Statistics

Housing Costs

The average cost of a single-family detached home in Chilliwack is about 60% less than Vancouver and about 30% less than Abbotsford. 
Comparing income to costs, Chilliwack residents enjoy significant savings in cost of living and a richer standard of living.

Cost of Doing Business

British Columbia’s cost advantage comes from abundant, inexpensive electricity and natural gas, well-developed infrastructure, proximity to markets, a cost effective work force, and low inflation. Some specific cost advantages include:

• Canada’s cost of electricity is less than the USA and all European communities — with superior reliability in Chilliwack at 99.923%.
• Costs for skilled technical and professional workers can be as much as 40% below comparable US centres.
• Costs for secondary manufacturers and technology firms are lower in British Columbia compared to US jurisdictions.
• Labour and production costs in Canada are low in relation to the United States and other G-7 countries. For instance, BC has about 35% lower labour costs for semi-skilled workers than Washington State.
• Canada also has lower employer sponsored benefits, lower payroll tax and better health insurance rates than the United States.
• BC also has a lower corporate tax burden than the western American States, averaging out to about 30%.
• Payroll taxes are lower in Canada than in any other G-7 country — about 16% versus nearly 25% in the United States.
• Lower Health care Costs — about 22% lower than the United States.
• Lower statutory and employer benefits — Canadian employer-sponsored plans and time not worked are only 27.1% of salary and wages, compared to 41.7% in the United States.
• Lower Premiums and Liability — Canada applies lower premiums and limits company liability.

Population

British Columbia has traditionally been one of the fastest growing provinces in Canada. This is largely due to interprovincial migration as Easterners seek the milder climate of the Pacific Coast and its desirable standard of living. BC has also grown significantly as foreign immigrants seek BC’s lower cost of living and a new way of life.

Population Growth

The estimated population of Chilliwack is 82,626, with an average annual growth rate of about 2.73% (2011). With continued steady growth, the city’s projected population is expected to reach 101,210 in 2021.

Regional Population

There are 274,388 people living within a 30-minute commute of Chilliwack and about 2.5 million within the Lower Mainland region. Including the American communities, there are over five million people living within 200 km of Chilliwack.

Population by Age

The median age in Chilliwack is 40, which is comparable to the British Columbia median age of 40.8. Nearly 58% of people in Chilliwack are under the age of 45,which is similar to the rest of BC. However, because of the low cost of living and proximity to Vancouver, the City of Chilliwack has a slightly higher population of seniors aged 65 and over at 16.7%, compared to the rest of BC at 14.5%. Chilliwack also has a slightly higher percentage of children up to 19 years at a rate of 27.1% compared to 23.2% in BC.

Workforce Population

Chilliwack’s current labour force is estimated at about 40,605 people, representing a participation rate of 63.5% (based on the population of 15 and over). Chilliwack also has one of the region’s highest numbers of local employment, with about 72% of the population working within the community. The average commute is around 6 km.