Toronto vs Montréal: Population & Income Compared

Toronto and Montréal anchor Canada's two largest municipal populations — one in Ontario, one in Quebec — with very different income and growth profiles in 2021. Here is a clear head-to-head.

Population & growth

Toronto counted 2,794,356 residents in 2021, compared with Montréal at 1,762,949. Size, however, is not the same as momentum. Toronto's population rose 2.3% from 2016 to 2021, while Montréal grew 3.4% over the same period.

In short: Toronto leads on municipal population; Montréal grew faster during the last census cycle.

Income

Median after-tax household income tells another part of the story. Toronto households sat at $74,000 (median after tax), versus $56,000 in Montréal. That gap matters for cost-of-living and labour-market conversations across the two cities.

Age profile

Average age was 41.5 years in Toronto and 40.6 in Montréal. Montréal's younger profile contrasts with Toronto in this census snapshot.

Quick comparison table

• Population (2021): Toronto 2,794,356 · Montréal 1,762,949
• Growth 2016–2021: Toronto 2.3% · Montréal 3.4%
• Median HH income (after tax): Toronto $74,000 · Montréal $56,000
• Average age: Toronto 41.5 · Montréal 40.6

Toronto leads on population and median household income; Montréal grew slightly faster over 2016–2021 and has a modestly 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
• Montréal demographic profile
• Location Comparison tool — select Census subdivision, then Toronto and Montréal