FILE PHOTO - Kelowna's population is becoming much more diverse.
Image Credit: Shutterstock
March 16, 2023 - 11:10 AM
Kelowna’s population is trending younger, more ethnically diverse and its housing is less affordable.
Those are key elements of a data comparison of the city in 2001 versus 2021 that is going to Kelowna city council on Monday, March 20.
“Kelowna’s population is growing fast and it’s trending younger,” is the first of five “themes” identified in the report.
In 2001, there were 96,288 people living in the city, compared to 144,576 in 2021.
The median age has increased to 42.4 years from 40.6 years but when compared to B.C. as a whole, it has gone from being older than the provincial average to slightly younger. The median age in B.C. in 2021 was 42.8 years.
The most common household has shifted from couples with children to single person homes.
Twenty years ago, only 4.6% of Kelowna residents identified as being from a visible minority and 2.3% identified as Indigenous. That has grown to 14% and 5.6% respectively.
Immigration was a driving factor in population growth and the places of origin have changed significantly.
In 2001, 39.4% of recent immigrants were from Europe, 29.3% from Asia and 20.2% from North and South America.
By 2021, more than half of recent immigrants — 55.1% — were from Asia, 19.6% from North and South America and Europe dropped to third on the list at 18.6%.
“Kelowna’s housing is more affordable, has more single-detached homes and less rental units,” the 2001 report says.
At that time there were 12,995 rental dwellings with the average rental cost at $730 per month and ownership at $806 per month.
“Kelowna’s housing is less affordable, has more multiple dwelling units and more rental units,” the 2031 version says.
There were 21,995 rental units in 2021 with median monthly rents at $1,440 per month and ownership costs of $1,340.
The average dwelling value in 2001 was $188,173 versus $796,000 in 2021.
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