New census data shows young families flocking to Kitchener, seniors moving to Waterloo

The 2021 census results were updated yesterday, and they show some interesting trends in Waterloo Region. 

The conclusions drawn from the data suggest Kitchener is attracting many young families, while Waterloo has become a grey-haired haven for seniors. 

In Kitchener, the area east and west of Fischer-Hallman showed the biggest disparity between the number of seniors and kids. 

The area reported more than one in four residents were younger than 15, and there were only 17 seniors for every 100 kids. 

That influx of young families was largely attributed to Kitchener's developments in new houses, schools, roads and other infrastructure. 

Meanwhile, Waterloo seniors preferred to move into downtown condos as the city became the first in the region with more seniors than kids. 

Areas in and around Waterloo's uptown core averaged at 24 per cent of residents as seniors, equating to roughly 243 seniors per 100 kids under 15 years old. 

The census data suggests seniors desire to live in condominiums with easily accessible stores and amenities in the city's core. 

In the region as a whole, many of the areas with the highest disparities are located outside of the downtown cores, suggesting new housing developments are attracting new families. 

A full breakdown of Waterloo Regions census data can be found at statistics canada.