The first part of the 2021 Census in Canada was released today, providing a treasure trove of info for all the data nerds among us. One of the most interesting lists though? A roundup of the fastest-growing municipalities in Canada between 2016 and 2021. Let’s dive right in!
First off, a little clarification. These are ‘census municipalities’ or regions that have at least 5,000 inhabitants and are determined as municipalities on the census. On the flipside, they can be parts of ‘Census Metropolitan Areas’, like Greater Toronto or Metro Vancouver. Not all of the names in the top ten (and 11, which is kind of a tie) are part of a CMA, but most are.
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Anyway, let’s check them out!
First off- woah. When we think of ‘population growth’ we think of pretty small numbers, like 5% (Canada, overall, grew 5.2% since 2016). So, to have every spot on this list seeing at least 24% population growth over the past five years was pretty mind-boggling. Even still, it seems like spots that are at least close to larger cities continue to see the highest growth
We’re also pretty surprised at how evenly the list is spread out. Four of the top 10 are in Ontario, 2 are in BC, Quebec, or Manitoba, and Alberta got 1. What’s more, none of the top 10 (or even the top 25, for that matter) are located in the Vancouver CMA.
And while we’re not pretending to be sociology professors here, we have no issues suggesting that it will be the suburbs, not city centres, that continue to see their population growing over the next five years. At least, until prices come down.
As for the data nerds, you can learn more about the fastest-growing municipalities in Canada, along with a whole swack of other info, on the Stats Canada website. Have fun out there!
