Courtenay Profile

Explore population, households, income, employment, education, commute, occupation, industry, languages, and dwellings for Courtenay. Compare trends since 2016 and dig into the full profile below.

National Rank:160 of 688

Level:Census subdivision

Courtenay Population

Total Population (2021)

28,420

Total Population (2016)

25,639

Population Growth

+10.8% (+2,781)

Growth Rank

#106 of 688Same geo level

Male

47.5%13,490

Female

52.5%14,925

Male-to-Female Ratio

0.904

Average Age

46.8

Median Age

48.8

Age Rank

#558 of 688Same geo level

Population Age Distribution

0–4

1,100(3.9%)

5–9

1,380(4.9%)

10–14

1,370(4.8%)

15–19

1,310(4.6%)

20–24

1,295(4.6%)

25–29

1,585(5.6%)

30–34

1,665(5.9%)

35–39

1,750(6.2%)

40–44

1,575(5.5%)

45–49

1,550(5.5%)

50–54

1,600(5.6%)

55–59

1,980(7.0%)

60–64

2,230(7.8%)

65–69

2,185(7.7%)

70–74

2,205(7.8%)

75–79

1,560(5.5%)

80–84

1,050(3.7%)

85+

1,020(3.6%)

Courtenay Households

Household Size

Average Household Size

2.1

Total Private Dwellings

13,414

Occupied Private Dwellings

12,992

Size Distribution

1 Person

4,265 (32.8%)

2 Persons

5,275 (40.6%)

3 Persons

1,670 (12.9%)

4 Persons

1,190 (9.2%)

5+ Persons

585 (4.5%)

Household Composition

Couples with children

2,140(16.5%)

Couples without children

3,970(30.6%)

One-parent families

1,125(8.7%)

One-person households

4,265(32.8%)

Multigenerational

215(1.7%)

Multiple-family

60(0.5%)

Courtenay Incomes

Summary

Avg. Household Income

$74,800After tax

Median Household Income

$65,500After tax

Avg. Individual Income

$41,440After tax

Median Individual Income

$36,000After tax

Income Rank

#530 of 688Same geo level

Income Composition

Market Income

76.8%

Employment Income

55.2%

Government Transfers

23.1%

Individual Income Distribution

Under $10k

1,630(7.0%)

$10k–$20k

2,785(11.9%)

$20k–$30k

3,985(17.0%)

$30k–$40k

3,620(15.5%)

$40k–$50k

2,940(12.6%)

$50k–$60k

2,360(10.1%)

$60k–$70k

1,720(7.4%)

$70k–$80k

1,260(5.4%)

$80k–$90k

865(3.7%)

$90k–$100k

615(2.6%)

$100k+

1,620(6.9%)

Courtenay Employment

Labour Force

Employment Rate

50.8%

Unemployment Rate

8.5%

Total Labour Force

13,315

Employed

12,185

Unemployed

1,130

Not in Labour Force

10,670

Low Income Prevalence

Overall Low-Income Rate

11.4%

Children (0–17)

13.9%

Adults (18–64)

9.9%

Seniors (65+)

12.8%

Gini Coefficient (Total)

0.2980 = perfect equality

Gini Coefficient (After-Tax)

0.264

Courtenay Education

Highest certificate, diploma or degree for the population aged 15 and over, Census 2021. The highest-credential groups are mutually exclusive. Bachelor's degree, master's degree, and medicine, dentistry or veterinary medicine sit inside “bachelor's degree or higher” and are not extra slices of the population. Shares are calculated on this site from the published counts. Statistics Canada randomly rounds census counts, so parts can miss the published total by a few people.

Highest credential

Population aged 15 and over

23,980

No certificate, diploma or degree

3,370 (14.1%)

High school diploma or equivalency

7,525 (31.4%)

Postsecondary credential

13,085 (54.6%)

Within bachelor's degree or higher

Bachelor's degree

3,240 (13.5%)64.5% of bachelor's or higher

Master's degree

1,100 (4.6%)21.9% of bachelor's or higher

Medicine, dentistry or veterinary medicine

115 (0.5%)2.3% of bachelor's or higher

Those credentials are published parts of bachelor's degree or higher. They do not add up to that count. Earned doctorates and other university credentials above the bachelor level stay inside the published total and are not separate columns in this extract.

Share of the population aged 15 and over

No certificate, diploma or degree

3,370(14.1%)

High school diploma or equivalency

7,525(31.4%)

Apprenticeship or trades certificate

2,275(9.5%)

College, CEGEP or other non-university

5,040(21.0%)

University certificate below bachelor

745(3.1%)

Bachelor's degree or higher

5,025(21.0%)

Courtenay Commute

Place of work for the employed labour force aged 15 and over, Census 2021. Worked at home is the census count of people who worked at home, shown as a share of that employed labour force. Shares are calculated on this site from the published counts. Statistics Canada randomly rounds census counts, so parts can miss the published total by a few people.

Worked at home

14.3%

1,745 people

Share of 12,185 employed people aged 15 and over with a place of work.

Place of work

Worked at home

1,745(14.3%)

Usual place of work

8,435(69.2%)

No fixed workplace address

1,995(16.4%)

Worked outside Canada

15(0.1%)

Courtenay Occupation

Broad category for the labour force aged 15 and over, Census 2021, using the National Occupational Classification (NOC) 2021. Legislative and senior management is broad category 0, not every job with “manager” in the title. Shares use the published labour-force total. These categories do not add up to that total. Counts are randomly rounded, and people with no classified category stay in the published total. This page does not estimate that remainder.

Labour force

13,315

Share of the labour force

Legislative and senior management

80(0.6%)

Business, finance and administration

1,595(12.0%)

Natural and applied sciences

730(5.5%)

Health

1,255(9.4%)

Education, law and social, community and government services

1,755(13.2%)

Art, culture, recreation and sport

420(3.2%)

Sales and service

4,245(31.9%)

Trades, transport and equipment operators

2,210(16.6%)

Natural resources, agriculture and related production

430(3.2%)

Manufacturing and utilities

325(2.4%)

Courtenay Industry

Industry sector for the labour force aged 15 and over, Census 2021. Shares use the published labour-force total. These categories do not add up to that total. Counts are randomly rounded, and people with no classified category stay in the published total. This page does not estimate that remainder.

Labour force

13,315

Share of the labour force

Agriculture, forestry, fishing and hunting

415(3.1%)

Mining, quarrying, and oil and gas extraction

120(0.9%)

Utilities

35(0.3%)

Construction

1,170(8.8%)

Manufacturing

360(2.7%)

Wholesale trade

215(1.6%)

Retail trade

2,210(16.6%)

Transportation and warehousing

470(3.5%)

Information and cultural industries

155(1.2%)

Finance and insurance

340(2.6%)

Real estate and rental and leasing

185(1.4%)

Professional, scientific and technical services

805(6.0%)

Management of companies and enterprises

15(0.1%)

Administrative and support, waste management and remediation

585(4.4%)

Educational services

840(6.3%)

Health care and social assistance

1,865(14.0%)

Arts, entertainment and recreation

320(2.4%)

Accommodation and food services

1,235(9.3%)

Other services (except public administration)

565(4.2%)

Public administration

1,140(8.6%)

Courtenay Languages

Language Knowledge

English Only

25,355 (90.5%)

French Only

10 (0.0%)

English & French

2,510 (9.0%)

Neither

155 (0.6%)

Mother Tongue

English

24,665 (88.0%)

French

635 (2.3%)

Non-official languages

2,205 (7.9%)

Top Mother Tongue Languages

English

24,665(88.0%)

French

635(2.3%)

Tagalog

165(0.6%)

Vietnamese

150(0.5%)

Punjabi

135(0.5%)

Mandarin

115(0.4%)

Korean

115(0.4%)

Cantonese

110(0.4%)

Spanish

110(0.4%)

Hindi

50(0.2%)

Courtenay Dwellings

Dwelling Type

Single-detached

6,515(50.1%)

Semi-detached

1,920(14.8%)

Row house

970(7.5%)

Duplex

445(3.4%)

Apt. < 5 storeys

2,685(20.7%)

Apt. ≥ 5 storeys

45(0.3%)

Other attached

45(0.3%)

Movable

385(3.0%)

Housing · Courtenay (CA), B.C.

These figures are published for Courtenay (CA), B.C., a census agglomeration, reference period 2021. They are not counts for Courtenay alone. Shares are calculated on this site from the published household counts in tables 98-10-0252-01 and 98-10-0253-01.

Tenure

Private households

27,990

Owner households

21,275 (76.0%)

Renter households

6,710 (24.0%)

Owners with a mortgage

11,220 (52.7%)Share of owner households

Owners without a mortgage

10,055 (47.3%)Share of owner households

Renters in subsidized housing

760 (11.3%)Share of renter households

Renters not in subsidized housing

5,950 (88.7%)Share of renter households

Shelter costs

Median monthly shelter cost

$1,050All households, 2021

Average monthly shelter cost

$1,245All households, 2021

Owners, median

$950

Renters, median

$1,200

Owners with a mortgage, median

$1,760

Owners without a mortgage, median

$492

Spending 30% or more of income on shelter

5,710 (20.4%)Share of households

Owners spending 30% or more

3,105 (14.6%)Share of owner households

Renters spending 30% or more

2,605 (38.8%)Share of renter households

Shelter-cost ratio not applicable

40 (0.1%)

Monthly shelter cost

Published household counts by shelter-cost band. Census counts are randomly rounded, so the bands can differ slightly from the household total.

Less than $500

5,675(20.3%)

$500 to $749

4,720(16.9%)

$750 to $999

3,010(10.8%)

$1,000 to $1,249

2,575(9.2%)

$1,250 to $1,499

2,610(9.3%)

$1,500 to $1,999

4,495(16.1%)

$2,000 to $2,499

2,540(9.1%)

$2,500 to $2,999

1,320(4.7%)

$3,000 and over

1,040(3.7%)

Shelter cost is the census monthly amount. For owners it includes mortgage payments, property taxes and condominium fees, along with electricity, heat, water and other municipal services. For renters it includes rent and those utility payments when the tenant pays them. Current consumer prices are a separate series on the cost-of-living page. Data sources.

Community snapshot

About Courtenay

Courtenay is a city on Vancouver Island’s east coast, at the head of the Courtenay River estuary facing Comox Harbour. It is the largest urban centre in the Comox Valley, paired with neighbouring Comox and Cumberland. Mountains, estuary trails, and a revitalized downtown define the city’s character. About 28,000 people live in Courtenay.

Known for

Hub city of the Comox Valley
Courtenay River estuary and harbour views
Gateway toward Strathcona Provincial Park and Mount Washington
Arts-oriented downtown
Mild east-Island climate and outdoor recreation

See & do

Downtown Courtenay
Shops, galleries, and the Filberg-adjacent valley arts scene.
Courtenay Riverway / estuary trails
Waterfront paths along the river and tidal flats.
Simms Millennium Park
Central park and festival grounds by the river.
Comox Lake / Puntledge River area
Nearby swimming, trails, and river recreation.
Mount Washington Alpine Resort (nearby)
Ski and summer alpine destination above the valley.

Data source → Census methodology & attribution

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Data sources → Census profiles, housing tables, and consumer prices