Prince Rupert gains uptick of residents with latest release of census data from Statistics Canada

Prince Rupert has realized a slight increase in residents from
census data collected in 2021 and released today
(image from City of PR  material)

There were a few new faces calling Prince Rupert home between 2016 and 2021, with the city realizing a net migration in of eighty residents, making the jump in population from 12,220 in 2016 to 12,300 with the census data released this morning by Statistics Canada.

The change making for a less than one percent increase over the last four years, and a population density of 186.4 per kilometre.

The survey from 2021 notes of 5,747 private dwellings, 5,072 of them occupied by usual residents.

In the wider area outside of the City limits there was a decline of 20 residents from 2016 to 2021, with the current total population for what is called the Census agglomeration now listed as 13,442

The breakdown of both categories can be reviewed from this link or by enlarging the graphic below

The District of Port Edward also recorded a minuscule increase over the four year census period, with population total now listed at 470 up three from the 467 of 2016.

Lax Kw'alaams saw a decline over the last four years, with 627 residents now living in the community.

There  was a mixture of results around the three largest communities of the Northwest. 

Terrace saw an increase in population over the course of the four years from 11,643 to 12,017 in the City, while the larger greater Terrace region increased to, 19,606 from 19,160 four years ago.

The District Municipality of Kitimat increased by 105 new residents, now marked at 8,236 compared to 8,131 in 2016.

In the larger compilation of the Regional District of Kitimat-Stikine, which includes Terrace, Kitimat and surrounding communities the increase in population was 420, with the 2021 census mark for the larger region now listed at 37,790

Smithers realized a decline over the four year census period, listed at 5,378 with today's data release, down from 5,401 four years ago.  

You can review the data for other communities through the Stats Canada search engine

While a positive result in that the City has seen a reversal in some of the exodus of the last decade or more from the North Coast, the increase that has been realized is somewhat less than perhaps might have been anticipated from much of the talk of the last eight years or so. 

That from the days of a volume of large projects that were proposed,  and the era of hyper economic growth indicated at the time. 

A theme that is still expected to bring a surge of people moving to the community over the next decade.

Then again, the prospect of a large increase in the community would at the moment put additional stresses on an already challenging housing market, so for those looking for a home, the preference perhaps is for slow but managed growth in population towards the next census release if five years.

Of more immediate note for the community is the continued dominance of the Terrace-Kitimat area in the population statistics and how that could continue to impact on any number of areas, from increased retail options for that region over Prince Rupert,  to more consolidation of government and medical services that are currently found here.

The population and dwelling count is just the start of what will be some extensive data sharing from Statistics Canada, which features a timeline of what's to come through to November 2022.

As for the wider count of Canadians from Coast to Coast to Coast. the introduction to today's data release provides a snapshot of where we are with just under 37 million now calling Canada home, a 5.2 percent  increase from 2016.

You can review more on those themes from the information release with the data that was issued today.