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Focus on Geography Series, 2011 Census

Census metropolitan area of Kitchener - Cambridge - Waterloo, Ontario

Map of Kitchener - Cambridge - Waterloo, CMA (shaded in green), Ontario

Map of Kitchener - Cambridge - Waterloo

Interactive version of map

Population, 2011 and 2006 censuses

Chart A: Kitchener - Cambridge - Waterloo, CMA - Population, 2011 and 2006 censuses

Chart A description: Kitchener - Cambridge - Waterloo, CMA - Population, 2011 and 2006 censuses

Prov. rank
4
Nat. rank
10

In 2011, the population of Kitchener - Cambridge - Waterloo census metropolitan area (CMA) was 477,160, representing a percentage change of 5.7% from 2006. This compares to the national growth of 5.9% and to the average growth among all CMAs of 7.4%.

In Kitchener - Cambridge - Waterloo, the land area is 827.43 square kilometres with a population density of 576.7 persons per square kilometre. This compares to the national land area of 8,965,121.42 square kilometres with a population density of 3.7 persons per square kilometre. The land area of all CMAs is 92,648.98 square kilometres with 249.58 persons per square kilometre.

In total, there were 181,493 private dwellings occupied by usual residents in Kitchener - Cambridge - Waterloo in 2011. The change in private dwellings occupied by usual residents from 2006 was 7.4%. For Canada as a whole, the number of private dwellings occupied by usual residents increased 7.1%.

Population and dwelling counts

Census subdivisions in the Kitchener - Cambridge - Waterloo CMA

Table 1 Kitchener - Cambridge - Waterloo CMA – Census subdivisions, population change, 2006 to 2011
Census subdivision (CSD) name Type Population
2011 2006 % change
Kitchener CY 219,153 204,668 7.1
Cambridge CY 126,748 120,371 5.3
Waterloo CY 98,780 97,475 1.3
Woolwich TP 23,145 19,658 17.7
North Dumfries TP 9,334 9,063 3.0

Census metropolitan areas (CMAs) or census agglomerations (CAs) in Ontario

Table 2 Ontario – Metropolitan areas, population rank and population change, 2006 to 2011
CMA or CA name Type Population Rank
2011 2006 % change Nat. Prov.
Toronto CMA 5,583,064 5,113,149 9.2 1 1
Ottawa - Gatineau CMA 1,236,324 1,133,633 A 9.1 4 ···
Ottawa - Gatineau (partie du Québec / Quebec part)   314,501 286,831 A 9.6 ··· 3
Ottawa - Gatineau (Ontario part / partie de l'Ontario)   921,823 846,802 8.9 ··· 2
Hamilton CMA 721,053 692,911 4.1 9 3
Kitchener - Cambridge - Waterloo CMA 477,160 451,235 5.7 10 4
London CMA 474,786 457,720 3.7 11 5
St. Catharines - Niagara CMA 392,184 390,317 0.5 12 6
Oshawa CMA 356,177 330,594 7.7 14 7
Windsor CMA 319,246 323,342 -1.3 16 8
Barrie CMA 187,013 177,061 5.6 21 9
Greater Sudbury / Grand Sudbury CMA 160,770 158,258 1.6 24 10
Kingston CMA 159,561 152,358 4.7 25 11
Guelph CMA 141,097 133,698 A 5.5 28 12
Brantford CMA 135,501 124,607 8.7 30 13
Thunder Bay CMA 121,596 122,907 -1.1 32 14
Peterborough CMA 118,975 116,570 2.1 33 15
Chatham-Kent CA 104,075 108,589 -4.2 35 16
Belleville CA 92,540 91,518 1.1 40 17
Sarnia CA 89,555 88,793 0.9 44 18
Sault Ste. Marie † CA 79,800 80,098 -0.4 47 19
Kawartha Lakes CA 73,214 74,561 -1.8 49 20
North Bay CA 64,043 63,424 1.0 53 21
Norfolk CA 63,175 62,563 1.0 54 22
Cornwall CA 58,957 58,485 0.8 55 23
Leamington CA 49,765 49,741 0.0 63 24
Timmins CA 43,165 42,997 0.4 69 25
Orillia CA 40,731 40,532 0.5 73 26
Brockville CA 39,024 39,668 -1.6 75 27
Woodstock CA 37,754 35,822 A 5.4 76 28
Midland CA 35,419 35,432 A 0.0 79 29
Owen Sound CA 32,092 32,259 -0.5 85 30
Stratford CA 30,886 30,516 A 1.2 86 31
Centre Wellington CA 26,693 26,049 2.5 95 32
Pembroke CA 24,017 23,195 3.5 102 33
Collingwood CA 19,241 17,290 11.3 106 34
Cobourg CA 18,519 18,210 1.7 109 35
Port Hope CA 16,214 16,390 -1.1 121 36
Petawawa CA 15,988 14,651 9.1 123 37
Kenora CA 15,348 15,177 1.1 125 38
Tillsonburg CA 15,301 14,822 3.2 126 39
Temiskaming Shores CA 13,566 13,654 A -0.6 129 40
Ingersoll CA 12,146 11,760 3.3 142 41
Hawkesbury CA 12,128 12,267 -1.1 143 ···
Hawkesbury (partie du Québec / Quebec part)   1,577 1,398 12.8 ··· 31
Hawkesbury (Ontario part / partie de l'Ontario)   10,551 10,869 -2.9 ··· 43
Elliot Lake CA 11,348 11,549 -1.7 146 42

Age and sex

Kitchener - Cambridge - Waterloo – Age distribution

Chart C: Kitchener - Cambridge - Waterloo - Population by broad age groups

Chart C description: Kitchener - Cambridge - Waterloo - Population by broad age groups

Table 3 Kitchener - Cambridge - Waterloo – Age distributions by broad age groups and sex, 2011 Census
Age groups Both sexes Males Females
0 to 14 18.1% 18.8% 17.4%
15 to 64 69.4% 70.2% 68.8%
65 and over 12.5% 11.1% 13.8%

In 2011, the percentage of the population aged 65 and over in Kitchener - Cambridge - Waterloo was 12.5%, compared with a national percentage of 14.8%. The percentage of the working age population (15 to 64) was 69.4% and the percentage of children aged 0 to 14 was 18.1%. In comparison, the national percentages were 68.5% for the population aged 15 to 64 and 16.7% for the population aged 0 to 14.

Kitchener - Cambridge - Waterloo – Population by broad age groups and sex

Table 4 Kitchener - Cambridge - Waterloo – Population by broad age groups and sex, and population change between 2006 and 2011, 2006 to 2011 censuses
Broad age groups by sex Population
2011 2006 change % change
Both sexes
Total 477,160 451,235 25,925 5.7
0 to 14 86,350 86,240 110 0.1
15 to 64 331,355 312,730 18,625 6.0
65 and over 59,460 52,270 7,190 13.8
Males
Total 234,900 222,125 12,775 5.8
0 to 14 44,120 43,965 155 0.4
15 to 64 164,790 155,795 8,995 5.8
65 and over 25,990 22,365 3,625 16.2
Females
Total 242,260 229,105 13,155 5.7
0 to 14 42,235 42,275 -40 -0.1
15 to 64 166,560 156,935 9,625 6.1
65 and over 33,465 29,900 3,565 11.9

Kitchener - Cambridge - Waterloo – Population by five-year age groups and sex

Chart D: Kitchener - Cambridge - Waterloo - Population by five-year age groups and sex

Chart D description: Kitchener - Cambridge - Waterloo - Population by five-year age groups and sex

Table 5 Kitchener - Cambridge - Waterloo – Population by five-year age groups and sex, 2011 Census
Age groups Both sexes Males Females
Total - Age groups 477,160 234,900 242,260
0 to 4 years 28,790 14,755 14,035
5 to 9 years 28,395 14,460 13,935
10 to 14 years 29,165 14,905 14,260
15 to 19 years 32,355 16,590 15,765
20 to 24 years 35,455 18,175 17,275
25 to 29 years 34,205 17,135 17,070
30 to 34 years 32,610 16,215 16,390
35 to 39 years 33,230 16,425 16,810
40 to 44 years 34,995 17,295 17,700
45 to 49 years 38,375 18,980 19,400
50 to 54 years 35,310 17,350 17,955
55 to 59 years 29,875 14,570 15,305
60 to 64 years 24,935 12,060 12,880
65 to 69 years 18,060 8,495 9,570
70 to 74 years 13,720 6,540 7,180
75 to 79 years 11,060 4,935 6,125
80 to 84 years 8,610 3,465 5,140
85 to 89 years 5,320 1,835 3,485
90 to 94 years 2,125 600 1,525
95 to 99 years 495 110 385
100 years and over 65 15 55
Median age 37.6 36.6 38.7

Kitchener - Cambridge - Waterloo – Median age1 of the population

Chart E: Canada, Ontario and Kitchener - Cambridge - Waterloo - Median age, 2006 and 2011 censuses

Chart E description: Canada, Ontario and Kitchener - Cambridge - Waterloo - Median age, 2006 and 2011 censuses

The median age in Kitchener - Cambridge - Waterloo was 37.6 years. In comparison, the median age of Ontario was 40.4 years.

Table 6 Canada, Ontario and Kitchener - Cambridge - Waterloo – Median age, 2006 and 2011 censuses
  Median age
2006 2011
Canada 39.5 40.6
Ontario 39.0 40.4
Kitchener - Cambridge - Waterloo 36.4 37.6

Families and households

In 2011, the number of census families2 in Kitchener - Cambridge - Waterloo was 133,675, which represents a change of 5.9% from 2006. This compares to a growth rate for Canada of 5.5% over the same period.


In Kitchener - Cambridge - Waterloo, 72.3% of census families were married couples in 2011, while 11.9% were common-law-couples and 15.8% were lone-parent families.

Chart F: Kitchener - Cambridge - Waterloo - Census families by family structure

Chart F description: Kitchener - Cambridge - Waterloo - Census families by family structure

Kitchener - Cambridge - Waterloo – Family structure

Table 7 Canada, Ontario, Kitchener - Cambridge - Waterloo – Distribution of census families by family structure, 2011 Census
Geographic name Total families Married-couple families Common-law-couple families Lone-parent families % change, census families, 2006 to 2011
number % number % number %
Canada † 9,389,695 6,293,950 67.0 1,567,905 16.7 1,527,840 16.3 5.5
Ontario † 3,612,205 2,612,890 72.3 394,670 10.9 604,645 16.7 5.5
Kitchener - Cambridge - Waterloo 133,675 96,705 72.3 15,890 11.9 21,080 15.8 5.9

Kitchener - Cambridge - Waterloo – Presence of children within couple families

Chart G: Kitchener - Cambridge - Waterloo - Presence of children within couple families
Married couples Common-law-couples
with children without children with children without children
51,405 (45.7%) 45,300 (40.2%) 6,250 ( 5.6%) 9,640 ( 8.6%)

Chart G description: Kitchener - Cambridge - Waterloo - Presence of children within couple families

Among couples (married and common-law) in the census metropolitan area of Kitchener - Cambridge - Waterloo, 51.2% were couples with children aged 24 and under at home. In comparison, as a whole, 46.9% of couples in Canada had children aged 24 and under at home.

Among couples with children aged 24 and under at home in the census metropolitan area of Kitchener - Cambridge - Waterloo, 88.1% were intact families, that is, in which all children were the biological or adopted children of both parents, while 12.0% were stepfamilies, in which there was at least one child was the biological or adopted child of only one married spouse or common-law partner. For Canada as a whole in 2011, 12.6% of couples with children aged 24 and under were stepfamilies.

Kitchener - Cambridge - Waterloo – Marital status

Chart H: Kitchener - Cambridge - Waterloo - Marital status

Chart H description: Kitchener - Cambridge - Waterloo - Marital status

In Kitchener - Cambridge - Waterloo, 58.7% of the total population aged 15 and over were either married (50.5%) or living with a common-law partner (8.1%).

The remaining 41.3% were not married and not living with a common-law partner, including those who were single (never-married), separated, divorced or widowed.

Note: Percentages may not total 100 percent due to random rounding.

Table 8 Canada, Ontario, Kitchener - Cambridge - Waterloo – Population 15 years and older by marital status, 2011 Census
Marital status Kitchener - Cambridge - Waterloo Ontario Canada
number % number % number %
Total - Population 15 years and over 390,810 100.0 10,671,050 100.0 27,869,345 100.0
Married or living with a common-law partner 229,255 58.7 6,158,605 57.7 16,084,490 57.7
Married (and not separated) 197,425 50.5 5,367,400 50.3 12,941,965 46.4
Living common-law 31,830 8.1 791,210 7.4 3,142,525 11.3
Not married and not living with a common-law partner 161,560 41.3 4,512,440 42.3 11,784,855 42.3
Single (never legally married) 108,385 27.7 2,985,020 28.0 7,816,045 28.0
Separated 12,110 3.1 319,805 3.0 698,245 2.5
Divorced 21,140 5.4 593,730 5.6 1,686,035 6.0
Widowed 19,925 5.1 613,880 5.8 1,584,525 5.7

Kitchener - Cambridge - Waterloo – Types of private households

There were 181,490 private households3 in Kitchener - Cambridge - Waterloo in 2011, a change of 7.3% from 2006. Of these, 30.7% of households were comprised of couples with children aged 24 and under at home, a change of -0.8% compared with five years earlier.

Table 9 Canada, Ontario, Kitchener - Cambridge - Waterloo – Distribution of households by household type, 2011 Census
Household type4 Kitchener - Cambridge - Waterloo Ontario Canada
number % number % number %
Total - Private households 181,490 100.0 4,887,505 100.0 13,320,615 100.0
Couple-family households with children
aged 24 and under at home5		 55,655 30.7 1,402,420 28.7 3,524,915 26.5
Couple-family households without children
aged 24 and under at home6		 51,750 28.5 1,408,120 28.8 3,935,540 29.5
Lone-parent family households7 19,090 10.5 535,825 11.0 1,375,450 10.3
One-person households 43,705 24.1 1,230,980 25.2 3,673,310 27.6
Multiple-family households8 3,520 1.9 128,660 2.6 268,060 2.0
Other households9 7,765 4.3 181,500 3.7 543,340 4.1

Kitchener - Cambridge - Waterloo – Structural type of dwelling

In Kitchener - Cambridge - Waterloo, 55.8% of private households lived in single-detached houses and 10.2% lived in apartments in buildings that have five or more storeys. The rest lived in other types of dwelling structures.

Table 10 Canada, Ontario, Kitchener - Cambridge - Waterloo – Distribution of private households by structural type of dwelling, 2011 Census
Structural type of dwelling Kitchener - Cambridge - Waterloo Ontario Canada
number % number % number %
Total - Structural type of dwelling 181,495 100.0 4,887,510 100.0 13,320,615 100.0
Single-detached house 101,215 55.8 2,718,880 55.6 7,329,150 55.0
Semi-detached house 11,970 6.6 279,470 5.7 646,240 4.9
Row house 20,030 11.0 415,230 8.5 791,600 5.9
Apartment, building that has five or more storeys 18,530 10.2 789,975 16.2 1,234,770 9.3
Apartment, building that has fewer than five storeys 24,020 13.2 498,160 10.2 2,397,555 18.0
Apartment, duplex 5,080 2.8 160,460 3.3 704,485 5.3
Other single-attached house10 320 0.2 9,535 0.2 33,310 0.3
Movable dwelling11 325 0.2 15,795 0.3 183,510 1.4

Language

Kitchener - Cambridge - Waterloo – Mother tongue

Chart J: Kitchener - Cambridge - Waterloo - Mother tongue and language spoken most often at home

Chart J description: Kitchener - Cambridge - Waterloo - Mother tongue and language spoken most often at home

Note: Counts for mother tongue as well as those for language spoken most often at home include single responses only.

In Kitchener - Cambridge - Waterloo, 74.5% of the population reported English only as mother tongue, 1.2% reported French only, and 22.6% reported only a non-official language, in 2011. In comparison, the provincial / territorial percentages were 68.2% for English only, 3.9% for French only and 25.7% for only non-official languages.

In 2011, 84.3% of the population spoke only English most often at home, 0.4% spoke only French and 11.9% spoke only a non-official language. In comparison, the provincial / territorial percentages were 79.0% for English only, 2.2% for French only and 14.4% for only a non-official language.

Table 11 Kitchener - Cambridge - Waterloo – Mother tongue and language spoken most often at home, 2011 Census
Selected languages Mother tongue Language spoken most often at home
number % number %
Total 472,090 100.0 472,090 100.0
English 351,915 74.5 397,780 84.3
French 5,870 1.2 1,675 0.4
Non-official language 106,840 22.6 56,165 11.9
Multiple responses 7,465 1.6 16,470 3.5
Table 12 Kitchener - Cambridge - Waterloo – Mother-tongue retention, 2011 Census
Mother tongue Mother-tongue retention12
(in percentage)
Total retention; language spoken at home at least on a regular basis Complete retention; language spoken most often at home Partial retention; language spoken at home on a regular basis
Note: Counts for mother tongue and home language include single response of a language as well as multiple responses of a language with English and/or French.
English 99.6 99.3 0.3
French 53.9 27.4 26.5
Non-official language 80.4 59.1 21.3

Kitchener - Cambridge - Waterloo – Non-official languages

In Kitchener - Cambridge - Waterloo, the three most common mother tongues were German (2.7%), Portuguese (2.2%) and Spanish (1.8%), in 2011. In comparison, the most common mother tongues at the provincial / territorial level were Italian (2.1%), Chinese, n.o.s. (1.6%) and Cantonese (1.5%).

Table 13 Kitchener - Cambridge - Waterloo – The most common non-official-language mother tongues, 2011 Census
Mother tongue Number Percentage of non-official language mother-tongue population Percentage of total population
Note: Counts for mother tongue and home language include single response of a language as well as multiple responses of a language with English and/or French.
German 12,870 11.4 2.7
Portuguese 10,590 9.3 2.2
Spanish 8,370 7.4 1.8
Romanian 5,580 4.9 1.2
Polish 5,565 4.9 1.2
Serbian 5,155 4.5 1.1
Chinese, n.o.s. 4,950 4.4 1.0
Arabic 4,820 4.3 1.0
Panjabi (Punjabi) 4,170 3.7 0.9
Vietnamese 3,400 3.0 0.7

Kitchener - Cambridge - Waterloo – Bilingualism

Table 14 Kitchener - Cambridge - Waterloo – Rate of English-French bilingualism by mother tongue and age groups, 2011 Census
Age groups Mother tongue
Total English French Non-official language
Note: Counts for mother tongue include single responses only. Consequently, the total excludes multiple responses.
Total 6.2 5.2 88.6 4.9
0 to 19 7.0 6.2 84.8 8.3
20 to 44 7.2 6.6 91.2 5.1
45 to 64 5.2 3.5 89.1 4.1
65 and over 3.8 2.3 85.4 2.4
Table 15 Kitchener - Cambridge - Waterloo – Knowledge of official languages, 2011 Census
Knowledge of official languages Number Percentage
Total 472,095 100.0
English only 434,105 92.0
French only 220 0.0
English and French 30,275 6.4
Neither English nor French 7,490 1.6

Symbols:

···
not applicable
†
excludes census data for one or more incompletely enumerated Indian reserves or Indian settlements. For further information, refer to Notes.
incompletely enumerated Indian reserve or Indian settlement. For further information, refer to Notes.
A
adjusted figure due to boundary change. For further information, refer to Content considerations.
E
use with caution. For further information, refer to Cautionary note.


Source:

Statistics Canada. 2012. Focus on Geography Series, 2011 Census. Statistics Canada Catalogue no. 98-310-XWE2011004. Ottawa, Ontario. Analytical products, 2011 Census. Last updated October 24, 2012.
 

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