The Rural Ontario Institute released the first set of Focus on Rural Ontario fact sheets for 2014 providing information on income in non-metro (rural) Ontario.
“Rural Ontario represents 20 per cent of the province’s population– about the same population as Toronto– so it is critical that we all understand the ongoing and emerging trends here,” says Janet Horner, Rural Ontario Institute board chair.
“The information in this set of fact sheets is revealing – not just for understanding urban-rural differences, but also looking at comparisons among rural areas. For example, the average income in non-metro was $5,048 less than the Ontario average in 2011 and rural and urban male incomes are farther apart than female ones. Also, rural areas are doing very differently than one another in terms of change in income.”
These Focus on Rural Ontario fact sheets are based on Statistics Canada data and are the first of a six-part series. The series profiles key facts and figures on population change, immigration/migration patterns, youth employment and economic trends.
Horner continues, “The information in the 2014 fact sheets will be relevant for those concerned with education, community development and planning, municipal services, social programs and health services as well as infrastructure. By understanding what is going on in rural Ontario, leaders can have informed discussions about the critical challenges facing our society – in both our cities and in our rural communities.”
All Focus on Rural Ontario fact sheets are available for download at: http://ruralontarioinstitute.ca/focus-on-rural-ontario.aspx.
Many organizations do not have the capacity to access Statistics Canada data, so the Rural Ontario Institute commissioned this series to help build understanding of key demographic and economic trends affecting this huge region of the province. The Rural Ontario Institute is a non-profit organization committed to developing leaders, initiating dialogue, supporting collaboration and promoting action on issues and opportunities facing rural Ontario.
