Mayor Chris Goertzen is pleased with new census data released Wednesday which shows the median 'household' income in Steinbach increased 16.6% between 2005 and 2015. Statistics Canada reports the median household income in the city is just over $61,000. The Manitoba average is just over $68,000, up 20%. Another snapshot shows the median 'family' income in Steinbach is up 46% to just over $73,000 while the provincial average is just over $84,000, up 16.6%. Statistics Canada did not explain the difference between 'household' and 'family' income.

Goertzen likes the trend of income levels in the city but adds there is room for improvement.

"We're very pleased to see that the average income in Steinbach has gone up and it's gone up fairly significantly. We're still below the provincial average but we're certainly gaining on that average and that's good news because families have more disposable income and more income to pay for the essentials that they require."

Goertzen says residents of Steinbach also benefit from lower costs for things like housing and commuting to work.

"Their costs are going to be less when it comes to not only housing, but it's going to be less because of transportation. Those are some of the other benefits that are there. There are a lot of factors that influence how people live and their quality of life. But to see the income increasing, I think, is really encouraging and we want to see family incomes close that gap between the provincial average and the Steinbach average."

Meanwhile, the median individual income in Steinbach is $30,800. But the median income for males is just under $40,000 while for females it is just under $24,000.

Statistics Canada says Winkler had the greatest amount of income growth in the province over the last decade at 24.2 per cent. But the data shows median incomes in Winkler are still slightly behind those in Steinbach.