Is Bigger
Better?
map: stesha ho January 2015 BCBusiness 53
accounting for 10 per cent of overall scores, population growth can
be a good indicator of an attractive local job market—one that draws
people in and keeps them around. That's why Fort St. John and Daw-
son Creek are expanding faster than other northern cities. Still, it's the
urban gorilla Metro Vancouver that ultimately dominates our five-year
population growth map, thanks in large part to immigration. Interest-
ingly, the City of Vancouver itself lags far behind its suburbs, perhaps no
surprise given its high real estate prices and geographical constraints.
Sprawling Surrey, the biggest of those suburbs, takes B.C.'s top spot.
15.00% and aBove
surrey . . . . . . . . . . . . .
15.36%
12.00% - 14.99%
coquitlam . . . . . . . . .12.83%
new westminster . .12.38%
pitt meadows . . . . . .12.30%
9.00% - 11.99%
langley . . . . . . . . . . . .11.83%
squamish . . . . . . . . .11.28%
burnaby . . . . . . . . . . .11.06%
richmond . . . . . . . . . .10.57%
6.00% - 8.99%
maple ridge . . . . . . .8.88%
chilliwack . . . . . . . . .8.32%
port coquitlam . . . . .7.94%
abbotsford-mission 7.57%
dawson creek . . . . .7.50%
north vancouver . . .7.33%
Kelowna. . . . . . . . . . .7.05%
salmon arm . . . . . . .6.37%
Fort st. John . . . . . . .6.34%
3.00% - 5.99%
delta . . . . . . . . . . . . . .5.74%
parksville . . . . . . . . . .5.58%
vancouver . . . . . . . . .4.54%
victoria . . . . . . . . . . . .4.53%
nanaimo . . . . . . . . . .4.42%
campbell river . . . . .4.19%
0.00% - 2.99%
courtenay
. . . . . . . . . . 2.47%
duncan . . . . . . . . . . . .2.08%
prince George . . . . . . 1.45%
Quesnel . . . . . . . . . . .1.06%
Kamloops . . . . . . . . . . 0.47%
penticton . . . . . . . . . .0.28%
vernon . . . . . . . . . . . .0.13%
terrace . . . . . . . . . . . .0.09%
cranbrook . . . . . . . . .0.03%
-2.99% - -0.01%
port alberni . . . . . . . .-0.78%
prince rupert . . . . . .-1.06%
powell river . . . . . . .-2.34%
-3.00% and Below
williams lake . . . . . .-4.87%
FORT ST. JOHN
DAWSON CREEK
PRINCE RUPERT
TERRACE
QUESNEL
WILLIAMS LAKE
PRINCE GEORGE
SQUAMISH
NEW
WESTMINSTER
BURNABY
DELTA
VANCOUVER
RICHMOND
MAPLE RIDGE
LANGLEY
SURREY
ABBOTSFORD
CHILLIWACK
PORT COQUITLAM
COQUITLAM
PITT MEADOWS
NANAIMO
DUNCAN
VICTORIA
NORTH VANCOUVER
COURTENAY
CAMPBELL RIVER
POWELL RIVER
PARKSVILLE
PORT ALBERNI
KELOWNA
KAMLOOPS
VERNON
SALMON ARM
PENTICTON
CRANBROOK
15.00% and aBove
12.00% - 14.99%
9.00% - 11.99%
6.00% - 8.99%
3.00% - 5.99%
0.00% - 2.99%
-2.99% - -0.01%
-3.00% and Below
5-year population growth
B.C.'s
population
hotspots
(and
coldspots)
