canada, 2021 Census of Population, Table 98-10-0061-01, “Median after-tax income of households,” Winnipeg (CMA) and Canada, 2015 and 2020 (2020 constant dollars).

Winnipeg’s median household income in 2020 was 8.3% higher than in 2015; the national median was 9.8% higher than in 2015. Winnipeg’s 2020 median of $71,500 compares with the national figure of $73,000. Manitoba’s more recent (2024) province-wide median after-tax income was $72,000; see our Manitoba income guide for that figure.

Income vs. housing affordability in Winnipeg

This ratio compares a 2020 household income figure to a home price from August 2026 and should be read as directional. The Winnipeg Regional Real Estate Board publishes an average sale price but no MLS HPI benchmark for Winnipeg, and averages move with the mix of homes sold. Winnipeg’s ratio is higher than Edmonton’s (~5.1×, RAE benchmark), lower than Toronto’s (~11.5×, City of Toronto average price) and lower than Vancouver’s (~13.6×, Metro Vancouver benchmark).

How Winnipeg compares to other major cities

Board averages move with the mix of homes sold, while an MLS HPI benchmark tracks a typical home, so read ratios built on different measures as approximate. Use our mortgage affordability calculator or income to afford a home calculator to see what you can afford today.

Key industries driving Winnipeg income

• Aerospace and defence — Boeing’s composite manufacturing centre, StandardAero, Magellan Aerospace, and other companies make Winnipeg a significant Canadian aerospace hub.
• Financial services — Great-West Lifeco (parent of Canada Life), Wawanesa Mutual Insurance, and other financial institutions are headquartered in Winnipeg.
• Agriculture and food processing — Manitoba’s agricultural sector, with Cargill, Richardson International, and numerous food processing companies.
• Transportation and logistics — CN, CPKC (formerly CP Rail), and Winnipeg’s role as a mid-continent distribution hub.
• Government — Provincial government and Crown corporations like Manitoba Hydro.
• Healthcare and education — University of Manitoba, the Health Sciences Centre, and CancerCare Manitoba.

Winnipeg’s cost considerations

• Manitoba PST of 7%: Plus 5% GST for 12% total
• Cold climate costs: Winnipeg needs far more heating than most large Canadian cities (5,648 heating degree-days a year, vs 3,873 in Toronto, per Environment Canada’s 1981 to 2010 climate normals), though Manitoba Hydro electricity is relatively cheap
• Auto insurance — Manitoba Public Insurance is the sole provider of basic (Autopac) coverage

Rental affordability in Winnipeg

The average rent for a 1-bedroom purpose-built apartment in Winnipeg was $1,236/month as of the CMHC Rental Market Survey (October 2025), against $1,761 in Toronto and $1,809 in Vancouver. See our Winnipeg rental market page for the full breakdown, and our rent affordability calculator for a personalized estimate.

Income trends in Winnipeg

• 2015–2019: Median individual income was roughly flat after inflation, up 1.4% over the period ($43,400 to $44,000, 2024 dollars). Winnipeg was far less affected by the 2015 to 2016 oil price collapse than Alberta cities: its median income slipped 1.4% from 2014 to 2016, vs 14.0% in Calgary.
• 2020: The pandemic hit Winnipeg’s job market less hard than most large cities. Employment fell 4.3% (vs 5.4% in Toronto and 7.0% in Calgary) and the unemployment rate rose from 5.3% to 9.0%.
• 2021–2023: International migration drove population growth. The CMA’s population rose from 860,237 in 2021 to 909,657 in 2023 (July 1 estimates), as Winnipeg took in 16,392 immigrants in 2021/2022 and 20,490 in 2022/2023, plus a net 6,169 and 19,425 non-permanent residents, far more than it lost, net, to other provinces (5,315 and 7,743).
• 2024–2025: Employment kept growing, from 481,200 in 2023 to 510,800 in 2025. In 2025 Manitoba gained slightly more residents from Ontario than it lost to it (6,095 arrivals vs 5,492 departures), though it still had a net loss to other provinces overall (14,476 arrivals vs 17,928 departures).

Winnipeg’s relative stability is a defining income characteristic. From 2014 to 2024, its inflation-adjusted median individual income never moved more than 5.0% in a single year (its largest move, in 2020), while Calgary’s fell 13.8% in 2015 alone and Edmonton’s fell by between 6.1% (2022) and 8.5% (2016) in several years.

Additional cost of living factors

• Heating: Winnipeg averages about 13 days a year below -30°C (1981 to 2010 climate normals), though Manitoba Hydro’s residential electricity price is among the lowest in Canada: a 1,000 kWh monthly bill cost $105.33 at April 2025 rates (about 10.53 cents per kWh), second only to Montréal ($82.90) among the Canadian cities in Hydro-Québec’s annual comparison
• Auto insurance: In a 2022 comparison of 27 driver profiles prepared by EY for ICBC, the average premium in Winnipeg ($1,381) was close to Saskatoon’s ($1,249) and far below Toronto’s ($2,295) or Calgary’s ($3,182)
• Childcare: Parent fees at provincially funded licensed child care have been capped at $10/day for children 12 and under (regular hours) in Manitoba since April 2023
• Transit — Many residents rely on cars due to the city’s spread-out layout

Estimate your Winnipeg take-home pay with our income tax calculator or salary calculator.

Related tools and resources

• Manitoba Mortgage Rates — Find the best mortgage rates
• Winnipeg Housing Market — Current home prices and trends
• Winnipeg Rental Market — Current average rents and vacancy rates
• Income Percentile Calculator — See where your income ranks
• Mortgage Affordability Calculator — How much home can you afford
• Income Tax Calculator — Estimate your Manitoba income tax