Edmonton, Canada's youngest city

By Amy Hancock
November 07, 2014

Edmonton, you haven't aged a bit! The city of Edmonton must be drinking from the fountain of youth. While a substantial aging population exists in most places in the world, the population of Edmonton is just getting younger.

According to a Vital Signs Report from the Edmonton Social Planning Council and the Edmonton Community Foundation the median age of Edmonton residents is 36, compared to the median age for the rest of Canada which is 40.6. The average age of Edmontonians has dropped significantly since 2006.

Edmonton is responsible for creating thousands of new jobs every year. In fact, metro Edmonton added 172, 000 new jobs between 2003 and 2013. The city has the lowest unemployment rate of all major Canadian urban centres. This, combined with the reputable secondary schools and the high quality of life, has contributed to more young people moving to Edmonton.

Canada's youngest city

Not only is the city getting younger, statistics from the report show that this younger population is values education, is more involved in the community, are making better life choices and are overall more optimistic about life and the future.

In the survey, 74.4 per cent of youth agreed or strongly agreed with the statement “I am confident that I am on track to achieve my goals” while 70 per cent agreed or strongly agreed with the statement “I feel in control of the decisions and circumstances that impact my life.”

John Kolkman, research director for the Edmonton Social Planning Council believes that the result of this study is good news for Edmonton.

“It means for those of us who are getting a little older, there are more young people coming forward after us,” Kolkman told the Edmonton Journal.

Canada's youngest city

About Amy Hancock

Amy is a freelance writer and communications professional. Her insights and extensive familiarity with Edmonton make her a great guide for getting to know local communities.

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