Nipissing District has more low-income people than the Ontario or national average. Provincially and across Canada, 14.2 percent of the population is made up of low-income people while in Nipissing the number is 17.2 percent. Calvin has the highest percentage of low-income people at 23.3 percent followed by Mattawa at 23 percent. The percentage of the population in North Bay that falls into the low-income category coincidentally is the same as the district-wide figure of 17.2 percent. East Ferris can boast having the least number of low-income people at 7.7 which is about half the provincial and national numbers.
The populations of low-income people in Chisholm and Temagami are 20.7 per cent and 20.3 per cent respectively. Next on the list is West Nipissing at 19.6 per cent. The numbers were compiled by the Labour Market Group. LMG also calculated similar statistics for the Parry Sound District and found mixed results. Although the district-wide average of 15.1 per cent is closer to the provincial and national figures, there are huge differences in between. For example, South River has the highest per cent of low-income people at 30.6 per cent, which is more than twice the Ontario and Canadian averages.
It’s not any better in Burk’s Falls which registers 30.1 per cent of low-income people living in the village. On the bright side, eight municipalities in Parry Sound District fall under the provincial and national averages with McDougall recording the lowest per cent at 7.8. In ascending order the remaining seven communities are Callander, Seguin, Archipelago, McKellar, Carling, Powassan and Nipissing Township. The Town of Parry Sound is five points above the averages at 19.2 per cent.
