Revelstoke has gotten slightly younger over the past five years while B.C. as a whole is getting older, according to the latest census data released by Statistics Canada Wednesday morning.
Revelstoke’s average age of 40.2 is 0.1 years younger than it was five years ago, and two years younger than the provincial average of 42.3, according to the 2016 census.
The census shows 14.2 per cent of Revelstoke’s population is 65 and over, while 15.6 per cent are aged 14 and younger. Across the province, 18.3 per cent of residents are seniors, while only 14.9 per cent are considered kids.
The latest data released by Statistics Canada from the 2017 census breaks down the population by age and gender.
It shows Revelstoke has 3,830 men compared to 3,715 women. The percentage of men compared to women is virtually unchanged compared to five years ago.
The number of children under the age of 10 has risen significantly, to 840 from 730. That’s a 15 per cent increase, which outpaces Revelstoke’s overall population growth of 5.7 per cent.
The increase in children is counteracted somewhat by the decline in pre-teens and teenagers — there are only 700 youth between the ages of 10-19, compared to 785 recorded in the 2011 census.
There’s more people in their 20s and 30s, but less in their 40s and 50s. The number of seniors (65+) has increased by 120, to 1,075, and there’s 40 more people aged 85 and up.
The numbers reflect what has been witnessed in Revelstoke over the last few years. The lack of teenagers could reflect the exodus of families when the ski hill came in, driving housing prices up, and the subsequent recession. They have been replaced by other young people that have moved to town and started families of their own.
The increase in people over 65 reflects the nation-wide trend of an aging population.
Revelstoke's population increased to 7,547 people in 2016 from 7,139 people in 2011. The census was conducted in May of 2016.
The next batch of census data comes out on August 2 and looks at families, households, marital status and language.