Toronto vs Calgary: Population & Income Compared

Toronto and Calgary sit at opposite ends of a familiar Canadian trade-off: sheer scale versus growth and household income. Here is a clear head-to-head.

Population & growth

Toronto counted 2,794,356 residents in 2021 — more than double Calgary's 1,306,784. Size, however, is not the same as momentum. Toronto's population rose 2.3% from 2016 to 2021, while Calgary grew 5.5% over the same period.

In short: Toronto remains the country's largest municipal population; Calgary added people faster during the last census cycle.

Income

Median after-tax household income tells a different story. Calgary households sat at $85,000 (median after tax), versus $74,000 in Toronto. That gap matters for cost-of-living conversations: Toronto's larger labour market does not automatically translate into higher typical household take-home pay in the census snapshot.

Age profile

Average age was 41.5 years in Toronto and 38.8 in Calgary. Calgary's younger profile lines up with faster growth and a labour market historically tied to energy and professional services migration.

Quick comparison table

• Population (2021): Toronto 2,794,356 · Calgary 1,306,784
• Growth 2016–2021: Toronto 2.3% · Calgary 5.5%
• Median HH income (after tax): Toronto $74,000 · Calgary $85,000
• Average age: Toronto 41.5 · Calgary 38.8

Toronto wins on scale; Calgary leads on recent growth, median household income, and a younger average age — all from the same 2021 data release.

Explore the full datasets

Dig into every section (households, labour, languages, dwellings) on the location profiles, or build your own side-by-side:

• Toronto demographic profile
• Calgary demographic profile
• Location Comparison tool — select Census subdivision, then Toronto and Calgary