More seniors are renting alone in Kelowna and Kamloops
When many people think about renters who live alone they often think of single 20-somethings starting a career, but seniors are increasingly are renting and living alone in Kelowna and Kamloops.
Point2Homes published a report Thursday with the latest census data from Statistics Canada to look at which demographics are renting alone.
“Traditionally, renting alone has been associated with adults starting their careers, pursuing education, or simply enjoying the flexibility of not being tied down by property ownership. However, as more individuals enter later stages of life without a partner or family at home, those aged 55 to 64 now form a group of solo renters that's almost as large as young millennials between 25 and 34,” Point2Homes said in its report.
The analysis found that seniors around Canada are more frequently renting alone.
In Kelowna there were 1,925 solo renters over 65, and in 2021 that number went up to 2,530. Kamloops saw an even higher increase from 1,085 in 2016 up to 1,535 in 2021.
People over 65 made up more than 30 per cent of the solo renters in Kamloops, and more than 28 per cent in Kelowna.
The archetypal solo renters between 25 and 34 made up a smaller portion of those living alone in the B.C. Interior's two largest cities.
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In 2021 in Kelowna there were 1,825 solo renters between 25 and 34, and in Kamloops there were 885.
“About one-third of the country’s 3.7 million divorcees are between 55 and 64 years of age, while 1.6 million of the 2 million widowed Canadians are older than 65. These realities have contributed to the growing presence of solo seniors in the rental market,” Point2Homes said in its report.
Although there are more seniors renting alone in Kelowna and Kamloops, neither city made the country’s top ten list for the statistic.
Roughly half of solo renters were over 65 in three cities in Ontario: Halton Hills, Caledon and Burlington.
There were 4.4 million Canadians living alone, which is a figure that has nearly doubled in the last 30 years.
Point2Homes didn’t report any data for Penticton or Vernon.
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