The Fastest Growing and Shrinking Cities in BC

[Glacier]

All places over 1000 people.

Fastest growing (over 5 year span):

1) Kamloops Indian Reservation = 44.3%
2) 150 Mile House = 31.2%
3) Cowichan Indian Reservation = 30.5%
4) Langford = 30.1%
5) Fort St. James = 25.3%

Fastest shrinking (over 5 years):
1) MacKenzie = -22.7%
2) Windermere = -19.1%
3) Sproat Lake = -13.9%
4) Fort Nelson = -12.5%
5) Galiano Island = -9.5%

[Urbane]

All places over 1000 people.

Fastest growing (over 5 year span):

1) Kamloops Indian Reservation = 44.3%
2) 150 Mile House = 31.2%
3) Cowichan Indian Reservation = 30.5%
4) Langford = 30.1%
5) Fort St. James = 25.3%

Fastest shrinking (over 5 years):
1) MacKenzie = -22.7%
2) Windermere = -19.1%
3) Sproat Lake = -13.9%
4) Fort Nelson = -12.5%
5) Galiano Island = -9.5%

Interesting stats. I'm curious about the backstory for some of those places. I wonder why 150 Mile House has grown that much and I wonder why Galiano Island has shrunk that much. Very curious.

[Glacier]

Interesting stats. I'm curious about the backstory for some of those places. I wonder why 150 Mile House has grown that much and I wonder why Galiano Island has shrunk that much. Very curious.

Williams Lake continues to be one of the fastest shrinking cities in Canada while at the same time the unincorporated places just outside the city limits like Glacier Sr.'s place, 150 Mile House (to the east), and the Dog Creek Road area (to the south) are some of the best growing in the province.

I suspect that taxes might be a reason. My dad saves something like $500/year in taxes because he's 1 km past the city limits.

As for Galiano, it was recently incorporated, so I suspect that perhaps some of the boundaries changed slightly, which, with a small population can make a big difference on paper.

[Urbane]

^^ That all makes sense.

[Glacier]

Fastest growing city over 50,000 = Surrey at 18.6%
Slowest growing city over 50,000 = Saanich & Prince George at 1.4%

Fastest growing city over 25,000 = Langford at 30.1%
Slowest growing city over 25,000 = West Vancouver at 1.3%

Fastest growing city over 10,000 but less than 25,000 = Lake Country at 21.9%
Slowest growing city over 10,000 = Esquimalt at -3.7%

Fastest growing city over 5,000 but less than 10,000 = Kent at 19.5%
Slowest growing city over 5,000 = Kitimat at -7.3%

[Glacier]

Here is a map of regional districts in BC. Black = older than the central Okanagan regional district. Pink = younger than the central Okanagan regional district.