For the second time in three years, Squamish has taken the lead as the best place to work, according to BCBusiness magazine’s annual rankings.
Our town’s in good company — other Sea to Sky communities rounded out the Top 3.
Whistler took second place while the District of North Vancouver placed third.
“The Sea-to-Sky Corridor owes its strength to several factors, including fast-rising incomes, generous spending on recreation and booming population growth,” reads the BCBusiness article. “Squamish edges out Whistler thanks to one of the province’s busiest home construction markets.”
These rankings were determined by the magazine after it collaborated with Environics Analytics.
The results were based on 2019’s economic outlook for communities across the province.
This news had a positive reception from the District.
“This recognition provides an opportunity for us to highlight some of the new industries that are creating exciting job opportunities for Squamish’s skilled workforce,” said Mayor Karen Elliott in a news release.
“It also reinforces our desirable location, entrepreneurial spirit and our unparalleled lifestyle that truly personifies the Squamish brand – we have so much to offer, and we’re working hard to capture opportunities.”
A multitude of factors went into making the decision, including:
— average household income
— household income for primary earners under age 35
— five-year income growth
— average household spending on recreation
— average shelter costs
— five-year population growth
— unemployment rate
— average commute time
— average value of primary real estate
— housing starts per 10,000 residents
Here’s a breakdown of how BCBusiness evaluated Squamish.
Average household income (10%): $116,171
Average household income under 35 (10%): $77,294
Five-year average household income growth (15%): 23.1%
Average household spending on recreation (10%): $5,692
Average shelter spending (10%): $26,207
Average value of primary real estate (5%): $836,807
Average commute in minutes (10%): 27.1
Five-year population growth (10%): 13.1%
Housing starts per 100 residents (10%): 137.7
Unemployment rate (10%): 4.5%
