Population Distribution
Population Overview
Grey Bruce Health Unit serves a population of 161,977: 93,830 of whom live in Grey County and 68,147 of whom live in Bruce County.
Bruce County’s population has grown by 3.1% since 2011, while Grey County’s population has grown by 1.4% in the same period.
The most to least populated municipalities and Indian Reserves in Bruce County and Grey County are, in order:
Table: 2016 Population and Population Change by Municipality (in Descending Order of Population)
|
Geography
|
County
|
Total Population
|
% Population Change
2011 to 2016
|
|
Owen Sound (City)
|
Grey
|
21,341
|
-1.6
|
|
Saugeen Shores (Town)
|
Bruce
|
13,715
|
8.3
|
|
West Grey (Municipality)
|
Grey
|
12,518
|
1.9
|
|
Kincardine (Municipality)
|
Bruce
|
11,389
|
1.9
|
|
Meaford (Municipality)
|
Grey
|
10,991
|
-1
|
|
Georgian Bluffs (Township)
|
Grey
|
10,479
|
0.7
|
|
Grey Highlands (Municipality)
|
Grey
|
9,804
|
3
|
|
Brockton (Municipality)
|
Bruce
|
9,461
|
0.3
|
|
South Bruce Peninsula (Town)
|
Bruce
|
8,416
|
0
|
|
Hanover (Town)
|
Grey
|
7,688
|
2.6
|
|
Southgate (Township)
|
Grey
|
7,354
|
2.3
|
|
Huron-Kinloss (Township)
|
Bruce
|
7,069
|
4.1
|
|
The Blue Mountains (Town)
|
Grey
|
7,025
|
8.9
|
|
Arran-Elderslie (Municipality)
|
Bruce
|
6,803
|
-0.1
|
|
Chatsworth (Township)
|
Grey
|
6,630
|
3
|
|
South Bruce (Municipality)
|
Bruce
|
5,639
|
-0.8
|
|
Northern Bruce Peninsula (Municipality)
|
Bruce
|
3,999
|
6.8
|
|
Saugeen 29 (Reserve)
|
Bruce
|
1,041
|
43.4
|
|
Neyaashiinigmiing 27 (Reserve)
|
Bruce
|
615
|
-7.8
|
|
Chief’s Point No. 28 (Reserve)1
|
Bruce
|
0
|
-
|
1 Chief’s Point No. 28 is a new Indian Reserve, formerly part of South Bruce Peninsula.
Population Age Distribution
Grey Bruce census subdivisions (our municipalities, excluding first nation reserves) have various different age distributions. The mean (or average) age ranges from as low as 39.2 years in Southgate to as high as 54.8 years in Northern Bruce Peninsula (below). By comparison, the average age in both Ontario and Canada is 41.0 years.
Figure: 2016 Census Age Distribution by Grey Bruce Census Subdivision (in Ascending Order of Mean Age)
Table: 2016 Census Age Distribution by Grey Bruce Census Subdivision and Census Division (in Ascending Order of Mean Age)
|
|
|
% of Population
Aged 0 to 14
|
% of Population Aged
15 to 64
|
% of Population
Aged 65 and Over
|
|
Geography
|
Median Age
|
%
|
Count
|
%
|
Count
|
%
|
Count
|
|
Southgate
|
39.2
|
19.9
|
1460
|
66.1
|
4865
|
14.0
|
1030
|
|
South Bruce
|
40.8
|
18.1
|
1020
|
65.0
|
3665
|
16.9
|
955
|
|
Arran-Elderslie
|
41.3
|
19.7
|
1340
|
60.6
|
4125
|
19.6
|
1335
|
|
Chatsworth
|
43.1
|
16.8
|
1115
|
62.5
|
4145
|
20.7
|
1370
|
|
Brockton
|
43.3
|
16.8
|
1585
|
62.2
|
5880
|
21.1
|
1995
|
|
Huron-Kinloss
|
43.4
|
18.2
|
1285
|
59.1
|
4175
|
22.8
|
1615
|
|
Grey Highlands
|
43.9
|
16.4
|
1605
|
61.4
|
6020
|
22.2
|
2175
|
|
Kincardine
|
44.0
|
16.2
|
1845
|
61.8
|
7040
|
22.0
|
2505
|
|
West Grey
|
45.0
|
15.3
|
1910
|
61.6
|
7710
|
23.1
|
2895
|
|
Owen Sound
|
45.6
|
14.4
|
3075
|
60.6
|
12940
|
25.0
|
5325
|
|
Georgian Bluffs
|
45.6
|
13.9
|
1460
|
63.5
|
6655
|
22.6
|
2365
|
|
Saugeen Shores
|
45.7
|
14.4
|
1975
|
61.2
|
8390
|
24.5
|
3355
|
|
Hanover
|
45.9
|
15.4
|
1185
|
57.7
|
4435
|
26.9
|
2065
|
|
Meaford
|
47.9
|
12.9
|
1420
|
59.2
|
6505
|
27.9
|
3065
|
|
South Bruce Peninsula
|
49.3
|
12.2
|
1025
|
57.2
|
4815
|
30.5
|
2570
|
|
The Blue Mountains
|
51.8
|
9.3
|
655
|
57.3
|
4025
|
33.4
|
2345
|
|
Northern Bruce Peninsula
|
54.8
|
8.0
|
320
|
52.9
|
2115
|
39.0
|
1560
|
|
Bruce
|
44.8
|
15.8
|
10770
|
52.9
|
41305
|
39.0
|
16075
|
|
Grey
|
54.8
|
8.0
|
13890
|
52.9
|
57310
|
39.0
|
22630
|
|
Grey Bruce
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Southgate has the highest proportion of children aged 0 to 14 at 19.9%, and Northern Bruce Peninsula has the lowest proportion, at 8.0%. Northern Bruce Peninsula, however, has the highest proportion of seniors aged 65 and over at 39.0%, and Southgate has the lowest proportion at 14.0%.
The three ‘youngest’ municipalities are Southgate, South Bruce and Arran-Elderslie, while the three ‘oldest’ are Northern Bruce Peninsula, The Blue Mountains, and South Bruce Peninsula.
In Canada, 16.6% of the population is under age 15, while 16.9% of the population is aged 65 or over. In Ontario, 16.4% of the population is under age 15, while 16.7% of the population is aged 65 or over. Nine of our 19 populated census subdivisions have percentages of children under age 15 that are at or above the Ontario rate. Sixteen of our 19 populated census subdivisions have percentages of seniors that are at or above the Ontario rate, and two of those (Northern Bruce Peninsula and The Blue Mountains) are at double or higher compared to the Ontario percentage.
Read the full report here: Census Release II
Sources:
Statistics Canada. 2017. Various Geographies. Census Profile. 2016 Census. Statistics Canada Catalogue no. 98-316-X2016001. Ottawa. Released February 8, 2017. http://www12.statcan.gc.ca/census-recensement/2016/dp-pd/prof/index.cfm?Lang=E (accessed May 5, 2017).