Squamish Profile

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

National Rank:181 of 688

Level:Census subdivision

Squamish Population

Total Population (2021)

23,819

Total Population (2016)

19,497

Population Growth

+22.2% (+4,322)

Growth Rank

#17 of 688Same geo level

Male

50.5%12,040

Female

49.5%11,780

Male-to-Female Ratio

1.022

Average Age

37.9

Median Age

37.6

Age Rank

#64 of 688Same geo level

Population Age Distribution

0–4

1,465(6.2%)

5–9

1,510(6.3%)

10–14

1,470(6.2%)

15–19

1,055(4.4%)

20–24

950(4.0%)

25–29

1,690(7.1%)

30–34

2,320(9.7%)

35–39

2,575(10.8%)

40–44

2,285(9.6%)

45–49

1,985(8.3%)

50–54

1,470(6.2%)

55–59

1,210(5.1%)

60–64

1,010(4.2%)

65–69

945(4.0%)

70–74

730(3.1%)

75–79

520(2.2%)

80–84

325(1.4%)

85+

295(1.2%)

Squamish Households

Household Size

Average Household Size

2.6

Total Private Dwellings

9,906

Occupied Private Dwellings

9,191

Size Distribution

1 Person

2,175 (23.7%)

2 Persons

3,085 (33.6%)

3 Persons

1,645 (17.9%)

4 Persons

1,570 (17.1%)

5+ Persons

720 (7.8%)

Household Composition

Couples with children

2,595(28.2%)

Couples without children

2,350(25.6%)

One-parent families

555(6.0%)

One-person households

2,175(23.7%)

Multigenerational

255(2.8%)

Multiple-family

110(1.2%)

Squamish Incomes

Summary

Avg. Household Income

$107,400After tax

Median Household Income

$96,000After tax

Avg. Individual Income

$52,750After tax

Median Individual Income

$45,600After tax

Income Rank

#79 of 688Same geo level

Income Composition

Market Income

88.2%

Employment Income

75.8%

Government Transfers

11.9%

Individual Income Distribution

Under $10k

1,295(6.9%)

$10k–$20k

1,535(8.2%)

$20k–$30k

2,105(11.2%)

$30k–$40k

2,150(11.5%)

$40k–$50k

2,045(10.9%)

$50k–$60k

1,855(9.9%)

$60k–$70k

1,490(8.0%)

$70k–$80k

1,325(7.1%)

$80k–$90k

1,045(5.6%)

$90k–$100k

895(4.8%)

$100k+

2,975(15.9%)

Squamish Employment

Labour Force

Employment Rate

71.7%

Unemployment Rate

6.8%

Total Labour Force

14,685

Employed

13,685

Unemployed

1,000

Not in Labour Force

4,410

Low Income Prevalence

Overall Low-Income Rate

6.3%

Children (0–17)

7.4%

Adults (18–64)

5.3%

Seniors (65+)

9.9%

Gini Coefficient (Total)

0.3030 = perfect equality

Gini Coefficient (After-Tax)

0.271

Squamish 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

19,095

No certificate, diploma or degree

1,675 (8.8%)

High school diploma or equivalency

5,055 (26.5%)

Postsecondary credential

12,365 (64.8%)

Within bachelor's degree or higher

Bachelor's degree

4,365 (22.9%)65.9% of bachelor's or higher

Master's degree

1,450 (7.6%)21.9% of bachelor's or higher

Medicine, dentistry or veterinary medicine

120 (0.6%)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

1,675(8.8%)

High school diploma or equivalency

5,055(26.5%)

Apprenticeship or trades certificate

1,680(8.8%)

College, CEGEP or other non-university

3,210(16.8%)

University certificate below bachelor

855(4.5%)

Bachelor's degree or higher

6,625(34.7%)

Squamish 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

27.4%

3,750 people

Share of 13,685 employed people aged 15 and over with a place of work.

Place of work

Worked at home

3,750(27.4%)

Usual place of work

7,635(55.8%)

No fixed workplace address

2,260(16.5%)

Worked outside Canada

45(0.3%)

Squamish 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

14,690

Share of the labour force

Legislative and senior management

260(1.8%)

Business, finance and administration

2,195(14.9%)

Natural and applied sciences

1,305(8.9%)

Health

1,160(7.9%)

Education, law and social, community and government services

1,540(10.5%)

Art, culture, recreation and sport

835(5.7%)

Sales and service

3,755(25.6%)

Trades, transport and equipment operators

2,880(19.6%)

Natural resources, agriculture and related production

325(2.2%)

Manufacturing and utilities

285(1.9%)

Squamish 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

14,690

Share of the labour force

Agriculture, forestry, fishing and hunting

190(1.3%)

Mining, quarrying, and oil and gas extraction

115(0.8%)

Utilities

95(0.6%)

Construction

1,760(12.0%)

Manufacturing

440(3.0%)

Wholesale trade

210(1.4%)

Retail trade

1,725(11.7%)

Transportation and warehousing

605(4.1%)

Information and cultural industries

445(3.0%)

Finance and insurance

320(2.2%)

Real estate and rental and leasing

385(2.6%)

Professional, scientific and technical services

1,775(12.1%)

Management of companies and enterprises

25(0.2%)

Administrative and support, waste management and remediation

640(4.4%)

Educational services

890(6.1%)

Health care and social assistance

1,685(11.5%)

Arts, entertainment and recreation

480(3.3%)

Accommodation and food services

1,400(9.5%)

Other services (except public administration)

580(3.9%)

Public administration

785(5.3%)

Squamish Languages

Language Knowledge

English Only

20,335 (85.7%)

French Only

15 (0.1%)

English & French

3,150 (13.3%)

Neither

225 (0.9%)

Mother Tongue

English

18,890 (79.6%)

French

770 (3.2%)

Non-official languages

3,380 (14.2%)

Top Mother Tongue Languages

English

18,890(79.6%)

Punjabi

1,135(4.8%)

French

770(3.2%)

Spanish

325(1.4%)

Tagalog

255(1.1%)

Polish

90(0.4%)

Mandarin

85(0.4%)

Italian

80(0.3%)

Portuguese

65(0.3%)

Korean

65(0.3%)

Squamish Dwellings

Dwelling Type

Single-detached

3,730(40.6%)

Semi-detached

845(9.2%)

Row house

1,340(14.6%)

Duplex

610(6.6%)

Apt. < 5 storeys

1,665(18.1%)

Apt. ≥ 5 storeys

630(6.9%)

Other attached

20(0.2%)

Movable

355(3.9%)

Housing · Squamish (CA), B.C.

These figures are published for Squamish (CA), B.C., a census agglomeration, reference period 2021. They are not counts for Squamish 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

9,175

Owner households

6,425 (70.0%)

Renter households

2,750 (30.0%)

Owners with a mortgage

4,695 (73.1%)Share of owner households

Owners without a mortgage

1,730 (26.9%)Share of owner households

Renters in subsidized housing

255 (9.3%)Share of renter households

Renters not in subsidized housing

2,495 (90.7%)Share of renter households

Shelter costs

Median monthly shelter cost

$2,000All households, 2021

Average monthly shelter cost

$2,080All households, 2021

Owners, median

$2,140

Renters, median

$1,840

Owners with a mortgage, median

$2,580

Owners without a mortgage, median

$632

Spending 30% or more of income on shelter

2,325 (25.3%)Share of households

Owners spending 30% or more

1,290 (20.1%)Share of owner households

Renters spending 30% or more

1,040 (37.8%)Share of renter households

Shelter-cost ratio not applicable

0 (0.0%)

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

520(5.7%)

$500 to $749

955(10.4%)

$750 to $999

740(8.1%)

$1,000 to $1,249

470(5.1%)

$1,250 to $1,499

470(5.1%)

$1,500 to $1,999

1,395(15.2%)

$2,000 to $2,499

1,440(15.7%)

$2,500 to $2,999

1,215(13.2%)

$3,000 and over

1,965(21.4%)

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 Squamish

Squamish is a district municipality at the head of Howe Sound in British Columbia, between Vancouver and Whistler on the Sea to Sky Highway. Steep granite walls, the Stawamus Chief, and estuary wetlands frame a growing adventure-sports town that still anchors logging and industrial harbour history. About 24,000 people live in Squamish.

Known for

Stawamus Chief granite massif and climbing
Sea to Sky Highway between Vancouver and Whistler
Wind sports on Howe Sound and the spit
Estuary and Coast Mountain scenery
Rapidly growing outdoor-recreation community

See & do

Stawamus Chief Provincial Park
Iconic granite peaks, hiking, and climbing above town.
Shannon Falls Provincial Park
Tall waterfall beside the Sea to Sky Highway.
Squamish Estuary / Spit
Windsurfing, kiteboarding, and estuary trails.
Downtown Squamish
Cleveland Avenue shops and the adventure-town core.
Sea to Sky Gondola
Gondola and summit boardwalks above Howe Sound.

Data source → Census methodology & attribution

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