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Focus on Geography Series, 2011 Census
Census agglomeration of Squamish, British Columbia 1

Map of Squamish
Population, 2011 and 2006 censuses

Chart A description: Squamish, CA - Population, 2011 and 2006 censuses
In 2011, the population of Squamish census agglomeration (CA) was 17,479, representing a percentage change of 14.6% from 2006. This compares to the national growth of 5.9% and to the average growth among all CAs of 4.2%.
In Squamish, the land area is 105.59 square kilometres with a population density of 165.5 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 CAs is 232,264.62 square kilometres with 18.56 persons per square kilometre.
In total, there were 6,626 private dwellings occupied by usual residents in Squamish in 2011. The change in private dwellings occupied by usual residents from 2006 was 16.0%. 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 Squamish CA
Census subdivision (CSD) name | Type | Population | ||
---|---|---|---|---|
2011 | 2006 | % change | ||
Squamish | DM | 17,158 | 14,949 | 14.8 |
Waiwakum 14 | IRI | 111 | 103 | 7.8 |
Stawamus 24 | IRI | 97 | 96 | 1.0 |
Seaichem 16 | IRI | 53 | 54 | -1.9 |
Kowtain 17 | IRI | 37 | 34 | 8.8 |
Yekwaupsum 18 | IRI | 23 | 20 | 15.0 |
Census metropolitan areas (CMAs) or census agglomerations (CAs) in British Columbia
CMA or CA name | Type | Population | Rank | |||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
2011 | 2006 | % change | Nat. | Prov. | ||
Vancouver | CMA | 2,313,328 | 2,116,581 | 9.3 | 3 | 1 |
Victoria † | CMA | 344,615 | 330,088 | 4.4 | 15 | 2 |
Kelowna | CMA | 179,839 | 162,276 | 10.8 | 22 | 3 |
Abbotsford - Mission | CMA | 170,191 | 159,020 | 7.0 | 23 | 4 |
Kamloops | CA | 98,754 | 92,797 A | 6.4 | 37 | 5 |
Nanaimo | CA | 98,021 | 92,361 | 6.1 | 38 | 6 |
Chilliwack | CA | 92,308 | 82,465 A | 11.9 | 42 | 7 |
Prince George | CA | 84,232 | 83,225 | 1.2 | 46 | 8 |
Vernon | CA | 58,584 | 55,418 | 5.7 | 56 | 9 |
Courtenay | CA | 55,213 | 51,383 A | 7.5 | 58 | 10 |
Duncan | CA | 43,252 | 41,387 | 4.5 | 68 | 11 |
Penticton | CA | 42,361 | 41,303 A | 2.6 | 71 | 12 |
Campbell River | CA | 36,096 | 34,707 A | 4.0 | 77 | 13 |
Parksville | CA | 27,822 | 26,518 | 4.9 | 92 | 14 |
Fort St. John | CA | 26,380 | 25,136 | 4.9 | 96 | 15 |
Port Alberni | CA | 25,465 | 25,343 A | 0.5 | 99 | 16 |
Cranbrook | CA | 25,037 | 24,138 | 3.7 | 100 | 17 |
Quesnel | CA | 22,096 | 21,049 A | 5.0 | 104 | 18 |
Williams Lake | CA | 18,490 | 18,760 | -1.4 | 110 | 19 |
Salmon Arm | CA | 17,683 | 16,205 | 9.1 | 114 | 20 |
Squamish | CA | 17,479 | 15,256 | 14.6 | 116 | 21 |
Powell River | CA | 16,689 | 16,537 | 0.9 | 119 | 22 |
Terrace | CA | 15,569 | 15,420 A | 1.0 | 124 | 23 |
Prince Rupert | CA | 13,052 | 13,392 | -2.5 | 131 | 24 |
Dawson Creek | CA | 11,583 | 10,994 | 5.4 | 145 | 25 |
Age and sex
Squamish – Age distribution
Age groups | Both sexes | Males | Females |
---|---|---|---|
0 to 14 | 19.4% | 19.7% | 19.0% |
15 to 64 | 71.1% | 71.4% | 70.9% |
65 and over | 9.5% | 9.0% | 10.1% |
In 2011, the percentage of the population aged 65 and over in Squamish was 9.5%, compared with a national percentage of 14.8%. The percentage of the working age population (15 to 64) was 71.1% and the percentage of children aged 0 to 14 was 19.4%. 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.
Squamish – Population by broad age groups and sex
Broad age groups by sex | Population | |||
---|---|---|---|---|
2011 | 2006 | change | % change | |
Both sexes | ||||
Total | 17,480 | 15,260 | 2,220 | 14.5 |
0 to 14 | 3,385 | 3,130 | 255 | 8.1 |
15 to 64 | 12,430 | 10,775 | 1,655 | 15.4 |
65 and over | 1,665 | 1,350 | 315 | 23.3 |
Males | ||||
Total | 8,885 | 7,800 | 1,085 | 13.9 |
0 to 14 | 1,750 | 1,685 | 65 | 3.9 |
15 to 64 | 6,340 | 5,485 | 855 | 15.6 |
65 and over | 800 | 635 | 165 | 26.0 |
Females | ||||
Total | 8,595 | 7,455 | 1,140 | 15.3 |
0 to 14 | 1,635 | 1,445 | 190 | 13.1 |
15 to 64 | 6,095 | 5,295 | 800 | 15.1 |
65 and over | 865 | 720 | 145 | 20.1 |
Squamish – Population by five-year age groups and sex
Age groups | Both sexes | Males | Females |
---|---|---|---|
Total - Age groups | 17,480 | 8,885 | 8,595 |
0 to 4 years | 1,360 | 710 | 655 |
5 to 9 years | 1,055 | 530 | 525 |
10 to 14 years | 965 | 515 | 455 |
15 to 19 years | 1,100 | 610 | 495 |
20 to 24 years | 895 | 475 | 415 |
25 to 29 years | 1,150 | 550 | 600 |
30 to 34 years | 1,610 | 760 | 840 |
35 to 39 years | 1,705 | 865 | 840 |
40 to 44 years | 1,480 | 765 | 715 |
45 to 49 years | 1,355 | 700 | 650 |
50 to 54 years | 1,255 | 635 | 610 |
55 to 59 years | 1,055 | 525 | 530 |
60 to 64 years | 835 | 445 | 390 |
65 to 69 years | 550 | 305 | 240 |
70 to 74 years | 410 | 195 | 215 |
75 to 79 years | 305 | 135 | 175 |
80 to 84 years | 195 | 95 | 105 |
85 to 89 years | 135 | 50 | 85 |
90 to 94 years | 50 | 15 | 35 |
95 to 99 years | 15 | 5 | 15 |
100 years and over | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Median age | 36.8 | 36.7 | 36.8 |
Squamish – Median age2 of the population
The median age in Squamish was 36.8 years. In comparison, the median age of British Columbia was 41.9 years.
Median age | ||
---|---|---|
2006 | 2011 | |
Canada | 39.5 | 40.6 |
British Columbia | 40.8 | 41.9 |
Squamish | 35.9 | 36.8 |
Families and households
In 2011, the number of census families3 in Squamish was 4,935, which represents a change of 13.4% from 2006. This compares to a growth rate for Canada of 5.5% over the same period.
In Squamish, 65.0% of census families were married couples in 2011, while 20.1% were common-law-couples and 14.8% were lone-parent families.
Squamish – Family structure
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 |
British Columbia † | 1,238,155 | 887,990 | 71.7 | 160,360 | 13.0 | 189,805 | 15.3 | 6.6 |
Squamish | 4,935 | 3,210 | 65.0 | 990 | 20.1 | 730 | 14.8 | 13.4 |
Squamish – Presence of children within couple families

Married couples | Common-law-couples | ||
---|---|---|---|
with children | without children | with children | without children |
1,740 (41.4%) | 1,475 (35.1%) | 375 ( 8.9%) | 615 (14.6%) |
Chart G description: Squamish - Presence of children within couple families
Among couples (married and common-law) in the census agglomeration of Squamish, 50.2% 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 agglomeration of Squamish, 87.2% were intact families, that is, in which all children were the biological or adopted children of both parents, while 13.0% 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.
Squamish – Marital status
In Squamish, 60.9% of the total population aged 15 and over were either married (46.7%) or living with a common-law partner (14.2%).
The remaining 39.1% 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.
Marital status | Squamish | British Columbia | Canada | |||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
number | % | number | % | number | % | |
Total - Population 15 years and over | 14,090 | 100.0 | 3,722,690 | 100.0 | 27,869,345 | 100.0 |
Married or living with a common-law partner | 8,580 | 60.9 | 2,154,575 | 57.9 | 16,084,490 | 57.7 |
Married (and not separated) | 6,580 | 46.7 | 1,832,605 | 49.2 | 12,941,965 | 46.4 |
Living common-law | 2,005 | 14.2 | 321,965 | 8.6 | 3,142,525 | 11.3 |
Not married and not living with a common-law partner | 5,515 | 39.1 | 1,568,120 | 42.1 | 11,784,855 | 42.3 |
Single (never legally married) | 3,665 | 26.0 | 1,014,270 | 27.2 | 7,816,045 | 28.0 |
Separated | 430 | 3.1 | 102,035 | 2.7 | 698,245 | 2.5 |
Divorced | 860 | 6.1 | 246,515 | 6.6 | 1,686,035 | 6.0 |
Widowed | 565 | 4.0 | 205,300 | 5.5 | 1,584,525 | 5.7 |
Squamish – Types of private households
There were 6,625 private households4 in Squamish in 2011, a change of 15.7% from 2006. Of these, 29.8% of households were comprised of couples with children aged 24 and under at home, a change of 13.5% compared with five years earlier.
Household type5 | Squamish | British Columbia | Canada | |||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
number | % | number | % | number | % | |
Total - Private households | 6,625 | 100.0 | 1,764,635 | 100.0 | 13,320,615 | 100.0 |
Couple-family households with children aged 24 and under at home6 |
1,975 | 29.8 | 431,135 | 24.4 | 3,524,915 | 26.5 |
Couple-family households without children aged 24 and under at home7 |
1,885 | 28.5 | 532,995 | 30.2 | 3,935,540 | 29.5 |
Lone-parent family households8 | 650 | 9.8 | 168,530 | 9.6 | 1,375,450 | 10.3 |
One-person households | 1,550 | 23.4 | 498,925 | 28.3 | 3,673,310 | 27.6 |
Multiple-family households9 | 200 | 3.0 | 50,410 | 2.9 | 268,060 | 2.0 |
Other households10 | 365 | 5.5 | 82,640 | 4.7 | 543,340 | 4.1 |
Squamish – Structural type of dwelling
In Squamish, 49.5% of private households lived in single-detached houses and 1.0% lived in apartments in buildings that have five or more storeys. The rest lived in other types of dwelling structures.
Structural type of dwelling | Squamish | British Columbia | Canada | |||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
number | % | number | % | number | % | |
Total - Structural type of dwelling | 6,625 | 100.0 | 1,764,640 | 100.0 | 13,320,615 | 100.0 |
Single-detached house | 3,280 | 49.5 | 842,120 | 47.7 | 7,329,150 | 55.0 |
Semi-detached house | 510 | 7.7 | 52,825 | 3.0 | 646,240 | 4.9 |
Row house | 915 | 13.8 | 130,370 | 7.4 | 791,600 | 5.9 |
Apartment, building that has five or more storeys | 65 | 1.0 | 143,970 | 8.2 | 1,234,770 | 9.3 |
Apartment, building that has fewer than five storeys | 1,140 | 17.2 | 361,150 | 20.5 | 2,397,555 | 18.0 |
Apartment, duplex | 355 | 5.4 | 184,355 | 10.4 | 704,485 | 5.3 |
Other single-attached house11 | 5 | 0.1 | 2,885 | 0.2 | 33,310 | 0.3 |
Movable dwelling12 | 355 | 5.4 | 46,960 | 2.7 | 183,510 | 1.4 |
Language
Squamish – Mother tongue

Chart J description: Squamish - 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 Squamish, 80.9% of the population reported English only as mother tongue, 2.8% reported French only, and 14.7% reported only a non-official language, in 2011. In comparison, the provincial / territorial percentages were 70.3% for English only, 1.3% for French only and 26.5% for only non-official languages.
In 2011, 88.8% of the population spoke only English most often at home, 1.0% spoke only French and 8.0% spoke only a non-official language. In comparison, the provincial / territorial percentages were 80.5% for English only, 0.4% for French only and 15.4% for only a non-official language.
Selected languages | Mother tongue | Language spoken most often at home | ||
---|---|---|---|---|
number | % | number | % | |
Total | 17,395 | 100.0 | 17,390 | 100.0 |
English | 14,070 | 80.9 | 15,440 | 88.8 |
French | 480 | 2.8 | 170 | 1.0 |
Non-official language | 2,565 | 14.7 | 1,390 | 8.0 |
Multiple responses | 280 | 1.6 | 395 | 2.3 |
Mother tongue | Mother-tongue retention13 (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 | 99.5 | 99.3 | 0.3 |
French | 62.5 | 31.3 | 31.3 |
Non-official language | 78.2 | 58.9 | 19.3 |
Squamish – Non-official languages
In Squamish, the three most common mother tongues were Panjabi (Punjabi) (6.9%), German (1.8%) and Tagalog (Pilipino, Filipino) (1.1%), in 2011. In comparison, the most common mother tongues at the provincial / territorial level were Panjabi (Punjabi) (4.5%), Cantonese (3.2%) and Chinese, n.o.s. (2.9%).
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. | |||
Panjabi (Punjabi) | 1,195 | 42.7 | 6.9 |
German | 310 | 11.1 | 1.8 |
Tagalog (Pilipino, Filipino) | 190 | 6.8 | 1.1 |
Spanish | 135 | 4.8 | 0.8 |
Japanese | 115 | 4.1 | 0.7 |
Squamish – Bilingualism
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 | 10.6 | 9.1 | 85.4 | 5.1 |
0 to 19 | 11.8 | 11.5 | 70.0 | 6.7 |
20 to 44 | 13.1 | 10.8 | 90.2 | 5.2 |
45 to 64 | 7.2 | 5.0 | 88.5 | 3.6 |
65 and over | 6.6 | 5.1 | 66.7 | 4.4 |
Knowledge of official languages | Number | Percentage |
---|---|---|
Total | 17,390 | 100.0 |
English only | 15,250 | 87.7 |
French only | 20 | 0.1 |
English and French | 1,880 | 10.8 |
Neither English nor French | 245 | 1.4 |
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.
Related data:
- 2011 Census Topic-based tabulations – Census agglomeration of Squamish
- 2011 Census Highlight tables – Census agglomeration of Squamish
- 2011 NHS Focus on Geography Series – Census agglomeration of Squamish
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