Top ten richest rural areas

The top ten rural municipalities with the highest median family income in Ontario —east of Toronto — are listed below:

• Whitby (Rural area only, Durham Region) at $112,752

• Oshawa (Rural area only, Durham Region) at $99,679

• Ottawa (Rural area only, Ottawa Region) at $98,067

• Ajax (Rural area only, Durham Region) at $95,398

• Clarington (Rural area only, Durham Region) at $92,120

• Pickering (Rural area only, Durham Region) at $92,061

• Township of Russell (United Counties of Prescott-Russell) at $90,922

• Uxbridge (Rural area only, Durham Region) at $89,382

• Kingston (Rural area only, Frontenac County) at $87,364

• Scugog (Rural area only, Durham Region) at $83,764

Seven of the top 10 included rural areas of Durham Region — all areas that surround urban areas. Proximity to these cities likely benefits the incomes of these rural residents. However, Durham Region also has a significant agricultural sector. In all of Durham, there are over 1,500 farms, spanning about 500,000 acres.

The rural areas of Durham listed, all had higher incomes than their urban counterparts. The income numbers were based on the 2006 census. Rural statistics were compiled for Farmers Forum by Statistics Canada. See page 18 for more stats.