The Yukon Bureau of Statistics has released its 2019 statistical review showing an increasing population throughout the territory that is paying more for rent or home ownership than in previous years.
Released July 16, the report is a document compiled annually providing a picture of the past year in the territory with data on a range of topics such as population, real estate, building permits, weekly earnings and more.
As it’s stated in the report: “The Yukon Statistical Review is an annual report published by Yukon Bureau of Statistics (YBS) as a companion to the Monthly Statistical Review. Data presented in the review originate from YBS surveys and Statistics Canada as well as from government, industry and private sources.”
The stats show many areas growing in the territory.
The territory’s population, for example, grew 1.7 per cent from 2018 going from 40,643 to 41,352. Most of the population lives in Whitehorse, with 32,304 calling the capital city home. That compares to a Whitehorse population of 31,687 in 2018.
“Looking at 2019 through 2009 (June 30th each year), Yukon’s population has grown every year,” it’s stated in the report. “However, this growth has not occurred evenly — the annual growth rate varied from a low of 0.8 per cent in 2013 to a high of 3.0 per cent in 2017.”
With a labour force of 22,300, including 21,500 of those employed, the unemployment rate was up to 3.6 per cent compared to 2.7 per cent in 2018 when there was a labour force of 21,900 and 21,300 of those were employed.
“In 2019, the total value of real estate sales in Yukon was $367.4 million, an increase of $30.8 million, or 9.1 per cent, compared to $336.7 million in 2018,” it’s noted in the report. “Real estate sales in Whitehorse increased by $21.6 million, or 7.6 per cent, from $286.5 million in 2018 to $308.2 million in 2019.
“Real estate sales outside of Whitehorse increased 18.3 per cent from $50.1 million in 2018 to $59.3 million in 2019.”
Weekly earnings also grew from an average of $1,117.72 in 2018 to $1,166.12 in 2019. That compares with a national average of $1,001.28 in 2018 and $1,028.50 in 2019.
And while weekly earnings went up, so too did the cost of housing for both buyers and renters.
Both Whitehorse and the Yukon reported a median rent of $1,000 per month in 2019. That compares with 2018 figures of $963 and $965 per month in Yukon and Whitehorse respectively. While the territory had an overall vacancy rate of three per cent in 2019 compared to 3.9 per cent in 2018, Whitehorse had a vacancy rate of 2.9 per cent in 2019 and 3.2 per cent in 2018.
For those buying property, the average single detached house in Whitehorse cost $516,200 in 2019 compared to $480,700 in 2018, an increase of 7.4 per cent.
“In 2019, there were 680 real estate transactions in Whitehorse, an increase of 32 transactions or 4.9 per cent, compared to 2018 (648),” it’s noted. “Comparing 2019 to 2010, the total number of real estate transactions in Whitehorse increased by 83, or 13.9 per cent.”
Retail sales also rose to $8.63 million in 2019 from $8.37 million in 2019 in the territory.
The full detailed report is available here.
Contact Stephanie Waddell at stephanie.waddell@yukon-news.com