Port Alberni – The Youngest Place on Vancouver Island?

Lots of news out there today about the Census data. If you’re wondering about Port Alberni, linked are the goods from Stats Can:

Duncan, Courtenay and Campbell River are pretty similar to us age wise, but compared to our closest neighbours in Parksville, Qualicum and the NRD, we’re practically a ‘Yutes’ Only Zone! 🙂

Pt Alberni: Kids -3.2% Working -1.1%; Over 65 +12.6% Over 80 +9.6%Total: +1.1%
Media Age: 46.6

Qualicum: Kids -22.0%; Working -6.1%; Over 65 +17.5% Over 80 +34.6% Total: +2.2%
Media Age: 63.9

Parksville: Kids -3.4%; Working +4.6%; Over 65 +20.3% Over 80 +23.6% Total: +8.9%
Media Age: 58.2

Nanaimo: Kids 0.0%; Working +5.3%; Over 65 +16.6% Over 80 +20.1% Total: +6.5%
Media Age: 44.8

Ladysmith: Kids -8.8%; Working +5.3%; Over 65 +16.1% Over 80 +7.8% Total: +5.0%
Media Age: 48.3

Duncan: Kids -2.3%; Working +2.5%; Over 65 +18.1% Over 80 +19.3% Total: +4.5%
Media Age: 52.3

Courtenay: Kids -4.3%; Working +7.0%; Over 65 +30.8% Over 80 +41.6% Total: +9.5%
Media Age: 46.5

Campbell R: Kids -3.3%; Working +2.4%; Over 65 +32.2% Over 80 +30.8% Total: +5.5%
Media Age: 45.3

Courtenay/Campbell River are pretty similar to us age wise. Nanaimo and Courtenay is where the major growth is but Nanaimo is the only place where the number of kids didn’t fall, in fact, it stayed exactly the same!

For the much broader areas of the Regional Districts the distinction isn’t nearly as great and the ACRD actually ends up with the most kids lost but still a much lower uptake of seniors and the over 80s. The kid boom in Nanaimo is swallowed by the grey wave in the rest of the Nanaimo Regional District and the Comox Valley also had a huge influx of seniors. Our region is most similar to the Cowichan Valley. Notice at the bottom I put the stats for Victoria. While they certainly have their share I think it’s safe to say Victoria has lost its mantle of dominion of the ‘nearly-dead’ but certainly maintains the ‘newly-wed’ (concentrated mostly in the boom-town of Langford and the West Shore).

Notice though that the ACRD and the Capital Regional District have the closest median age near 45. While the three East Island Regional Districts all have ages in the around 48. Campbell River and the North Island (Mount Waddington) have a remarkably young median age, perhaps due to a disproportionate amount of First Nations reserves (purely speculation on my part), but a very rapidly aging population.

ACRD: Kids -6.4%; Working -0.1%; Over 65 15.9%; Over 80 14.8%; Total 1.3%
Median Age: 45.1

Nanaimo RD: Kids -4.0%; Working 3.8%; Over 65 18.5%; Over 80 21.2%; Total 5.7%
Median Age: 49.3

Comox Valley RD: Kids -4.5%; Working 4.3%; Over 65 25.8%; Over 80 26.2%; Total 6.8%
Median Age: 48.3

Cowichan Valley: Kids -4.5%; Working 3.4%; Over 65 16.5%; Over 80 14.9%; Total 4.4%
Median Age: 47.2

Mt Waddington: Kids -6.9%; Working -4.1%; Over 65 34.7%; Over 80 46.4%; Total -1.2%
Median Age: 41.8

Capital: Kids -2.8%; Working 4.7%; Over 65 8.3%; Over 80 1.5%; Total 4.3%
Median Age: 44.8

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