Westside leads city population increase

By Al Beeber - Lethbridge Herald on June 28, 2023.

LETHBRIDGE HERALDabeeber@lethbridgeherald.com

The numbers are in and Lethbridge has an official population of 106,550.

City clerk Bonnie Hilford released the results of April’s municipal census, the first done here since 2019 when Lethbridge’s population was deemed to be 101,482.

In those four years, Lethbridge has seen an increase of 5,068 residents, Hilford told council.

This amounts to a 4.99 per cent increase – 1.25 per cent annually – since 2019.

Mayor Blaine Hyggen said outside council chambers he was surprised because due to COVID, he didn’t know what the city population figure would look like.

He said maintaining status as the third largest city in Alberta gives Lethbridge “bragging rights” over Red Deer.

The biggest growth was in West Lethbridge which had 2,895 more people set up homes there. The total increase across the Oldman was 7.08 per cent over 2019.

Five of the city’s biggest population increases occurred in westside neighbourhoods. Two were in the North and one in the South.

More than 156 census takers worked to get the population figures. There was 100 per cent participation this year which took effort – while most residents did the census online, some census takers had to visit homes between 20 and 30 times to get the information, Deputy City Clerk David Sarsfield told media.

The census showed the city has 44,095 dwellings, up 2,073 for a 4.9 per cent increase since 2019.

Nearly half of dwellings – 21,551 or 48.9 per cent – completed the census online, up 2,296 (4.7 per cent) from 2019.

The average residents per dwelling in 2023 is 2.42, a small increase of 0.01.

The vacancy rate here is 4.8 per cent, down 0.2 per cent from 2019 when the rate was five per cent.

The average age of city residents is 39, up 0.6.

In a press statement issued after the council meeting, the mayor added “Lethbridge consistently demonstrates a sustainable and healthy rate of growth.This stability, as well as steady growth and retention, allows the City of Lethbridge to plan effectively for the future of our community. “

West Lethbridge saw the largest growth over the past four years increasing in numbers to 43,793 in 2023 compared to 40,898 in 2019.

South Lethbridge in 2023 has 33,309 residents, up from 32,412 in 2019. This is an increase of 897 people for a growth rate of 2.77 per cent.

North Lethbridge has 29,448 residents in 2023 compared to 28,172 in 2019, an increase of 1,276 which amounts to a 4.53 per cent growth rate.

The largest growth occurred in the westside neighbourhood of Garry Station which saw an increase of 1,002 residents – 88.8 higher than in 2019.

The second largest growth was also on the westside in the Copperwood subdivision which saw an increase of 897 people – 16.6 per cent.

The new Southbrook neighbourhood in south Lethbridge gained 897 residents. No percentage figure is available.

In fourth was Black Wolf in North Lethbridge which saw 785 more residents – 79.5 per cent. In fifth was another northside subdivision, Legacy Ridge which grew by 367 – 12.4 per cent.

In sixth was the westside’s Crossings which grew by 347 – 61.6 per cent. In seventh was Riverstone in West Lethbridge which grew by 303 – 9.4 per cent and rounding out the top 8 was another westside neighbourhood, Country Meadows which grew by 286 people – 53.8 per cent.

The census was conducted from April 1-23. It determined not only the numbers of people living in each household but also their age and sex.

“The data plays a vital role in determining important future community needs, requirements and services,” said Hilford in a media statement.

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