The first round of data released from the 2021 census has Vernon’s mayor in a good mood.
Round 1 produced details on community population and dwellings, showing the City of Vernon has had a significant amount of growth in the past five years.
“There is a lot of talk about the growth and development across Vernon,” said Mayor Victor Cumming. “With yesterday’s announcement, we now have more data to quantify those observations. Over the last five years, our population has grown by more than 4,400 new people – an 11 per cent increase since 2016.”
Statistics Canada reports that the City of Vernon’s population is now 44,519, which includes the largest gross population increase within the North Okanagan Census Division. To accommodate these new residents, 2,117 new dwellings were added to the 2016 housing inventory of 19,776, matching the population growth rate of 11 per cent
“We have seen an average of 430 new residential unit permits approved through our Building Department in the last five years,” said Cumming. “It speaks highly for our local economy and shows that Vernon has many things to offer as an exceptional place to live, work, explore and play.”
Regionally, the North Okanagan Census Division grew by nine per cent (7,266 individuals) since 2016, with a total population of 91,610 who live within 42,722 dwellings.
“We’re looking forward to seeing the next Census data release in April to gain a deeper understanding of our community’s residents,” said Cumming.
The next release of data will provide population information including population ages, gender, and details on the types of dwellings within Vernon.
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