Local Affordability by CensusMapper
Based on Canada Census 2011
This map shows the median dwelling value divided by the median household income in each area based on 2010/2011 census data. Compare this map to the corresponding one for 2005/2006 data.
This is often taken as a measure for affordability. Intuitively the resulting quotient describes, for each region, how many years the typical household has to work in order to afford the typical dwelling unit.
It can also be interpreted as a measure of risk of gentrification. Areas with very high quotients will likely experience gentrification, as the demographics living in the region right now are unable to buy there again.
This scatterplot gives another view of the data and shows how different dwelling value and income pairs can lead to the same affordability index.
Also important to keep in mind is the percentage of households that are own vs rent. This can vary dramatically and have a strong influence on the local affordability index. Generally the local affordability index improves as the proportion of owner households increases, but this is much less the case in Vancouver.
One can clearly see how Vancouver looks quite different in terms of affordability, when compared to other cities like Calgary, Montreal and Toronto.
This difference becomes particularly striking when considering how unaffordability in Vancouver grew much faster than in other regions when compared to 2006 data, giving a visual representation of how the Vancouver housing market has become detached from local incomes.
On the regional level around Vancouver we see that unaffordability in 2011 was concentrated around the City of Vancouver, with further outlying regions comparatively more affordable. Moreover, the growth of unaffordability also seems to be confined to Vancouver proper when compared to 2006.
We may also look at the running shelter costs to income ratio and running owner shelter costs to income ratio, which give a different point of view on the same topic.
As always, our maps are Canada wide. Use the search bar, zoom and pan to explore other regions in Canada.
Browse more Maps
- Median Income Explorer (Canada Census 2016)
- Renter Households (Canada Census 2016)
- Single Detached Dwellings (Canada Census 2016)
- Active Transportation to Work (Canada Census 2016)
- Transit to Work (Canada Census 2016)
- Low Income Explorer (Canada Census 2016)
- 👻Haunted Houses👻 (Canada Census 2016)
- Trick-or-Treat Density (Canada Census 2016)
- Trick-or-Treat Onslaught (Canada Census 2016)
- High Shelter Costs (Canada Census 2016)
- Unsuitable Housing (Canada Census 2016)
- Unoccupied Dwellings (by "usual residents") (Canada Census 2016)
- Households Qualifying to Buy Median Dwelling (Canada Census 2011)
- High Shelter Costs (Canada Census 2011)
- Net Migration by Age Groups (Canada Census 2016, Canada Census 2011)
- Toddler Density (Canada Census 2016)
- Housing Types (Single & Duplex, Mid and Highrise, Other) (Canada Census 2016)
- Non-Primary Residence Surprise (2011/2016 Canada Census)
- Population Change 2011 - 2016 (Canada Census 2016)
- Absolute Population Change 2011 - 2016 (Canada Census 2016)
- Unoccupied Dwellings (by "usual residents") (Canada Census 2011)
- Child Poverty (Canada Census 2011)
- Local Affordability (Canada Census 2011)
- Income Tax (Canada Census 2011)
- Unsuitable Housing (Canada Census 2011)
- Hidden Mortgage (Canada Census 2011)
- Shelter Cost Higher than Income (Canada Census 2011)
- ☘Irish Ancestry☘ (Canada Census 2016)
- Composition of Movers (Canada Census 2016)
- Movers 5 (Canada Census 2016)
- Rent Poor (Canada Census 2011)
- Rent Poor (Canada Census 2006)
- Rent Poor (Canada Census 2016)
- House Poor (Canada Census 2016)
- Median Income Explorer (Canada Census 2016)
- Renter Households (Canada Census 2016)
- Families and Unattached Individuals vs Households (Canada Census 2016)
- Single Detached Dwellings (Canada Census 2016)
- Empty Bedrooms (Canada Census 2016)
- 25 to 39 Year Olds Living With Parents (Canada Census 2016)
- Active Transportation to Work (Canada Census 2016)
- Bike to Work (Canada Census 2016)
- Transit to Work (Canada Census 2016)
- Commute Duration (Canada Census 2016)
- Work and Live in Same Municipality (Canada Census 2016)
- After Tax Household Income Gini Coefficient (Canada Census 2016)
- Local Affordability (Canada Census 2016)
- Low Income Explorer (Canada Census 2016)
- Income Brackets (Canada Census 2016)
- Visible Minority (Canada Census 2016)
- Ethnic Diversity (Canada Census 2016)
- 👻Haunted Houses👻 (Canada Census 2016)
- Trick-or-Treat Density (Canada Census 2016)
- Trick-or-Treat Onslaught (Canada Census 2016)
- Age of Household Maintainer (Canada Census 2016)
- High Shelter Costs (Canada Census 2016)
- Unsuitable Housing (Canada Census 2016)
- Dwellings in Need of Major Repairs (Canada Census 2016)
- Commute Cost vs Shelter Cost Tradeoffs (Canada Census 2011)
- Empty bedrooms (Canada Census 2011)
- Change in household size (Canada Census 2016, Canada Census 2011)
- Population Density (Canada Census 2016)
- Components of Population Change (Canada Census 2016, Canada Census 2011)
- Chinese as Mother Tongue (Canada Census 2016)
- Single Detached and Duplex (Canada Census 2016)
- People per Household (Canada Census 2016)
- Unoccupied Dwellings (by "usual residents") (Canada Census 2016)
- Households Qualifying to Buy Median Dwelling (Canada Census 2011)
- Composition of Movers (Canada Census 2011)
- Composition of Migrants (Canada Census 2011)
- High Shelter Costs (Canada Census 2011)
- Net Migration by Age Groups (Canada Census 2016, Canada Census 2011)
- Toddler Density (Canada Census 2016)
- Housing Types (Single & Duplex, Mid and Highrise, Other) (Canada Census 2016)
- Non-Primary Residence Surprise (2011/2016 Canada Census)
- Population Change 2011 - 2016 (Canada Census 2016)
- Population Density (Canada Census 2011)
- Married vs Common Law (Canada Census 2011)
- Absolute Population Change 2011 - 2016 (Canada Census 2016)
- Unoccupied Dwellings (by "usual residents") (Canada Census 2011)
- Stork Arrived (Canada Census 2011)
- Child Poverty (Canada Census 2011)
- Local Affordability (Canada Census 2011)
- Income Tax (Canada Census 2011)
- Unsuitable Housing (Canada Census 2011)
- Hidden Mortgage (Canada Census 2011)
- Immigrants (Canada Census 2011)
- Poor People (Canada Census 2011)
- Renter Households (Canada Census 2011)
- 🇨🇦 Canadian Citizens 🇨🇦 (Canada Census 2011)
- Poor People (Canada Census 2006)
- House Poor (Canada Census 2011)
- Shelter Cost Higher than Income (Canada Census 2011)
- Born In Province of Residence (Canada Census 2011)
- Non-Immigrants Born Outside Province of Residence (Canada Census 2011)
- Aboriginal Identity (Canada Census 2011)
- Components of Origin (Canada Census 2011)
- Median Commute Duration (Canada Census 2011)
- Shelter Cost Higher than Income (Canada Census 2006)
- Local Affordability (Canada Census 2006)
- Active Transportation (Canada Census 2006)
- Transit (Canada Census 2006)
- High Shelter Costs (Canada Census 2006)
- House Poor (Canada Census 2006)