Central West Ontario Social and Economic Inclusion Project. Brant County Profile. Prepared by:

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1 Central West Ontario Social and Economic Inclusion Project Brant County Profile Prepared by: December, 2003

2 1.0 Introduction to Brant County Brant County is located between Hamilton to the east and London to the west. Surrounding areas include Oxford County in the west, Hamilton-Wentworth Regional Municipality in the east and the Region of Waterloo to the north, with Haldimand-Norfolk Regional Municipality forming the county s southern boundary (Fig. 1.1). Brant County covers an area of 1093 km 2. In 2001, the population density was 108 persons per square kilometre. The two largest communities in Brant County are Brantford and Paris which together account for 82% of the total population of the county. There are a number of townships across the county of which the largest are Brantford, Burford and South Dumfries. The Six Nations of the Grand River and New Credit Federal Territories constitute a major land area and community within this county. In 2000, the townships of Brantford, Burford, South Dumfries, Onondaga and Oakland, as well as the Town of Paris were amalgamated into a single municipality, known as the County of Brant. Population Geographic Distribution Statistics Canada reported that the population of Brant County was 118,485 in Overall, population growth in Brant County has not kept pace with growth experienced in the rest of Ontario. Between 1996 and 2001, the population increased by 3.4% (Table 1.1). This compares to 6.1% growth for the rest of Ontario. And, growth rates were much higher for certain areas of the county. For example, the population of the former South Dumfries Township has grown by 18% between since Much of this growth was due to population increase in the town of St. George where a number of new subdivisions have been developed over the last several years. Two municipalities experienced a decline in population between 1991 and 1996, notably Brantford Township (-0.3%) and Oakland Township (-2%). Population density (number of people per square kilometre) can be an indicator of the extent to which an area is rural. Generally speaking, more urban areas will have higher population densities. In 2001, the County of Brant had a population density of 108 people per km 2. In contrast, the City of Brantford had a population density of 1,208 people per km 2. Central West Ontario Social and Economic Inclusion Project Brant County Profile 2

3 Table 1.1: Brant County by Municipality, 1991 and 1996 Census Data. Population change Municipality Percent of Land area County km 2 Population Population Brantford C % 74% Paris % 7.8% Brantford TP % 5.7% Burford TP % 5.1% South Dumfries TP % 4.7% Onondaga TP % 1.5% Oakland TP % 1.2% Amalgamated County of Brant Brant County Brantford City 28,383 29, % % ONTARIO % Population Density People/ km 2 Population - Age Distribution In 1996, in Brant County, children under the age of 10 and youth aged accounted for the same proportion of the total population (14% and 14% respectively). Adults aged represented 37% while adults aged constituted 21% of the population. And, those over the age of 64 made up 14% of the population (Fig.1.2). Central West Ontario Social and Economic Inclusion Project Brant County Profile 3

4 Age/Sex Composition As a proportion of the total population, there were fewer individuals in the 20 to 64 year old age group in Brant County than the rest of Ontario in There were also a higher proportion of those under the age of 20 and those over the age of 64 in Brant County as compared to Ontario (Figure 1.2). The notable difference between the province and Brant County in the year old category may be attributable to people in this age group leaving the area for educational and employment opportunities. Table 1.2: Population of Brant County and Ontario, by Age and Sex, 1996 (Source: Census 1996, Statistics Canada). BRANT COUNTY ONTARIO AGE GROUP MALES FEMALES MALES FEMALES % % % % % % % % % % % % % % % % % % % % % % % % % % % % % % % % % % % % % % % % % % % Total % TOTAL 114,570 10,753,550 Central West Ontario Social and Economic Inclusion Project Brant County Profile 4

5 Projected Population Growth Between 1996 and 2016 the population of Brant County is projected to grow by 13% 1. While this overall growth will have an impact on the size of the communities, the substantial growth of the population aged 55 and over has the potential to have a major impact on the health care sector. Brant County will not be alone in this demographic shift as it has been well documented that all of Canada will experience similar changes as the post World War II baby boom generation ages. The population projections for Brant County for year 2016 indicate that there will be a 23% decline in the 0-19 year age group and a one percent decrease in the age grouping. However, it is projected that the number of individuals aged will increase by 44% and those aged 65+ will increase by 30%. Ethnic origin The population of Brant County is less ethnically diverse than the province as a whole. Canadian or English ethnicity was reported by approximately 30% of the Brant County population, compared to 20% in Ontario (Fig ). The proportion of population in Brant County reporting single ethnic origin in 1996 was 55% as compared to 61% of Ontario. In Brant County, other ethnic origins included: North American Indian, Portuguese, East Indian, Vietnamese, Chinese, Jamaican, Belgian, Greek, Filipino, Laotian, Korean, Romanian, Pakistani, Maltese, Austrian, Slovak, Estonian, Danish, Spanish, Trinidadian/Tobagonian, Japanese, Lithuanian, Punjabi and Armenian. 1 Provincial Health Planning Database, Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care, Statistics Canada, 1996 Central West Ontario Social and Economic Inclusion Project Brant County Profile 5

6 Immigration Status In 1996, the immigrant population represented 14% of Brant County s total population as compared to 26% of the province. Over half of these individuals emigrated from Europe: 29% from the United Kingdom; 11% from Poland; 8% from Italy; 8% from the Netherlands and 5% from Germany (Fig. 1.8). Approximately 60% of the immigrant population in Brant County and in the province (58% in Brant County, 62% in Ontario) reported that they immigrated at the age of 20 or older. An additional 30% reported that they immigrated between the ages of 5 and 19, while the remainder (13% in Brant County, 10% in Ontario) immigrated prior to age 5. Of the 15,925 immigrants living in Brant County in 1996, approximately 40% reported immigrating before 1961 with a similar proportion immigrating between 1961 and Fourteen percent immigrated between 1981 and 1990, while less than 9% (1405) immigrated between 1991 and Of the more recent immigrants, 24% had emigrated from Poland, 12% from the United Kingdom, 11% from Vietnam and 9% from India, with the bulk of these individuals settling in Brantford. A significantly larger proportion of Brant County residents (86%) were non-immigrant as compared to Ontario as a whole (74%). Of the non-immigrant population in Brant County, approximately 92% were born in Ontario compared to 87% of Ontario residents. Three percent of Brant County residents have a citizenship other than Canadian, compared to 8% of the Ontario residents. Central West Ontario Social and Economic Inclusion Project Brant County Profile 6

7 2.0 Economic characteristics Family composition Based on available Census data, married couples have continued to constitute the most common form of family structure in Brant County. A slightly smaller proportion of married couples in Brant County (60%) had children at home when compared to Ontario as a whole (62%) in Amongst common-law couples, the percentage with children at home was somewhat lower (Brant County 49% and Ontario 43%) than for married couples. In 1996, lone parent families comprised 15% of Brant County families and 14% of Ontario families. Thirteen percent of all families in Brant County were lone parent families headed by females (12% in Ontario). The proportion of lone-parent families headed by females in Brant County (85%) was similar to that for Ontario (84%). Education Levels Central West Ontario Social and Economic Inclusion Project Brant County Profile 7

8 The 1996 census indicates that, on average, the residents of Brant County had lower education levels than the provincial average. Nearly 40% of Brant County residents had not completed a Grade 13 diploma, compared to 33% in the province as a whole. Approximately 11% of Brant County residents had completed a university degree, compared to over 19% of the residents of Ontario (Fig. 1.13). Employment and Unemployment In 1996 the labour force participation rate was similar in Brant County and Ontario as a whole (66%), while the unemployment rate was slightly higher in Ontario (9%) than in Brant County (8%). When year olds were excluded from these calculations, the unemployment rate dropped to 8% in Ontario and to 6% in Brant County. Among the year olds, the unemployment rate was approximately 18% in Brant County and Ontario. Central West Ontario Social and Economic Inclusion Project Brant County Profile 8

9 In comparing employment status between Brant County and Ontario, greatest differences were observed between males aged (Table 2.1). In Brant County, an additional 4% of males aged participated in the labour force. The employment rate was also slightly higher (3%) among Brant County males in this age group than their Ontario counterparts. In comparing males and females, the overall unemployment rate for those aged 15 and older, was higher for females in Brant County as in Ontario. Of those aged 15+ in Brant County, 27% of males and 41% of females did not participate in the labour force. A similar difference was observed for Ontario (Table 1.3). In Brant County, four percent more males in the age group were employed in 1996 than females in the same age group. The unemployment rate for males in this age group was 4% lower than their female counterparts. The differences between males and females were even greater when looking at those aged 25 and older. Nearly 16% more males, than females, over the age of 24 participated in the labour force in Brant County. In 1996, in Brant County, twice as many females versus males were classified as unpaid family workers. Almost half of males and more than a third of females reported traveling to a different census subdivision to work. More than twice as many males versus females reported no usual place of work. Similar patterns were observed for Ontario. When comparing Brant County to Ontario, eight percent more Ontario males and 14% more Ontario females reported their usual place of work in a different census subdivision as compared to Brant residents. Slightly more Ontario males (8%) reported working at home as compared to their Brant counterparts (7%). Central West Ontario Social and Economic Inclusion Project Brant County Profile 9

10 Table 2.1: Employment Status of Brant County Residents, aged 15 and older, in the Labour Force (Statistics Canada, 1996) EMPLOYMENT Population Aged 15+ by labour force activity As % of total male/female population As % of total population BRANT COUNTY ONTARIO Males Females Males Females 42,305 45, % 77.3% 36.9% 39.7% 4,080,940 4,348, % 79.1% 37.9% 40.4% In labour force Employed % % 73.0% 60.0% Unemployed % % 91.3% 90.4% Unemployment Rate % % 8.7% 9.6% Not in labour force % % 27.0% 40.0% Population Aged by labour force activity As % of total male/female population As % of total population 7, % 6.5% 7, % 6.4% 710, % 6.6% 689, % 6.4% In labour force Employed Unemployed Unemployment Rate % % % % % % 63.9% 81.9% 18.2% 62.6% 82.5% 17.5% Not in labour force % % 36.1% 37.5% Population Aged 25+ by labour force activity As % of total male population As % of total population 34, % 30.5% 38, % 33.3% 3,370, % 31.3% 3,658, % 34.0% In labour force Employed % % 74.9% 59.5% Unemployed % % 93.0% 91.9% Unemployment Rate % % 7.0% 8.1% Not in labour force % % 25.1% 40.5% Central West Ontario Social and Economic Inclusion Project Brant County Profile 10

11 Household Income In 1996, the average private household income in Brant County was just over $48,000 approximately $6,000 less than the Ontario average (Table 2.2). Almost 22% of the households in this county had an annual household income below $20,000 with 5% having an income below $10,000. In Ontario, on average, 6% more households had an annual income of $80,000 and over as compared to Brant County. In 1996, the incidence of lowincome households in Brant County was reported as 13% compared to 15% in Ontario. Table 2.2: Household Income - All Private Households (Statistics Canada, 1996). Income Level Brant County % Ontario % $10, ,000-19, ,000-29, ,000-39, ,000-49, ,000-59, ,000-69, ,000 79, ,000 89, ,000 99, ,000 and over Average Income 48,086 54,291 Median Income 41,367 45,155 The average annual income for males aged 15 and older, in 1996, was approximately $31,000 compared to approximately $19,000 for females aged 15 and older (Table 2.3). A similar difference was observed in Ontario, with males having on average an annual income one and a half times higher than females. A greater proportion of Ontario males earned $50,000 and over (21%) compared to Brant County males (16%). In Brant County, in 1996, 38% of males earned an annual income of less than $20,000 as compared to 64% of females. While a similar proportion of Brant County males (38%) were in the less than $20,000 income bracket as their Ontario counterparts, a difference was observed for the females. Sixty-four percent of Brant County females were in this income bracket as compared to 58% of their Ontario counterparts. Proportionately twice as many Brant County males as females were in the $30,000-$49,999 income bracket (29% and 14%, respectively) with a similar pattern apparent in Ontario. Only 5% of Brant County females earned an annual income of $50,000 or more compared to 16% of their male counterparts (Table 1.7). Proportionately, almost 5% more Ontario males and 3% more Ontario females were in the $50,000 and over income bracket than their Brant County counterparts. Central West Ontario Social and Economic Inclusion Project Brant County Profile 11

12 Table 2.3 Income of Individuals Aged 15 and older (Statistics Canada, 1996). Income Level Brant County % Ontario % MALES FEMALES MALES FEMALES Under 1, ,000-2, ,000-4, ,000-6, ,000-9, ,000-14, ,000-19, ,000-24, ,000-29, ,000-39, ,000-49, ,000 and over Average Income 30,605 18,708 33,599 21,048 Median 26,964 14,787 27,379 16,004 Table 2.4 indicates that the incidence of low income among unattached individuals and families is slightly lower in Brant County than in Ontario. However, the average family income in Brant County is consistently lower than the average family income in Ontario. This holds true for unattached individuals, two-parent, lone-parent and other types of families. Table 2.4: Comparison of Income Data for Brant County and Ontario, Incidence of Low Income Unattached Individuals Brant County Ontario 36.4% 37.9% Average Census Family Income $53,893 $59,830 Average Husband-Wife Family Income Average Lone-male Parent Family Income Average Lone-female Parent Family Income Incidence of Low Income Families $58,357 $64,434 $35,506 $44,318 $28,165 $30, % 14.8% Central West Ontario Social and Economic Inclusion Project Brant County Profile 12