Wealthscapes 2012, a financial database measuring the assets, liabilities and wealth of Canadians, says the net worth of the average Ottawa-Gatineau household grew 2.8 per cent between 2010 and 2011, climbing from $344,163 up to $353,765 per household.
The region was beat out only by Winnipeg, which saw growth of 3.1 per cent, and was followed by Manitoba with growth at 2.3 per cent.
Ottawa-Gatineau’s average net worth was less than both the provincial and federal averages (by 13.4 per cent and by 2.6 per cent respectively), but its average household income of $94,141 was much higher – 6.2 per cent higher than the provincial average, and 13.8 per cent than Canada as a whole.
Updated to December 2011, the database includes more than 80 financial and investment statistics for every neighbourhood (or census dissemination area) in the country.
Now in its fifth year, the data indicates that although the global financial crisis may be receding, Canadians are still somewhat poorer, more risk-averse and cautious of taking on more debt, according to the report.
One of the more encouraging findings is that Canada’s real estate values continue to increase, unlike in the United States. The Canadian real estate market had 3.8 per cent growth nationwide last year, with Vancouver and Toronto leading the charge. Ottawa’s real estate increased by 4.6 per cent, from $273,984 in 2010 to $286,692 in 2011.
Overall, Canadians saw a 0.04 percent decline in net worth during 2011, with an average household net worth of $363,202. This compares favourably to the US$319,970 net worth of American households.
Environics Analytics is a marketing services and data analytics company based in Toronto.
Ottawa-Gatineau data:
Number of households: 509,966
Household income: $94,141
Net worth: $353,765
Assets: $477,802
Liquid assets: $191,110
Debt: $124,037
Savings (bank deposits): $79,097
Investments (stocks, bonds and mutual funds): $112,012
Real estate (primary and other): $286,692
Mortgages: $84,194
Consumer debt: $39,843
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