List of the largest population centres in Canada
A population centre, in the context of a Canadian census, is a populated place, or a cluster of interrelated populated places, which meets the demographic characteristics of an urban area, having a population of at least 1,000 people and a population density of no fewer than 400 people per square km2.[1]
The term was introduced in the
Statistics Canada listed 944 population centres in its 2011 census data; 513 of them, 54 per cent of all population centres in Canada, were located in Ontario or Quebec, the two most populous provinces.
History
The term "population centre" was chosen in order to better reflect the fact that urban vs. rural is not a strict division, but rather a continuum within which several distinct settlement patterns, and several competing interpretations of the distinction, may exist.[1] For example, a community may fit a strictly statistical definition of an urban area, but may not be commonly thought of as "urban" because it has a smaller population, or because it functions socially and economically as a suburb of another urban area rather than as a self-contained urban entity, or because it is geographically remote from other urban communities. Municipal boundaries are ignored in determining population centres and they are focused entirely on their geographic and built-up nature.
Accordingly, the new definition set out three distinct types of population centres: small (population 1,000 to 29,999), medium (population 30,000 to 99,999) and large (population 100,000 or greater).[1] Despite the change in terminology, however, the demographic definition of a population centre remains unchanged from that of an urban area: a population of at least 1,000 people where the density is no fewer than 400 persons per square kilometre.
Characteristics
A population centre does not necessarily correspond to the boundaries of a
For example, the population centre of
However, the Statistics Canada definition of a population centre is that it does not cross the boundaries of a
Conversely, a single municipality may also contain more than one distinct population centre, if less densely populated or undeveloped regions separate more urbanized areas from one another. For example,
For actual "city limits" populations, see
Lists
By population rank
Rank | Population centre[5] | Province[5] | Size group[5] | Population (2021)[5] | Population (2016)[5] | Change[5] | Land area (km2)[5] | Population density (/km2)[5] |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Toronto | Ontario | Large urban | 5,647,656 | 5,433,590 | +3.9% | 1,829.05 | 3,087.8 |
2 | Montreal | Quebec | Large urban | 3,675,219 | 3,528,651 | +4.2% | 1,382.47 | 2,658.4 |
3 | Vancouver | British Columbia | Large urban | 2,426,160 | 2,268,864 | +6.9% | 911.64 | 2,661.3 |
4 | Calgary | Alberta | Large urban | 1,305,550 | 1,240,413 | +5.3% | 621.72 | 2,099.9 |
5 | Edmonton | Alberta | Large urban | 1,151,635 | 1,070,998 | +7.5% | 627.2 | 1,836.2 |
6 | Ottawa–Gatineau | Ontario / Quebec | Large urban | 1,068,821 | 994,576 | +7.5% | 549.49 | 1,945.1 |
7 | Winnipeg |
Manitoba | Large urban | 758,515 | 712,858 | +6.4% | 356.99 | 2,124.8 |
8 | Quebec City | Quebec | Large urban | 733,156 | 708,280 | +3.5% | 442.85 | 1,655.5 |
9 | Hamilton | Ontario | Large urban | 729,560 | 693,362 | +5.2% | 356.03 | 2,049.2 |
10 | Kitchener | Ontario | Large urban | 522,888 | 473,230 | +10.5% | 296.45 | 1,763.8 |
11 | London | Ontario | Large urban | 423,369 | 384,784 | +10.0% | 244.97 | 1,728.2 |
12 | Victoria | British Columbia | Large urban | 363,222 | 337,235 | +7.7% | 222.71 | 1,630.9 |
13 | Halifax | Nova Scotia | Large urban | 348,634 | 317,334 | +9.9% | 238.29 | 1,463.1 |
14 | Oshawa |
Ontario | Large urban | 335,949 | 309,759 | +8.5% | 159.79 | 2,102.4 |
15 | Windsor | Ontario | Large urban | 306,519 | 288,363 | +6.3% | 184.96 | 1,657.2 |
16 | Saskatoon |
Saskatchewan | Large urban | 264,637 | 245,904 | +7.6% | 134.63 | 1,965.7 |
17 | St. Catharines – Niagara Falls |
Ontario | Large urban | 242,460 | 229,776 | +5.5% | 140.59 | 1,724.6 |
18 | Regina | Saskatchewan | Large urban | 224,996 | 214,664 | +4.8% | 105.61 | 2,130.4 |
19 | St. John's | Newfoundland and Labrador | Large urban | 185,565 | 181,955 | +2.0% | 178 | 1,042.5 |
20 | Kelowna |
British Columbia | Large urban | 181,380 | 160,095 | +13.3% | 168.92 | 1,073.8 |
21 | Barrie |
Ontario | Large urban | 154,676 | 146,394 | +5.7% | 95.33 | 1,622.5 |
22 | Sherbrooke |
Quebec | Large urban | 151,157 | 140,300 | +7.7% | 102.61 | 1,473.1 |
23 | Guelph |
Ontario | Large urban | 144,356 | 132,705 | +8.8% | 79.57 | 1,814.2 |
24 | Kanata | Ontario | Large urban | 137,118 | 118,308 | +15.9% | 62.35 | 2,199.2 |
25 | Abbotsford | British Columbia | Large urban | 132,300 | 122,163 | +8.3% | 71.2 | 1,858.1 |
26 | Trois-Rivières |
Quebec | Large urban | 128,057 | 124,158 | +3.1% | 98.58 | 1,299.0 |
27 | Kingston | Ontario | Large urban | 127,943 | 119,061 | +7.5% | 83.43 | 1,533.5 |
28 | Milton | Ontario | Large urban | 124,579 | 101,885 | +22.3% | 45.2 | 2,756.2 |
29 | Moncton |
New Brunswick | Large urban | 119,785 | 109,075 | +9.8% | 110.73 | 1,081.8 |
30 | White Rock | British Columbia | Large urban | 109,167 | 93,811 | +16.4% | 54.23 | 2,013.0 |
31 | Nanaimo |
British Columbia | Large urban | 106,079 | 96,415 | +10.0% | 86.76 | 1,222.7 |
32 | Brantford |
Ontario | Large urban | 104,413 | 98,250 | +6.3% | 62.13 | 1,680.6 |
33 | Jonquière |
Quebec | Large urban | 103,934 | 104,741 | −0.8% | 94.56 | 1,099.1 |
34 | Saint-Jérôme |
Quebec | Large urban | 100,859 | 91,205 | +10.6% | 96.97 | 1,040.1 |
35 | Red Deer | Alberta | Medium | 99,846 | 99,773 | +0.1% | 65.93 | 1,514.4 |
36 | Thunder Bay |
Ontario | Medium | 95,266 | 94,767 | +0.5% | 76.03 | 1,253.0 |
37 | Lethbridge |
Alberta | Medium | 92,563 | 89,309 | +3.6% | 64 | 1,446.3 |
38 | Kamloops |
British Columbia | Medium | 92,442 | 85,702 | +7.9% | 74.35 | 1,243.3 |
39 | Sudbury |
Ontario | Medium | 92,093 | 88,155 | +4.5% | 75.79 | 1,215.1 |
40 | Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu |
Quebec | Medium | 88,083 | 85,022 | +3.6% | 53.8 | 1,637.2 |
41 | Peterborough | Ontario | Medium | 84,793 | 82,149 | +3.2% | 54.58 | 1,553.6 |
42 | Chilliwack |
British Columbia | Medium | 81,622 | 73,171 | +11.5% | 56.02 | 1,457.0 |
43 | Châteauguay |
Quebec | Medium | 75,891 | 71,164 | +6.6% | 50.48 | 1,503.4 |
44 | Belleville | Ontario | Medium | 75,052 | 68,859 | +9.0% | 89.48 | 838.8 |
45 | Sarnia |
Ontario | Medium | 73,944 | 73,403 | +0.7% | 60.53 | 1,221.6 |
46 | Airdrie | Alberta | Medium | 73,578 | 61,082 | +20.5% | 33.03 | 2,227.6 |
47 | Drummondville |
Quebec | Medium | 72,089 | 68,634 | +5.0% | 52.3 | 1,378.4 |
48 | Welland – Pelham |
Ontario | Medium | 69,302 | 63,011 | +10.0% | 57.21 | 1,211.4 |
49 | Fort McMurray |
Alberta | Medium | 68,002 | 67,123 | +1.3% | 52.17 | 1,303.5 |
50 | Prince George | British Columbia | Medium | 67,339 | 66,315 | +1.5% | 73.9 | 911.2 |
51 | Sault Ste. Marie | Ontario | Medium | 64,923 | 66,313 | −2.1% | 52.97 | 1,225.7 |
52 | Fredericton |
New Brunswick | Medium | 64,614 | 61,014 | +5.9% | 89.6 | 721.1 |
53 | Saint John | New Brunswick | Medium | 63,447 | 61,152 | +3.8% | 70.05 | 905.7 |
54 | Medicine Hat |
Alberta | Medium | 63,382 | 63,111 | +0.4% | 53.2 | 1,191.4 |
55 | Grande Prairie |
Alberta | Medium | 63,172 | 62,382 | +1.3% | 49.74 | 1,270.0 |
56 | Granby | Quebec | Medium | 62,624 | 59,706 | +4.9% | 48.39 | 1,294.2 |
57 | Bowmanville – Newcastle |
Ontario | Medium | 56,742 | 48,929 | +16.0% | 31.23 | 1,816.9 |
58 | Beloeil | Quebec | Medium | 52,959 | 51,132 | +3.6% | 26.5 | 1,998.5 |
59 | Charlottetown |
Prince Edward Island | Medium | 52,390 | 48,054 | +9.0% | 57.56 | 910.2 |
60 | Vernon | British Columbia | Medium | 51,896 | 48,425 | +7.2% | 51.16 | 1,014.4 |
61 | North Bay | Ontario | Medium | 51,433 | 50,396 | +2.1% | 64.91 | 792.4 |
62 | Saint-Hyacinthe |
Quebec | Medium | 50,616 | 50,104 | +1.0% | 30.8 | 1,643.4 |
63 | Brandon | Manitoba | Medium | 50,532 | 48,345 | +4.5% | 28.73 | 1,758.9 |
64 | Joliette |
Quebec | Medium | 49,246 | 46,277 | +6.4% | 39.03 | 1,261.7 |
65 | Courtenay | British Columbia | Medium | 48,917 | 45,314 | +8.0% | 56.58 | 864.6 |
66 | Cornwall | Ontario | Medium | 47,286 | 46,114 | +2.5% | 32.4 | 1,459.4 |
67 | Victoriaville |
Quebec | Medium | 46,322 | 44,735 | +3.5% | 35.27 | 1,313.4 |
68 | Woodstock | Ontario | Medium | 46,296 | 40,614 | +14.0% | 34.41 | 1,345.4 |
69 | St. Thomas | Ontario | Medium | 45,732 | 41,834 | +9.3% | 28.1 | 1,627.5 |
70 | Chatham |
Ontario | Medium | 45,171 | 43,550 | +3.7% | 31.21 | 1,447.3 |
71 | Georgetown | Ontario | Medium | 44,058 | 42,326 | +4.1% | 25.7 | 1,714.3 |
72 | Salaberry-de-Valleyfield |
Quebec | Medium | 41,655 | 39,655 | +5.0% | 33.93 | 1,227.7 |
73 | Spruce Grove |
Alberta | Medium | 39,348 | 36,279 | +8.5% | 29.76 | 1,322.2 |
74 | Shawinigan |
Quebec | Medium | 38,930 | 38,695 | +0.6% | 31.77 | 1,225.4 |
75 | Rimouski |
Quebec | Medium | 38,708 | 38,478 | +0.6% | 27.79 | 1,392.9 |
76 | Bradford | Ontario | Medium | 38,128 | 30,765 | +23.9% | 16.1 | 2,368.2 |
77 | Campbell River | British Columbia | Medium | 38,108 | 35,440 | +7.5% | 33 | 1,154.8 |
78 | Penticton |
British Columbia | Medium | 36,893 | 33,899 | +8.8% | 25.84 | 1,427.7 |
79 | Prince Albert | Saskatchewan | Medium | 36,768 | 35,102 | +4.7% | 21.37 | 1,720.5 |
80 | Stouffville |
Ontario | Medium | 36,753 | 32,634 | +12.6% | 14.17 | 2,593.7 |
81 | Sorel |
Quebec | Medium | 36,650 | 36,365 | +0.8% | 30.61 | 1,197.3 |
82 | Mission | British Columbia | Medium | 36,193 | 33,713 | +7.4% | 27.23 | 1,329.2 |
83 | Leamington | Ontario | Medium | 35,730 | 33,049 | +8.1% | 31.77 | 1,124.6 |
84 | Orangeville | Ontario | Medium | 34,177 | 32,318 | +5.8% | 19.77 | 1,728.7 |
85 | Leduc | Alberta | Medium | 33,505 | 29,561 | +13.3% | 67.43 | 496.9 |
86 | Orillia |
Ontario | Medium | 33,379 | 31,128 | +7.2% | 22.68 | 1,471.7 |
87 | Stratford | Ontario | Medium | 32,878 | 31,094 | +5.7% | 23.3 | 1,411.1 |
88 | Moose Jaw |
Saskatchewan | Medium | 32,813 | 32,993 | −0.5% | 22.14 | 1,482.1 |
89 | Cochrane | Alberta | Medium | 31,638 | 25,501 | +24.1% | 23.71 | 1,334.4 |
90 | Lloydminster |
Alberta / Saskatchewan | Medium | 31,582 | 31,400 | +0.6% | 24.43 | 1,292.8 |
91 | Cape Breton – Sydney |
Nova Scotia | Medium | 30,960 | 30,170 | +2.6% | 30.91 | 1,001.6 |
92 | Okotoks |
Alberta | Medium | 30,214 | 28,833 | +4.8% | 17.23 | 1,753.6 |
93 | Innisfil |
Ontario | Small | 29,464 | 24,277 | +21.4% | 23.71 | 1,242.7 |
94 | Timmins |
Ontario | Small | 28,874 | 29,331 | −1.6% | 18.49 | 1,561.6 |
95 | Saint-Georges | Quebec | Small | 27,402 | 27,103 | +1.1% | 27.09 | 1,011.5 |
96 | Parksville | British Columbia | Small | 27,330 | 25,364 | +7.8% | 27.45 | 995.6 |
97 | Elmhurst Beach |
Ontario | Small | 27,145 | 26,999 | +0.5% | 16.56 | 1,639.2 |
98 | Fort Saskatchewan |
Alberta | Small | 26,831 | 23,944 | +12.1% | 21.85 | 1,228.0 |
99 | Bolton | Ontario | Small | 26,795 | 26,378 | +1.6% | 20.71 | 1,293.8 |
100 | Midland | Ontario | Small | 26,246 | 24,443 | +7.4% | 27.41 | 957.5 |
By province or territory
- List of population centres in Alberta
- List of population centres in British Columbia
- List of population centres in the Canadian Territories
- List of population centres in Manitoba
- List of population centres in New Brunswick
- List of population centres in Newfoundland and Labrador
- List of population centres in Nova Scotia
- List of population centres in Ontario
- List of population centres in Prince Edward Island
- List of population centres in Quebec
- List of population centres in Saskatchewan
See also
- List of the largest cities and towns in Canada by area
- List of census metropolitan areas and agglomerations in Canada
- Population of Canada by province and territory
- List of largest Canadian cities by census
- Population of Canada by year
- List of cities in Canada
- List of towns in Canada
- Regional municipality
References
- ^ a b c d "From urban areas to population centres". Statistics Canada. Archived from the original on 13 December 2012. Retrieved 5 May 2011.
- ^ "Map: Toronto (Population Centre), Ontario". Statistics Canada, February 1, 2012.
- ^ Map: Ottawa - Gatineau (Population Centre), Ontario. Statistics Canada, February 1, 2012.
- ^ Map: Sudbury (Population Centre), Ontario. Statistics Canada, February 1, 2012.
- ^ a b c d e f g h "Population and dwelling counts: Canada and population centres". Statistics Canada. February 9, 2022. Retrieved February 11, 2022.