Seniors 65 and older now make up more than 27 per cent of Summerland’s population, according to 2011 census figures released last week by Statistics Canada.
For all of British Columbia seniors account for 15.7 of the population and for all of Canada 14.8 per cent, up from 13.7 in 2006.
The median age in Summerland is 52, compared to a province-wide median age of 41.9 years. The total population of Summerland is 11,280 according to the 2011 census, up 4.2 per cent from 10,828 in 2006.
In Summerland children up to age 14 totalled 1,445, the working population 15 to 64 totalled 6,740 and seniors 65 and older totalled 3,100. There are 1,150 seniors 80 and older in Summerland.
Summerland has six per cent fewer children than it did during the last census in 2006. Nationwide, the share of children 14 and under fell from 17.7 per cent in 2006 to 16.7 per cent in 2011.
In Summerland 13 per cent of the population is aged 15 to 29; 33 per cent is 45 to 64; and 27 per cent is 65 and over.
Within the Regional District of Okanagan-Similkameen, 28 per cent of its 80,742 residents were 65-plus in 2011, and the median age was 52, the same as Summerland.
Meanwhile, seniors accounted for 38 per cent of the 1,667 residents on the Penticton Indian Reserve, where the median age hit 56.
In Penticton, with its population of 32,877, 16 per cent are age 15 to 29, 30 per cent are 45 to 64 and 26 per cent are 65 and over.
In Oliver, which has a population of 4,824, 13 per cent are age 15 to 29, 30 per cent are 45 to 64, and 34 per cent are 65 or more.
Out of the Osoyoos population of 4,845, 20 per cent are 15 to 29, 32 per cent are 45 to 64 and 39 per cent are 65 and over.
In 2011, seven of the 10 municipalities (census subdivisions) with the highest proportion of seniors were in British Columbia. The highest percentage of seniors is in Qualicum Beach, B.C., where 47.2 per cent of the population is 65 and older.