Comprehensive Community Profile of Richmond, B.C. Published

VANCOUVER, BRITISH COLUMBIA--(Marketwired - Dec. 15, 2015) - A comprehensive report published today by United Way of the Lower Mainland breaks down population, economic and social statistics in 14 Richmond neighbourhoods. Data is compared to Burnaby, Surrey, Vancouver and Metro Vancouver in the report.

United Way's Richmond Community Profile shows that Richmond's foreign-born population is 60%. In 2014/15, 27.8% of students in the Richmond School District were English Language Learners. Richmond's population has grown by 50% over the past two decades growing from 126,624 in 1991 to the 2011 population of 190,473.

United Way invests $1.12 million in Richmond funding 41 agencies that deliver services to Richmond residents and 50 programs. Programs and services supported by United Way include early childhood development, after-school programs, senior support, refugee support, and food security.

"This kind of research ensures that we are making smart community investments," says Michael McKnight, President & CEO, United Way of the Lower Mainland. "It also helps us plan for the future and develop initiatives with our partners at a neighbourhood level to meet changing needs as this diverse city continues to grow and flourish."

"We are committed to sustaining the high quality of living and economic opportunity as our City continues to evolve and grow," says Richmond Mayor Malcom Brodie. "We are proud to have collaborated on this important community resource and take great pride in our ongoing support of United Way of the Lower Mainland."

The Richmond Community Profile includes information on:

• Population (demographics, growth trends, languages spoken)
• Economic factors (income, unemployment rates, education, housing)
• Social factors (homelessness, family structure, childhood vulnerability, causes of death)
• Data on calls handled by bc211, the 24/7 multilingual social service help line that United Way funds

Data is broken down into 14 of Richmond's planning areas: Blundell, Bridgeport, Broadmoor, City Centre, East Cambie, East Richmond/Fraser Lands, Gilmore, Hamilton, Sea Island, Seafair, Shellmont, Steveston, Thompson, and West Cambie.

This is the second Community Profile published this fall. United Way's Surrey/White Rock Community Profile was published in September.

Richmond Community Profile Highlights

Population

• 60% of Richmond's residents are immigrants. 91.9% of recent immigrants were born in Asia.
• In Richmond, 41% of residents indicated Chinese as their mother tongue; 36.6% English; 3.9% Tagalog; and 3.1% Punjabi.
• Richmond's population as of 2011: 190,473 (8.2% of the region's total population). Vancouver's population as of 2011: 603,500 (26% of the region's total population).
• From 1991 to 2011, the population in Richmond grew by 50%.
• The population of Richmond is projected to continue to grow at a similar rate with a projected population in 2041 of 275,000.
• Birth rate is 8.8 births per 1,000 people compared to average of 9.9 births per 1,000 people in B.C.

Economic indicators

• The median family income in Richmond in 2010 was $69,553.
• There is considerable difference in median family incomes across Richmond's neighbourhoods with the highest median income in Gilmore at $115,844, and City Centre with the lowest median income at $50,983.
• 25.4% of families with children under the age of 18 live in low-income households in Richmond compared to the Metro Vancouver rate of 19.5%
• Top five Richmond occupations in 2011: sales and service 28.7%; business, finance and administration, 20%; management, 12.4%; education, law and social, community and government services, 9.3%; and trades, transport and equipment operators (9.2%).
• Vacancy rates for bachelor apartments is 0%; for two and three bedroom apartments 0.4 and 0% respectively.

Social indicators

• In 2014/15, 27.8% of students in the Richmond School District were English Language Learners.
• Crime rates in Richmond are low: violent crime rate is 1.8%; property crime 5.8%; vehicle theft 2.2%.
• Births to young mothers under 20 are low: 5.66 per 1,000 live births compared to 30.86 per 1,000 live births in British Columbia.

Calls for assistance to the bc211 help line

• In 2014, there were 1,481 calls to bc211 from Richmond, an increase of 14% from the previous year
• Top reasons for calls: housing and homelessness; mental health; substance use; gambling; abuse.

Voter turnout Richmond Municipal Elections

• 2008 - 22.4%; 2011 - 24%; 2014 - 32.4%

(Richmond Community Profile Data sources: 2011 Census; bc211; City of Richmond Planning Department; Civic Info B.C.)

About United Way of the Lower Mainland

United Way of the Lower Mainland is dedicated to creating healthy, caring and inclusive communities by helping families move from poverty to possibility, kids be all that they can be and building stronger communities for all. We are leaders in our field developing partnerships, tracking progress, and bringing the right people together to initiate change. Richmond is one of 26 communities that UWLM serves. To learn more, visit www.uwlm.ca.