Diversity, education, transit use higher in Richmond Hill

Study points to congestion, affordability as concerns: mayor

Yorkregion.com
Nov. 13, 2015
By Kim Zarzour

Want to know more about your neighbours and your community?

A new study released by the Town of Richmond Hill paints a picture of a booming multicultural metropolis in the midst of change.

The 2015 Socio-Economic Study released this week contains much good news, according to Mayor Dave Barrow.

“It highlights the diverse, welcoming community that we are so proud of. Over half of our population is comprised of immigrants. We boast a great mix of age groups and our economy is thriving, based on small and medium-sized businesses.”

On the down side, traffic and housing affordability remain key concerns, said the mayor.

The study, which looks at demographic, economic, transportation and housing information, reveals a community that is growing, diverse and highly-educated.

Among the highlights:

• Visible minorities make up 52.9 per cent of Richmond Hill’s population.
• Richmond Hill has the highest proportion of Farsi-speaking (8.8 percent) and Korean-speaking (2.4 per cent) residents in the Greater Toronto Area.
• More than 77 per cent of Richmond Hill residents aged 25-64 have completed some form of post-secondary degree.

The median household income in Richmond Hill is higher than the national average. Median family income in Canada is $76,000. That compares to $87,388 in Richmond Hill where 43.6 per cent of households reported incomes higher than $100,000.

While almost 86 per cent of residents are homeowners and most homes are single-detached dwellings, there is a shift towards townhouse and high-rise apartments, the study showed.

At the same time, house prices continue to rise. Between 2006 to 2011, prices rose 41.7 per cent and that increase continued from 2012 to 2013.

A Royal LePage report released last month showed Richmond Hill and Vaughan had the highest jump in house prices in the GTA.

The shift toward higher density housing in Richmond Hill, in the form of townhomes and high-rise buildings, should provide more choice to residents in the future, the study release said.

The study also shows transit use is growing. The number of residents taking public transit rose from 12.8 per cent in 2001 to more than 16 per cent in 2011. One in six residents use public transit, an increase from one in eight in 2001.

The local economy seems to be doing well, compared to other communities.

Richmond Hill’s unemployment rate of 6.9 per cent is lower than the Ontario average of 8.3 per cent. More than 6,400 new jobs were created in Richmond Hill between 2006 and 2011.

The most common occupations have shifted over the past five years and sales and service is now the top occupation in town, at 20.5 per cent.

Education, law and social, community and government jobs are increasing fastest, replacing trades, transportation, and equipment operators among the top five.

Also growing over the past five years are jobs in the finance and insurance industry, while the manufacturing industry has declined from 10.5 to 7.9 per cent.

Nearly as many Richmond Hill residents leave the municipality to work (74.4 per cent) as outsiders come in to Richmond Hill for their jobs (72.7 per cent).

“The study helps us focus our knowledge of Richmond Hill so that we can determine the right steps to move our community forward,” Barrow said.

Sources used for the 2015 Socio-Economic Study include Statistics Canada census documents, 2011 National Household Survey, Transportation for Tomorrow surveys, York Region Employment Survey and the Canadian Mortgage and Housing Corporation.

The complete study is available on www.RichmondHill.ca.