BCBUSINESS.CA DECEMBER/JANUARY 2019 BCBUSINESS 35
UNEMPLOY-
MENT RATE
(10%)
AVERAGE HOUSE-
HOLD SPENDING
ON RECREATION
(10%)
AVERAGE
SHELTER
SPENDING
(10%)
FIVE-YEAR
POPULATION
GROWTH
(10%)
17.1% $5,573 $25,906 $929,866 32.6 6.3% 38.0 4.5%
17.1% $4,413 $19,564 $428,517 15.5 2.9% 69.1 5.9%
16.9% $4,565 $22,434 $1,247,480 26.9 5.8% 85.4 4.5%
14.5% $3,892 $17,920 $536,928 18.2 4.5% 122.7 4.6%
15.9% $4,365 $19,988 $718,024 20.0 4.2% 62.5 3.9%
16.0% $5,671 $24,170 $867,176 19.7 3.7% 31.5 3.9%
13.3% $3,982 $14,713 $212,472 14.6 –2.6% 8.2 5.0%
16.6% $4,345 $20,670 $717,409 24.1 8.1% 60.8 4.8%
14.7% $4,633 $16,537 $299,550 16.8 0.5% 40.8 5.0%
17.3% $3,931 $19,351 $445,998 15.0 2.0% 82.0 5.9%
17.9% $4,231 $19,973 $508,650 17.4 3.7% 70.3 5.9%
17.1% $5,285 $25,264 $941,962 31.6 5.7% 19.3 4.5%
13.8% $4,427 $19,754 $337,804 14.9 4.5% 21.1 5.6%
17.1% $4,448 $23,215 $1,709,754 26.7 5.8% 74.6 4.5%
17.0% $4,185 $21,321 $1,208,344 30.9 5.8% 77.8 4.5%
13.2% $4,018 $15,122 $242,069 16.1 –2.5% 39.4 5.0%
16.0% $4,389 $19,412 $544,069 21.4 3.1% 72.0 4.6%
AVERAGE
VALUE OF
PRIMARY REAL
ESTATE (5%)
FIVE-YEAR
AVERAGE HOUSE-
HOLD INCOME
GROWTH (15%)
AVERAGE
COMMUTE
TIME IN
MINUTES (10%)
HOUSING STARTS
PER 10,000
RESIDENTS
(10%)
tion could make it easier for companies to lure
and retain skilled labour, and attract investment.
Conversely, continually rising prices may accel-
erate the economic and population growth seen
in cities such as Kelowna and Victoria in recent
years. However, as housing in these second-tier
urban centres becomes less a…ordable in turn,
there could be a bene„cial knock-on e…ect for
the province's smaller centres.
Recent trends in oil and gas suggest that the
Northeast is poised for an economic rebound.
With fossil fuel prices gradually rising and the
LNG Canada consortium moving ahead with its
Kitimat export terminal for lique„ed natural
gas, the production centres of Fort St. John and
Dawson Creek will share in the rewards—as will
communities on the North Coast.
Driving these trends is a growing global
economy, with the International Monetary Fund
calling for steady expansion in 2019. That could
bring more prosperity to B.C. communities, as
foreign countries and their residents become
increasingly important to the province's cen-
tres of immigration, tourism, education and
trade. But given international trade worries and
uneven global economic expansion, it remains
unclear how B.C. may bene„t.
Regardless of how your city fared in this
year's ranking, keep in mind that many of those
in the middle scored very close to one another.
And in a province with a healthy economic out-
look, spectacular landscapes and ready access
to the great outdoors, even the lowest-ranking
cities have much to o…er.
˜
Tables continued on page 36
Category weights shown in brackets. Full methodology on page 33
