Happy Valley-Goose Bay Profile

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

National Rank:487 of 688

Level:Census subdivision

Happy Valley-Goose Bay Population

Total Population (2021)

8,040

Total Population (2016)

8,109

Population Growth

-0.9% (-69)

Growth Rank

#620 of 688Same geo level

Male

50.8%4,085

Female

49.2%3,955

Male-to-Female Ratio

1.033

Average Age

39.2

Median Age

39.2

Age Rank

#104 of 688Same geo level

Population Age Distribution

0–4

395(4.9%)

5–9

515(6.4%)

10–14

490(6.1%)

15–19

480(6.0%)

20–24

480(6.0%)

25–29

525(6.5%)

30–34

630(7.8%)

35–39

565(7.0%)

40–44

560(7.0%)

45–49

595(7.4%)

50–54

620(7.7%)

55–59

630(7.8%)

60–64

500(6.2%)

65–69

360(4.5%)

70–74

275(3.4%)

75–79

215(2.7%)

80–84

110(1.4%)

85+

80(1.0%)

Happy Valley-Goose Bay Households

Household Size

Average Household Size

2.5

Total Private Dwellings

3,390

Occupied Private Dwellings

3,072

Size Distribution

1 Person

700 (22.8%)

2 Persons

1,145 (37.2%)

3 Persons

560 (18.2%)

4 Persons

450 (14.6%)

5+ Persons

215 (7.0%)

Household Composition

Couples with children

820(26.7%)

Couples without children

890(28.9%)

One-parent families

315(10.2%)

One-person households

700(22.8%)

Multigenerational

100(3.3%)

Multiple-family

15(0.5%)

Happy Valley-Goose Bay Incomes

Summary

Avg. Household Income

$97,300After tax

Median Household Income

$91,000After tax

Avg. Individual Income

$49,840After tax

Median Individual Income

$45,600After tax

Income Rank

#105 of 688Same geo level

Income Composition

Market Income

86.2%

Employment Income

77.4%

Government Transfers

13.8%

Individual Income Distribution

Under $10k

390(6.5%)

$10k–$20k

485(8.1%)

$20k–$30k

670(11.1%)

$30k–$40k

625(10.4%)

$40k–$50k

675(11.2%)

$50k–$60k

645(10.7%)

$60k–$70k

495(8.2%)

$70k–$80k

430(7.2%)

$80k–$90k

360(6.0%)

$90k–$100k

315(5.2%)

$100k+

920(15.3%)

Happy Valley-Goose Bay Employment

Labour Force

Employment Rate

64.6%

Unemployment Rate

9.7%

Total Labour Force

4,475

Employed

4,040

Unemployed

435

Not in Labour Force

1,780

Low Income Prevalence

Overall Low-Income Rate

8.0%

Children (0–17)

11.7%

Adults (18–64)

5.9%

Seniors (65+)

12.0%

Gini Coefficient (Total)

0.2920 = perfect equality

Gini Coefficient (After-Tax)

0.258

Happy Valley-Goose Bay 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

6,255

No certificate, diploma or degree

1,110 (17.7%)

High school diploma or equivalency

1,470 (23.5%)

Postsecondary credential

3,675 (58.8%)

Within bachelor's degree or higher

Bachelor's degree

775 (12.4%)72.8% of bachelor's or higher

Master's degree

230 (3.7%)21.6% of bachelor's or higher

Medicine, dentistry or veterinary medicine

30 (0.5%)2.8% 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

1,110(17.7%)

High school diploma or equivalency

1,470(23.5%)

Apprenticeship or trades certificate

735(11.8%)

College, CEGEP or other non-university

1,760(28.1%)

University certificate below bachelor

120(1.9%)

Bachelor's degree or higher

1,065(17.0%)

Happy Valley-Goose Bay 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

7.1%

285 people

Share of 4,040 employed people aged 15 and over with a place of work.

Place of work

Worked at home

285(7.1%)

Usual place of work

3,360(83.2%)

No fixed workplace address

390(9.7%)

Worked outside Canada

0(0.0%)

Happy Valley-Goose Bay 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

4,470

Share of the labour force

Legislative and senior management

40(0.9%)

Business, finance and administration

580(13.0%)

Natural and applied sciences

225(5.0%)

Health

335(7.5%)

Education, law and social, community and government services

845(18.9%)

Art, culture, recreation and sport

50(1.1%)

Sales and service

1,155(25.8%)

Trades, transport and equipment operators

985(22.0%)

Natural resources, agriculture and related production

110(2.5%)

Manufacturing and utilities

60(1.3%)

Happy Valley-Goose Bay 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

4,470

Share of the labour force

Agriculture, forestry, fishing and hunting

50(1.1%)

Mining, quarrying, and oil and gas extraction

205(4.6%)

Utilities

100(2.2%)

Construction

370(8.3%)

Manufacturing

50(1.1%)

Wholesale trade

100(2.2%)

Retail trade

510(11.4%)

Transportation and warehousing

300(6.7%)

Information and cultural industries

15(0.3%)

Finance and insurance

35(0.8%)

Real estate and rental and leasing

40(0.9%)

Professional, scientific and technical services

110(2.5%)

Management of companies and enterprises

0(0.0%)

Administrative and support, waste management and remediation

310(6.9%)

Educational services

240(5.4%)

Health care and social assistance

745(16.7%)

Arts, entertainment and recreation

30(0.7%)

Accommodation and food services

330(7.4%)

Other services (except public administration)

145(3.2%)

Public administration

710(15.9%)

Happy Valley-Goose Bay Languages

Language Knowledge

English Only

7,285 (93.3%)

French Only

5 (0.1%)

English & French

510 (6.5%)

Neither

10 (0.1%)

Mother Tongue

English

7,130 (91.3%)

French

75 (1.0%)

Non-official languages

490 (6.3%)

Top Mother Tongue Languages

English

7,130(91.3%)

Tagalog

150(1.9%)

French

75(1.0%)

Punjabi

40(0.5%)

Hindi

10(0.1%)

Arabic

5(0.1%)

Spanish

5(0.1%)

Portuguese

5(0.1%)

Korean

5(0.1%)

Tamil

5(0.1%)

Happy Valley-Goose Bay Dwellings

Dwelling Type

Single-detached

1,970(64.2%)

Semi-detached

525(17.1%)

Row house

375(12.2%)

Duplex

65(2.1%)

Apt. < 5 storeys

125(4.1%)

Other attached

10(0.3%)

Community snapshot

About Happy Valley-Goose Bay

Happy Valley-Goose Bay is a town in central Labrador, Newfoundland and Labrador, on the Churchill River where it widens toward Lake Melville. It is Labrador’s largest population centre, anchored by 5 Wing Goose Bay and as a fly-in gateway to the interior. North West River and Sheshatshiu are neighbouring separate communities. About 8,000 people live in Happy Valley-Goose Bay.

Known for

Largest population centre in Labrador
Churchill River / Lake Melville setting
5 Wing Goose Bay air base
Gateway to Labrador’s interior and north
Neighbour to North West River and Sheshatshiu, which are separate

See & do

Town waterfront / Churchill River views
Shoreline parks where the river meets Lake Melville.
Labrador Interpretation Centre (North West River)
Regional museum a short drive in the neighbouring community.
Downtown Happy Valley
Shops and services for the Upper Lake Melville region.
Mealy Mountains / backcountry approaches
Wilderness on the town’s southern horizon.
5 Wing viewing and aviation heritage
Long-running military airfield that shaped the town.

Data source → Census methodology & attribution

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