Grey-Bruce living wage rises to $24.75 an hour for 2026

The living wage for the region that includes Grey and Bruce counties is $24.75 an hour for 2026, up from $24.60 last year, according to new figures from the Ontario Living Wage Network.

United Way of Bruce Grey shared the new rate in a release Monday. It said the increase is 15 cents, or 0.61 per cent.

The network's rate covers its Grey Bruce Perth Huron Simcoe region. In the network's 2026 table, that is the second-highest of its 10 Ontario regions, behind the Greater Toronto Area at $27.60 an hour. Ottawa is next at $24.10. The lowest is London Elgin Oxford at $21.15.

Across all 10 regions, the network said the average increase this year was 1.6 per cent, compared with an average of 5.3 per cent in 2025. All 10 regions went up.

What a living wage is

United Way of Bruce Grey describes a living wage as "the hourly rate a person needs to earn to cover essential expenses, including housing, food, transportation, childcare and other household necessities."

It is not a legal minimum. Ontario's minimum wage is set by the province and rose to $17.95 an hour on Oct. 1. The living wage is calculated by the network from the cost of living in each region. The network's table puts the local rate $6.80 above the minimum wage.

The calculation looks at three types of households: two working adults with two young children, a single parent, and a single adult. Government taxes, benefits and transfers are factored in, the United Way said.

Where the money goes

Shelter is the biggest cost in the network's 2026 calculation for the region, according to the United Way. Its breakdown:

• Shelter, including insurance and utilities: 36 per cent
• Other household necessities and expenses: 29 per cent
• Food: 15 per cent
• Childcare: 13 per cent
• Transportation: 12 per cent

"We continue to see the pressures that housing, food and transportation costs place on individuals and families across Bruce and Grey counties," Francesca Dobbyn, executive director of United Way of Bruce Grey, said in the release.

The new rates come during Living Wage Week, Nov. 9 to 13, which the United Way says recognizes employers that have committed to paying a living wage. The Ontario Living Wage Network certifies those employers.

Sources: United Way of Bruce Grey, Nov. 9, 2026; Ontario Living Wage Network, 2026 rates.