Accurate population data and other demographic information are vital to strategic planning and City operations. The data impacts provincial funding allocations and the ability of administration to plan for future growth and manage programs and services. Rapid population growth and high levels of development activity combined with concerns over data quality in the 2008 Municipal Census created a need for the 2009 Municipal Census.
The objective of the 2009 Municipal Census was to collect basic population data including gender and age breakdown and number of residents per household. Also collected was information on home ownership, vacancy rate, and construction status. The census was conducted between April 6 and May 11, 2009. The overall participation rate was 99% with little differentiation between enumeration areas. There are no notable concerns about the data quality.
In total 8614 households participated with a population of 23,326 people. Spruce Grove has experienced a rapid rate of growth recently. Population is up 19.7% since the 2006 federal census while the dwelling count is up 29.5% since the 2005 Municipal Census. Spruce Grove's population is split evenly by gender and is stable overall. The 'Baby Boom' age group (40-65) has less of an impact in Spruce Grove compared with the province as whole due to the higher proportion of children under ten and young adults in their late twenties and early thirties. As Spruce Grove ages and grows in size, some differences in the distribution of different age groups are apparent (these are discussed in the attached report). In general, these trends reflect housing stock, affordability, and neighbourhood age. While the average household size in Spruce Grove is 2.71, this ranges from 1.8 in the City Centre to 3.2 in Deer Park.
Approximately 78% of people own the home they live in compared with 22% who rent. This rate of home ownership is relatively high when compared with other municipalities in the region and the province as a whole. Rental rates are highest in City Centre and Spruce Ridge/Legacy Park and lowest in Stoneshire/Linkside, Deer Park, and Hilldowns.
The vacancy rate was 5.6% up from 4.2% in 2005. The highest vacancy rates were in the City Centre and Spruce Ridge/Legacy Park which together account for almost 50% of all vacant dwellings. This is partially explained by the recent completion of multi-family buildings in these areas which are not fully occupied. In terms of property status, 1.2% of properties counted were under construction while 7.2% were undeveloped.
The 2009 Municipal Census was very successful. A number of lessons were learned from the 2008 and 2009 census which can be applied to future years. These include: the importance of having a designated census coordinator to oversee the process and the results as they came in; keeping the questionnaire simple and focused on basic demographic information; implementing a concise and intensive public awareness campaign to raise the profile of the census; and providing different methods for residents to complete the survey.
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