Official Community Plan

A

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Income • The average household income in

• Courtenay population is projected to grow by 27% to reach a total of 32,502 by 2051 from 2016 (25,595). • The interim populations: 30,085 in 2031; and 31,696 in 2041. • An approximate 1.0% growth rate is estimated over the next 10 years, with a slower estimated growth rate of 0.5% between 2031-2041 and 0.25% between 2041-2051. • The city has a current average age of 45.8, which is slightly higher than the provincial average of 42.3. • The population is expected to continue aging, with substantial growth among the 75+ age group. Conversely, the population of residents aged 25 and under is expected to decrease during this period. The aging population is also correlated with an average household size of 2.1, lower than the provincial average of 2.4. • The proportion of Courtenay’s population that is comprised of certain equity-priority groups , including: women (47%), Black (1%), Indigenous (7%), and persons of colour (5%). • Immigrants comprise 12.6% of the total population. 7.4% are from Europe, 2.7% are from Asia, 1.7% are from the Americas, and 0.5% are from Africa. • Single-parent households comprise 16% of the total number of households, which is proportionally higher than BC overall.

Courtenay is currently $69,468 ($39,728 – average income of one-person households, $84,204 – average income of two-or-more person households). • These figures are lower than respective provincial averages. • Approximately 13% of households have incomes less than $20,000. • Over 20% have incomes between $20,000 and $40,000. • Low-income residents comprise 15% of the overall population. In recent decades, income inequality increased considerably across Canada. Employment • Courtenay is expected to continue to be the primary employment centre within the Comox Valley. • The total working age population of the Comox Valley is expected to grow from 50,270 (2016) to 55,430 by 2041. • The participation rate and unemployment rate are expected to remain steady over the projection period. This is expected to result in approximately 2,630 new jobs among all employment sectors in the Comox Valley. (Sources: CMHC, Statistics Canada, 2016 Census)

City of Courtenay OCP Background Report PART A Foundations