Our ‘Fun with Numbers’ guy, Andy Coupland, ran some numbers on the West End, comparing 1981 and 2016 census. Though the Big Takeway is still that the West End is more stable than often perceived, some changes (like overall demographics) are in line with wider City / Region / Canada change. But the uniquely high rental proportion, and therefore high mobility, may explain some of the differences.
(Comments in brackets are from Price Tags.)
There are more males. (If the gay population was declining significantly, you’d expect the opposite of this trend.)
1981 – 18,255 (49% of total)
2016 – 24,670 (52% of total)
And less females. (In 1981 there were 440 more females than males; now there are 2,140 more males than females.)
1981 – 18,695 (51% of total)
2016 – 22,530 (48% of total)
There are more children under 15. (Again, if the number of families with chiIdren was dropping, the opposite should be true.)
1981 – 1,165
2016 – 1,945
There are fewer young people aged 15 – 24. (This is where affordability may be having an impact, and why it seems there are less younger gays.)
1981 – 4,950
2016 – 3,710
There are a lot more aged 25 – 44. (Affordability would be less an issue for this cohort.)
1981 – 15,990
2016 – 22,545
A lot more aged 45 – 64 (Why the big jump in this group? Growth of the condo supply? Affordability? Social status of the West End?)
1981 – 7,930
2016 – 12,000
But almost the same number (and a smaller proportion of the population) over 65. (Again, affordability?)
1981 – 6,930
2016 – 7,000
The number married (including separated). (This is likely a reflection of a societal wide change, but interesting to see in the West End.)
1981 – 38%
2016 – 45% married (25%) or living common law (18%) or separated (2%)
An identical proportion single, never married.
1981 – 43% (15,380)
2016 – 43% (19,525)
A similar proportion divorced.
1981 – 10% (3,550)
2016 – 9% (4,100)
Fewer widowed.
1981 – 9% (3,350)
2016 – 3% (1.330)
Part 1 of this series here.