Income and Net Worth in British Columbia

Median and average individual income in British Columbia by age group, for all genders with a bachelor's degree, from the 2021 Census.
Age groupMedian incomeAverage income
25-34$53,289$58,546
35-44$70,045$81,475
45-54$76,551$92,972
55-64$62,911$86,484
65+$34,000$47,640
Median and average family net worth in British Columbia by age group, from the Survey of Financial Security. This measure is the same for every gender and education level.
Age groupMedian net worthAverage net worth
25-34$236,800$584,200
35-44$609,200$957,400
45-54$1,005,800$1,462,200
55-64$1,299,900$1,711,900
65+$1,099,700$1,530,400

A British Columbia family aged 55-64 has a median net worth of $1,299,900 in this dataset, the single highest figure recorded for any province at any age — and it is not an isolated result. British Columbia's net worth outranks every other province in each of the five age bands, from $236,800 among those 25-34 up through that 55-64 high point. Income runs a different course entirely. At 25-34, British Columbia's median income of $53,289 exactly matches Ontario's; from there it falls behind in every older band, by $2,208 at 55-64 and by $800 among those 65 and older. British Columbia's cities are also among the most expensive in the country to buy property in, which offers one explanation for the mismatch: net worth is measured at the family level, so home equity built up over decades can outweigh what a given year's paycheque shows. Whatever the mechanism, the pattern is stark — the province with the country's highest net worth never once has the country's highest income, and cannot even out-earn Ontario past the youngest age band. Forestry, film production and technology drive much of British Columbia's income without lifting it above its neighbours'.

Income above is individual-level, from the 2021 Census, and varies by gender and education. Net worth is family-level, from the Survey of Financial Security, and is compared by province and age only — it is not broken down by gender or education, so changing those inputs would not change the net worth figures shown here.

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This page is for educational and informational purposes only. It is not financial, tax, or investment advice. Figures are estimates derived from public Statistics Canada data and may not reflect your circumstances. Contains information licensed under the Statistics Canada Open Licence; this is not an endorsement by Statistics Canada.