Sooke Profile

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

National Rank:281 of 688

Level:Census subdivision

Sooke Population

Total Population (2021)

15,086

Total Population (2016)

13,001

Population Growth

+16.0% (+2,085)

Growth Rank

#41 of 688Same geo level

Male

49.1%7,400

Female

50.9%7,685

Male-to-Female Ratio

0.963

Average Age

43.3

Median Age

44.8

Age Rank

#355 of 688Same geo level

Population Age Distribution

0–4

735(4.9%)

5–9

855(5.7%)

10–14

815(5.4%)

15–19

780(5.2%)

20–24

570(3.8%)

25–29

710(4.7%)

30–34

905(6.0%)

35–39

1,110(7.4%)

40–44

1,075(7.1%)

45–49

1,000(6.6%)

50–54

1,075(7.1%)

55–59

1,185(7.9%)

60–64

1,215(8.1%)

65–69

1,135(7.5%)

70–74

935(6.2%)

75–79

500(3.3%)

80–84

280(1.9%)

85+

210(1.4%)

Sooke Households

Household Size

Average Household Size

2.4

Total Private Dwellings

6,431

Occupied Private Dwellings

6,129

Size Distribution

1 Person

1,495 (24.4%)

2 Persons

2,400 (39.2%)

3 Persons

960 (15.7%)

4 Persons

810 (13.2%)

5+ Persons

460 (7.5%)

Household Composition

Couples with children

1,465(23.9%)

Couples without children

1,945(31.7%)

One-parent families

455(7.4%)

One-person households

1,495(24.4%)

Multigenerational

175(2.9%)

Multiple-family

70(1.1%)

Sooke Incomes

Summary

Avg. Household Income

$87,000After tax

Median Household Income

$79,500After tax

Avg. Individual Income

$43,880After tax

Median Individual Income

$39,200After tax

Income Rank

#270 of 688Same geo level

Income Composition

Market Income

81.6%

Employment Income

64.4%

Government Transfers

18.5%

Individual Income Distribution

Under $10k

885(7.3%)

$10k–$20k

1,320(10.9%)

$20k–$30k

1,810(14.9%)

$30k–$40k

1,585(13.1%)

$40k–$50k

1,440(11.9%)

$50k–$60k

1,225(10.1%)

$60k–$70k

995(8.2%)

$70k–$80k

765(6.3%)

$80k–$90k

600(4.9%)

$90k–$100k

445(3.7%)

$100k+

1,070(8.8%)

Sooke Employment

Labour Force

Employment Rate

57.6%

Unemployment Rate

6.7%

Total Labour Force

7,760

Employed

7,240

Unemployed

520

Not in Labour Force

4,815

Low Income Prevalence

Overall Low-Income Rate

8.2%

Children (0–17)

8.7%

Adults (18–64)

6.9%

Seniors (65+)

11.5%

Gini Coefficient (Total)

0.2740 = perfect equality

Gini Coefficient (After-Tax)

0.247

Sooke 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

12,580

No certificate, diploma or degree

1,845 (14.7%)

High school diploma or equivalency

3,925 (31.2%)

Postsecondary credential

6,800 (54.1%)

Within bachelor's degree or higher

Bachelor's degree

1,435 (11.4%)64.6% of bachelor's or higher

Master's degree

530 (4.2%)23.9% of bachelor's or higher

Medicine, dentistry or veterinary medicine

40 (0.3%)1.8% 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

1,845(14.7%)

High school diploma or equivalency

3,925(31.2%)

Apprenticeship or trades certificate

1,365(10.9%)

College, CEGEP or other non-university

2,845(22.6%)

University certificate below bachelor

375(3.0%)

Bachelor's degree or higher

2,220(17.6%)

Sooke 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

21.1%

1,525 people

Share of 7,240 employed people aged 15 and over with a place of work.

Place of work

Worked at home

1,525(21.1%)

Usual place of work

4,250(58.7%)

No fixed workplace address

1,455(20.1%)

Worked outside Canada

10(0.1%)

Sooke 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

7,760

Share of the labour force

Legislative and senior management

85(1.1%)

Business, finance and administration

1,120(14.4%)

Natural and applied sciences

515(6.6%)

Health

525(6.8%)

Education, law and social, community and government services

1,110(14.3%)

Art, culture, recreation and sport

240(3.1%)

Sales and service

1,910(24.6%)

Trades, transport and equipment operators

1,800(23.2%)

Natural resources, agriculture and related production

185(2.4%)

Manufacturing and utilities

165(2.1%)

Sooke 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

7,760

Share of the labour force

Agriculture, forestry, fishing and hunting

100(1.3%)

Mining, quarrying, and oil and gas extraction

15(0.2%)

Utilities

30(0.4%)

Construction

1,045(13.5%)

Manufacturing

325(4.2%)

Wholesale trade

80(1.0%)

Retail trade

940(12.1%)

Transportation and warehousing

285(3.7%)

Information and cultural industries

80(1.0%)

Finance and insurance

170(2.2%)

Real estate and rental and leasing

85(1.1%)

Professional, scientific and technical services

560(7.2%)

Management of companies and enterprises

15(0.2%)

Administrative and support, waste management and remediation

495(6.4%)

Educational services

600(7.7%)

Health care and social assistance

895(11.5%)

Arts, entertainment and recreation

195(2.5%)

Accommodation and food services

435(5.6%)

Other services (except public administration)

350(4.5%)

Public administration

955(12.3%)

Sooke Languages

Language Knowledge

English Only

13,635 (90.9%)

French Only

5 (0.0%)

English & French

1,350 (9.0%)

Neither

10 (0.1%)

Mother Tongue

English

13,730 (91.5%)

French

285 (1.9%)

Non-official languages

775 (5.2%)

Top Mother Tongue Languages

English

13,730(91.5%)

French

285(1.9%)

Spanish

60(0.4%)

Tagalog

55(0.4%)

Polish

35(0.2%)

Russian

35(0.2%)

Mandarin

25(0.2%)

Arabic

20(0.1%)

Punjabi

20(0.1%)

Italian

20(0.1%)

Sooke Dwellings

Dwelling Type

Single-detached

3,820(62.3%)

Semi-detached

465(7.6%)

Row house

335(5.5%)

Duplex

720(11.7%)

Apt. < 5 storeys

410(6.7%)

Apt. ≥ 5 storeys

20(0.3%)

Other attached

10(0.2%)

Movable

355(5.8%)

Community snapshot

About Sooke

Sooke is a district municipality on southern Vancouver Island west of Victoria, on the Strait of Juan de Fuca at the mouth of the Sooke River. Harbour views, West Coast rainforest approaches, and a gateway role toward Port Renfrew and the Juan de Fuca trail define a capital-region edge community—not downtown Victoria. About 15,000 people live in Sooke.

Known for

District municipality west of Victoria, not the City of Victoria
Sooke Harbour and Strait of Juan de Fuca shoreline
Gateway to Juan de Fuca Provincial Park trailheads
West Coast rainforest and river estuary setting
Capital-region edge community toward Port Renfrew

See & do

Sooke harbour waterfront
Marina views and shoreline walks.
Sooke Potholes Provincial Park (nearby)
River swimming holes and canyon trails.
Whiffin Spit Park
Harbour-mouth spit with Juan de Fuca views.
Downtown Sooke / Otter Point Road shops
Cafés and services in the district centre.
Juan de Fuca Marine Trail approaches
Trailheads and coastal drives west of town.

Data source → Census methodology & attribution

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