The good news for Muskoka is the average wage in the area has increased significantly since 2000. The bad news is that the district still ranks near the bottom of the province when it comes to annual income.

Earlier this month, Statistics Canada released the latest batch of information from the 2006 Canada-wide census, including figures on average income and housing costs.

According to the data, those in Muskoka who worked full time, year-round in 2005 earned an average of $38,201 per year. While that average is up 5.9 per cent over the 2000 figures, it still falls well below the provincial average of $44,748.

Among local municipalities included in the survey, Bracebridge tops the list of earners with $39,658 a year and Gravenhurst is the lowest at $36,461. Of the 228 Ontario municipalities listed, Bracebridge ranks 159th, Muskoka Lakes 167th, Huntsville 180th and Gravenhurst is 200th.

Looking over the numbers for the region, Statistics Canada analyst Marc Frenette pointed out several factors unique to Muskoka.

“There could be an industrial explanation for why it’s lower. One thing that definitely stands out is the percentage of people involved in the construction industry, 13.9 per cent, versus the rest of Ontario which is at 5.9 per cent,” said Frenette. “There’s also a fairly significant difference in the retail sector, which employs 15.5 per cent in Muskoka and 11 per cent in the rest of the province.”

In Ontario, construction workers earn an average of $42,078 per year, while those in the retail sector earn $31,427, said Frenette, both of which are below the provincial average.

Conversely, Muskoka has a lower number of people employed in business services, 14.8 per cent, than the rest of Ontario, 19.7 per cent.

“Business services includes those involved in the   fessional, the science and technology sector, finance and insurance, company management, and real estate and rental services,” he said. “Those involved in business services typically earn more ($56,517 a year average in Ontario). In general that’s a field that’s less common in Muskoka.”

With an average of $34,752 per year, average income of female workers in Muskoka falls far below that of their male counterparts, who earn an average of $42,752. The same trend is more or less constant across the country.

“The biggest difference between men and women in the older age brackets is that women generally have less work experience and less tenure with the firm,” said Frenette.

However, Frenette said the statistics show that among younger workers that gap is closing.

“For those men and women with a similar occupation and similar education, the pay gap has declined significantly,” he said. “We’re also seeing changes in the choices women are making in college and university. For example, there are just as many women in medical school as men, and that wasn’t the case before. There are also more women going into fields like engineering. There are still certain male- and female-dominated areas, but we’re seeing some change.”

Compounding Muskoka’s lower average income figures is the fact that homes in the area cost as much as anywhere else. The average value of an owned dwelling in Muskoka is $295,728, which is virtually identical to the provincial average.

Not surprisingly for a rural area, Muskoka has nearly 30 per cent more single-detached homes than the Ontario average, but ranks well below the average when it comes to numbers of row houses, apartments and semi-detached homes.

According to the census, Muskoka has 19,100 home owners and 4,010 renters.

Roughly one-third of the dwellings in Muskoka were built after 1986, while the provincial average is closer to one-quarter.