Household Income

• According to Statistics Canada, 19% of households earn under $30,000 per year.

• 43% earn less than $60,000, which is very close to the maximum amount for a 4 bedroom units allowed for Saskatchewan Housing Income Maximums (SHIM), the income levels that the Government of Saskatchewan bases eligibility for access affordable housing programs.

Figure 1.1 Distribution of households among income categories, 2010

• In the 2011 National Household Survey, low income measure based on after-tax income measure (LIM-AT) has been used to classify persons by income status.

• This income threshold is based on half the Canadian median after-tax income (Saskatoon median income: $68,288). This amount is also adjusted to account for household size (see Table 1.3). Households with income below this threshold were considered to be low-income.

• Based on after-tax income, the portion of the population in low income status in Saskatoon was 14%.

• After ten years of straight decline, the number of low-income households in Saskatoon has started to rise. Consequently, an increasing number of people are living in poverty and hence facing difficulties in meeting their housing need.

• Lone-parent families are particularly disadvantaged as income is lower but shelter requirements are higher.

  Figure 1.2 Low-income Situations in Saskatoon

Table 1.3 Household total income by income group, 2010 in Saskatoon

Source: Statistics Canada – 2011 National Household Survey. Catalogue Number 99-014-X2011047.